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Without a Word
I was there when it happened. I watched her disappear.
An emotional psychological drama from the author of the critically acclaimed novel What She Never Told Me.
Lillian had phoned telling her to get Skype up and running. 'I have so much to tell you'. Lillian was wearing a white bathrobe and she was in for the evening. Then, suddenly, the knock on the door. 'Sorry Orla, I'd better see who it is' she said, getting up from the sofa. Orla waited. But the seconds became minutes. She didn't know how long she waited before she realised that something terrible had happened.
For more than a decade, Lillian's mysterious disappearance has remained unsolved, and Orla has found it impossible to move on. Then she receives an unexpected visit from Ned Moynihan, the Dublin detective who led the original investigation into Lillian's vanishing. Moynihan has been receiving anonymous notes accusing him of having failed to investigate the case properly. He assumes the notes are coming from Orla. Yet Orla knows nothing of these letters - is somebody trying to tell them the truth about what really happened to Lillian that night?
An emotional psychological drama from the author of the critically acclaimed novel What She Never Told Me.
Lillian had phoned telling her to get Skype up and running. 'I have so much to tell you'. Lillian was wearing a white bathrobe and she was in for the evening. Then, suddenly, the knock on the door. 'Sorry Orla, I'd better see who it is' she said, getting up from the sofa. Orla waited. But the seconds became minutes. She didn't know how long she waited before she realised that something terrible had happened.
For more than a decade, Lillian's mysterious disappearance has remained unsolved, and Orla has found it impossible to move on. Then she receives an unexpected visit from Ned Moynihan, the Dublin detective who led the original investigation into Lillian's vanishing. Moynihan has been receiving anonymous notes accusing him of having failed to investigate the case properly. He assumes the notes are coming from Orla. Yet Orla knows nothing of these letters - is somebody trying to tell them the truth about what really happened to Lillian that night?
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 19, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 24, 2020
Friends Lillian and Orla, are on a Skype call when Lillian says there is a knock at the door. Orla waits for Lillian to return as seconds become minutes. And then a fire erupts. Orla can see it happening and is that a person in the flames? Is it Lillian? What is happening? Ten years later the case regarding Lillian and what exactly happened that night is still unsolved. Until Ned Moynihan, the detective who led the original investigation, receives anonymous notes accusing him of failing to investigate properly. Who is writing the notes and what do they know about Lillian and what happened that night?
The premise of the story sounded interesting and pulled me in initially. Sadly the longer it went on the less enthused I became. Ned is quite an interesting and likeable character and has his own heartbreaking back story,. But the other characters were largely unlikable and make some dumb and illogical decisions. The story just seemed to go on too long and I found myself skimming. Never a good sign. It never managed to maintain the initial suspense but just seemed to bog down before picking up the pace right towards the end. By then I didn’t really care though. Apart from Ned , the characters were static and clichéd.
Others may well enjoy this story but it was not for me. Just not enough held my interest after the initial opening. And the answer in the end was fairly obvious. Maybe I was expecting a twist that never came? Not as gripping as I would have expected it to be.
The premise of the story sounded interesting and pulled me in initially. Sadly the longer it went on the less enthused I became. Ned is quite an interesting and likeable character and has his own heartbreaking back story,. But the other characters were largely unlikable and make some dumb and illogical decisions. The story just seemed to go on too long and I found myself skimming. Never a good sign. It never managed to maintain the initial suspense but just seemed to bog down before picking up the pace right towards the end. By then I didn’t really care though. Apart from Ned , the characters were static and clichéd.
Others may well enjoy this story but it was not for me. Just not enough held my interest after the initial opening. And the answer in the end was fairly obvious. Maybe I was expecting a twist that never came? Not as gripping as I would have expected it to be.
November 1, 2017
Without a Word has a genuine chill. Lillian requests her friend from London for a Skype chat. Happy Lillian shows off her fabulous cottage extension to Orla. When the door goes, Lillian tells Orla, stay on Skype I will be right back. A bad mistake opening the door. Lillian doesn't return when Orla sees a rapid fire takes hold through Lillian's cottage she fears for her friends life. Here is a very good mix of action making it the most chilling book that Kate McQuaile has written so far.
August 1, 2020
WOW. This was the second time I've read this book (I couldn't remember from the first time) - every twist still shocked me and I loved how the story played out.
Orla was an easy character to like, as was Ned. I loved how the story still gave different elements of surprise even at the end. How the story didn't leave questions at the end, every question the author has answered throughout the story. We find out not only what happened to Lillian, but also what happened to Ned's mother, which doesn't always happen in a book, as authors tend to leave a lot of mystery and questions. I'm really glad this author didn't, and gave us the answers. Such a good book.
Orla was an easy character to like, as was Ned. I loved how the story still gave different elements of surprise even at the end. How the story didn't leave questions at the end, every question the author has answered throughout the story. We find out not only what happened to Lillian, but also what happened to Ned's mother, which doesn't always happen in a book, as authors tend to leave a lot of mystery and questions. I'm really glad this author didn't, and gave us the answers. Such a good book.
August 31, 2018
A series of terrible events both in the present day and the past.
How do you come to grips when as you and your BFF are Skyping each other (you arelocated in different countries) and your friend hears a knock at the door, goes away to answer it and does not come back. And to top that while you are waiting and watching the screen, a log falls from the fire and the house starts to burn down?
How do you come to grips when as you and your BFF are Skyping each other (you arelocated in different countries) and your friend hears a knock at the door, goes away to answer it and does not come back. And to top that while you are waiting and watching the screen, a log falls from the fire and the house starts to burn down?
June 4, 2018
2.5 stars.
This book is built around an excellent premise. The plot summary is very intriguing and is what drew me to the book, and the ideas are definitely there. However, I felt the execution of those ideas and the way the story unravelled left something to be desired.
The novel begins at a very fast pace, and acts as a very good set up for what is to come. It presents you with a genuine mystery, and the whole idea of Orla witnessing Lillian's disappearance on Skype (The opening is set in 2006; how many people used Skype back then?!) is a very fascinating and original one that brings a lot of possibilities.
It succeeds in maintaining the mystery for a long time, with the clues few and far between and no obvious motive for any of the characters to be responsible for Lillian's disappearance. There is also the question of whether she is alive or dead.
But then came the twists, and sadly they were disappointing. Not only were they tiresomely cliched, one or two were just plain illogical, as the actions of some of the characters just did not make much sense. As a result, what should have been the most dramatic moments of the book just left me with a feeling of indifference.
That is a great shame, because there was a lot to like about Without A Word, in particular the writing style. Kate McQuaile writes in a calm and conversational style, almost as if she is interacting with the reader, and she makes the art of putting coherent prose together look so easy.
Although Orla is the narrator, I felt that Ned was portrayed as the main protagonist in the book. He is a very likeable character, as he is helpful and good-natured, and cares about about his job. He is also given a large amount of depth including a very big backstory, which though interesting, only adds a minor degree of significance to the plot.
Overall, I would say that this book is very readable, but fails to deliver a truly satisfying conclusion to what was a wonderful concept and original setup. I loved McQuaile's writing style and that may persuade me to read more of her work, but taken as a whole, Without A Word didn't quite do it for me!
Read the full review post on my blog: https://stephenwriterblog.wordpress.c...
This book is built around an excellent premise. The plot summary is very intriguing and is what drew me to the book, and the ideas are definitely there. However, I felt the execution of those ideas and the way the story unravelled left something to be desired.
The novel begins at a very fast pace, and acts as a very good set up for what is to come. It presents you with a genuine mystery, and the whole idea of Orla witnessing Lillian's disappearance on Skype (The opening is set in 2006; how many people used Skype back then?!) is a very fascinating and original one that brings a lot of possibilities.
It succeeds in maintaining the mystery for a long time, with the clues few and far between and no obvious motive for any of the characters to be responsible for Lillian's disappearance. There is also the question of whether she is alive or dead.
But then came the twists, and sadly they were disappointing. Not only were they tiresomely cliched, one or two were just plain illogical, as the actions of some of the characters just did not make much sense. As a result, what should have been the most dramatic moments of the book just left me with a feeling of indifference.
That is a great shame, because there was a lot to like about Without A Word, in particular the writing style. Kate McQuaile writes in a calm and conversational style, almost as if she is interacting with the reader, and she makes the art of putting coherent prose together look so easy.
Although Orla is the narrator, I felt that Ned was portrayed as the main protagonist in the book. He is a very likeable character, as he is helpful and good-natured, and cares about about his job. He is also given a large amount of depth including a very big backstory, which though interesting, only adds a minor degree of significance to the plot.
Overall, I would say that this book is very readable, but fails to deliver a truly satisfying conclusion to what was a wonderful concept and original setup. I loved McQuaile's writing style and that may persuade me to read more of her work, but taken as a whole, Without A Word didn't quite do it for me!
Read the full review post on my blog: https://stephenwriterblog.wordpress.c...
May 17, 2018
A good enough read which had an interesting start with Orla Skyping her friend Lillian who disappears mid-conversation – how can you not be intrigued by that? Lillian appears to have vanished in to thin air. Has she left to seek a new life? Is she dead? No answers are forthcoming & ten years later the receipt of some anonymous notes has the original Detective Ned Moynihan revaluating the episode.
While the opening sequence hooked me from the off, I was surprised to find that it didn’t really grip me in the way I would have expected. I certainly enjoyed it but it didn’t pull me in, in the way other books have & at times I felt it was only touching the surface of events & it could have dug a bit deeper. As a lead character I didn’t form much of an opinion of Orla & never felt any compassion for the situations she found herself in.
Ned had been through a similar experience to Orla as his mother had disappeared when he was young & I liked this connection of events. I found Ned to be the most likeable of the characters although I did find there was too much repetition of his thoughts about his ex-wife.
What saved this from being a bog standard thriller in my mind was that although I spotted one or two twists I was still surprised at the turns the story took – things didn’t go as I expected!
So overall, a good enough thriller which was very readable, despite lacking in depth & a being bit repetitive at times.
The fact that I was pleased to be caught out by some events pulled it up in my estimations & that’s got to be worth a star in itself :o)
While the opening sequence hooked me from the off, I was surprised to find that it didn’t really grip me in the way I would have expected. I certainly enjoyed it but it didn’t pull me in, in the way other books have & at times I felt it was only touching the surface of events & it could have dug a bit deeper. As a lead character I didn’t form much of an opinion of Orla & never felt any compassion for the situations she found herself in.
Ned had been through a similar experience to Orla as his mother had disappeared when he was young & I liked this connection of events. I found Ned to be the most likeable of the characters although I did find there was too much repetition of his thoughts about his ex-wife.
What saved this from being a bog standard thriller in my mind was that although I spotted one or two twists I was still surprised at the turns the story took – things didn’t go as I expected!
So overall, a good enough thriller which was very readable, despite lacking in depth & a being bit repetitive at times.
The fact that I was pleased to be caught out by some events pulled it up in my estimations & that’s got to be worth a star in itself :o)
March 8, 2018
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review..... I rather enjoyed this one. The author sets up a very intriguing storyline that kept me constantly guessing the whole way through. I really enjoyed that the book was told from two points of view - from Orla's and the detective's. And although the ending didn't completely satisfy me, I still enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
May 18, 2022
This month, my book club's theme is books that are set in Ireland. This book was passed on to me by a friend, and when I realised it was set in Ireland, I decided to give it a try.
It was an intriguing thriller. It begins with two friends having a Skype call. What struck me is how relatable a situation that is, in this day and age.
The characters were interesting to me, not two dimensional, but characters with multiple layers.
It was an intriguing thriller. It begins with two friends having a Skype call. What struck me is how relatable a situation that is, in this day and age.
The characters were interesting to me, not two dimensional, but characters with multiple layers.
February 9, 2019
Really good read. Thanks for sending it to me Plum-crazy.
September 30, 2017
I thought this was a solid read and think it was probably 3.5 stars. The hook was brilliant - friends skyping and then one is called away to the door and never comes back - that really caught my attention. The writing in the first part was pacey and kept my interest. Then part two came along, ten years after Lillian had disappeared, and we got a whole load of backstory about everyone and the focus on finding out what happened to Lillian was lost. I felt the book lost its way a little in the middle, but then the end came in a whoosh of action. Ned, the policeman seemed to make discoveries in an instant, that he had overlooked in the first investigation ten years previously and I couldn't work out how he'd made the leap in thinking. For me, there were a few too many cliches and I never felt I got to know the main characters very well. Ned's life was a bit tiresome, at times and I felt it got in the way of the story. And there were too many instances when things were just bumbling along and then something significant suddenly happened, in a sentence or two. I would have liked more of a build up to these events, so I could feel them more. But throughout the book, I didn't feel emotionally involved at all. Still, a good tale with an exciting ending.
October 9, 2017
It started off really well and I enjoyed it. However, I soon become a little bored and tired of the characters. The dialogue was wooden and the characters were poorly developed plus I didn't really like any of them. The book was longer than it should have been and by the end I really didn't care about how the mystery would be resolved.
October 29, 2017
After absolutely loving this author's previous book, I had high expectations for this one. Sadly despite a strong start and an intriguing storyline, this as a very disappointing read, which struggle to hold my attention after just a few chapters. The plot was way too 'messy' and the ending came as absolutely no surprise so left me fairly flat and emotionless about the whole experience.
April 20, 2018
The blurb sounds good - Orla's best friend disappears in the middle of a Skype call. Ten years later there has still been no trace. She is contacted by the detective who led the investigation and told that he has received anonymous notes accusing him of failing to investigate properly.
Sounds good so far - but the first 120 pages of the novel then cover all of this and little more, leaving the reader wondering when they will learn something new. It takes a long, long time. All of the main characters are then introduced, together with lengthy backstories all the way back to their childhoods, and all told in large chunks of exposition. The pace isn't so much slow as stopped entirely. The novel becomes more of a family saga than a thriller. The main plot simply doesn't advance at all.
The last 40 pages finally see some action, with a rush to an unsatisfactory conclusion propelled by several leaps of intuition, where characters simply guess key parts of the plot out of the blue. The reader is left with more questions than answers by the final page of what is ultimately a far from satisfying read.
Sounds good so far - but the first 120 pages of the novel then cover all of this and little more, leaving the reader wondering when they will learn something new. It takes a long, long time. All of the main characters are then introduced, together with lengthy backstories all the way back to their childhoods, and all told in large chunks of exposition. The pace isn't so much slow as stopped entirely. The novel becomes more of a family saga than a thriller. The main plot simply doesn't advance at all.
The last 40 pages finally see some action, with a rush to an unsatisfactory conclusion propelled by several leaps of intuition, where characters simply guess key parts of the plot out of the blue. The reader is left with more questions than answers by the final page of what is ultimately a far from satisfying read.
August 3, 2018
This is one amazing read that captivating me from the beginning to the end. Even though it's not a thriller kind of book, the mystery behind the book is a great story to catch up on.
The main characters with POV are Ned, the cop, and Orla (I love her name), the friend of the victim who disappeared.
When the author brings Ned to the spotlight including his family and his life, I started understand the importance of his role and his details in the story and in the end, it really connects. Somehow because of Orla, Ned has found one of the answer he really seek for the past 10 years. Back to his story, he is a lovable character from the start till the end. He made good decision and he was the definition of calm and collected not the kind who made stupid mistakes over and over just for the cliche of the story. His life as a child till he grew up was sad consider his own real father didn't love him just because of the loveless marriage. His father is a horrible person of all in the book. I personally hate him the most.
TBC
The main characters with POV are Ned, the cop, and Orla (I love her name), the friend of the victim who disappeared.
When the author brings Ned to the spotlight including his family and his life, I started understand the importance of his role and his details in the story and in the end, it really connects. Somehow because of Orla, Ned has found one of the answer he really seek for the past 10 years. Back to his story, he is a lovable character from the start till the end. He made good decision and he was the definition of calm and collected not the kind who made stupid mistakes over and over just for the cliche of the story. His life as a child till he grew up was sad consider his own real father didn't love him just because of the loveless marriage. His father is a horrible person of all in the book. I personally hate him the most.
TBC
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2017
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was about two friends Lilian and Orla who were Skyping each other. Lillian goes to answer the door and is never seen again. Ten years later Orla moves back to the village she grew up and where Orla went missing. The case comes back to the surface after she receives some anonymous letters. There is also a sub-plot involving the inspector.
I really enjoyed this story and I never once got bored and read it very quickly. My only criticisms would be that at times I struggled to understand how the inspector reached his conclusions and knew exactly what he should do next. I don’t want to say any more as it would spoil part of the story. I would definitely read other books by this author as I loved her writing style and she kept me hooked.
I really enjoyed this story and I never once got bored and read it very quickly. My only criticisms would be that at times I struggled to understand how the inspector reached his conclusions and knew exactly what he should do next. I don’t want to say any more as it would spoil part of the story. I would definitely read other books by this author as I loved her writing style and she kept me hooked.
March 24, 2021
Likeable characters,Irish small town setting; missing people from two generations and the complexities of family relationships : all intertwined in this well written social drama although some would categorise it as a crime novel. Loved Orla although I screamed at her once to NOT sleep with Aidan. The Irish policeman or Garda, Ned, is still traumatised by his mother’s sudden disappearance when he was only 7. Orla is on a Skype call to her friend Lillian when there is a knock at Lillian’s door. She disappears not only from the screen but forever. I like the fact that this author tied off all the various mysteries as I was worried I would never know Lillian’s fate. I also enjoyed the small town connections between the various families and how tragedy had struck in two time periods. I will be looking up more of Kate McQuaile’s novels.
December 3, 2017
I won this is a giveaway from Goodreads. Thank you. The story sucked me in from the first page.
Orla is on Skype to her best friend Lillian who has moved back to Ireland to live with her boyfriend, someone knocks on her door and she goes to answer it. That is the last Orla ever sees of her. No one can find her and she has vanished without a trace. Fast forward 10 years and Orla is back in Ireland with her boyfriend of over 10 years. They are running a café and rubbing along together nicely. Then anonymous letters start arriving stating that not enough was done to find out what happened to Lillian, insinuating that the letter writer know what happened and who did it.......
A good story with plenty of twists and turns.
Orla is on Skype to her best friend Lillian who has moved back to Ireland to live with her boyfriend, someone knocks on her door and she goes to answer it. That is the last Orla ever sees of her. No one can find her and she has vanished without a trace. Fast forward 10 years and Orla is back in Ireland with her boyfriend of over 10 years. They are running a café and rubbing along together nicely. Then anonymous letters start arriving stating that not enough was done to find out what happened to Lillian, insinuating that the letter writer know what happened and who did it.......
A good story with plenty of twists and turns.
December 8, 2017
More than 10 years ago, Lillian called Orla, saying, "I have so much to tell you." There was a knock on Lillian's door, and she told Orla she was going to the door to see who was there. Orla waited...and waited...and waited... But Lillian never returned. Now 10 years later, Lillian's disappearance remains a mystery. Anonymous notes begin appearing insinuating that Ned Moynihan, the lead detective, did not investigate the case appropriately. From that point, Ned begins looking into Lillian's disappearance again. The book becomes a big tedious in the middle as the investigation proceeds somewhat sluggishly. The end fell kind of flat because there was really no big twist or reveal. It was not a bad book but was not really suspenseful either.
October 31, 2017
Gripping from the start, I loved the inventive plot of this page-turner with its two completely unconnected mysteries cleverly running in tandem throughout and both coming to a conclusion at the end. The interaction of the characters is natural and believable and the happenings of the families and all their troubles well written. My only gripe was the repetition, almost like a resume, of the story in the beginning of the second part - did the author think I might have forgotten it already? … and this can be annoying. However, I enjoyed it and I look forward to reading other books by this author.
My thanks to Quercus and Goodreads for my copy of this book as a First-read Giveaway.
My thanks to Quercus and Goodreads for my copy of this book as a First-read Giveaway.
June 23, 2018
Oral is chatting to her friend Lillian on Skype when Lillian hears a knock at the door and goes to answer it.
That is the last time Orla ever speaks to her, because Lillian goes missing.
Ten years later, Lillian has still not been found and the detective who worked on her case has started getting anonymous notes, implying that the case wasn't investigated properly.
What happened to Lillian?
I liked this book and it was a good read.
I liked how it was told from both Orla and Ned's perspectives.
Ned was my favourite character.
The storyline lagged a little in the middle, but towards the end, it picked up the pace and was hard to put down.
That is the last time Orla ever speaks to her, because Lillian goes missing.
Ten years later, Lillian has still not been found and the detective who worked on her case has started getting anonymous notes, implying that the case wasn't investigated properly.
What happened to Lillian?
I liked this book and it was a good read.
I liked how it was told from both Orla and Ned's perspectives.
Ned was my favourite character.
The storyline lagged a little in the middle, but towards the end, it picked up the pace and was hard to put down.
February 22, 2018
Oh I enjoyed this book a lot! So basically Lillian is talking to her friend Orla on Skype and showing her around her new home, all excited about plans for the future etc. then the doorbell rings, Lillian goes to answer the door whilst Orla waits on skype; but Lillian doesn’t own back and something awful happens, she really shouldn’t have answered the door!!! Then the book goes forward 10years and the backstory comes into play along with a little sub plot :o)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book it had all you want, twists, turns, highs and lows and I can’t wait to read more from the author!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book it had all you want, twists, turns, highs and lows and I can’t wait to read more from the author!
January 24, 2018
Oh I so wanted to like this book. In theory it was right up my alley being a psychological thriller etc but it just didn't click. I thought Orla was weak, James was predictable and Ned a little boring. I feel sooooo bad saying that though as the back stories were quite sad and struck a chord with me plus in fairness the book was really well written. Maybe I just expected more of a twist, more turns, more oomph perhaps? It's definitely a good book, just not a great one :(!
February 7, 2019
Ten years ago Orla was in London Skyping her best friend Lilian in their hometown in Ireland - she ended up watching Lilian’s last known movements. Ten years later and Orla and her partner James have moved to Ireland and Lillian’s case has still not been solved. Now Ned Moynihan, the detective on the original case has been receiving anonymous letters about the case. Did someone see something that night and want the case reopened? Really great read from start to finish.
September 26, 2017
Late McQuaile's psychological thriller has an interesting premise and unfurls at a fairly good pace but is burdened by a lot of heavy (and at times unnecessary) backstory, some obvious twists and an ending that's unfortunately too obvious from the start to be truly enjoyable.
November 12, 2017
An intriguing setting and quite a twisty plot for this compelling murder mystery
with a few surprises and some unanswered questions; on the whole a really good read.
Very happy to receive a copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway.
with a few surprises and some unanswered questions; on the whole a really good read.
Very happy to receive a copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway.
November 30, 2017
Was quite enjoying this book looking forward to a good twist near the end but it never came the ending was boring and very predictable. The beginning was really good and got me hooked maybe I've just read to many thrillers.
January 19, 2018
Surprised at some of the low ratings on this one - a thoughtful and intelligent thriller with relatable characters realistically depicted. Pages flew by for me. Will certainly seek out more from Kate McQuaile.
January 21, 2018
I thought this book was well enough written and just about engaging enough to keep me going. The premise was promising. However, I did find it was under written over too many pages. The characters and plot were just too thin for my liking. One that I'm afraid will fade from memory pretty quickly.
September 1, 2018
I’m not usually a huge fan of thrillers, but I quite enjoyed this one. The story moved along with some unexpected twists (obv vital to a successful thriller). I thought the characters seemed believable...even the unscrupulous ones, and there were a few of them. All in all, a good read.
November 12, 2022
It had the premise of a great mystery, but got less interesting with every chapter and was very anti-climactic by the end. Just wanted it to end once the killer was 'discovered' and the last few chapters didn't add anything substantial at all. A very boring read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews