What do you think?
Speechless
Not yet published
Expected 12 Jan 27In this voicy, inventive, shocking thriller, a coma patient who learns to communicate again begins sharing increasingly chilling messages about the accident that caused his injuries--and who may have been responsible.
As a communication facilitator, Leah Andrews has trained to help brain-damaged individuals who can no longer communicate for themselves. She assists their hands to type out words on a computer, bringing the messages trapped inside their heads to light. When she's hired by a desperate wife whose husband has been in a vegetative state for over a year after falling down a marble staircase in their home, Leah is determined to reach the man inside. She's new to this therapy practice, having taken it on as her new career after a bad breakup left her wanting a fresh start. Now she’s taken on Eliot’s case, hoping to help him heal and bring him back to his wife and two daughters.
For weeks, with Leah's coaching, Eliot makes small steps of progress until finally they have a real breakthrough and he presents his first direct HELP ME. And the stronger he gets, the more chilling each subsequent message becomes, and Leah feels compelled to look more closely at what happened to Eliot, and at this family who seems from the outside to be close and caring. But the more she learns, the more certain she becomes that Eliot's accident might not have been so accidental at all....
With a totally compelling main character in Leah and an irresistible high-concept premise, Speechless is a twisty, shocking thrill ride from start to finish and the introduction of a bold new voice in psychological suspense.
As a communication facilitator, Leah Andrews has trained to help brain-damaged individuals who can no longer communicate for themselves. She assists their hands to type out words on a computer, bringing the messages trapped inside their heads to light. When she's hired by a desperate wife whose husband has been in a vegetative state for over a year after falling down a marble staircase in their home, Leah is determined to reach the man inside. She's new to this therapy practice, having taken it on as her new career after a bad breakup left her wanting a fresh start. Now she’s taken on Eliot’s case, hoping to help him heal and bring him back to his wife and two daughters.
For weeks, with Leah's coaching, Eliot makes small steps of progress until finally they have a real breakthrough and he presents his first direct HELP ME. And the stronger he gets, the more chilling each subsequent message becomes, and Leah feels compelled to look more closely at what happened to Eliot, and at this family who seems from the outside to be close and caring. But the more she learns, the more certain she becomes that Eliot's accident might not have been so accidental at all....
With a totally compelling main character in Leah and an irresistible high-concept premise, Speechless is a twisty, shocking thrill ride from start to finish and the introduction of a bold new voice in psychological suspense.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 12, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin Press/ Minotaur Books for an ARC of Speechless by Jordan Sawyer
Ironically. I'm speechless.. and yet even more ironically there is so much to say! Lol
I'm going to need all of my armchair detectives to hither on up to the front of the class… it's our time to shine baby! .. This isn't really a "spoiler" and I feel as if knowing this in advance will actually make the even more enjoyable for a lot of readers.. When you read the About the Author at the end, you discover Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for an already established New York Times Best Seller who's had their books already made into movies!
And Ooouuoooo OK Ms. "Sawyer" I see you!.. I'm sorry (we know I'm actually not) but we already know I'm basically your classic tinfoil hat conspiracy theriost.. So when I read that my wheels got turning!.. I had a few theories going.. Lol..1).. It's Frieda McFadden.. why?.. Intelligent people do interesting things when they're "bored".. I don't know, I can just see her publishing best selling books under a false name. Then every time she comes across haters who clam her books only sell because of who she is , she can have a nice chuckle to herself.. like, "if you only knew".. And it did read like one of her books! (imo)..THEN 🤣😭.. I couldn't sleep ..and had .. ingested.. some LEtTuCe from a party at Beelzebub's last week, and I started thinking.... Maybe it was Gillian Flynn because "j" and "g" sort of sound alike and if you read "Flynn" fast enough it sounds like "Finn".. so I was thinking Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn.. ( the lettuce was fresh, ok?! 🤣)..The point is, It was just really fun for me trying to guess who this was! It really added to the overall enjoyment of the experience..It does read like a Frieda McFadden like I said before, but then there are authors who write similar, like B. A. Paris.. Who knows!.. Maybe James Patterson feels like taking people for a spin?..
*Sidenote*.. while I feel this should be obvious I fear not much is obvious in the mighty 2026.. Clearly this person wants to be anonymous for a reason & deserves that to be respected. So any sluthing should remain for personal entertainment.
I do hope we get more books down the road so I can REALLY break out the tinfoil!..Because I'm happy to report, the book itself is also solid!.. It's your "typical" thriller with so many twists & turns it could qualify as a maze, it starts off at about 90mph and never pumps the breaks, and every time you think you know what is going to happen you're most likely going to be wrong...If you are a Frieda McFadden fan, or especially if you liked The Silent Patient you're definitely going to want to check this one out!
The only people who should possibly avoid this one are those who deem plots too unrealistic and therefore have a problem engaging.. Because again, this is a WILD ride, but a good one.. And as always (no judgement, we love what we love), but good books don't deserve bad reviews because it wasn't your cup of tea, and you don't deserve to read books that don't make you happy.
Until next time
Hades
🩵
Ironically. I'm speechless.. and yet even more ironically there is so much to say! Lol
I'm going to need all of my armchair detectives to hither on up to the front of the class… it's our time to shine baby! .. This isn't really a "spoiler" and I feel as if knowing this in advance will actually make the even more enjoyable for a lot of readers.. When you read the About the Author at the end, you discover Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for an already established New York Times Best Seller who's had their books already made into movies!
And Ooouuoooo OK Ms. "Sawyer" I see you!.. I'm sorry (we know I'm actually not) but we already know I'm basically your classic tinfoil hat conspiracy theriost.. So when I read that my wheels got turning!.. I had a few theories going.. Lol..1).. It's Frieda McFadden.. why?.. Intelligent people do interesting things when they're "bored".. I don't know, I can just see her publishing best selling books under a false name. Then every time she comes across haters who clam her books only sell because of who she is , she can have a nice chuckle to herself.. like, "if you only knew".. And it did read like one of her books! (imo)..THEN 🤣😭.. I couldn't sleep ..and had .. ingested.. some LEtTuCe from a party at Beelzebub's last week, and I started thinking.... Maybe it was Gillian Flynn because "j" and "g" sort of sound alike and if you read "Flynn" fast enough it sounds like "Finn".. so I was thinking Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn.. ( the lettuce was fresh, ok?! 🤣)..The point is, It was just really fun for me trying to guess who this was! It really added to the overall enjoyment of the experience..It does read like a Frieda McFadden like I said before, but then there are authors who write similar, like B. A. Paris.. Who knows!.. Maybe James Patterson feels like taking people for a spin?..
*Sidenote*.. while I feel this should be obvious I fear not much is obvious in the mighty 2026.. Clearly this person wants to be anonymous for a reason & deserves that to be respected. So any sluthing should remain for personal entertainment.
I do hope we get more books down the road so I can REALLY break out the tinfoil!..Because I'm happy to report, the book itself is also solid!.. It's your "typical" thriller with so many twists & turns it could qualify as a maze, it starts off at about 90mph and never pumps the breaks, and every time you think you know what is going to happen you're most likely going to be wrong...If you are a Frieda McFadden fan, or especially if you liked The Silent Patient you're definitely going to want to check this one out!
The only people who should possibly avoid this one are those who deem plots too unrealistic and therefore have a problem engaging.. Because again, this is a WILD ride, but a good one.. And as always (no judgement, we love what we love), but good books don't deserve bad reviews because it wasn't your cup of tea, and you don't deserve to read books that don't make you happy.
Until next time
Hades
🩵
August 29, 2026
Talk about a book that instantly hooked me! Wow! I remember reading the synopsis when I requested the arc. However, by the time I picked it up, I completely forgot about it. All I knew was that it dealt with a brain damaged patient. I assumed it was going to focus on the memory loss trope. I recommend you going in blind!
We get two timelines told from the protagonist, current and the past. Eventually, these timelines come together…. I was just trying to figure it all out. I did figure out a twist early on, however, it didn’t spoil my reading experience.
Of course, you’re going to have to suspend disbelief. Trust me, just go with it. The end got a little insane and perfect for fans of unhinged characters!
I highly enjoyed it and recommend you adding it to your TBR! Speechless is out in January 2027.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another fun buddy read with @bibliopeeks! Thank you to St Martins Press for the gifted copy.
Pub date - 1/12/27
We get two timelines told from the protagonist, current and the past. Eventually, these timelines come together…. I was just trying to figure it all out. I did figure out a twist early on, however, it didn’t spoil my reading experience.
Of course, you’re going to have to suspend disbelief. Trust me, just go with it. The end got a little insane and perfect for fans of unhinged characters!
I highly enjoyed it and recommend you adding it to your TBR! Speechless is out in January 2027.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another fun buddy read with @bibliopeeks! Thank you to St Martins Press for the gifted copy.
Pub date - 1/12/27
August 11, 2026
Ok that was completely insane and bonkers in the best possible way. Completely unhinged and the most diabolical *adjective redacted, no spoilers* story ever! I don’t know who you are « Jordan Sawyer » but this book is the nuttiest thriller I have read in a long time. If I knew who you were, I would read everything else you’ve ever written (unless I already have?) The story line unspools quite nicely and I figured out the twist just as it was coming together and then it all went to 11 for real. Well done!
Thank you to the mystery author, the publisher and NetGalley for inviting me to read this book via email. I would not have found it otherwise. But now that I have had the chance to provide my honest review, I hope others will pick up this book when it publishes in January.
(FYI, according to the author profile at the end of the e-book, Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for a best selling author whose previous books were previously made into films.)
Thank you to the mystery author, the publisher and NetGalley for inviting me to read this book via email. I would not have found it otherwise. But now that I have had the chance to provide my honest review, I hope others will pick up this book when it publishes in January.
(FYI, according to the author profile at the end of the e-book, Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for a best selling author whose previous books were previously made into films.)
August 10, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, Andrea Altamirano, and Jordan Sawyer for the ARC
I I was sent this book and when I got the email and read the synopsis to this, I knew this would be a book that I’d enjoy.
Leah Andrews works as a communication facilitator after a bad breakup. She works with those who no longer can communicate for themselves. Her character is hired by a wife, who desperately wants answers for her husband, Elliot. Weeks continue to go on where Elliot begins to make progress, but his first message is chilling: HELP ME. Over time, Leah realizes that maybe his accident maybe wasn’t one at all.
The characters in this book were likable. My favorite definitely was Leah. Her determination through out the whole book made me want more.
This was everything I wanted in a psychological suspense. I was on the edge of my seat as I was reading this.
Pub date. January 12th, 2027.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
"Look, we actually know more about the surface of the moon than we do about human brains. They're still pretty mysterious."
I have no words. See what I did there? But seriously, I devoured this faster than my morning coffee—it was just as addictive!
When @nikkileethrillseeker told me about this book, as a brain injury survivor, I knew it was a must-read! I'm endlessly interested in stories that include brain damage and trauma, and a "communication facilitator" is a fascinating concept.
Leah helps people who can't speak due to brain injuries convey their thoughts by using a computer and keyboard with a hunt-and-peck method. Her newest client, Eliot, begins to communicate about the fall that caused his injury—and what he types is chilling.
Avoid any detailed reviews that delve into plot, format, or that make "esque" comparisons, as they will surely be spoilers. Go in as blind as possible—trust me!
I was drawn in immediately by Leah's profession as well as her backstory on how she found that career path. I particularly enjoyed the explanations of brain functions and how injury can affect them. The narrative shifts between past and present within chapters somewhat abruptly but allows readers to get to know her as Leah recounts her journey.
Seasoned thriller readers will see the twists coming, but that doesn't make this any less addictive. It's fast, page-turning, and off the rails in a silly (some of her decisions, my goodness!) over-the-top way you can't take seriously—making it amusing!
Adding to the intrigue, Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for a bestselling thriller author whose real identity is a secret! It only adds to the fun to speculate about who the author could be. Will Minotaur Books ever reveal who wrote this twisted gem? I certainly hope so. Fans of whodunits, toxic dynamics, and unhinged behavior will have a blast with SPEECHLESS!
____
Another fab buddy read with @nikkileethrillseeker and it’s KattNik approved y'all!
____
Thank you to Minotaur Books for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily!
I have no words. See what I did there? But seriously, I devoured this faster than my morning coffee—it was just as addictive!
When @nikkileethrillseeker told me about this book, as a brain injury survivor, I knew it was a must-read! I'm endlessly interested in stories that include brain damage and trauma, and a "communication facilitator" is a fascinating concept.
Leah helps people who can't speak due to brain injuries convey their thoughts by using a computer and keyboard with a hunt-and-peck method. Her newest client, Eliot, begins to communicate about the fall that caused his injury—and what he types is chilling.
Avoid any detailed reviews that delve into plot, format, or that make "esque" comparisons, as they will surely be spoilers. Go in as blind as possible—trust me!
I was drawn in immediately by Leah's profession as well as her backstory on how she found that career path. I particularly enjoyed the explanations of brain functions and how injury can affect them. The narrative shifts between past and present within chapters somewhat abruptly but allows readers to get to know her as Leah recounts her journey.
Seasoned thriller readers will see the twists coming, but that doesn't make this any less addictive. It's fast, page-turning, and off the rails in a silly (some of her decisions, my goodness!) over-the-top way you can't take seriously—making it amusing!
Adding to the intrigue, Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for a bestselling thriller author whose real identity is a secret! It only adds to the fun to speculate about who the author could be. Will Minotaur Books ever reveal who wrote this twisted gem? I certainly hope so. Fans of whodunits, toxic dynamics, and unhinged behavior will have a blast with SPEECHLESS!
____
Another fab buddy read with @nikkileethrillseeker and it’s KattNik approved y'all!
____
Thank you to Minotaur Books for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily!
August 27, 2026
Leah Andrews normally works with young children who struggle to communicate, using different signaling techniques, technology, and a whole lot of patience to help them find their voice. But her newest case is completely different—a middle-aged man named Eliot who suffered a traumatic fall and has lost all ability to speak.
As Leah begins working with him, the very first thing Eliot manages to communicate is “HELP ME.”
Was his fall really an accident? Did someone hurt him? As Leah continues working with Eliot, more and more truths begin to surface—and it quickly becomes clear that this wasn’t an accident at all. It was a crime. But who did it? His wife? A disgruntled employee? The maid?
OMGGGG…the twist towards the end! 🤯 I was completely hooked trying to figure out what was really going on.
If you love thrillers with secrets, twists, and plenty of suspects, definitely add this one to your TBR! 📚🔪
As Leah begins working with him, the very first thing Eliot manages to communicate is “HELP ME.”
Was his fall really an accident? Did someone hurt him? As Leah continues working with Eliot, more and more truths begin to surface—and it quickly becomes clear that this wasn’t an accident at all. It was a crime. But who did it? His wife? A disgruntled employee? The maid?
OMGGGG…the twist towards the end! 🤯 I was completely hooked trying to figure out what was really going on.
If you love thrillers with secrets, twists, and plenty of suspects, definitely add this one to your TBR! 📚🔪
August 25, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book was WILD. I was locked in. I read the first 28% or so the first day and the remaining 72% the following day (I stayed up past my bedtime to finish it!). I didn't know where the story was going and I HAD to know.
Even things I could point out as flaws honestly ended up working for the story. It's very rare I give a thriller five stars but this one deserves it.
I'm interested in discussing who we think Jordan Sawyer really is 😂
If you're a thriller fan, you won't be disappointed with this book.
This book was WILD. I was locked in. I read the first 28% or so the first day and the remaining 72% the following day (I stayed up past my bedtime to finish it!). I didn't know where the story was going and I HAD to know.
Even things I could point out as flaws honestly ended up working for the story. It's very rare I give a thriller five stars but this one deserves it.
I'm interested in discussing who we think Jordan Sawyer really is 😂
If you're a thriller fan, you won't be disappointed with this book.
August 14, 2026
Jordan Sawyer’s “Speechless” was a fantastic. I highly recommend reading it without any prior knowledge, as it’s an exhilarating and unpredictable journey. The author wrote about the science of this therapy in a way that kept me engaged and eager to uncover the answers. The story was intriguing and mysterious. I loved the twists and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I gave it 5 stars and highly recommend it.
Thanks, Minotaur Books via NetGalley.
Thanks, Minotaur Books via NetGalley.
September 12, 2026
Thank you, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, for the e-ARC 🫶🏼
First off, I read this in ONE sitting. I spent my Friday night reading this. I was gonna put it down, but once it hit the "unhinged" portion, I couldn't stop. This has two timelines, both from the FMC. At first, it can seem a little confusing, as mid-chapter you'll be jumping from the present to the past, but stick with it, because it all starts to come together in the last 30% of the book.
I love the moment when "things click," and you start to figure out the "twist" in a thriller. I kind of figured this one out before the reveal, but it didn't take away from the suspense I felt reading the rest of the story (as I said, I couldn't put this down!!). The communication facilitator and brain-damaged patient main characters were both totally unlikable - I love an unlikable character in books like this. This is the first time I've read a character with a unique career like this.
The plot is pretty unbelievable. I did kinda laugh because there's no way this could ever happen lmao.. BUT that's what made this fun, ridiculous, and unhinged as hell. One thing I liked about the writing was that there seemed to feel like these "breaking of the 4th wall" moments, where it seemed like the FMC was pausing from her story to stop and talk directly to the reader.
I don't want to say too much more as I totally think everyone needs to go into this blind!
First off, I read this in ONE sitting. I spent my Friday night reading this. I was gonna put it down, but once it hit the "unhinged" portion, I couldn't stop. This has two timelines, both from the FMC. At first, it can seem a little confusing, as mid-chapter you'll be jumping from the present to the past, but stick with it, because it all starts to come together in the last 30% of the book.
I love the moment when "things click," and you start to figure out the "twist" in a thriller. I kind of figured this one out before the reveal, but it didn't take away from the suspense I felt reading the rest of the story (as I said, I couldn't put this down!!). The communication facilitator and brain-damaged patient main characters were both totally unlikable - I love an unlikable character in books like this. This is the first time I've read a character with a unique career like this.
The plot is pretty unbelievable. I did kinda laugh because there's no way this could ever happen lmao.. BUT that's what made this fun, ridiculous, and unhinged as hell. One thing I liked about the writing was that there seemed to feel like these "breaking of the 4th wall" moments, where it seemed like the FMC was pausing from her story to stop and talk directly to the reader.
I don't want to say too much more as I totally think everyone needs to go into this blind!
September 22, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the gifted ARC!
I was drawn into this one immediately! The premise gave me some The Silent Patient vibes, which definitely caught my attention, and I needed to know what Eliot was trying to communicate and what actually happened to him.
I really liked Leah as the main character, and I thought the whole idea of a communication facilitator was so interesting. Watching her work with Eliot and slowly piece together his messages had me wanting to know what he was going to say next.
I will say that some of the twists were a little easier for me to see coming, especially as the story went on. There were also a few moments where I had to suspend reality a bit, but I was enjoying the story enough that it didn’t really bother me.
This was such a quick and easy thriller to get sucked into, and I definitely had a few “WAIT, WHAT?!” moments along the way. Even though I saw some of the twists coming, I still really enjoyed the ride and thought this was a fun one!
I was drawn into this one immediately! The premise gave me some The Silent Patient vibes, which definitely caught my attention, and I needed to know what Eliot was trying to communicate and what actually happened to him.
I really liked Leah as the main character, and I thought the whole idea of a communication facilitator was so interesting. Watching her work with Eliot and slowly piece together his messages had me wanting to know what he was going to say next.
I will say that some of the twists were a little easier for me to see coming, especially as the story went on. There were also a few moments where I had to suspend reality a bit, but I was enjoying the story enough that it didn’t really bother me.
This was such a quick and easy thriller to get sucked into, and I definitely had a few “WAIT, WHAT?!” moments along the way. Even though I saw some of the twists coming, I still really enjoyed the ride and thought this was a fun one!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Leah is a communication facilitator, meaning she helps people who have medical reasons that they are unable to speak, to communicate with their loved ones. She is working with a new client, Eliot, who is in a wheelchair and unable to move or speak after a tragic accident.
As Leah works with Eliot, she starts to uncover startling information around his accident. Now, she has to try to prove that what he is typing is really what happened.
This story switches between two different timelines. One where we see Leah as the communication facilitator and the other shows us what motivated Leah to choose that career path.
While I figured out where the story was leading me, it did not take away from the story. I really enjoyed finding out what made Leah tick.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As Leah works with Eliot, she starts to uncover startling information around his accident. Now, she has to try to prove that what he is typing is really what happened.
This story switches between two different timelines. One where we see Leah as the communication facilitator and the other shows us what motivated Leah to choose that career path.
While I figured out where the story was leading me, it did not take away from the story. I really enjoyed finding out what made Leah tick.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5-star premise, 2-star execution.
Initially, the setup gave me strong The Silent Patient vibes, but the writing here is nowhere near Michaelides’s quality. I might have given this "voicy" author the benefit of the doubt if this were a debut, but given that "Jordan Sawyer" is a pseudonym for an already successful thriller author, I’m not holding back. With mass-market thrillers, I don't expect literary greatness, but a major part of the craft is making the characters intelligent. They need to feel like they are one step ahead of the villain so that when the twist inevitably drops, the reader actually feels the betrayal.
Instead, the characters here are portrayed as idiots. The narrative is bogged down by over-explaining (why does the MC need Columbo explained to her?) and bizarrely unnatural dialogue. The MC repeatedly forgets the most basic, universally known cliches—like "eyes are the windows to the soul"—to the point where you start wondering if she has brain damage. These character inconsistencies feel contrived just to serve the mechanics of the plot. It’s just messy.
That being said, the underlying story is undoubtedly strong. I loved the controversial, shadowy world of the "facilitator" profession. Watching the MC grapple with doubts about her job while suddenly finding herself embroiled in an espionage-style detective mystery was genuinely compelling. Furthermore, the twists deliver. I did not see the midpoint twist coming, so bravo on that front.
As a side note, I hope the Reddit detectives figure out who this author actually is. My personal theory? It’s an established male author writing a female POV, using a gender-neutral pseudonym to mask the shift.
Initially, the setup gave me strong The Silent Patient vibes, but the writing here is nowhere near Michaelides’s quality. I might have given this "voicy" author the benefit of the doubt if this were a debut, but given that "Jordan Sawyer" is a pseudonym for an already successful thriller author, I’m not holding back. With mass-market thrillers, I don't expect literary greatness, but a major part of the craft is making the characters intelligent. They need to feel like they are one step ahead of the villain so that when the twist inevitably drops, the reader actually feels the betrayal.
Instead, the characters here are portrayed as idiots. The narrative is bogged down by over-explaining (why does the MC need Columbo explained to her?) and bizarrely unnatural dialogue. The MC repeatedly forgets the most basic, universally known cliches—like "eyes are the windows to the soul"—to the point where you start wondering if she has brain damage. These character inconsistencies feel contrived just to serve the mechanics of the plot. It’s just messy.
That being said, the underlying story is undoubtedly strong. I loved the controversial, shadowy world of the "facilitator" profession. Watching the MC grapple with doubts about her job while suddenly finding herself embroiled in an espionage-style detective mystery was genuinely compelling. Furthermore, the twists deliver. I did not see the midpoint twist coming, so bravo on that front.
As a side note, I hope the Reddit detectives figure out who this author actually is. My personal theory? It’s an established male author writing a female POV, using a gender-neutral pseudonym to mask the shift.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was hooked from the beginning and had to know what the coma patient was trying to communicate to Leah! This gave me The Silent Patient vibes, and I think Freida McFadden fans will enjoy it too. Definitely a fun popcorn thriller, though you may have to suspend reality a little. 😅 I enjoyed the two timelines, liked the ending, and overall had a great time with it.
Also…Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for a NYT bestselling author?! 👀 I NEED TO KNOW WHO!!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC 📖
Also…Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for a NYT bestselling author?! 👀 I NEED TO KNOW WHO!!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC 📖
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Speechless by Jordan Sawyer from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.
⭐ 3.5 ⭐
Umm, OK, as much as I enjoyed this twisty little book (and wished I’d had it to read at the beach with an adult beverage in hand), I’m gonna have to call dirty pool on whomsoever wrote the description about it.
First of all, “voicy”?? What the fuck is “voicy”?? And……is the use of that particular word some sort of horrible pun about the main character being a communication facilitator? (Also, why are communication facilitators popping up all over the place in what I’m reading these days?)
Second, nope.
Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. This is most definitely NOT “the introduction of a bold new voice in psychological suspense.” Because you’ll see in About the Author at the end of the book that Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for a best-selling author who’s had some of their works adapted into films.
Which immediately caused me to go searching for clues……and, based on a throwaway line in the book about the streaming series Tell Me Lies, had me convinced for a little bit that the author is actually Carola Lovering.
Others seem quite convinced it’s actually Freida McFadden. I can see that.
Anywhoodles, solid escapism if you like yours with a side of hateful and mean. Which, admittedly, sometimes I do.
PS
My husband and I have a great photo of us together from May of this year in which we're eating gelato in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome. You’ll know how this relates if you read the book. Me, I just wanted to remind myself of how good that stuff was, and how amazing all that sculpture/statuary was to behold in real life.
DESCRIPTION
In this voicy, inventive, shocking thriller, a coma patient who learns to communicate again begins sharing increasingly chilling messages about the accident that caused his injuries--and who may have been responsible.
As a communication facilitator, Leah Andrews has trained to help brain-damaged individuals who can no longer communicate for themselves. She assists their hands to type out words on a computer, bringing the messages trapped inside their heads to light. When she's hired by a desperate wife whose husband has been in a vegetative state for over a year after falling down a marble staircase in their home, Leah is determined to reach the man inside. She's new to this therapy practice, having taken it on as her new career after a bad breakup left her wanting a fresh start. Now she’s taken on Eliot’s case, hoping to help him heal and bring him back to his wife and two daughters.
For weeks, with Leah's coaching, Eliot makes small steps of progress until finally they have a real breakthrough and he presents his first direct message: HELP ME. And the stronger he gets, the more chilling each subsequent message becomes, and Leah feels compelled to look more closely at what happened to Eliot, and at this family who seems from the outside to be close and caring. But the more she learns, the more certain she becomes that Eliot's accident might not have been so accidental at all....
With a totally compelling main character in Leah and an irresistible high-concept premise, Speechless is a twisty, shocking thrill ride from start to finish and the introduction of a bold new voice in psychological suspense.
Received a complimentary copy of Speechless by Jordan Sawyer from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.
⭐ 3.5 ⭐
Umm, OK, as much as I enjoyed this twisty little book (and wished I’d had it to read at the beach with an adult beverage in hand), I’m gonna have to call dirty pool on whomsoever wrote the description about it.
First of all, “voicy”?? What the fuck is “voicy”?? And……is the use of that particular word some sort of horrible pun about the main character being a communication facilitator? (Also, why are communication facilitators popping up all over the place in what I’m reading these days?)
Second, nope.
Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. This is most definitely NOT “the introduction of a bold new voice in psychological suspense.” Because you’ll see in About the Author at the end of the book that Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for a best-selling author who’s had some of their works adapted into films.
Which immediately caused me to go searching for clues……and, based on a throwaway line in the book about the streaming series Tell Me Lies, had me convinced for a little bit that the author is actually Carola Lovering.
Others seem quite convinced it’s actually Freida McFadden. I can see that.
Anywhoodles, solid escapism if you like yours with a side of hateful and mean. Which, admittedly, sometimes I do.
PS
My husband and I have a great photo of us together from May of this year in which we're eating gelato in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome. You’ll know how this relates if you read the book. Me, I just wanted to remind myself of how good that stuff was, and how amazing all that sculpture/statuary was to behold in real life.
DESCRIPTION
In this voicy, inventive, shocking thriller, a coma patient who learns to communicate again begins sharing increasingly chilling messages about the accident that caused his injuries--and who may have been responsible.
As a communication facilitator, Leah Andrews has trained to help brain-damaged individuals who can no longer communicate for themselves. She assists their hands to type out words on a computer, bringing the messages trapped inside their heads to light. When she's hired by a desperate wife whose husband has been in a vegetative state for over a year after falling down a marble staircase in their home, Leah is determined to reach the man inside. She's new to this therapy practice, having taken it on as her new career after a bad breakup left her wanting a fresh start. Now she’s taken on Eliot’s case, hoping to help him heal and bring him back to his wife and two daughters.
For weeks, with Leah's coaching, Eliot makes small steps of progress until finally they have a real breakthrough and he presents his first direct message: HELP ME. And the stronger he gets, the more chilling each subsequent message becomes, and Leah feels compelled to look more closely at what happened to Eliot, and at this family who seems from the outside to be close and caring. But the more she learns, the more certain she becomes that Eliot's accident might not have been so accidental at all....
With a totally compelling main character in Leah and an irresistible high-concept premise, Speechless is a twisty, shocking thrill ride from start to finish and the introduction of a bold new voice in psychological suspense.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Speechless by Jordan Sawyer is a sharp psychological thriller featuring a premise that instantly grabs your curiosity about what is truly happening. It’s intense, disturbing, and packed with secrets and twists that keep me doubting everyone.
Leah Andrews is a communication facilitator working with individuals who have severe brain injuries and cannot communicate independently. After a significant personal and professional change, she takes on Eliot's case, a husband and father in a vegetative state for over a year following a fall down his home's marble staircase. Leah aims to help him reconnect with his wife and daughters.
Progress is gradual until Eliot at last sends a chilling plea: HELP ME. After that, everything shifts. His messages grow more disturbing, prompting Leah to begin questioning if his fall was truly accidental and whether the seemingly loving family around him is hiding secrets.
The premise was my favorite aspect of this book. A potential victim aware of what occurred but unable to share it introduces a unique type of suspense. Each new message seems significant, prompting me to scrutinize the characters and reevaluate my trust in them.
Leah was a compelling main character, balancing her efforts to build a new career with personal baggage. Her curiosity about Eliot's message draws her into a potentially more dangerous situation than she perceives. While I questioned some of her decisions at times, these moments helped maintain the story's momentum.
The pacing overall was effective. At 320 pages, the book avoids dragging out the mystery. While there are slower parts as the story unfolds, the tension ramps up quickly once the questions about Eliot's accident start accumulating.
I particularly appreciated the psychological aspect of the story. It’s not merely about uncovering what happened on the staircase; it also explores trust, manipulation, relationships, perception, and how we tend to accept a version of events when only given partial information. Just as I felt I had a grasp on the direction of the story, a new detail emerged that made me question my assumptions.
I noticed that some parts required me to suspend disbelief, especially regarding the communication process and Leah's role in the family's circumstances. Despite that, the unusual premise was engaging enough that I was willing to accept it. Those who prefer thrillers strictly based in realism might find themselves with questions, but fans of twisty psychological suspense will likely enjoy this book a lot.
And the twists are definitely part of the experience. I won't spoil them because this book is much better when you go into it without knowing too much. The later revelations made me rethink earlier parts of the story, and the ending gave the book the kind of payoff I want from a psychological thriller.
Overall, Speechless is an engaging and unique thriller that transforms a compelling communication-centered idea into a story about secrets, deception, family, and the challenge of discerning who is genuinely truthful. Jordan Sawyer kept me intrigued, suspicious, and eager to discover the truth.
I suggest this book to those who appreciate psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, unreliable circumstances, family secrets, medical mysteries, morally complex characters, and numerous twists.
Speechless is scheduled for publication by Minotaur Books on January 12, 2027.
Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for offering an advance copy of Speechless. I am sharing my honest opinion.
Leah Andrews is a communication facilitator working with individuals who have severe brain injuries and cannot communicate independently. After a significant personal and professional change, she takes on Eliot's case, a husband and father in a vegetative state for over a year following a fall down his home's marble staircase. Leah aims to help him reconnect with his wife and daughters.
Progress is gradual until Eliot at last sends a chilling plea: HELP ME. After that, everything shifts. His messages grow more disturbing, prompting Leah to begin questioning if his fall was truly accidental and whether the seemingly loving family around him is hiding secrets.
The premise was my favorite aspect of this book. A potential victim aware of what occurred but unable to share it introduces a unique type of suspense. Each new message seems significant, prompting me to scrutinize the characters and reevaluate my trust in them.
Leah was a compelling main character, balancing her efforts to build a new career with personal baggage. Her curiosity about Eliot's message draws her into a potentially more dangerous situation than she perceives. While I questioned some of her decisions at times, these moments helped maintain the story's momentum.
The pacing overall was effective. At 320 pages, the book avoids dragging out the mystery. While there are slower parts as the story unfolds, the tension ramps up quickly once the questions about Eliot's accident start accumulating.
I particularly appreciated the psychological aspect of the story. It’s not merely about uncovering what happened on the staircase; it also explores trust, manipulation, relationships, perception, and how we tend to accept a version of events when only given partial information. Just as I felt I had a grasp on the direction of the story, a new detail emerged that made me question my assumptions.
I noticed that some parts required me to suspend disbelief, especially regarding the communication process and Leah's role in the family's circumstances. Despite that, the unusual premise was engaging enough that I was willing to accept it. Those who prefer thrillers strictly based in realism might find themselves with questions, but fans of twisty psychological suspense will likely enjoy this book a lot.
And the twists are definitely part of the experience. I won't spoil them because this book is much better when you go into it without knowing too much. The later revelations made me rethink earlier parts of the story, and the ending gave the book the kind of payoff I want from a psychological thriller.
Overall, Speechless is an engaging and unique thriller that transforms a compelling communication-centered idea into a story about secrets, deception, family, and the challenge of discerning who is genuinely truthful. Jordan Sawyer kept me intrigued, suspicious, and eager to discover the truth.
I suggest this book to those who appreciate psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, unreliable circumstances, family secrets, medical mysteries, morally complex characters, and numerous twists.
Speechless is scheduled for publication by Minotaur Books on January 12, 2027.
Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for offering an advance copy of Speechless. I am sharing my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Less pleasingly surprising than irritatingly manipulative I found the much-touted plot twist in Jordan Sawyer’s “Speechless,” with how it seemed to me to be employed solely for effect rather than to serve any real plot purpose.
But first the story as we initially get it.
Leah, who presents herself as a “communications facilitator,” is trying to help a wife break through to her husband after a fall down a flight of stairs has left him brain-damaged in a wheelchair and unable to communicate. And slowly but surely, as Leah works with him, he does improve to where he’s finally able to communicate via a laptop, where in a startling revelation he claims that not only did he not fall down the stairs but was pushed by his wife, a revelation that has Leah rushing about, like in a Hitchcock movie, trying to get her sister’s police husband to do something.
All this alongside another story somehow related to the first, though we don’t know how, in which a meet-cute encounter at a museum develops into a promising romance for Leah with hopes even of marriage, though with troubling signs almost from the get-go, such as when her intended stands her up at a restaurant.
More interesting, actually, I found that story than the other, for who among us hasn’t been ill-used to a greater or lesser extent in some relationship or other. But how exactly are the two stories connected?
Enter the plot twist in the novel’s second half, in which not only is the connection spelled out, but everything we’ve been given to understand about what’s going on is pretty much set on its head.
More I can't say for not wanting to give away too much – I’ve probably already said too much – except that, as I indicated at the outset, I found the second-half revelations more irritating than agreeably surprising for how there’s no true narrative purpose being served by them that I could see other than unabashed manipulation of the reader by a narrator who knows all along what she’s doing.
Still, for all my issue with the book’s narrative strategy, the novel is delivered in straightforward, easily digested prose that makes for a fast and pleasurable if not finally satisfying read in the way of a horror movie that dutifully scares you for its two hours but leaves you mostly just popcorn-surfeited afterward.
But first the story as we initially get it.
Leah, who presents herself as a “communications facilitator,” is trying to help a wife break through to her husband after a fall down a flight of stairs has left him brain-damaged in a wheelchair and unable to communicate. And slowly but surely, as Leah works with him, he does improve to where he’s finally able to communicate via a laptop, where in a startling revelation he claims that not only did he not fall down the stairs but was pushed by his wife, a revelation that has Leah rushing about, like in a Hitchcock movie, trying to get her sister’s police husband to do something.
All this alongside another story somehow related to the first, though we don’t know how, in which a meet-cute encounter at a museum develops into a promising romance for Leah with hopes even of marriage, though with troubling signs almost from the get-go, such as when her intended stands her up at a restaurant.
More interesting, actually, I found that story than the other, for who among us hasn’t been ill-used to a greater or lesser extent in some relationship or other. But how exactly are the two stories connected?
Enter the plot twist in the novel’s second half, in which not only is the connection spelled out, but everything we’ve been given to understand about what’s going on is pretty much set on its head.
More I can't say for not wanting to give away too much – I’ve probably already said too much – except that, as I indicated at the outset, I found the second-half revelations more irritating than agreeably surprising for how there’s no true narrative purpose being served by them that I could see other than unabashed manipulation of the reader by a narrator who knows all along what she’s doing.
Still, for all my issue with the book’s narrative strategy, the novel is delivered in straightforward, easily digested prose that makes for a fast and pleasurable if not finally satisfying read in the way of a horror movie that dutifully scares you for its two hours but leaves you mostly just popcorn-surfeited afterward.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The description of Speechless drew me in, but very early into reading I almost DNF'd. The writing was strange and not good. There were lots of sentence fragments, random unrelated asides, and a tone that I just didn't get. It was clear this book was not for me (and REALLY needed an editor), but I went back to the reviews and so many were great that I decided to stick with it and see what happened.
So, Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for a bestselling thriller author. I have no idea who, but in the acknowledgements section they thank the Pomonok branch of the Queens Public Library for nurturing their love of reading as a child, and.... that is MY library, around the corner from where I grew up. So, do I know this author?? Sawyer being from my hometown made a few errors even more egregious though. For example, in the book they write that the character lives "in Long Island" when anyone from Queens would know it is "on Long Island." Or when the MC says she is two exits before Garden City on the Grand Central Parkway -- the GCP ends in Queens. Once it hits the Long Island border it is the Northern State Parkway. Nitpicky on my part, maybe. But these inaccuracies took me right out of the story, and it didn't help that so much else of the writing bothered me too. Sentences that made no sense like this: "While Paul never met any of my friends, I'd never met any of his." The "while" there would indicate that she HAD met his, or the other way around. It would make more sense to say "Paul hadn't met any of my friends and I'd never met any of his." The word "while" doesn't make sense.
Or this one: "She wrote on one book report that she would've written down everything wrong with the report except she was pretty sure I'd never read it--given that I evidently hadn't read the book." I don't even know what is going on there.
Perhaps the most disturbing was the strange Jewish references. They weren't relevant for the story, and they were REALLY weird, and there were a lot of them. I don't know what Sawyer's intention was but it made me feel icky.
As for the story that people seem to really love? Definitely unhinged, definitely a ride, but I won't be reading any more by this author.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an early copy in exchange for my honest review,
So, Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for a bestselling thriller author. I have no idea who, but in the acknowledgements section they thank the Pomonok branch of the Queens Public Library for nurturing their love of reading as a child, and.... that is MY library, around the corner from where I grew up. So, do I know this author?? Sawyer being from my hometown made a few errors even more egregious though. For example, in the book they write that the character lives "in Long Island" when anyone from Queens would know it is "on Long Island." Or when the MC says she is two exits before Garden City on the Grand Central Parkway -- the GCP ends in Queens. Once it hits the Long Island border it is the Northern State Parkway. Nitpicky on my part, maybe. But these inaccuracies took me right out of the story, and it didn't help that so much else of the writing bothered me too. Sentences that made no sense like this: "While Paul never met any of my friends, I'd never met any of his." The "while" there would indicate that she HAD met his, or the other way around. It would make more sense to say "Paul hadn't met any of my friends and I'd never met any of his." The word "while" doesn't make sense.
Or this one: "She wrote on one book report that she would've written down everything wrong with the report except she was pretty sure I'd never read it--given that I evidently hadn't read the book." I don't even know what is going on there.
Perhaps the most disturbing was the strange Jewish references. They weren't relevant for the story, and they were REALLY weird, and there were a lot of them. I don't know what Sawyer's intention was but it made me feel icky.
As for the story that people seem to really love? Definitely unhinged, definitely a ride, but I won't be reading any more by this author.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an early copy in exchange for my honest review,
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If you look up the definition of bonkers in the dictionary, this book should literally be listed as an example because I'm still processing wtf I read.
This was a wild, chaotic, absolutely unhinged ride with plot twists that had no business being as insane as they were. Like, I thought I knew where this was going, I can even say I was confident with what twists were about to happen. I was, in fact, completely blown away!
I genuinely have to give the author a standing ovation for doing something that actually stands out in the domestic/psychological thriller genre. It starts off feeling like your typical thriller, and I was immediately engaged. After that first twist though, I knew it was going to get even more bonkers.
The concept was so intriguing, the chaos just kept escalating, and every time I thought we had reached peak insanity, this book basically said, "but wait there's more."
This easily could have been a 4.5 or even 5-star read for me because I was living for the absolute dumpster fire of insanity happening on these pages. Unfortunately, the last few chapters lost me. I loved the direction everything was going until the ending, and then I was just sitting there like... wait. That's where we’re going with this??? I really wasn’t here for it.
There were also three very specific scenes that gave me the biggest ick. I genuinely couldn’t tell if making me uncomfortable was the entire point or if I was taking them way too seriously, but something about the wording did not sit right with me. It took me right out of what was happening in the story.
BUT despite my issues with the ending, this was still one hell of a thriller. It’s chaotic, ridiculous, and addictive. It’s the kind of book where you finish a chapter, stare into the distance for a few seconds, and then immediately keep reading because you need to know what fresh insanity is coming next. By the end, I genuinely felt like I needed to sit in silence and process the decisions that had been made.
Just buckle up and enjoy the psychological damage.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC.
This was a wild, chaotic, absolutely unhinged ride with plot twists that had no business being as insane as they were. Like, I thought I knew where this was going, I can even say I was confident with what twists were about to happen. I was, in fact, completely blown away!
I genuinely have to give the author a standing ovation for doing something that actually stands out in the domestic/psychological thriller genre. It starts off feeling like your typical thriller, and I was immediately engaged. After that first twist though, I knew it was going to get even more bonkers.
The concept was so intriguing, the chaos just kept escalating, and every time I thought we had reached peak insanity, this book basically said, "but wait there's more."
This easily could have been a 4.5 or even 5-star read for me because I was living for the absolute dumpster fire of insanity happening on these pages. Unfortunately, the last few chapters lost me. I loved the direction everything was going until the ending, and then I was just sitting there like... wait. That's where we’re going with this??? I really wasn’t here for it.
There were also three very specific scenes that gave me the biggest ick. I genuinely couldn’t tell if making me uncomfortable was the entire point or if I was taking them way too seriously, but something about the wording did not sit right with me. It took me right out of what was happening in the story.
BUT despite my issues with the ending, this was still one hell of a thriller. It’s chaotic, ridiculous, and addictive. It’s the kind of book where you finish a chapter, stare into the distance for a few seconds, and then immediately keep reading because you need to know what fresh insanity is coming next. By the end, I genuinely felt like I needed to sit in silence and process the decisions that had been made.
Just buckle up and enjoy the psychological damage.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC.
September 2, 2026
Speechless 🤐⌨️
By: Jordan Sawyer
Story: ✨✨✨✨ 4/5
Narration: N/A
🫖 Spoiler-Free Tea:
Leah is a communications facilitator—a role centered around helping people find their voice and believing that everyone deserves a second chance at life. Her newest client, Eliot Martine, hasn’t spoken a word in over a year.
After a devastating accident left Eliot nonverbal, his wife, Stephanie, hires Leah in hopes that she can help him communicate again.
But Stephanie doesn’t want Leah uncovering too much. Especially when it comes to what really happened to Eliot.
As Leah works to help Eliot find his voice, she begins uncovering pieces of the Martine family’s story that don’t quite add up.
And the more she learns, the more she realizes this family may be connected to her in ways she never could’ve imagined.
🧋 The Final Sip:
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for the advanced e-ARC opportunity.
I just knew this book was going to get crazy from the beginning. 😂
And then the rest had me GASPING in my seat on an airplane.
This was very Verity meets Gone Girl in the best way possible and that is absolutely my kind of suspense thriller.
The beginning was definitely slow for me. There were moments when I was sitting there thinking, “Okay… can we get to the point?” 😂 But once things started picking up, I was completely invested.
The story had this level of unhingedness that reminded me of the feeling I had while reading You’ll Be Sorry by Liz Alterman. Not quite as good as that one for me, but definitely a similar vibe.
I also heard there may be a little mystery surrounding Jordan Sawyer’s identity and that the name could be an alias for another author. 👀 I obviously can’t confirm that, but if that’s true, I have a few guesses… and Liz Alterman would definitely be one of them.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The suspense and twists kept me going, even though there were a few sections that dragged and made me want to hurry up and get to the good stuff.
Definitely a 4-star read for me, but the pacing kept it from reaching that 5-star spot.
☕ Sipping Mood: 🤔➡️😳➡️😱👀
By: Jordan Sawyer
Story: ✨✨✨✨ 4/5
Narration: N/A
🫖 Spoiler-Free Tea:
Leah is a communications facilitator—a role centered around helping people find their voice and believing that everyone deserves a second chance at life. Her newest client, Eliot Martine, hasn’t spoken a word in over a year.
After a devastating accident left Eliot nonverbal, his wife, Stephanie, hires Leah in hopes that she can help him communicate again.
But Stephanie doesn’t want Leah uncovering too much. Especially when it comes to what really happened to Eliot.
As Leah works to help Eliot find his voice, she begins uncovering pieces of the Martine family’s story that don’t quite add up.
And the more she learns, the more she realizes this family may be connected to her in ways she never could’ve imagined.
🧋 The Final Sip:
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for the advanced e-ARC opportunity.
I just knew this book was going to get crazy from the beginning. 😂
And then the rest had me GASPING in my seat on an airplane.
This was very Verity meets Gone Girl in the best way possible and that is absolutely my kind of suspense thriller.
The beginning was definitely slow for me. There were moments when I was sitting there thinking, “Okay… can we get to the point?” 😂 But once things started picking up, I was completely invested.
The story had this level of unhingedness that reminded me of the feeling I had while reading You’ll Be Sorry by Liz Alterman. Not quite as good as that one for me, but definitely a similar vibe.
I also heard there may be a little mystery surrounding Jordan Sawyer’s identity and that the name could be an alias for another author. 👀 I obviously can’t confirm that, but if that’s true, I have a few guesses… and Liz Alterman would definitely be one of them.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. The suspense and twists kept me going, even though there were a few sections that dragged and made me want to hurry up and get to the good stuff.
Definitely a 4-star read for me, but the pacing kept it from reaching that 5-star spot.
☕ Sipping Mood: 🤔➡️😳➡️😱👀
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well, I’m Speechless!! 😉 (come on, you all knew that was coming. Lol! )
This book has more twists and turns than that spiral staircase pictured on the cover! 😳
Not only was this a twisty thriller, but it had a redemption story- and believable me, I was here for it all the way!!
This story starts off with Leah Andrews starting a new job at the Martine residence. Leah is a communication facilitator, in which she works with brain-damaged individuals who can no longer communicate for themselves. Her job is to assist their hands/fingers to type out words on a computer.
Eliot Martine suffered a severe brain injury after falling down his staircase over a year ago. Eliot now lives in a vegetative state, and can no longer speak or take care of himself. Eliot’s wife, Stephanie, hires Leah to help Eliot to hopefully begin to communicate again.
Leah’s sessions with Eliot start off slow, but then gradually progress when he begins to communicate with chilling messages that Leah was not prepared for. Was Leah prepared for this job? And will she be able to do her job properly?
This was a thrill ride for sure!! There was a twist in this book that I did not see coming, and then I was like oh, heck yeah! I only have one little gripe (I know, there’s always something), that is bothering me- and if I mention it, it would be a spoiler, so I will let it slide for now 🤫 (but it’s something that should not have slipped by certain people). With that being said, I’m going with 4.5 stars.
I really enjoyed this book, and the more I keep thinking about it, the more I’m loving it! Do I recommend reading this book? Definitely yes!!
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and the author for an advanced DRC of this book, in which I had the pleasure of reading for an honest review.
Publication date: January 12, 2027
Genre~ Mystery &Thrillers
This book has more twists and turns than that spiral staircase pictured on the cover! 😳
Not only was this a twisty thriller, but it had a redemption story- and believable me, I was here for it all the way!!
This story starts off with Leah Andrews starting a new job at the Martine residence. Leah is a communication facilitator, in which she works with brain-damaged individuals who can no longer communicate for themselves. Her job is to assist their hands/fingers to type out words on a computer.
Eliot Martine suffered a severe brain injury after falling down his staircase over a year ago. Eliot now lives in a vegetative state, and can no longer speak or take care of himself. Eliot’s wife, Stephanie, hires Leah to help Eliot to hopefully begin to communicate again.
Leah’s sessions with Eliot start off slow, but then gradually progress when he begins to communicate with chilling messages that Leah was not prepared for. Was Leah prepared for this job? And will she be able to do her job properly?
This was a thrill ride for sure!! There was a twist in this book that I did not see coming, and then I was like oh, heck yeah! I only have one little gripe (I know, there’s always something), that is bothering me- and if I mention it, it would be a spoiler, so I will let it slide for now 🤫 (but it’s something that should not have slipped by certain people). With that being said, I’m going with 4.5 stars.
I really enjoyed this book, and the more I keep thinking about it, the more I’m loving it! Do I recommend reading this book? Definitely yes!!
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and the author for an advanced DRC of this book, in which I had the pleasure of reading for an honest review.
Publication date: January 12, 2027
Genre~ Mystery &Thrillers
September 16, 2026
Okay, apparently I’ve reached the point in my thriller-reading career where correctly guessing a major twist doesn’t disappoint me. It makes me sit there thinking, “HA! I KNEW IT.”
“Speechless” hooked me immediately. The premise was interesting, the writing was incredibly bingeable, and the story moves between past and present as we follow a communication facilitator whose history slowly starts revealing why we’re here in the first place. I don’t want to say much more because this is absolutely a book where you should discover things as they unfold.
Did I figure out one of the big reveals around halfway through? Yep. Thriller snob status remains intact.
But instead of ruining the book, it just changed my question from WHAT happened to WHY. And thankfully, the twist kept twisting. There was much more going on than I’d figured out, and I kept reading because I needed the entire story.
This was definitely more plot-driven for me than character-driven, and everything ultimately came together in a satisfying way. My questions were answered, and none of the reveals left me wondering how we got there.
There were a few moments surrounding communication facilitation and references to documentaries/current media where I felt like the book was explaining things a little too much to me. Maybe I’m officially becoming insufferable, overall it just didn’t quite have that extra layer that takes a thriller into 5-star territory for me.
One more fun thing: Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for an already established bestselling author. Obviously I spent part of this book trying to figure out WHO. My completely unsupported theory at one point? Freida McFadden.
If you like fast, popcorn-style thrillers where one reveal just leads to another, this was a fun one.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the advance copy.
“Speechless” hooked me immediately. The premise was interesting, the writing was incredibly bingeable, and the story moves between past and present as we follow a communication facilitator whose history slowly starts revealing why we’re here in the first place. I don’t want to say much more because this is absolutely a book where you should discover things as they unfold.
Did I figure out one of the big reveals around halfway through? Yep. Thriller snob status remains intact.
But instead of ruining the book, it just changed my question from WHAT happened to WHY. And thankfully, the twist kept twisting. There was much more going on than I’d figured out, and I kept reading because I needed the entire story.
This was definitely more plot-driven for me than character-driven, and everything ultimately came together in a satisfying way. My questions were answered, and none of the reveals left me wondering how we got there.
There were a few moments surrounding communication facilitation and references to documentaries/current media where I felt like the book was explaining things a little too much to me. Maybe I’m officially becoming insufferable, overall it just didn’t quite have that extra layer that takes a thriller into 5-star territory for me.
One more fun thing: Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for an already established bestselling author. Obviously I spent part of this book trying to figure out WHO. My completely unsupported theory at one point? Freida McFadden.
If you like fast, popcorn-style thrillers where one reveal just leads to another, this was a fun one.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.25 ⭐️
The premise of this one got me. There was something about it that felt different right from the start, even if it did take me a few chapters to really get into it. I mean, how do you not want to keep reading after someone who can’t communicate suddenly types “HELP ME”? From there I needed to know what actually happened to Eliot and if his fall was really an accident.
I also really liked the special education angle and the use of facilitated communication. Being a special education teacher and using facilitated communication in my own line of work, that part felt very familiar to me and definitely added to my interest in the story. The first couple chapters were a little harder for me to get into. There was a lot of medical detail and terminology early on, and while it clearly reflected strong research and felt authentic, it was a bit overwhelming at times and made it harder for me to get into the story. Once I got past that I was into the mystery. Leah was a strong central character and I liked that she was right in the middle of everything rather than just observing what was happening around her. There’s a lot of deception, psychological manipulation and plenty of twists surrounding what really happened to Eliot. I kept questioning what I believed and who I believed.
There was also just something different about the writing and the way the story was told that helped this one stand apart from a lot of the domestic psychological thrillers I read. Not necessarily a perfect read for me but definitely an interesting and different one.
A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. These are my honest thoughts and feedback in exchange for the free ARC.
The premise of this one got me. There was something about it that felt different right from the start, even if it did take me a few chapters to really get into it. I mean, how do you not want to keep reading after someone who can’t communicate suddenly types “HELP ME”? From there I needed to know what actually happened to Eliot and if his fall was really an accident.
I also really liked the special education angle and the use of facilitated communication. Being a special education teacher and using facilitated communication in my own line of work, that part felt very familiar to me and definitely added to my interest in the story. The first couple chapters were a little harder for me to get into. There was a lot of medical detail and terminology early on, and while it clearly reflected strong research and felt authentic, it was a bit overwhelming at times and made it harder for me to get into the story. Once I got past that I was into the mystery. Leah was a strong central character and I liked that she was right in the middle of everything rather than just observing what was happening around her. There’s a lot of deception, psychological manipulation and plenty of twists surrounding what really happened to Eliot. I kept questioning what I believed and who I believed.
There was also just something different about the writing and the way the story was told that helped this one stand apart from a lot of the domestic psychological thrillers I read. Not necessarily a perfect read for me but definitely an interesting and different one.
A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. These are my honest thoughts and feedback in exchange for the free ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
SPEECHLESS is a psychological suspense thriller by author Jordan Sawyer.
Leah Andrews is a communication facilitator, and has trained to help brain-damaged individuals who can no longer communicate for themselves. She assists their hands to type out words on a computer, bringing the messages trapped inside their heads to light. Leah has just taken on a new client, Eliot Martine, a brain-damaged man, who had an accident a year ago, when he slipped while coming down the stairs in his house. He was unconscious when the maid, Maria found him, his wife, Stephanie was away in the city and she called the maid to go check on him when she couldn’t get hold of him.
Leah is determined to reach the man inside, and hoping to help him heal and bring him back to his wife and two daughters.
I have to admit that part one in this novel is a little on the slow side. However, part two more than makes up for it!
And the process begins, with Leah's coaching, to assist Eliot to regain his brain function.
Then Eliot types his first message. “HELP ME”
Then “YOU NEED TO PROTECT ME. PLEASE.”
Leah starts to look more closely at the messages and the more she learns, the more certain she becomes that Eliot's accident might not have been an accident.
Speechless is a well-written twisty psychological thriller, with sharp snappy chapters, with well-developed characters that gripped me from start to finish.
Many thanks to the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my digital copy.
Expected publication January 12, 2027
Leah Andrews is a communication facilitator, and has trained to help brain-damaged individuals who can no longer communicate for themselves. She assists their hands to type out words on a computer, bringing the messages trapped inside their heads to light. Leah has just taken on a new client, Eliot Martine, a brain-damaged man, who had an accident a year ago, when he slipped while coming down the stairs in his house. He was unconscious when the maid, Maria found him, his wife, Stephanie was away in the city and she called the maid to go check on him when she couldn’t get hold of him.
Leah is determined to reach the man inside, and hoping to help him heal and bring him back to his wife and two daughters.
I have to admit that part one in this novel is a little on the slow side. However, part two more than makes up for it!
And the process begins, with Leah's coaching, to assist Eliot to regain his brain function.
Then Eliot types his first message. “HELP ME”
Then “YOU NEED TO PROTECT ME. PLEASE.”
Leah starts to look more closely at the messages and the more she learns, the more certain she becomes that Eliot's accident might not have been an accident.
Speechless is a well-written twisty psychological thriller, with sharp snappy chapters, with well-developed characters that gripped me from start to finish.
Many thanks to the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my digital copy.
Expected publication January 12, 2027
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oh Lord. Settle in and punch your one-way ticket for the ride straight downhill to Whacko-ville! This story. I don't even know where to begin. Stephanie's husband, Eliot, has suffered a severe brain injury after slipping and falling down the stairs in the family home. It has been a year, and he is basically in a non-communicative vegetative state. Stephanie hires Leah, a communication facilitator. It's a thing. I looked it up. A controversial and very interesting thing. They basically support the person's hand or arm and help them type words to communicate with loved ones. Progress is slow til Eliot types HELP ME. Think ya know how this is all gonna go down? I can assure you that you do not. The suspense and twists are real with this one and you will find yourself switching alliances with each turn. I actually found the story of this author's name almost as interesting as the book itself. Jordan Sawyer is a pseudonym for a best-selling author, and I am dying to find out who! Part of me hopes it is someone I already know, as a few names come to mind and I would love to see if I am right and the other part hopes I do not know the author so that I will have a bunch of books to go back and read! Either way, thanks for this totally chaotic, over-the-top crazy blast of a book and I am excited to see what's next!
Thank you to #NetGalley, Jordan Sawyer and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for inviting me to read this book! All opinions are my own.
Thank you to #NetGalley, Jordan Sawyer and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for inviting me to read this book! All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Leah is a communication facilitator who aids brain-damaged people in communicating through specialized techniques. She’s hired by Stephanie Martine, whose husband, Eliot, suffered a fall that left him in a vegetative state. She makes slow progress, but he eventually reveals a message to her asking for help. She researches his accident and fears that it was actually something far worse. But if you think you know where this story is heading, you have no idea...
I liked that there was more to this than expected, but it does take awhile to get to Part II where the action picks up. A bit of foreshadowing might have helped pique the interest of sharp readers who would get that subtle ‘off’ feeling. And some of the surprises might not seem so far-fetched if there was any type of appeal to specific characters. Sure, you might believe someone would ignore red flags, but for a person like that who doesn’t seem even the least bit likable? That’s the part that’s hard to believe. And then the very last part: to believe that no one else would have discovered that after months of turning a place apart? Come on.
I love what the author was going for with the story, but to me, a few more tweaks to the execution would have improved the credibility.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free advance reading copy of this book.
I liked that there was more to this than expected, but it does take awhile to get to Part II where the action picks up. A bit of foreshadowing might have helped pique the interest of sharp readers who would get that subtle ‘off’ feeling. And some of the surprises might not seem so far-fetched if there was any type of appeal to specific characters. Sure, you might believe someone would ignore red flags, but for a person like that who doesn’t seem even the least bit likable? That’s the part that’s hard to believe. And then the very last part: to believe that no one else would have discovered that after months of turning a place apart? Come on.
I love what the author was going for with the story, but to me, a few more tweaks to the execution would have improved the credibility.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free advance reading copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have some mixed feelings about this book. I thought the very beginning was a bit dry, but I suppose that was just the setup, explaining what a communications facilitator can do for a brain damaged individual.
Leah Andrews is hired by a desperate wife whose husband Elliot sustained severe brain damage after a fall down the stairs a year or so prior. Elliot has been uncommunicative and unresponsive, but with Leah's help he starts to communicate using a computer and the first thing he manages to communicate is HELP ME and over time he communicates that his wife was behind his supposed accident.
There is a major plot twist at one point, which I thought was really good. It changed the story from a psychological thriller to something else (no spoilers, so I won't say what). I did still think it was good at this point, but I did have a hard time with the ending, and I think that's where the author lost me. I didn't enjoy the "big reveal" at the end, and I also didn't find the actual ending-ending all that credible either, which is why I can't give this more than 3 stars. However, up until that point, it was definitely a page turner. I would be interested in reading another book by Jordan Sawyer in the future, because the suspense was quite good.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Leah Andrews is hired by a desperate wife whose husband Elliot sustained severe brain damage after a fall down the stairs a year or so prior. Elliot has been uncommunicative and unresponsive, but with Leah's help he starts to communicate using a computer and the first thing he manages to communicate is HELP ME and over time he communicates that his wife was behind his supposed accident.
There is a major plot twist at one point, which I thought was really good. It changed the story from a psychological thriller to something else (no spoilers, so I won't say what). I did still think it was good at this point, but I did have a hard time with the ending, and I think that's where the author lost me. I didn't enjoy the "big reveal" at the end, and I also didn't find the actual ending-ending all that credible either, which is why I can't give this more than 3 stars. However, up until that point, it was definitely a page turner. I would be interested in reading another book by Jordan Sawyer in the future, because the suspense was quite good.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First off thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, St Martin Press, Jordan Sawyer and Andrea Altamirano for an Advanced Reader Copy of Speechless.
Speechless follows the story of Leah Andrews as she navigates her recent career change to a communication facilitator. Leah is hired by the wife of a brain injured man, who suffered injuries as a result of a fall down their marble staircase.
The story bounces between Leah's work with the injured man, Eliot and her previous relationship with a man she refers to as J. Things take a turn when Eliot shares through Leah "HELP ME".
I spent the first half of the book frustrated at the two story lines that seemed to have no connection. Then the twist happened, or twists.
While there are elements of Speechless I enjoyed, over all I felt there was too much of a "throw the kitchen sink" at it and too many holes in all the pieces to leave me fully satisfied. I also found Leah to be very unlikable with or without the twist- which maybe that was the intent of the author.
That being said and seeing this is written under a pseudonym, and having seen what many others love in a physiological thriller, I anticipate I'll be in the minority in my feelings about this book and it will be loved by many.
Speechless follows the story of Leah Andrews as she navigates her recent career change to a communication facilitator. Leah is hired by the wife of a brain injured man, who suffered injuries as a result of a fall down their marble staircase.
The story bounces between Leah's work with the injured man, Eliot and her previous relationship with a man she refers to as J. Things take a turn when Eliot shares through Leah "HELP ME".
I spent the first half of the book frustrated at the two story lines that seemed to have no connection. Then the twist happened, or twists.
While there are elements of Speechless I enjoyed, over all I felt there was too much of a "throw the kitchen sink" at it and too many holes in all the pieces to leave me fully satisfied. I also found Leah to be very unlikable with or without the twist- which maybe that was the intent of the author.
That being said and seeing this is written under a pseudonym, and having seen what many others love in a physiological thriller, I anticipate I'll be in the minority in my feelings about this book and it will be loved by many.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley
Eliot Martine’s wife, Stephanie, hires communication facilitator Leah Andrews to help her husband who suffered a severe brain injury in a fall down the stairs. As Leah works with Eliot, he communicates some information about his accident and injury that causes Leah to fear for Eliot’s life.
What did happen? And can Leah keep Eliot safe?
=========
From the outset, the story grabs readers, pulling them into the telling of the tale and the growing mystery surrounding the accident and its victim. Plot twists and turns keep readers guessing as truths are slowly revealed.
The premise here is compelling; the mystery both twisted and intriguing. The unfolding narrative is both unpredictable and captivating, keeping the pages turning as fast as possible.
Readers who enjoy psychological thrillers are sure to find much to appreciate in this unputdownable story.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#Speechless #NetGalley
Eliot Martine’s wife, Stephanie, hires communication facilitator Leah Andrews to help her husband who suffered a severe brain injury in a fall down the stairs. As Leah works with Eliot, he communicates some information about his accident and injury that causes Leah to fear for Eliot’s life.
What did happen? And can Leah keep Eliot safe?
=========
From the outset, the story grabs readers, pulling them into the telling of the tale and the growing mystery surrounding the accident and its victim. Plot twists and turns keep readers guessing as truths are slowly revealed.
The premise here is compelling; the mystery both twisted and intriguing. The unfolding narrative is both unpredictable and captivating, keeping the pages turning as fast as possible.
Readers who enjoy psychological thrillers are sure to find much to appreciate in this unputdownable story.
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#Speechless #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed this one! I wasn't sure if I would be able to say that at first. The story starts out pretty slow, going back and forth between Leah's past and present. Some of the past seemed irrelevant and somewhat boring at times. If it weren't for the captivating interest I held for the present situation, I might have given up. I'm here to tell you not to quit. Holy twists! I was completely unprepared for the 90mph turn that this book took. Speechless sums it up perfectly. I really liked the author's writing style, and how the main character would speak to the reader at times. It made me feel like I was taking part in the action. The ending could have been a bit more dramatic, but it was satisfying for the story. If some of the irrelevant past was deleted and more shock value was added to the end, this would have been a 5-star read for me. Still a great read and solid debut. I will definitely be looking for more from this author. I think thriller fans are going to love this book. Highly recommend!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for gifting me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for gifting me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Speechless by Jordan Sawyer was a twisty psychological thriller that I flew through. You should definitely go into it knowing it does get a bit unhinged.
I found the premise really interesting, especially the idea of what someone who can't communicate might still be trying to say...and what secrets they might be holding.
The writing was straightforward, sharp, and snappy, which made this a really quick read.
Admittedly, there were a few plot holes along the way, but they did eventually get covered up. For the first half, I found myself wondering exactly when and where the story was going to take off.
Then... BAM.
A massive twist that I did not see coming! From that point on, the story really started moving. The ending was over-the-top and outrageous, but I had a lot of fun with it.
It's not a heavy or literary read - it's a twisty, outrageous ride, and sometimes that's exactly what I'm in the mood for. If you're looking for something fast, twisty, and a little out there, I think you'll really enjoy this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I found the premise really interesting, especially the idea of what someone who can't communicate might still be trying to say...and what secrets they might be holding.
The writing was straightforward, sharp, and snappy, which made this a really quick read.
Admittedly, there were a few plot holes along the way, but they did eventually get covered up. For the first half, I found myself wondering exactly when and where the story was going to take off.
Then... BAM.
A massive twist that I did not see coming! From that point on, the story really started moving. The ending was over-the-top and outrageous, but I had a lot of fun with it.
It's not a heavy or literary read - it's a twisty, outrageous ride, and sometimes that's exactly what I'm in the mood for. If you're looking for something fast, twisty, and a little out there, I think you'll really enjoy this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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