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Oonagh O'Neil #2
Keep Her Silent
Oonagh O'Neil is back! Keep Her Silent is a gripping and page-turning thriller that will leave you breathless. Perfect for fans of Susie Steiner, Karin Slaughter, Patricia Gibney and Ann Cleeves.
What people are saying about Theresa Talbot:
'I could hardly read fast enough!' Ourbookreviewsonline.blogspot.co.uk.
'In Oonagh O'Neil, the author has created a fascinating, flesh and blood character. Someone who pops from the page and someone, dare I say it, who would be great fun to go for a drink with' Crimesquad.com.
'Theresa Talbot does not shirk away from confronting the unsettling subject matter and [this] is a compelling story as a result' www.grabthisbook.net.
'A good mystery with many unexpected twists ... It keeps you turning pages the whole time' Cynthia Moskal, NetGalley.
'Too often I've read "thrillers" that didn't really thrill. This book has it all, plenty of story line and plenty of detail' Margaret Leonard, NetGalley.
'A must-read for anyone who loves detective crime thrillers based loosely on true events' Linda Tilling, NetGalley.
'I really loved this book! Excellent story with brilliant main characters' Stephanie Collins, NetGalley.
'A clever and well-written novel based on harrowing true experiences' Donna Bradley, NetGalley.
'A very good read and I would certainly recommend it' Mary Picken, NetGalley.
'The premise is truly horrific [...] but the plot is sensitively handled and hopeful. I will read more by this author' Emma Ounsworth, NetGalley.
430 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2018
188 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
Theresa Talbot
6 books23 followersTheresa Talbot is a BBC broadcaster and freelance producer. A former radio news editor, she also hosted The Beechgrove Potting Shed on BBC Radio Scotland, but for many she wil be most familiar as the voice of the station's Traffic & Travel. Late 2014 saw the publication of her first book - This Is What I Look Like - a humorous memoir covering everything from working with Andy Williams to rescuing chickens and discovering nuns hidden in gardens. She's much in demand at book festivals, both as an author and as a chairperson. Penance is Theresa's debut crime novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
August 22, 2018
'Keep Her Silent' is the second book in the Oonagh O'Neil series featuring the wonderful Glaswegian investigative journalist herself. I have come to thoroughly enjoy this series, looking out for when the next book is to be released making it a worthy addition to my favourite series' list.
It was fantastic to catch up with Oonagh, she is a fascinating character - brave, tenacious and afflicted with the same customary flaws as many investigators in the crime fiction sphere. This time Oonagh receives a tip-off about a medical scandal that was covered up in the 1970s and 80s. Despite having no idea of its importance or the truth of the information, she resolves to pursue the matter anyway. Whilst Oonagh investigates the tip she received, DI Alec Davies has one of his own, albeit about a different crime. Back in 1975, the so-called Raphael killer murdered three women, leaving ominous biblical messages with each of the bodies and then swiftly disappears. They need to investigate the claim a woman has recently made - the killer was her late father.
Unfortunately, I found that a proportion of the book was rather confusing and convoluted as it switches not only between points-of-view but timeline too - between 1975 and 2002 specifically. We are also introduced to many different characters which are hard to keep track of, for the most part, and when I did get my head around it all I feel the novel had progressed far beyond the cut-off point for a reader slowly easing into it. It's easy to infer that the story being told here could be based in fact, although we are not told this definitively either way. It definitely bears a resemblance to other medical conspiracies from the past, so it certainly could be credible. All in all, this is a well told story with a few minor issues that did have an affect on my overall enjoyment.
Many thanks to Aria for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
It was fantastic to catch up with Oonagh, she is a fascinating character - brave, tenacious and afflicted with the same customary flaws as many investigators in the crime fiction sphere. This time Oonagh receives a tip-off about a medical scandal that was covered up in the 1970s and 80s. Despite having no idea of its importance or the truth of the information, she resolves to pursue the matter anyway. Whilst Oonagh investigates the tip she received, DI Alec Davies has one of his own, albeit about a different crime. Back in 1975, the so-called Raphael killer murdered three women, leaving ominous biblical messages with each of the bodies and then swiftly disappears. They need to investigate the claim a woman has recently made - the killer was her late father.
Unfortunately, I found that a proportion of the book was rather confusing and convoluted as it switches not only between points-of-view but timeline too - between 1975 and 2002 specifically. We are also introduced to many different characters which are hard to keep track of, for the most part, and when I did get my head around it all I feel the novel had progressed far beyond the cut-off point for a reader slowly easing into it. It's easy to infer that the story being told here could be based in fact, although we are not told this definitively either way. It definitely bears a resemblance to other medical conspiracies from the past, so it certainly could be credible. All in all, this is a well told story with a few minor issues that did have an affect on my overall enjoyment.
Many thanks to Aria for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
April 30, 2019
30/4/2019 - a public enquiry into this scandal opens today. Since the enquiry was announced in July 2017, 150 infected haemophiliacs have died.
This is an excellent, intelligent, interesting, well-written crime novel. It is Theresa Talbot’s second book featuring Oonagh O’Neil, an investigative journalist living in Glasgow. The author is a journalist herself and clearly researches her subject matter rigorously.
In this sequel to Penance, Oonagh stumbles across the infamous tainted blood scandal that rocked the UK, and elsewhere, in the 1970s and 1980s. Haemophiliacs were given a new blood-clotting product taken from high risk individuals such as prisoners and sex workers, even from Russian cadavers, infected with HIV and/or hepatitis. Other than in France, no one has ever been prosecuted, although our current PM, Theresa May,has promised a public enquiry. People are still suffering and dying following this ‘treatment’ which resulted ultimately from the greed of pharmaceutical companies and the misplaced, uninformed enthusiasm of scientists and clinicians.
Other important issues investigated include post partum psychosis, the dangers of buying medication on the internet, sexual abuse on mental health wards, and that old West of Scotland cliche, alcohol addiction. All are incorporated into an exciting and thrilling whodunnit. It is set in Glasgow in 2002 which makes me think that the author is planning a long series and needed to start early enough that she wouldn’t catch herself up.
Gaun yersel’, Theresa! More of the same please - and soon!
With thanks to Aria and NetGalley for a free review copy.
This is an excellent, intelligent, interesting, well-written crime novel. It is Theresa Talbot’s second book featuring Oonagh O’Neil, an investigative journalist living in Glasgow. The author is a journalist herself and clearly researches her subject matter rigorously.
In this sequel to Penance, Oonagh stumbles across the infamous tainted blood scandal that rocked the UK, and elsewhere, in the 1970s and 1980s. Haemophiliacs were given a new blood-clotting product taken from high risk individuals such as prisoners and sex workers, even from Russian cadavers, infected with HIV and/or hepatitis. Other than in France, no one has ever been prosecuted, although our current PM, Theresa May,has promised a public enquiry. People are still suffering and dying following this ‘treatment’ which resulted ultimately from the greed of pharmaceutical companies and the misplaced, uninformed enthusiasm of scientists and clinicians.
Other important issues investigated include post partum psychosis, the dangers of buying medication on the internet, sexual abuse on mental health wards, and that old West of Scotland cliche, alcohol addiction. All are incorporated into an exciting and thrilling whodunnit. It is set in Glasgow in 2002 which makes me think that the author is planning a long series and needed to start early enough that she wouldn’t catch herself up.
Gaun yersel’, Theresa! More of the same please - and soon!
With thanks to Aria and NetGalley for a free review copy.
July 30, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book In exchange for a honest review. This was my first Theresa Talbot novel and it won't be my last. It was very well written and hard to put down. It keeps you guessing till the very end and even then a few bits I was still trying to get my head round! There are a lot of twists and turns and at times I thought maybe a few too many, you really need to keep concentrated to get your head round it all. The blood scandal was truely horrific and has not been covered nearly enough . It was a great choice for the book and great to bring attention to Bruce Norvals story in the process. Fast paced and extremely gripping.
July 15, 2018
I just despair, I really do.
Give me a moment though. This is not a criticism about the book, or the writer because all I can say is it is just brilliant. I cannot get over it.
Oonagh O’Neil is a film journalist and I love her. She is clever, brave, funny and I love her. Within a few pages I felt like I knew her and was rooting for her. But I must tell you why I despair.
The plot is revealed through several strands and time periods. In 1975 a woman killed her husband and her five year old son. She was promptly carted off to the asylum. 2002 the woman is released. In 1975 three young women were murdered and the killer died. In 2002 the case is to be reinvestigated. In amongst all this we are fed information on the ‘Contaminated Blood Scandal’ – something that really did happen. Major corruption on many levels in many institutions.
I cannot tell you how shocked I was whilst reading this book: indeed I cannot tell you how shocked I still am.
Brilliantly written, well-paced and great characters. You will have to read it so that you can understand just why I despair. A powerful, brilliant book. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.
Give me a moment though. This is not a criticism about the book, or the writer because all I can say is it is just brilliant. I cannot get over it.
Oonagh O’Neil is a film journalist and I love her. She is clever, brave, funny and I love her. Within a few pages I felt like I knew her and was rooting for her. But I must tell you why I despair.
The plot is revealed through several strands and time periods. In 1975 a woman killed her husband and her five year old son. She was promptly carted off to the asylum. 2002 the woman is released. In 1975 three young women were murdered and the killer died. In 2002 the case is to be reinvestigated. In amongst all this we are fed information on the ‘Contaminated Blood Scandal’ – something that really did happen. Major corruption on many levels in many institutions.
I cannot tell you how shocked I was whilst reading this book: indeed I cannot tell you how shocked I still am.
Brilliantly written, well-paced and great characters. You will have to read it so that you can understand just why I despair. A powerful, brilliant book. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.
August 25, 2018
This was the first book I have read by Theresa Talbot and I can honestly say that I am now a huge fan. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her other books in future. This book was so well written in a way that keeps you hooked and invested in the story, as you find yourself flipping through the pages wanting to know more. From the very first chapter, to the chilling and shocking twists and revelations at the end, this book has plenty of lies, twists, deceptions and betrayals to keep you hooked! I found myself unable to put this book down, as I needed to know what secret would be uncovered next. I had a few guesses of who was responsible and what was going one, only to find out that I was completely wrong. I love a good book that keeps you guessing until the end and this book does exactly that!
I loved the personality of the main character Oonagh O'Neil. She seems like a hard nosed, hard working character that is determined to get to the bottom of things once she has her mind set on something, and I loved her character in this book. I look forward to reading more books featuring this character.
I was shocked at the end of this book to learn that some of these things actually happened in the 70s, wow, I had no idea. To know that so many haemophiliacs in the world were actually given contaminated blood - a blood clotting product that was contaminated with HIV, Hepatitis C or both! What!? Wow that floored me. It was interesting for sure to read about something that has occurred in the past that is so monumental in world history. I am still shocked by this fact.
Without giving too much away about the book and the storyline, I really enjoyed this book. I found it to be fast paced and very enjoyable. And who doesn't love a good crime, scandal type book?
Well done Theresa Talbot, I'll be keeping an eye out for your other books.
I loved the personality of the main character Oonagh O'Neil. She seems like a hard nosed, hard working character that is determined to get to the bottom of things once she has her mind set on something, and I loved her character in this book. I look forward to reading more books featuring this character.
I was shocked at the end of this book to learn that some of these things actually happened in the 70s, wow, I had no idea. To know that so many haemophiliacs in the world were actually given contaminated blood - a blood clotting product that was contaminated with HIV, Hepatitis C or both! What!? Wow that floored me. It was interesting for sure to read about something that has occurred in the past that is so monumental in world history. I am still shocked by this fact.
Without giving too much away about the book and the storyline, I really enjoyed this book. I found it to be fast paced and very enjoyable. And who doesn't love a good crime, scandal type book?
Well done Theresa Talbot, I'll be keeping an eye out for your other books.
August 23, 2018
Talbot’s excellent new novel ‘Keeping Her Silent’ is one of those books that winds itself very real topics and sets her fictional characters in a mystery that increases as you read. This is a truly outstanding accomplishment that really lifts itself from the page.
The book starts out as a mystery about the death of a father and son through the hands of their mother. Using a plot device that jumps back and forth through time that in lesser capable hands would be used as a novelty but works all its magic in this very talent writers repertoire.
The characters are very well define and there is a lot of surprises that fit very well within the story without showing an untrue voice for each of the strong characterisations. The emotional lead story fulfils the plot and reveals the truth behind the drive which lifts this above the par.
The plot is very deep and after reading the book, I had done plenty of research about the Blood Taint scandal that seems to be buried deep within our media but is slowly emerging as one of the most irreputable government cover ups that goes way beyond conspiracy angles that are currently on the market. This is based on a real life situation that is being ignored and my heart shudders on the cover up that emerges within the pages. This is one of those books that gives more than what you would anticipate from a novel of this ilk.
This is certainly a must read and one that should be read by all readers. The characters are interesting and the plot is one that is one of the best that I have read in the past year. This is a definite winner and I urge everyone to give this book a read and I urge all readers to get involved with the issues that do emerge from this interesting thought provoking crime mystery that ticks all the boxes and more.
The book starts out as a mystery about the death of a father and son through the hands of their mother. Using a plot device that jumps back and forth through time that in lesser capable hands would be used as a novelty but works all its magic in this very talent writers repertoire.
The characters are very well define and there is a lot of surprises that fit very well within the story without showing an untrue voice for each of the strong characterisations. The emotional lead story fulfils the plot and reveals the truth behind the drive which lifts this above the par.
The plot is very deep and after reading the book, I had done plenty of research about the Blood Taint scandal that seems to be buried deep within our media but is slowly emerging as one of the most irreputable government cover ups that goes way beyond conspiracy angles that are currently on the market. This is based on a real life situation that is being ignored and my heart shudders on the cover up that emerges within the pages. This is one of those books that gives more than what you would anticipate from a novel of this ilk.
This is certainly a must read and one that should be read by all readers. The characters are interesting and the plot is one that is one of the best that I have read in the past year. This is a definite winner and I urge everyone to give this book a read and I urge all readers to get involved with the issues that do emerge from this interesting thought provoking crime mystery that ticks all the boxes and more.
July 31, 2018
Wow what a great second instalment in the Oonagh O’Neill and Alec Davies series. This one involved a cold case going back to 1975 where three women were murdered by the “Raphael Killer”, a woman incarcerated in a mental institute for murdering her pathologist husband and their son and a tainted blood scandal, what do they all have in common?
If that isn’t enough to get you interested…. dealing with so many tangled webs, will Oonagh/Alec get to the truth? I am not going to go into detail for fear of ruining the book for others but needless to say Theresa Talbot has a way of keeping you guessing and weaving the plots and twists that keep you on tenterhooks and wanting to devour the book.
I would highly recommend this to others who love Det series, this is certainly one to get your teeth sunk into, cleverly written and like no other!
I would like to thank Netgalley, Aria and Theresa Talbot for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
If that isn’t enough to get you interested…. dealing with so many tangled webs, will Oonagh/Alec get to the truth? I am not going to go into detail for fear of ruining the book for others but needless to say Theresa Talbot has a way of keeping you guessing and weaving the plots and twists that keep you on tenterhooks and wanting to devour the book.
I would highly recommend this to others who love Det series, this is certainly one to get your teeth sunk into, cleverly written and like no other!
I would like to thank Netgalley, Aria and Theresa Talbot for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 28, 2018
Oonagh O'Neil burrowed her way under my skin first time round, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read and review next book in series - and I was not disappointed!
Still rocked from her previous experiences, Oonagh dons a brave face and gets on with life. It's going to take more that some nutter to stop her doing the job she loves and she willingly meets a woman who assures her she has information on a cold case. Little did Oonagh know that this was going to be such a huge, complicated issue and one which would cross over with DI Alec Davies' latest investigation.
The main thrust of this is based in truth; readers not local to the west of Scotland may not be aware that there are several other details which are more realistic than they seem on paper! This author weaves a wonderful tale - both gritty, thrilling and more than a bit scary with some heart-wrenching moments along with the laugh-out loud ones which regularly lighten the mood. I really didn't think her previous novel, The Lost Child, could be bettered but she's gone and done it. This is one to really make your brain work overtime, get your heart rate up and wonder what the hell's happening at times! What a read!!
Oonagh McNeil is a tenacious investigative reporter who doesn't give up - a bit like a dog with a bone. Skilfully crafted, twisting both past and present into a stunning and striking read, this is both gripping and riveting with the ending coming as a total shock! I'm sure the clues were there, but with so much going on I was completely unaware of them. This is one series at the top of my must read list, and I can barely wait for the next one. I can't help but think this would make a cracking tv series ... a full five flashing and dancing stars - at least!
My grateful thanks to publisher Aria for providing my copy via NetGalley and the invitation to participate in the blog tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.
Still rocked from her previous experiences, Oonagh dons a brave face and gets on with life. It's going to take more that some nutter to stop her doing the job she loves and she willingly meets a woman who assures her she has information on a cold case. Little did Oonagh know that this was going to be such a huge, complicated issue and one which would cross over with DI Alec Davies' latest investigation.
The main thrust of this is based in truth; readers not local to the west of Scotland may not be aware that there are several other details which are more realistic than they seem on paper! This author weaves a wonderful tale - both gritty, thrilling and more than a bit scary with some heart-wrenching moments along with the laugh-out loud ones which regularly lighten the mood. I really didn't think her previous novel, The Lost Child, could be bettered but she's gone and done it. This is one to really make your brain work overtime, get your heart rate up and wonder what the hell's happening at times! What a read!!
Oonagh McNeil is a tenacious investigative reporter who doesn't give up - a bit like a dog with a bone. Skilfully crafted, twisting both past and present into a stunning and striking read, this is both gripping and riveting with the ending coming as a total shock! I'm sure the clues were there, but with so much going on I was completely unaware of them. This is one series at the top of my must read list, and I can barely wait for the next one. I can't help but think this would make a cracking tv series ... a full five flashing and dancing stars - at least!
My grateful thanks to publisher Aria for providing my copy via NetGalley and the invitation to participate in the blog tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.
August 21, 2018
Keep Her Silent by Theresa Talbot
Oonagh O’Neil #2
Flipping back and forth between 1975 and 2002 this book presents a type of evil that I hate to think was perpetrated by men against men. That said, men always are most inhumane to their fellow species. This book is based on fact and deals with evil that I have heard a bit about but not in the depth that it is presented in this book. If you have not heard of the tainted blood scandal then it may be time to google it…or to read this book…then google it. It seems there is a LOT of money to made from blood by pharmaceutical companies…
Horrific Murder
Wife & mother accused then put away
Whistle blowers – often dying
Plots within plots
Evil men keeping secrets and making money
What will some do to further scientific studies?
What will men do to keep others from knowing what they have done?
Reporter following a lead
Inspector searching for clues to an old murder - a cold case
Reporter and inspector are friends – their cases overlap
Can old wrongs be righted?
This was a well-researched and excellently written story of corruption, greed and cover-ups. I remember the AIDS fears of the 80s and the fact that a neighbor’s mother was given a transfusion that transferred death through AIDS. Reading this book made it come home again. I had trouble putting this one down as in addition to the tainted blood scandal there was an issue with drugs and another that mentioned postpartum depression. All the strings of the story were gathered together one by one and wrapped up in a tidy ball but I do wonder what Oonagh will be up to next and whether or not she will find a partner that will give her peace and support as she moves forward in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Oonagh O’Neil #2
Flipping back and forth between 1975 and 2002 this book presents a type of evil that I hate to think was perpetrated by men against men. That said, men always are most inhumane to their fellow species. This book is based on fact and deals with evil that I have heard a bit about but not in the depth that it is presented in this book. If you have not heard of the tainted blood scandal then it may be time to google it…or to read this book…then google it. It seems there is a LOT of money to made from blood by pharmaceutical companies…
Horrific Murder
Wife & mother accused then put away
Whistle blowers – often dying
Plots within plots
Evil men keeping secrets and making money
What will some do to further scientific studies?
What will men do to keep others from knowing what they have done?
Reporter following a lead
Inspector searching for clues to an old murder - a cold case
Reporter and inspector are friends – their cases overlap
Can old wrongs be righted?
This was a well-researched and excellently written story of corruption, greed and cover-ups. I remember the AIDS fears of the 80s and the fact that a neighbor’s mother was given a transfusion that transferred death through AIDS. Reading this book made it come home again. I had trouble putting this one down as in addition to the tainted blood scandal there was an issue with drugs and another that mentioned postpartum depression. All the strings of the story were gathered together one by one and wrapped up in a tidy ball but I do wonder what Oonagh will be up to next and whether or not she will find a partner that will give her peace and support as she moves forward in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
August 19, 2018
This was an interesting story involving the panic and fear that the contaminated blood scandal produced throughout the early 80s when HIV and AIDS first became such high profile and deadly diseases. The characters were believable and the plot flowed reasonably well, although, I did struggle a bit towards the middle. There were a couple of twists I failed to see coming and enough suspense to keep me reading long after I should have turned off the light. Thanks to #NetGalley for the chance to read this.
October 28, 2018
A great read, albeit one that tackles some controversial topics. I was riveted throughout and had to keep reading. There is corruption and cover ups at every turn, which adds to the suspense about what will ultimately happen.
Really enjoyed the dynamic between Oonagh and Alec and would love to see this develop. I'm not aware that this is the second in a series but I didn't feel I missed anything from not reading the first. Highly recommended!
Really enjoyed the dynamic between Oonagh and Alec and would love to see this develop. I'm not aware that this is the second in a series but I didn't feel I missed anything from not reading the first. Highly recommended!
February 24, 2019
A much better book than The Lost Children.
Read
July 17, 2019Hi - not a review as I'm the author, just some background to Keep Her Silent. In the 1970s & 80s almost 5000 haemophiliacs in the U.K were given Factor Vlll - a new blood clotting product which was contaminated with HIV, Hepatitis or both. What was hailed as a miracle cure was the start of a nightmare for the victims & their families. It transpired much of the blood product came from the U.S from high risk donors - prisoners, drug addicts & sex workers - who'd been paid per pint. The results of the tainted blood scandal has been widespread and devastating - people have died, lives ruined, families ripped apart. Those affected have been campaigning for decades for answers. The characters in Keep Her Silent are fictitious, but based upon interviews with those who have had their lives ruined by this scandal. One person in particular put his trust in me, and I hope through this crime novel I can tell at least part of his story.
September 13, 2025
Theresa Talbot’s Keep Her Silent, the second entry in her Oonagh O’Neil series, promises more than it delivers. Its subject matter is extraordinary — almost unbearably so — yet its narrative execution falters under the weight of its premise. The book intertwines a murder mystery in Glasgow with the real-life horror of the tainted blood scandal in Britain, one of the most devastating public health tragedies of the late twentieth century. In the 1970s and 1980s, thousands of haemophiliacs and other vulnerable patients were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products imported from abroad. The scale of the negligence, the corruption of pharmaceutical companies, and the complicity of governments and regulators remains staggering. Theresa May’s order for a new inquiry as recently as 2017 speaks to the scandal’s unresolved legacy. Against this backdrop, Talbot attempts to weave a contemporary thriller in which investigative journalist Oonagh O’Neil uncovers secrets that connect both the Raphael killings — the murder of three women in Glasgow — and the larger cover-up around contaminated blood.
It is an ambitious conceit. But the problem is evident from the outset: the reality is already more horrifying, more complex, and more compelling than the fiction Talbot adds around it. Reading this book, I often found myself more gripped by the factual scaffolding — the acronyms like “PUPs” (previously untreated patients) that revealed how children were effectively experimented on, the banal cruelty of pharmaceutical corporations treating human lives as acceptable collateral in the pursuit of profit — than by the murder plot itself. When truth so vastly outstrips fiction, the fictional frame risks feeling thin, perfunctory, even distracting. That is precisely the case here.
Hannah Arendt’s concept of the “banality of evil” clarifies the problem. In her controversial analysis of Adolf Eichmann’s trial, Arendt argued that great atrocities are often not the work of monstrous, spectacular villains but of ordinary bureaucrats, administrators, and professionals, whose mediocrity is matched only by their unthinking complicity. Evil, in this account, is banal: it flourishes not in grand diabolical schemes but in the dull routines of paperwork, the rubber-stamping of orders, the prioritisation of careers and reputations over lives. The tainted blood scandal is a paradigmatic instance of such banality. It was not a single murder or a singular crime to be solved; it was systemic, diffuse, perpetuated by faceless actors across borders — American suppliers, Canadian drug companies, Russian corpses reduced to sources of plasma. It was the convergence of global capitalism, biomedical authority, and state indifference, producing suffering not through malice alone but through the everyday operations of institutions.
This is why the novel’s fictional murder mystery feels so inadequate by comparison. The Raphael killings, for all their grisly narrative potential, cannot compete with the sheer horror of the contaminated blood scandal itself. Talbot may have intended the fictional plot as a device to carry readers through, to personalise the investigation, to give Oonagh something concrete to pursue. But the juxtaposition only exposes the mismatch. The more time the novel spends on Oonagh’s interviews, rivalries with journalists, or piecemeal discoveries about Glasgow murders, the more the reader longs to return to the factual spine of the story. Truth is not just stranger than fiction here; it is weightier, more terrifying, and infinitely more interesting.
This creates a profound imbalance in the novel. In The Lost Children, the first Oonagh O’Neil outing, the problem was tonal: the attempt to combine humour and irreverence with the weight of institutional abuse in the Magdalene homes produced jarring shifts in register. In Keep Her Silent, the problem is structural: the attempt to yoke a conventional crime plot onto the enormity of the tainted blood scandal produces a dissonance that undermines both. The fictional scaffolding is too flimsy for the historical edifice it is meant to support.
Foucault’s insights on power and knowledge offer a further lens. The contaminated blood scandal was not simply a failure of medicine but a failure of discourse: knowledge suppressed, expertise manipulated, silence enforced. Patients were not told the risks; doctors, often reliant on pharmaceutical suppliers, became conduits of disinformation; regulators deferred to industry; journalists struggled to make headway against institutional inertia. Foucault would insist that power operates precisely here: in what can be said, what is silenced, what counts as knowledge. Talbot’s attempt to dramatise this through Oonagh’s role as investigative journalist is astute, but the execution is unconvincing. Oonagh stumbles into discoveries, is frequently wrong-footed, and is often more irritating than illuminating. The novel tells us she is determined, but her investigation feels haphazard, her breakthroughs less the result of method than of narrative convenience. As a result, the fictionalisation of the scandal does not expose new layers of power-knowledge but risks trivialising them.
And yet, there are moments when Talbot gets it right. The sections that describe the scandal directly — the terminology of “PUPs,” the human consequences of contaminated transfusions, the quiet horror of families betrayed by institutions they trusted — are gripping and affecting. The writing is at its best when it sheds the trappings of thriller plotting and allows the horror of the real to speak. One feels, reading these passages, that the book could have been something else entirely: a hybrid of crime fiction and documentary, a narrative inquiry that trusted the scandal itself to carry the weight. Instead, by encasing these revelations in a conventional murder plot, the book repeatedly undercuts its own strength.
The characters, too, contribute to the unevenness. Oonagh is positioned as flawed, human, imperfect — a welcome relief from the infallible detectives of much genre fiction. But here her flaws tip into irritation. She is reactive rather than proactive, her insights stumbled upon rather than earned, her interactions with others often grating. In a novel already straining under the imbalance between fiction and fact, an unconvincing protagonist only compounds the difficulty. The supporting cast fares little better: sketched competently, but without depth, serving functions in the plot rather than becoming truly compelling in their own right.
This is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Keep Her Silent. It is not that Talbot trivialises her subject — she clearly does not. She has researched the scandal, she writes with genuine anger, she treats the victims with respect. But the machinery of crime fiction, with its demand for suspense, revelation, and resolution, cannot do justice to the systemic nature of what happened. The scandal was not a mystery to be solved; it was a catastrophe to be reckoned with. Fiction, here, does not amplify truth but diminishes it.
The callback to The Lost Children makes this clear. In that first book, Talbot confronted the Magdalene homes, another site of institutionalised abuse and silence. There, the challenge was tonal: the attempt to balance Oonagh’s humour with the brutality of the past sometimes jarred, but the narrative at least acknowledged the difficulty of giving voice to silenced women. In Keep Her Silent, the challenge is narrative balance: the attempt to graft a fictional murder plot onto a real scandal collapses under its own contradictions. Both novels grapple with how to narrate trauma without spectacle or sentimentality. In The Lost Children, the answer was uneven but at least partially successful. In Keep Her Silent, the answer fails: the fictional frame is overwhelmed by the historical horror it tries to contain.
Arendt’s “banality of evil” returns here as the final measure. The true horror of the blood scandal lies not in a sensational murder but in the bureaucratic, corporate, and governmental decisions that allowed thousands to be infected and thousands more to die. It lies in the ordinariness of evil: memos not sent, warnings ignored, profits prioritised. Fiction, if it is to grapple with such banality, must find a form adequate to it. Talbot’s thriller, with its murders and cliffhangers, cannot. Instead, it highlights the inadequacy of genre conventions in the face of systemic evil. The novel thereby leaves the reader with an odd disjunction: anger at the real scandal, but disappointment in the fictional narrative meant to deliver it.
Two stars, then. Not because Talbot’s intentions are ignoble — they are not. Not because the subject matter is unimportant — it is vital. But because the novel, as a novel, does not succeed. Its fictional scaffolding is too flimsy, its protagonist too irritating, its plot too pedestrian for the enormity of the scandal it engages. The result is a book that reminds us of a real horror but fails to transform it into effective fiction.
If The Lost Children was an uneven but worthwhile attempt to narrate institutional abuse, Keep Her Silent is an overreaching attempt to force systemic catastrophe into the mould of a crime thriller. The lesson, for me, is that some truths are too large, too systemic, too horrifying in their banality, to be domesticated by genre. They demand other forms, other voices, other reckonings.
It is an ambitious conceit. But the problem is evident from the outset: the reality is already more horrifying, more complex, and more compelling than the fiction Talbot adds around it. Reading this book, I often found myself more gripped by the factual scaffolding — the acronyms like “PUPs” (previously untreated patients) that revealed how children were effectively experimented on, the banal cruelty of pharmaceutical corporations treating human lives as acceptable collateral in the pursuit of profit — than by the murder plot itself. When truth so vastly outstrips fiction, the fictional frame risks feeling thin, perfunctory, even distracting. That is precisely the case here.
Hannah Arendt’s concept of the “banality of evil” clarifies the problem. In her controversial analysis of Adolf Eichmann’s trial, Arendt argued that great atrocities are often not the work of monstrous, spectacular villains but of ordinary bureaucrats, administrators, and professionals, whose mediocrity is matched only by their unthinking complicity. Evil, in this account, is banal: it flourishes not in grand diabolical schemes but in the dull routines of paperwork, the rubber-stamping of orders, the prioritisation of careers and reputations over lives. The tainted blood scandal is a paradigmatic instance of such banality. It was not a single murder or a singular crime to be solved; it was systemic, diffuse, perpetuated by faceless actors across borders — American suppliers, Canadian drug companies, Russian corpses reduced to sources of plasma. It was the convergence of global capitalism, biomedical authority, and state indifference, producing suffering not through malice alone but through the everyday operations of institutions.
This is why the novel’s fictional murder mystery feels so inadequate by comparison. The Raphael killings, for all their grisly narrative potential, cannot compete with the sheer horror of the contaminated blood scandal itself. Talbot may have intended the fictional plot as a device to carry readers through, to personalise the investigation, to give Oonagh something concrete to pursue. But the juxtaposition only exposes the mismatch. The more time the novel spends on Oonagh’s interviews, rivalries with journalists, or piecemeal discoveries about Glasgow murders, the more the reader longs to return to the factual spine of the story. Truth is not just stranger than fiction here; it is weightier, more terrifying, and infinitely more interesting.
This creates a profound imbalance in the novel. In The Lost Children, the first Oonagh O’Neil outing, the problem was tonal: the attempt to combine humour and irreverence with the weight of institutional abuse in the Magdalene homes produced jarring shifts in register. In Keep Her Silent, the problem is structural: the attempt to yoke a conventional crime plot onto the enormity of the tainted blood scandal produces a dissonance that undermines both. The fictional scaffolding is too flimsy for the historical edifice it is meant to support.
Foucault’s insights on power and knowledge offer a further lens. The contaminated blood scandal was not simply a failure of medicine but a failure of discourse: knowledge suppressed, expertise manipulated, silence enforced. Patients were not told the risks; doctors, often reliant on pharmaceutical suppliers, became conduits of disinformation; regulators deferred to industry; journalists struggled to make headway against institutional inertia. Foucault would insist that power operates precisely here: in what can be said, what is silenced, what counts as knowledge. Talbot’s attempt to dramatise this through Oonagh’s role as investigative journalist is astute, but the execution is unconvincing. Oonagh stumbles into discoveries, is frequently wrong-footed, and is often more irritating than illuminating. The novel tells us she is determined, but her investigation feels haphazard, her breakthroughs less the result of method than of narrative convenience. As a result, the fictionalisation of the scandal does not expose new layers of power-knowledge but risks trivialising them.
And yet, there are moments when Talbot gets it right. The sections that describe the scandal directly — the terminology of “PUPs,” the human consequences of contaminated transfusions, the quiet horror of families betrayed by institutions they trusted — are gripping and affecting. The writing is at its best when it sheds the trappings of thriller plotting and allows the horror of the real to speak. One feels, reading these passages, that the book could have been something else entirely: a hybrid of crime fiction and documentary, a narrative inquiry that trusted the scandal itself to carry the weight. Instead, by encasing these revelations in a conventional murder plot, the book repeatedly undercuts its own strength.
The characters, too, contribute to the unevenness. Oonagh is positioned as flawed, human, imperfect — a welcome relief from the infallible detectives of much genre fiction. But here her flaws tip into irritation. She is reactive rather than proactive, her insights stumbled upon rather than earned, her interactions with others often grating. In a novel already straining under the imbalance between fiction and fact, an unconvincing protagonist only compounds the difficulty. The supporting cast fares little better: sketched competently, but without depth, serving functions in the plot rather than becoming truly compelling in their own right.
This is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Keep Her Silent. It is not that Talbot trivialises her subject — she clearly does not. She has researched the scandal, she writes with genuine anger, she treats the victims with respect. But the machinery of crime fiction, with its demand for suspense, revelation, and resolution, cannot do justice to the systemic nature of what happened. The scandal was not a mystery to be solved; it was a catastrophe to be reckoned with. Fiction, here, does not amplify truth but diminishes it.
The callback to The Lost Children makes this clear. In that first book, Talbot confronted the Magdalene homes, another site of institutionalised abuse and silence. There, the challenge was tonal: the attempt to balance Oonagh’s humour with the brutality of the past sometimes jarred, but the narrative at least acknowledged the difficulty of giving voice to silenced women. In Keep Her Silent, the challenge is narrative balance: the attempt to graft a fictional murder plot onto a real scandal collapses under its own contradictions. Both novels grapple with how to narrate trauma without spectacle or sentimentality. In The Lost Children, the answer was uneven but at least partially successful. In Keep Her Silent, the answer fails: the fictional frame is overwhelmed by the historical horror it tries to contain.
Arendt’s “banality of evil” returns here as the final measure. The true horror of the blood scandal lies not in a sensational murder but in the bureaucratic, corporate, and governmental decisions that allowed thousands to be infected and thousands more to die. It lies in the ordinariness of evil: memos not sent, warnings ignored, profits prioritised. Fiction, if it is to grapple with such banality, must find a form adequate to it. Talbot’s thriller, with its murders and cliffhangers, cannot. Instead, it highlights the inadequacy of genre conventions in the face of systemic evil. The novel thereby leaves the reader with an odd disjunction: anger at the real scandal, but disappointment in the fictional narrative meant to deliver it.
Two stars, then. Not because Talbot’s intentions are ignoble — they are not. Not because the subject matter is unimportant — it is vital. But because the novel, as a novel, does not succeed. Its fictional scaffolding is too flimsy, its protagonist too irritating, its plot too pedestrian for the enormity of the scandal it engages. The result is a book that reminds us of a real horror but fails to transform it into effective fiction.
If The Lost Children was an uneven but worthwhile attempt to narrate institutional abuse, Keep Her Silent is an overreaching attempt to force systemic catastrophe into the mould of a crime thriller. The lesson, for me, is that some truths are too large, too systemic, too horrifying in their banality, to be domesticated by genre. They demand other forms, other voices, other reckonings.
October 9, 2018
This author tackles the real issues of today brilliantly.
This is the second novel by Ms Talbot. I was lucky enough to review the first one which I thought was amazing. Often the second novel can be a disappointment but, if anything, this book was better.
It follows on from the last book only because the main character, Oonagh O’Neil, a TV journalist, is desperately looking for a new story for her show and without really thinking anything through decides she will investigate women, killers.
She becomes involved in the heart-breaking story of Dorothy Malloy, a woman who has killed her husband and toddler son but instead of being brought to trial has been incarcerated in various hospitals and mental homes, and we learn about her terrible treatment by carers which despite her crimes should never have happened.
Meanwhile, her great friend, DI Alec Davis, has been told to re-investigate a cold crime that happened back in 1975 when three young women had been killed by an apparently religious killer known as Raphael.
Added to the mix is the discovery of how tainted blood had been used on haemophiliacs in the name of medical research, blood taken from criminals all over the world. Most of these were drug addicts who were happy to give their blood for money to feed their addiction and the unscrupulous surgeons who used this blood to experiment on people including young children. As we now know this subject is not a fiction made up by an author; it actually happened and is being investigated by the current government.
None of these events appears to be related, but Ms Talbot brilliantly brings it all together in an explosive story so full of twists and turns that are impossible to unravel but still finally make sense. I couldn’t stop reading this book, I so needed to know what had happened and how everything has come together.
As well as a fantastic plotline, two other areas stood out for me. The relationship between Oona and Alec appears to be developing and assuming there is a third book (I do hope so!) I can see this developing.
The other area that I found very interesting is that I feel Oona’s personality became more interesting. She is a complicated person, totally committed to her job but at the same time vulnerable with many faults. I didn’t relate to her so well in the first novel, but in this one, I really felt sympathy for her.
I would thoroughly recommend this book. It has everything; a brilliant story, interesting characters and most poignantly, it covers terrible events that have actually happened and probably are still happening.
If you get the chance to read this book, you won’t regret it.
Dexter
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
This is the second novel by Ms Talbot. I was lucky enough to review the first one which I thought was amazing. Often the second novel can be a disappointment but, if anything, this book was better.
It follows on from the last book only because the main character, Oonagh O’Neil, a TV journalist, is desperately looking for a new story for her show and without really thinking anything through decides she will investigate women, killers.
She becomes involved in the heart-breaking story of Dorothy Malloy, a woman who has killed her husband and toddler son but instead of being brought to trial has been incarcerated in various hospitals and mental homes, and we learn about her terrible treatment by carers which despite her crimes should never have happened.
Meanwhile, her great friend, DI Alec Davis, has been told to re-investigate a cold crime that happened back in 1975 when three young women had been killed by an apparently religious killer known as Raphael.
Added to the mix is the discovery of how tainted blood had been used on haemophiliacs in the name of medical research, blood taken from criminals all over the world. Most of these were drug addicts who were happy to give their blood for money to feed their addiction and the unscrupulous surgeons who used this blood to experiment on people including young children. As we now know this subject is not a fiction made up by an author; it actually happened and is being investigated by the current government.
None of these events appears to be related, but Ms Talbot brilliantly brings it all together in an explosive story so full of twists and turns that are impossible to unravel but still finally make sense. I couldn’t stop reading this book, I so needed to know what had happened and how everything has come together.
As well as a fantastic plotline, two other areas stood out for me. The relationship between Oona and Alec appears to be developing and assuming there is a third book (I do hope so!) I can see this developing.
The other area that I found very interesting is that I feel Oona’s personality became more interesting. She is a complicated person, totally committed to her job but at the same time vulnerable with many faults. I didn’t relate to her so well in the first novel, but in this one, I really felt sympathy for her.
I would thoroughly recommend this book. It has everything; a brilliant story, interesting characters and most poignantly, it covers terrible events that have actually happened and probably are still happening.
If you get the chance to read this book, you won’t regret it.
Dexter
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
September 11, 2018
Keep Her Silent is the follow up to The Lost Girls and we find Oonagh in 2002 and not yet wholly recovered from her ordeal as she investigated the brutal abuse in the Magdalen institutions run by the Catholic Church. Oonagh herself was savagely attacked and she has the scar to prove it – and her good friend Father Tom has now left the church. Physically she is now fine, but her nerves are on edge, her judgement is a wee bit shoogly and she is finding it hard to get by even on a maximum dose of tranquilisers.
None of this, of course, is going to stop her from pursuing her career as a T.V. journalist. Under pressure from her boss to share her programme development ideas and to give away some of her limelight, Oonagh claims to be quite a way down the road to developing a series on Women Who Kill. Now all she has to do is to make a start….
When she is given a tip off about a cold case and a previously uncovered scandal, she has no idea that it will lead her straight to Dorothy Malloy, a woman who has been in a mental institution for over 20 years for the savage murder of her husband and six year old son. Dorothy’s mental state is fragile and no-one reading this book could fail to be appalled and horrified at some of the heart-breaking treatment she had to endure at the hands of her jailers.
Neither does Oonagh realise that this cold case will lead her deep into the details of a medical scandal of huge proportions which, to this day, has left relatives grieving and seeking answers.
D.I. Alec Davies has also been told by his boss to investigate a cold case. In 1975 the ‘Raphael‘ killer murdered three young women, leaving biblical messages with their bodies, and then disappeared. Now a woman is insisting her dead father is the killer.
Though they do not know it, Oonagh and Alec are working on parallel lines of enquiry and it soon becomes clear that they are embroiled in a cover up of a scandal of massive proportions. The details of the contaminated blood scandal are factual and Talbot demonstrates just how terrible the impact was on families.
This is a chilling story, made more so for its basis in fact and Theresa Talbot has created a spine tingling story that is full of corruption, malfeasance and murder. This story twists and turns but as a balance to the darkness, there is a frequent spark of humour in some of Oonagh’s banter that helps to leaven the dread.
With a layered and complex plot, Talbot pulls all the strands together for a surprising and horrifying denouement .
Verdict: an utterly fascinating plot line, rooted in fact, that will keep you interested all through the book.
June 4, 2020
When DI Alec Davies is told to reopen a cold case from the 70’s, he lets Oonagh in on some of the details……three women were murdered and the killer was never found. Then Oonagh meets a woman and gets a tip off about a terrible previous scandal that has been looked in to before – but her source has more information. As Oonagh delves into the information she realises that this is deeper and darker than she ever imagined……
But getting involved in these investigations is dangerous. Oonagh is still trying to come to terms with what happened to her (in the last book) and getting herself involved in this could be a big mistake…….
This is another spectacular thriller by Theresa weaving together mental health, unsolved murders, medical scandals, betrayal and police corruption . Yet again, I was sucked in from the very first chapter – hook, line and sinker! Theresa has a talent for grabbing you from the first moment and not letting you go until the conclusion, and always takes you on a thrilling ride. With Davies and Oonagh investigating numerous lines of enquiry, the chains intertwine to reveal twists that you don’t even expect.
I thoroughly enjoyed being back with Oonagh and Davies. it’s sad to see that Oonagh is still struggling from before and I really wanted to give her a big hug and help to fix her broken pieces. But she doesn’t let this distract her from the investigation that she delves into. Alec on the other hand, is set the hard task of solving the cold case within an impossible deadline, and it sees him having to face the unexpected too. I desperately want Oonagh and Alec to get together – they would be so good for each other, so I’m keeping my fingers well and truly crossed!
Theresa covers some sensitive subjects in here, and gives us an insight at the end into the real life events that have taken place. I was shocked to find out that some of the storyline really did happen – and that’s what I love about Theresa novels – she brings harrowing stories to life, and brings them to our attention so they’re not forgotten. She also covers issues of mental health in the story, again an important aspect that we should all be aware of.
If you haven’t read any of Theresa’s books before and you are a thriller fan, then you’re genuinely missing out. They’re dark and gritty in places, and you won’t want to put them down. I read this in one day! Highly recommended by me – I can’t wait to see where Theresa’s next book takes Oonagh and Alec……..
But getting involved in these investigations is dangerous. Oonagh is still trying to come to terms with what happened to her (in the last book) and getting herself involved in this could be a big mistake…….
This is another spectacular thriller by Theresa weaving together mental health, unsolved murders, medical scandals, betrayal and police corruption . Yet again, I was sucked in from the very first chapter – hook, line and sinker! Theresa has a talent for grabbing you from the first moment and not letting you go until the conclusion, and always takes you on a thrilling ride. With Davies and Oonagh investigating numerous lines of enquiry, the chains intertwine to reveal twists that you don’t even expect.
I thoroughly enjoyed being back with Oonagh and Davies. it’s sad to see that Oonagh is still struggling from before and I really wanted to give her a big hug and help to fix her broken pieces. But she doesn’t let this distract her from the investigation that she delves into. Alec on the other hand, is set the hard task of solving the cold case within an impossible deadline, and it sees him having to face the unexpected too. I desperately want Oonagh and Alec to get together – they would be so good for each other, so I’m keeping my fingers well and truly crossed!
Theresa covers some sensitive subjects in here, and gives us an insight at the end into the real life events that have taken place. I was shocked to find out that some of the storyline really did happen – and that’s what I love about Theresa novels – she brings harrowing stories to life, and brings them to our attention so they’re not forgotten. She also covers issues of mental health in the story, again an important aspect that we should all be aware of.
If you haven’t read any of Theresa’s books before and you are a thriller fan, then you’re genuinely missing out. They’re dark and gritty in places, and you won’t want to put them down. I read this in one day! Highly recommended by me – I can’t wait to see where Theresa’s next book takes Oonagh and Alec……..
September 17, 2018
I loved the first Oonagh O’Neil thriller and have been dying to see what Theresa Talbot had in store for us this time.
Housekeeping: Oonagh first appeared in The Lost Children which was originally entitled Penance. You can order a copy of The Lost Children by clicking on the title and I highly recommend that purchase. Reading the first novel is not essential to reading and enjoying Keep Her Silent but there are one or two references early in the book to past events so just remember that Oonagh had a life before the events in Keep Her Silent began.
Oonagh is an investigative reporter and as such there are a number of interesting and upsetting cases brought to her attention. Readers get some background detail on the two cases which will dominate the story – Theresa Talbot makes good use of flashback sequences to show crimes being committed then spins back to Oonagh and the investigations she is conducting. A very efficient and satisfying way of keeping events ticking along at a high pace.
Blood contamination and the impact upon innocent hospital patients is very much in the spotlight in Keep Her Silent. Oonagh is made aware of the corrupt nature in which blood was aquired and the lack of regard paid towards the risk of contamination. It makes for chilling reading and the lengths which officials and governments went to in covering up the practice will have your alarm bells ringing.
Closer to home and Oonagh is also looking into the conviction of a Glasgow wife and mother who was institutionalised years earlier for killing her husband and young son. The Glasgow police are also reviewing this double killing as it connects to a cold case which the Powers At Be want closed.
The underlying reasons and practices behind both these investigations are complex. As a reader I felt my perceptions of many incidents being challenged and Theresa Talbot does a fantastic job of showing how unfortunate victims continue to be undermined by those in positions of power or authority. Those they should have been able to trust or to rely upon for help.
Keep Her Silent is a brilliant read. Oonagh is a great lead character who really could do with cutting a break – her personal life also makes for tricky reading and you just want her to do well and confront some of her inner demons.
I have no hesitation in recommending Keep Her Silent – it is a five star read.
Housekeeping: Oonagh first appeared in The Lost Children which was originally entitled Penance. You can order a copy of The Lost Children by clicking on the title and I highly recommend that purchase. Reading the first novel is not essential to reading and enjoying Keep Her Silent but there are one or two references early in the book to past events so just remember that Oonagh had a life before the events in Keep Her Silent began.
Oonagh is an investigative reporter and as such there are a number of interesting and upsetting cases brought to her attention. Readers get some background detail on the two cases which will dominate the story – Theresa Talbot makes good use of flashback sequences to show crimes being committed then spins back to Oonagh and the investigations she is conducting. A very efficient and satisfying way of keeping events ticking along at a high pace.
Blood contamination and the impact upon innocent hospital patients is very much in the spotlight in Keep Her Silent. Oonagh is made aware of the corrupt nature in which blood was aquired and the lack of regard paid towards the risk of contamination. It makes for chilling reading and the lengths which officials and governments went to in covering up the practice will have your alarm bells ringing.
Closer to home and Oonagh is also looking into the conviction of a Glasgow wife and mother who was institutionalised years earlier for killing her husband and young son. The Glasgow police are also reviewing this double killing as it connects to a cold case which the Powers At Be want closed.
The underlying reasons and practices behind both these investigations are complex. As a reader I felt my perceptions of many incidents being challenged and Theresa Talbot does a fantastic job of showing how unfortunate victims continue to be undermined by those in positions of power or authority. Those they should have been able to trust or to rely upon for help.
Keep Her Silent is a brilliant read. Oonagh is a great lead character who really could do with cutting a break – her personal life also makes for tricky reading and you just want her to do well and confront some of her inner demons.
I have no hesitation in recommending Keep Her Silent – it is a five star read.
July 17, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Aria for an advance copy of Keep Her Silent, the second novel to feature Glaswegian journalist Oonagh O'Neil, set in 2002.
Oonagh has received a tip off about the cover up of a medical scandal in the 70s and 80s and while she's unsure about what she's being told she decides to pursue it. In the meantime her friend DI Alec Davies has also received a tip off and has been told to investigate. In 1975 the so-called Raphael killer murdered three young women, leaving biblical messages with the bodies, and then disappeared. Now a woman is insisting her dead father is the killer.
I thoroughly enjoyed Keep Her Silent which is a thrilling, engrossing read with some very interesting historical detail. Initially the novel didn't hold my interest as it constantly switches point of view and timeline between 1975 and 2002. I found it difficult to keep my focus as all these random and seemingly unconnected people and events are flung into the mix but, as the novel progresses and I got a handle on the narrative I was hooked. There is no doubt that by the rather inconclusive ending we are deep in conspiracy theory territory. It is cleverly done and well researched and certainly exposes another establishment/big business cover up of dirty, unethical dealings (which seems to be Ms Talbot's speciality) but it will be up to the individual reader as to how credible they find it. I certainly believe what is presented as fact to be true as it is too horrible to be anything else but am not so sure about the solution.
Oonagh is a great creation. She is smart and resourceful but decidedly fragile, having some self destructive habits. On the whole she is a lovely, generous person but she definitely exploits her friendship with Alec Davies to help her in her job. He is a hard working, grumpy detective with a soft spot for Oonagh and is complicit in her exploitation. They are a winning combination for the reader.
Keep Her Silent is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Oonagh has received a tip off about the cover up of a medical scandal in the 70s and 80s and while she's unsure about what she's being told she decides to pursue it. In the meantime her friend DI Alec Davies has also received a tip off and has been told to investigate. In 1975 the so-called Raphael killer murdered three young women, leaving biblical messages with the bodies, and then disappeared. Now a woman is insisting her dead father is the killer.
I thoroughly enjoyed Keep Her Silent which is a thrilling, engrossing read with some very interesting historical detail. Initially the novel didn't hold my interest as it constantly switches point of view and timeline between 1975 and 2002. I found it difficult to keep my focus as all these random and seemingly unconnected people and events are flung into the mix but, as the novel progresses and I got a handle on the narrative I was hooked. There is no doubt that by the rather inconclusive ending we are deep in conspiracy theory territory. It is cleverly done and well researched and certainly exposes another establishment/big business cover up of dirty, unethical dealings (which seems to be Ms Talbot's speciality) but it will be up to the individual reader as to how credible they find it. I certainly believe what is presented as fact to be true as it is too horrible to be anything else but am not so sure about the solution.
Oonagh is a great creation. She is smart and resourceful but decidedly fragile, having some self destructive habits. On the whole she is a lovely, generous person but she definitely exploits her friendship with Alec Davies to help her in her job. He is a hard working, grumpy detective with a soft spot for Oonagh and is complicit in her exploitation. They are a winning combination for the reader.
Keep Her Silent is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
July 21, 2018
Keep Her Silent is less interesting for its plot than for the premise involving the tainted blood scandal in the UK. This horrific situation involved America, a Canadian drug company, and corpses from Russia. You really can't make this stuff up.
I wasn't as engaged with the murder plot or the characters (Oonagh was annoying), but truth is stranger than fiction in this situation--and that part of the story kept me engaged.
When a police investigation into the Raphael Murders is reopened, investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil discovers more questions than answers, but her interviews and research cause her to examine the original investigation with a different perspective. She's often wrong-footed and her discoveries are almost stumbled on, but she eventually knows the murders were not what they seemed.
Britain's Contaminated Blood Scandal
Scandal Not Confined to Britain
Can you imagine if your child was one of the Pups? "The acronym used was Pups – previously untreated patients. They were in effect being experimented on."
----
There are numerous articles online about the tainted blood scandal, but the corruption, greed, arrogance, and cover-up involved is sickening. Theresa May has ordered a new inquiry which may bring some semblance of justice.
Read in July; blog review scheduled for Aug. 9.
NetGalley/Aria
Crime/Suspense. Aug. 21, 2018. Print length: 301 pages.
I wasn't as engaged with the murder plot or the characters (Oonagh was annoying), but truth is stranger than fiction in this situation--and that part of the story kept me engaged.
When a police investigation into the Raphael Murders is reopened, investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil discovers more questions than answers, but her interviews and research cause her to examine the original investigation with a different perspective. She's often wrong-footed and her discoveries are almost stumbled on, but she eventually knows the murders were not what they seemed.
Britain's Contaminated Blood Scandal
Scandal Not Confined to Britain
Can you imagine if your child was one of the Pups? "The acronym used was Pups – previously untreated patients. They were in effect being experimented on."
----
There are numerous articles online about the tainted blood scandal, but the corruption, greed, arrogance, and cover-up involved is sickening. Theresa May has ordered a new inquiry which may bring some semblance of justice.
Read in July; blog review scheduled for Aug. 9.
NetGalley/Aria
Crime/Suspense. Aug. 21, 2018. Print length: 301 pages.
September 14, 2018
I enjoyed the story. The whole tainted blood aspect was down right scary. There were so many names, I found myself getting confused and not really sure who was all involved.
How are the tainted blood cases, Raphael killings and a woman accused of killing her husband and drowning her son related? That's question Oonagh O'Neil is trying to find out.
This is the second book in the Oonagh O'Neil series and now I definitely need to read the first book. There were many twists and turns and was definitely a mystery. The book jumped between the past and present. The present being 2002. At times I was lost and wasn't sure where we were on the timeline. I found the book to be very jumpy. I loved the story, characters and writing style. I enjoyed the work relationship Davies and McVeigh had together. I found it humorous when McVeigh got stuck in the blood pressure cuff and no one knew how to get it off until Davies showed up and simply unplugged the machine. I foresee a possible romance with Oonagh and Davies and hopefully she doesn't hit him over the head with a statue. Poor Cat, despite the fact that he may have tried to eat Oonagh's face she loved him. The book turned out to be more than just about an old case involving a woman killing her husband and son. That story line was just a small part of the whole picture.
Definitely recommend the book and can't wait to read more by the author.
Thanks to NetGalley, Aria and the author, Theresa Talbot, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.
How are the tainted blood cases, Raphael killings and a woman accused of killing her husband and drowning her son related? That's question Oonagh O'Neil is trying to find out.
This is the second book in the Oonagh O'Neil series and now I definitely need to read the first book. There were many twists and turns and was definitely a mystery. The book jumped between the past and present. The present being 2002. At times I was lost and wasn't sure where we were on the timeline. I found the book to be very jumpy. I loved the story, characters and writing style. I enjoyed the work relationship Davies and McVeigh had together. I found it humorous when McVeigh got stuck in the blood pressure cuff and no one knew how to get it off until Davies showed up and simply unplugged the machine. I foresee a possible romance with Oonagh and Davies and hopefully she doesn't hit him over the head with a statue. Poor Cat, despite the fact that he may have tried to eat Oonagh's face she loved him. The book turned out to be more than just about an old case involving a woman killing her husband and son. That story line was just a small part of the whole picture.
Definitely recommend the book and can't wait to read more by the author.
Thanks to NetGalley, Aria and the author, Theresa Talbot, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.
August 27, 2018
Book blurb...
Ooonagh O’Neil is back with another dark and chilling investigation
'Do that which is good and no evil shall touch you.’
That was the note the so-called Raphael killer left on each of his victims. Everyone in Glasgow - investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil included - remember the murder of three women in Glasgow which sent a wave of terror through the city. They also remember that he is still at large... When the police investigation into the Raphael killings reopens, Oonagh is given a tip off that leads her straight to the heart of a complex and deadly cover-up. When history starts to repeat itself, it seems the killer is closer than she thinks. Could Oonagh be the next target…?
My Thoughts…
I have not read any previous titles by this author, so I’m meeting Ooonagh O’Neil for the first time. I was mainly drawn to this title by the book blurb, intrigued to discover more about the Raphael killer.
The cover-up was quite complex and Ooonagh certainly had to work hard to discover the truth. I can’t say too much without giving away the plot, but I did enjoy the story, after a slow start. Towards the end, the pace increased and things moved quickly as Ooonagh got closer to uncovering the story behind the Raphael killings.
This review is also published on http://www.readroundoz.wordpress.com
Ooonagh O’Neil is back with another dark and chilling investigation
'Do that which is good and no evil shall touch you.’
That was the note the so-called Raphael killer left on each of his victims. Everyone in Glasgow - investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil included - remember the murder of three women in Glasgow which sent a wave of terror through the city. They also remember that he is still at large... When the police investigation into the Raphael killings reopens, Oonagh is given a tip off that leads her straight to the heart of a complex and deadly cover-up. When history starts to repeat itself, it seems the killer is closer than she thinks. Could Oonagh be the next target…?
My Thoughts…
I have not read any previous titles by this author, so I’m meeting Ooonagh O’Neil for the first time. I was mainly drawn to this title by the book blurb, intrigued to discover more about the Raphael killer.
The cover-up was quite complex and Ooonagh certainly had to work hard to discover the truth. I can’t say too much without giving away the plot, but I did enjoy the story, after a slow start. Towards the end, the pace increased and things moved quickly as Ooonagh got closer to uncovering the story behind the Raphael killings.
This review is also published on http://www.readroundoz.wordpress.com
September 5, 2018
Another episode of dangerous investigative journalism with Oonagh O'Neil that unfolds with the unpredictability of real life and grips the reader with its intensity and menace.
If you haven't met Oonagh previously you've missed out, but this story reads well as a standalone, with enough backstory to illuminate Oonagh as a character and provide the pertinent details on her relationships, motivations and demons.
There are both historic and present timelines and several plot threads that are intricately woven to reveal a polished ending. The writing style draws you in until enthralled you have to know what happens next. The themes are shocking, more so because they highlight real-life conspiracy.
A unique combination of crime, conspiracy and killing seen through the eyes of a quirky, on the edge investigative journalist and a cynical, but thorough policeman makes this a memorable story and a series that I can't wait to continue.
I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
If you haven't met Oonagh previously you've missed out, but this story reads well as a standalone, with enough backstory to illuminate Oonagh as a character and provide the pertinent details on her relationships, motivations and demons.
There are both historic and present timelines and several plot threads that are intricately woven to reveal a polished ending. The writing style draws you in until enthralled you have to know what happens next. The themes are shocking, more so because they highlight real-life conspiracy.
A unique combination of crime, conspiracy and killing seen through the eyes of a quirky, on the edge investigative journalist and a cynical, but thorough policeman makes this a memorable story and a series that I can't wait to continue.
I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
August 21, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book moves back and forth between the years 1975 and 2002. A true story about a tainted blood scandal that's too horrific to even contemplate. The greed displayed by the big pharmaceutical companies… A time when no one worried about the chances of HIV and other blood borne diseases being transferred to the patients that were treated with those blood products.
The main character is Oonagh O'Neil an investigative journalist from Glasgow. Police have reopened the investigation into the Raphael killings - the murder of 3 women from Glasgow. Oonagh receives a tip that brings her straight into a complicated and very deadly cover-up. Oonagh is an interesting character because she isn't perfect, she has her flaws.
This book moves back and forth between the years 1975 and 2002. A true story about a tainted blood scandal that's too horrific to even contemplate. The greed displayed by the big pharmaceutical companies… A time when no one worried about the chances of HIV and other blood borne diseases being transferred to the patients that were treated with those blood products.
The main character is Oonagh O'Neil an investigative journalist from Glasgow. Police have reopened the investigation into the Raphael killings - the murder of 3 women from Glasgow. Oonagh receives a tip that brings her straight into a complicated and very deadly cover-up. Oonagh is an interesting character because she isn't perfect, she has her flaws.
August 27, 2018
Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com
3.75 Hearts I didn’t realize that this was the second in the series when I requested it so I feel like I missed a little bit of understanding the lead character. Oonagh is an interesting character with an even more interesting name. I am sure my brain was not pronouncing it correctly as I read this story.
I thought the story was good and well written for the most part. There was a few times that I felt there was too much to take in. A lot of characters were thrown in for what seems like no reason. The story dragged a bit and the story jumped a bit. But with that being said it was interesting.
I am not sure but I think when my TBR pile dwindles I will pick up the first one and maybe understand a bit more.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
3.75 Hearts I didn’t realize that this was the second in the series when I requested it so I feel like I missed a little bit of understanding the lead character. Oonagh is an interesting character with an even more interesting name. I am sure my brain was not pronouncing it correctly as I read this story.
I thought the story was good and well written for the most part. There was a few times that I felt there was too much to take in. A lot of characters were thrown in for what seems like no reason. The story dragged a bit and the story jumped a bit. But with that being said it was interesting.
I am not sure but I think when my TBR pile dwindles I will pick up the first one and maybe understand a bit more.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
August 21, 2018
I thought this was an excellent book! This is the second Theresa Talbot novel featuring investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neill and policeman Alec Davies, I haven't read the first yet, but I definitely intend to now!
I loved the Glasgow setting, I really enjoy reading a book set in my hometown when you can recognise the places where the action is set and can identify with the dialect. I think there might just be a wee bit of the author in Oonagh too?!
The story features an unsolved suspected serial killing of three young women during the 1970s, the murder of a pathologist and his son, the tainted blood scandal where blood was purchased from donors suffering from HIV and hepatitis to treat haemophiliacs, and the abuse of psychiatric patients. The scenes of abuse of psychiatric patients was truly shocking and my heart just breaks for people who had to endure this treatment.
There are some really shocking twists in the story, I really thought I had it all figured out but I was nowhere near it! I read a lot of these type of books, but I would say this one really stands out as it has plenty of heart and just feels authentic.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would certainly recommend it.
I loved the Glasgow setting, I really enjoy reading a book set in my hometown when you can recognise the places where the action is set and can identify with the dialect. I think there might just be a wee bit of the author in Oonagh too?!
The story features an unsolved suspected serial killing of three young women during the 1970s, the murder of a pathologist and his son, the tainted blood scandal where blood was purchased from donors suffering from HIV and hepatitis to treat haemophiliacs, and the abuse of psychiatric patients. The scenes of abuse of psychiatric patients was truly shocking and my heart just breaks for people who had to endure this treatment.
There are some really shocking twists in the story, I really thought I had it all figured out but I was nowhere near it! I read a lot of these type of books, but I would say this one really stands out as it has plenty of heart and just feels authentic.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would certainly recommend it.
September 8, 2018
I would like to thank the Netgalley website and Aria Publishing for this partnership.
I was immediately attracted to the blanket: Ooonagh was seen running. A catchphrase immediately draws attention: "What did she see?"
She is investigating Raphael's murder, leaving a note on her body: "Do what is right and no evil will touch you". With murders already committed and the murderer still at large, OOOnagh will find himself in the middle of a complex and deadly cover-up. Is she going to be the killer's next target?
A book read almost in one go, I immediately hooked on the story, captivating and full of suspense and twists and turns. My first book by this author, looks forward to reading more.
I was immediately attracted to the blanket: Ooonagh was seen running. A catchphrase immediately draws attention: "What did she see?"
She is investigating Raphael's murder, leaving a note on her body: "Do what is right and no evil will touch you". With murders already committed and the murderer still at large, OOOnagh will find himself in the middle of a complex and deadly cover-up. Is she going to be the killer's next target?
A book read almost in one go, I immediately hooked on the story, captivating and full of suspense and twists and turns. My first book by this author, looks forward to reading more.
August 15, 2018
Book 2 in the Oonagh O'Neill series and it's a cracker of a read. At times, I had to stop reading and, at other times I couldn't get to the next chapter quick enough! The plot centres round the tainted blood scandal and jumps between 1975 and 2002. This is not a police procedural and very different from the usual thrillers in the genre. Sensitively written, thought provoking and a fantastic read with great characters. If you read one book this year, make it this one! Theresa Talbot is a very clever writer and this book is beautifully researched. My thanks to Net Galley for my copy. I loved it.
September 13, 2018
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I really enjoyed the first book in the series so I was delighted to see that Keep Her Silent, the second book in the series was being released!
This is a well written, well planned out story that had me completely gripped. I loved the writing style and flow that the author achieved in the story. The characters are great, well developed, likeable and I genuinely warmed to them (well most of them!).
4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads and Amazon- very highly recommended and thoroughly enjoyable!!
I really enjoyed the first book in the series so I was delighted to see that Keep Her Silent, the second book in the series was being released!
This is a well written, well planned out story that had me completely gripped. I loved the writing style and flow that the author achieved in the story. The characters are great, well developed, likeable and I genuinely warmed to them (well most of them!).
4.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads and Amazon- very highly recommended and thoroughly enjoyable!!
October 26, 2018
A mild-mannered wife and mother turned vicious killer; a series of unsolved murders; a medical scandal still impacting a generation later. Three separate threads are woven together in the second thriller by Theresa Talbot, latest in a long line of Scottish crime novelists. Once again, we meet journalist Oonagh O'Neil and her friend/main police contact, DI Alec Davies. Oonagh's personal life is a mess - and I found it difficult to like her at some points in the book, but when she get's wind of a story - especially one involving injustice, intrigue and cover-ups - she refuses to give up and pays little regard to her own safety. This is a fast-moving story full of tension and twists.
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