Shut Your Mouth

by Torrie Robles

“Monsters preach from the pulpit. I’ve heard their gospel.”
I was raised to submit. To obey. To trust the men who carried the Word like a blade pressed to my throat.
They taught me to be small.
They taught me to be silent.
But silence was never salvation.
No one protected me in the sleepy town of Hurricane, West Virginia. Not the neighbors. Not the church. Most certainly not my father. The men who tore away my innocence left their fingerprints on my skin, their prayers in my ears, their filth in my bones. They painted the world black and dared me to smile.
But I’ve seen what happens behind their closed doors. I’ve tasted the rot beneath their holy words.
Now it’s their turn.
It’s time for them to lose their tongues.
Their eyes.
Their lives.
It’s time for them to die.
And it’s time for my pigs to feed.
I won’t bow. I won’t kneel. I won’t lift my hands in prayer.
But I will burn their lies to ash.
I will make them choke on their scripture.
Because the wages of their sin… is me.

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2026

About the author

Torrie Robles was born and raised in the Central Valley of California. She currently lives a short distance from her hometown of Clovis. She is married and has three children, two boys and one girl. She has her Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Administration.

Writing has always been a passion of Torrie's. 2015 will mark the year she will become a self-published author. She writes contemporary romance and plans to branch out as her career takes off. She is currently working on several different manuscripts. She hopes to have them all finished and published over the next couple of years.

When she isn't working a full-time job, writing, raising her children, or just taking care of life Torrie's biggest hobby is getting lost in books. Her passion for reading and the authors she looks up to has allowed her to make her dreams come true. Her fellow authors have truly been her inspiration.

Reviews

[Debleena · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending broke me. I hope that Ltdia returns with more vengeance, more bloodshed, more wrath.

[Nikki Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the very first chapter, this book had me in a hold. It made me question all of my morals, because how could I want a serial killer to get away with murder!? I was rooting for Lydia from the very beginning. The deeper the chapters dove into the horrors of her past, the more I saw her as the vengeful heroine. Losing her innocence and having nearly all of herself forcibly taken from her in such violence was supposed to break her. Her own father not only participating in her torment, but encouraging so many others to rip her into submission.
Even though this did break a part of her, it also lit a fire in her that refused to be extinguished. I was kept on the edge of my seat and found myself unable to put this book down. The end absolutely left my jaw on the floor, but I'm still unsure how I feel about that. It almost felt like it was meant to be a cliffhanger, but I'm not sure how it could be. I wanted so much more. More time, more fight, more bad guys to bleed, and more justice to be served. My dark heroine needed more.

[PJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have experienced every emotion reading this most brutal, heartbreaking and bitter thriller but if I could summarise it into one, it would be rage. I am not sure I have read anything quite like it and yet, I would rate it as one of the best books I have read this year simply because the author, in the most remarkable use of prose, did drive me to such an extreme and heart felt reaction.

If you are looking for a strong female character, a story so hard hitting you are almost forced to close your eyes and wish you could unsee what you have just read, and if you can live with the guilt of siding with someone who takes the law into their own hands, then Shut Your Mouth is a must.

Highly recommend this high impact thriller.

[Deseree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me on the edge. It sucked me in from page one the amount of trauma Lydia went through at such a young age is heart breaking and the fact her own father was involved was insane. If you love vengeance this is for you BUT This book is most definitely not for every one CHECK YOUR TRIGGER WARNINGS before preceding it does get graphic!

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This book was completely unhinged but so good. It is a dark, twisted thriller, and I really appreciated the gritty direction Torrie Robles took with the story. However, the ending was incredibly sad. I really wished Lydia could have gotten a true happy ending after everything she went through.

While the plot kept me invested, I did find myself disengaging from some of the heavier details and descriptions as the book went on. Despite checking out during certain parts, it is a highly memorable and intense read.

[Laura Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shut Your Mouth was one of those books where I was questioning my morals. I was fortunate enough to ARC read it and this is my unbiased opinion. I cannot stress this enough..read the trigger warnings! Our FMC Lydia is a murderer, and she murders in a very vengeful way. She is the epitome of a trauma survivor and I completely understood her "why". This was not a gentle book at all, it was emotionally painful, it was a dark, very dark, twisted thriller that engrossed me until the very end. That ending..I wanted to throw my Kindle ugggh iykyk!! This was such well written dark thriller. I definitely think if you like thrillers really dark and unhinged then this is the book for you!

[Lona Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly questioning myself because I was actually rooting for a serial killer. 😂 Lydia’s story was dark, heartbreaking, and addictive. After everything she went through, I loved watching her turn that pain into revenge.
I couldn’t put this book down, and the ending definitely left me wanting more. More Lydia, more revenge, more bad guys getting what they deserved, and more justice! 🖤

[Amanda · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Hmmm... maybe just not my cup of tea. It felt long and drawn out. Didn't care for the ending. Pretty repetitive throughout.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review - Amazing writing and superbly dark in all the right ways. Please check the TW as there are some very heavy themes. I was captivated from start to finish and I love a good vengeful FMC. Lydia had to endure so much and what she became is a direct result of that!

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The depth of which the emotional state of Lydia is written, with the experience of her trauma, grief, turmoil and resolve is truly well done. Your attention is drawn in from the first chapter. As the book progresses, i began to resonate with her more and more.

[Tersia Eloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is very difficult to write. I loved the story. Love Torrie Robles. I just wanted good to win over evil. Just once, in a book, because it never happens in real life. I was rooting for Lydia all the way to somehow burn them all and maybe if there is any justice, feed what is left to her pigs.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Torrie Robles for letting me ARC read this book and Happy Release Day! Fun fact: I did find her and this book through F@ceb##k and was HOOKED just by the summary of the book, and this is the first book that I have read by this author, and boy was it a bit of a doozy, truly unhinged and dark.

This one does have a list of trigger warnings, so I am going to give you just some of the major ones here:

- Childhood Abuse

- Religious Trauma

- Cult

- Violence

- Torture

- Revenge M*rd*r

If you couldn’t tell, this one is a dark psychological thriller – and please honor your mental, physical and emotional health please do not read this book, it was honestly a little hard for me to read too, it is THAT intense.

It gave me Criminal Minds vibes but from the k!ller$ point of view. This story follows Lydia, our antihero, who is trying to deal with religious trauma, a very twisted family history and crippling small-town secrets, in her own particular way. After being told to shut her mouth and to be obedient, she turns that against the men who had abused their power on her when she was growing up.

What happens when the person you are meant to trust and turn to for comfort disappears, leaving you at the mercy of your father and his followers as they try to break you? Years later, what happens when you set out to make every man complicit in your trauma pay—only to draw the attention of those in power? Guess you’ll have to read the book to find out!

Shut Your Mouth, Torrie Robles, Dark Psychological Thriller, Religious Trauma, Small-Town Secrets, Revenge Plot, Dark Family History, Torture, Violence, Revenge M#rd#r, Cult, Childhood Abuse

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC, and my god, what a story. First off, PLEASE read the trigger warnings. Religious trauma, childhood abuse, cults, and some seriously brutal violence. This book is not for the faint of heart.

Lydia is a murderer, and her revenge is vicious, but the more you uncover about her past, the more you understand her why. Watching her fight to reclaim her power and take back control was both heartbreaking and satisfying.

The twists kept me hooked, and just when I thought I had things figured out, that ending completely threw me. I knew something wasn’t right, but I was NOT prepared. Now I desperately need to know what happens next!

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!! No words!!! I knew it would be dark but holy crap was I not expecting that. My heart broke for Lydia poor Lydia. She went through so much and she overcame as much as she could. That is ending!!! Was not expecting that and man did I have to put down my kindle and take a breather. 10/10 recommend if you like darker themes.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐ Trauma, vengeance, farm animals. This book is unhinged in the BEST way. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time wondering what was going to happen! **Check your triggers before reading, graphic descriptions.