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Oonagh O'Neil #3
The Quiet Ones
If only someone had listened...
When the supposed suicide of famous Scottish football coach Harry Nugent hits the headlines, the tabloids are filled with tributes to a charitable pillar of the community that gave so much back to sport and to those less fortunate.
But something isn't right. Normally celebrities are queuing up to claim to have had a very special relationship with the deceased, but investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil is getting the distinct impression that people are trying to distance themselves from Harry.
Oonagh's investigation leads her to uncover a heartbreakingly haunting cover-up that chills her to the core... and places her in mortal danger from those willing to protect their sadistic and dark secrets at any cost...
Perfect for fans of Patricia Gibney, Angela Marsons and Cara Hunter.
When the supposed suicide of famous Scottish football coach Harry Nugent hits the headlines, the tabloids are filled with tributes to a charitable pillar of the community that gave so much back to sport and to those less fortunate.
But something isn't right. Normally celebrities are queuing up to claim to have had a very special relationship with the deceased, but investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil is getting the distinct impression that people are trying to distance themselves from Harry.
Oonagh's investigation leads her to uncover a heartbreakingly haunting cover-up that chills her to the core... and places her in mortal danger from those willing to protect their sadistic and dark secrets at any cost...
Perfect for fans of Patricia Gibney, Angela Marsons and Cara Hunter.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2019
19 people are currently reading
110 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 51 reviews
September 11, 2019
Things don't seem to add up folloing the suicide of well respected football coach, Harry Nugent. Oonagh O'Neill is an investigative journalist. Harry's death is upgraded to murder. Oonagh soon finds out some sordid secrets to investigate.
This is the third book in this series and the first book that I have read by the author,. Set in Glsgow, the story has a steady pace with short chapters. There is reference back to the first two books but it can still be read as a standalone. The plotline is dark and harrowing ut it's been quite a recurrent storyline in our news over the last few years. The book is based on a true story and some parts of the story made my heart break. Each revelation was worse then the previous one. The story is told from Oonag's point of view. Oonagh is determined to get justice the victims. Not an easy book to read ut I enjoyed it just the same.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Aria and the author Theresa Talbot for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third book in this series and the first book that I have read by the author,. Set in Glsgow, the story has a steady pace with short chapters. There is reference back to the first two books but it can still be read as a standalone. The plotline is dark and harrowing ut it's been quite a recurrent storyline in our news over the last few years. The book is based on a true story and some parts of the story made my heart break. Each revelation was worse then the previous one. The story is told from Oonag's point of view. Oonagh is determined to get justice the victims. Not an easy book to read ut I enjoyed it just the same.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Aria and the author Theresa Talbot for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2019
The Quiet Ones, the third novel to feature Glasgow based journalist, Oonagh O’Neil, is by far the best instalment to date; this is one of those series' where you count down the days until the next book is published, and I love being that invested in it. It starts in explosive fashion and you are catapulted right to the heart of the story with no messing about. Hands down, one of the most satisfying and intense, pull no punches opening to a thriller I've read in a long time. From then on I was hooked and loved the gritty, grisly and often rather graphic descriptions and depictions. My heart was racing and my palms were sweaty for the entirety of the book.
There is so much action and excitement it's difficult to find a moment to breathe, and as the investigation begins to unfold I am reminded of just how wonderful Oonagh is as a protagonist. She approaches everything with integrity and a has a tenacious attitude about her; you can rest assured that with Oonagh on the case she will do everything in her power to bring closure to the victim's families. She is also really likeable, affable and relatable. If you enjoy thrillers that aren't afraid to take you on a wild ride of ups and downs and have plenty of grit and teeth to them then you cannot go wrong with this novel (or series). Many thanks to Aria for an ARC.
There is so much action and excitement it's difficult to find a moment to breathe, and as the investigation begins to unfold I am reminded of just how wonderful Oonagh is as a protagonist. She approaches everything with integrity and a has a tenacious attitude about her; you can rest assured that with Oonagh on the case she will do everything in her power to bring closure to the victim's families. She is also really likeable, affable and relatable. If you enjoy thrillers that aren't afraid to take you on a wild ride of ups and downs and have plenty of grit and teeth to them then you cannot go wrong with this novel (or series). Many thanks to Aria for an ARC.
June 6, 2019
I’d been looking forward to the third in Theresa Talbot’s Oonagh O’Neil crime series set in Glasgow and wasn’t disappointed.
Oonagh is an investigative journalist on TV and Talbot draws on her own media experience for authenticity. At first, I was disappointed that she was using a subject so much in the public eye just now, in Glasgow at least, where abuse by football coaches has been uncovered stretching back decades. Caledonian Boys Club is a not even thinly veiled reference to Glasgow Celtic. Typically with Talbot though, the story goes off piste and the result is a real page turner. She writes well and I enjoyed this nearly as much as the previous two books. The only thing I didn’t like is that she has ramped up the coarse language, often used gratuitously and adding nothing to the scene, and I can’t be bothered with that. It’s certainly appropriate at times but, as a good friend of mine says, ‘The English language is broad enough to express yourself otherwise’! I’m far from being a prude but I found it tiresome. Aside from that, I really enjoyed this and my breath is baited for the next book in the series.
With thanks to NetGalley and Aria for a review copy.
Oonagh is an investigative journalist on TV and Talbot draws on her own media experience for authenticity. At first, I was disappointed that she was using a subject so much in the public eye just now, in Glasgow at least, where abuse by football coaches has been uncovered stretching back decades. Caledonian Boys Club is a not even thinly veiled reference to Glasgow Celtic. Typically with Talbot though, the story goes off piste and the result is a real page turner. She writes well and I enjoyed this nearly as much as the previous two books. The only thing I didn’t like is that she has ramped up the coarse language, often used gratuitously and adding nothing to the scene, and I can’t be bothered with that. It’s certainly appropriate at times but, as a good friend of mine says, ‘The English language is broad enough to express yourself otherwise’! I’m far from being a prude but I found it tiresome. Aside from that, I really enjoyed this and my breath is baited for the next book in the series.
With thanks to NetGalley and Aria for a review copy.
September 1, 2019
"Hush hush, they are the quiet ones
Hush hush, they are the dark ones
Hush hush, their innocence is crushed
Hush hush, their hope is dashed
The hurt in the blanket of power
The death of the soul under the cover
Hush hush, they are the quiet ones
Hush hush, they are the dark ones
Hush hush, listen to the whisper
Hush hush, the quiet ones speak louder"
Apparent suicide of renowned coach Duncan Nugent soon got the investigation roaring up as foul play was discovered. But everyone around him kept their silence, hiding a deep soul crushing secret. Journalist Oonagh got into the depth of it as she uncovered the layers. Can opened, and the dark worms kept twirling and twisting, wriggling out, one by one, showing the darkness that resided in a human psyche.
My first book by Theresa Talbot, and the story ran its swift pace with short, snappy chapters. Oonagh was quite a gal, flawed yet strong with a tenacity that had to be admired. One thread was all that was needed for her to get to the truth. She did drink quite a lot, but I have to admit in this case, anyone would to forget.
Theresa's writing brought out the twisted perversions of the coach, slowly unfurling with light, treaded footsteps till reality became the darkness that could not remain hidden as the roots of the cover-ups were exposed. The atmosphere kept building up with Oonagh's investigation, the horrors came to the forefront, keeping me at the edge of the seat with shivers running down my spine.
My heart cried at the plot line which was inspired by the real story. My mind cherished the writing which kept the thrill running from the beginning to to end. Some parts rushed, some slowed, but overall kept my interest running from beginning to end.
Hush hush, they are the dark ones
Hush hush, their innocence is crushed
Hush hush, their hope is dashed
The hurt in the blanket of power
The death of the soul under the cover
Hush hush, they are the quiet ones
Hush hush, they are the dark ones
Hush hush, listen to the whisper
Hush hush, the quiet ones speak louder"
Apparent suicide of renowned coach Duncan Nugent soon got the investigation roaring up as foul play was discovered. But everyone around him kept their silence, hiding a deep soul crushing secret. Journalist Oonagh got into the depth of it as she uncovered the layers. Can opened, and the dark worms kept twirling and twisting, wriggling out, one by one, showing the darkness that resided in a human psyche.
My first book by Theresa Talbot, and the story ran its swift pace with short, snappy chapters. Oonagh was quite a gal, flawed yet strong with a tenacity that had to be admired. One thread was all that was needed for her to get to the truth. She did drink quite a lot, but I have to admit in this case, anyone would to forget.
Theresa's writing brought out the twisted perversions of the coach, slowly unfurling with light, treaded footsteps till reality became the darkness that could not remain hidden as the roots of the cover-ups were exposed. The atmosphere kept building up with Oonagh's investigation, the horrors came to the forefront, keeping me at the edge of the seat with shivers running down my spine.
My heart cried at the plot line which was inspired by the real story. My mind cherished the writing which kept the thrill running from the beginning to to end. Some parts rushed, some slowed, but overall kept my interest running from beginning to end.
September 24, 2019
THE QUIET ONES is the third book to feature the Glasgow-based investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil, although it is just my second. I must have missed Book #2 along the way somewhere...lol I wasn't disappointed though I do recall the first "The Lost Children" being the best so far.
It begins with the apparent suicide of ex-football coach turned businessman Harry Nugent, although we are privy to his death in the prologue which is anything but a suicide. But what we do not know is who is pulling the strings orchestrating his death?
Harry is found by his wife hanging from the balcony banister inside their affluent home. Everything points to a suicide until they discover his tongue has been cut out and thrust into his mouth. That, and the bruising to his wrists and ankles indicating he'd been tied up, told them that this was anything but a suicide.
An investigation lead by DI Alec Davies and DS Jim McVeigh begins and it isn't long before they uncover some nasty little rumours circulating about the illustrious former football coach. It seems Harry Nugent's business ventures covered up a much deeper, darker and even more sordid secret. And it seemed, since his death people appeared to distance themselves from someone who has supposedly been exalted among the football fraternity. But no one was talking to the police.
Enter Oonagh O'Neil. The one woman investigative journalist who seemed to go where no man can. She gains the trust of her interviewees, of those victimised and abused at the hands of Nugent and his merry men - or their loved ones. She is empathetic and sensitive but pulls no punches.
Then two more bodies are found. One with his ears lopped off, the other with his eyes gouged out - both with them shoved into their mouths. The parallel to the three wise monkeys is not lost on Oonagh. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. But the question is - is it a threat? At first thought it bore some resemblance to a gangland murder, but Oonagh knows it is more than that.
When Oonagh's investigations take her to Breakmire, an abandoned former psychiatric hospital, she is left wondering why here? What drew Nugent to this hospital? It's where he met his wife Sarah, a former nurse - but what else? Oonagh knows there has to be more. And when she finds just how far and how deep this story goes, she is both shocked and saddened for the victims...and sickened and enraged by Nugent and his depravity.
The story primarily unfolds through Oonagh's eyes, with the occasional POV of DI Alec Davies for a police perspective. There are a handful of chapters from 1983 by a Tommy Gallagher and, while these were heartbreaking to watch unfold, I felt they really didn't fit neatly into the story. What purpose did Tommy's chapters have except to tell his story in part? He had nothing to do with the end result, so I found it a little pointless. Hannah's story would have been a better one to weave into the narrative.
A discrepancy I found was the timeframe which didn't seem to match up with regards to Tommy after Alec came across him one evening. Then in the next chapter he was recalling the assistance he gave Tommy by getting him into a hostel and how he'd been tossed out after found flouting their "no drinking" policy. Alec recalled that that had been 3 weeks ago, and yet in the next chapter it went on to say that "it has been two weeks since harry Nugent's murder and they still had no real leads etc." But Tommy appeared well into Nugent's murder investigation so how could it have been three weeks since he was turfed out of the hostel that Alec organised for him when Nugent had only been dead for two. It just didn't tally.
And then there is the overt use of some phrases, which just seemed too cliched to be used so often. "As wide as the Clyde" is one that springs to mind, which was reference a number of times. There were a few others that I can't recall now, but which I did find a little repetitive whilst reading.
But on the whole, THE QUIET ONES is still a good read. I found it a little slow and convoluted at first but it soon gained momentum with those short snappy chapters I love so much!
THE QUIET ONES is a difficult story to read in part, though it is not graphic, the subject matter is horrifying. However, Theresa Talbot writing has shown both sensitivity and compassion in portraying this story that, I understand, has been at the forefront of Scottish news recently. It is heartbreaking and harrowing to think of what those poor boys went through all on a promise of greater things at the hands of those they trusted. The cruel and casual disregard for not just mankind, but children, while it is difficult to read, is all the more so being a fictionalised reality. Theresa noted at the end of the book in an AUTHOR'S NOTE her conversation with a taxi driver and his own experience at the hands of men like Nugent and how it inspired this story.
A solid addition to the Oonagh O'Neil series, THE QUIET ONES is still a compelling read which I have no hesitation in recommending to fans of this genre.
I would like to thank #TheresaTalbot, #NetGalley and #AriaFiction for an ARC of #TheQuietOnes in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
It begins with the apparent suicide of ex-football coach turned businessman Harry Nugent, although we are privy to his death in the prologue which is anything but a suicide. But what we do not know is who is pulling the strings orchestrating his death?
Harry is found by his wife hanging from the balcony banister inside their affluent home. Everything points to a suicide until they discover his tongue has been cut out and thrust into his mouth. That, and the bruising to his wrists and ankles indicating he'd been tied up, told them that this was anything but a suicide.
An investigation lead by DI Alec Davies and DS Jim McVeigh begins and it isn't long before they uncover some nasty little rumours circulating about the illustrious former football coach. It seems Harry Nugent's business ventures covered up a much deeper, darker and even more sordid secret. And it seemed, since his death people appeared to distance themselves from someone who has supposedly been exalted among the football fraternity. But no one was talking to the police.
Enter Oonagh O'Neil. The one woman investigative journalist who seemed to go where no man can. She gains the trust of her interviewees, of those victimised and abused at the hands of Nugent and his merry men - or their loved ones. She is empathetic and sensitive but pulls no punches.
Then two more bodies are found. One with his ears lopped off, the other with his eyes gouged out - both with them shoved into their mouths. The parallel to the three wise monkeys is not lost on Oonagh. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. But the question is - is it a threat? At first thought it bore some resemblance to a gangland murder, but Oonagh knows it is more than that.
When Oonagh's investigations take her to Breakmire, an abandoned former psychiatric hospital, she is left wondering why here? What drew Nugent to this hospital? It's where he met his wife Sarah, a former nurse - but what else? Oonagh knows there has to be more. And when she finds just how far and how deep this story goes, she is both shocked and saddened for the victims...and sickened and enraged by Nugent and his depravity.
The story primarily unfolds through Oonagh's eyes, with the occasional POV of DI Alec Davies for a police perspective. There are a handful of chapters from 1983 by a Tommy Gallagher and, while these were heartbreaking to watch unfold, I felt they really didn't fit neatly into the story. What purpose did Tommy's chapters have except to tell his story in part? He had nothing to do with the end result, so I found it a little pointless. Hannah's story would have been a better one to weave into the narrative.
A discrepancy I found was the timeframe which didn't seem to match up with regards to Tommy after Alec came across him one evening. Then in the next chapter he was recalling the assistance he gave Tommy by getting him into a hostel and how he'd been tossed out after found flouting their "no drinking" policy. Alec recalled that that had been 3 weeks ago, and yet in the next chapter it went on to say that "it has been two weeks since harry Nugent's murder and they still had no real leads etc." But Tommy appeared well into Nugent's murder investigation so how could it have been three weeks since he was turfed out of the hostel that Alec organised for him when Nugent had only been dead for two. It just didn't tally.
And then there is the overt use of some phrases, which just seemed too cliched to be used so often. "As wide as the Clyde" is one that springs to mind, which was reference a number of times. There were a few others that I can't recall now, but which I did find a little repetitive whilst reading.
But on the whole, THE QUIET ONES is still a good read. I found it a little slow and convoluted at first but it soon gained momentum with those short snappy chapters I love so much!
THE QUIET ONES is a difficult story to read in part, though it is not graphic, the subject matter is horrifying. However, Theresa Talbot writing has shown both sensitivity and compassion in portraying this story that, I understand, has been at the forefront of Scottish news recently. It is heartbreaking and harrowing to think of what those poor boys went through all on a promise of greater things at the hands of those they trusted. The cruel and casual disregard for not just mankind, but children, while it is difficult to read, is all the more so being a fictionalised reality. Theresa noted at the end of the book in an AUTHOR'S NOTE her conversation with a taxi driver and his own experience at the hands of men like Nugent and how it inspired this story.
A solid addition to the Oonagh O'Neil series, THE QUIET ONES is still a compelling read which I have no hesitation in recommending to fans of this genre.
I would like to thank #TheresaTalbot, #NetGalley and #AriaFiction for an ARC of #TheQuietOnes in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
August 5, 2019
I would like to thank Netgalley and Aria for an advance copy of The Quiet Ones, the third novel to feature Glasgow based journalist, Oonagh O’Neil.
When footballer turned businessman Harry Nugent apparently commits suicide Oonagh gets interested in his history and soon finds sordid secrets to investigate.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Quiet Ones, partly because it is based in my home town of Glasgow where familiarity with the locations gives a level of comfort to the read which the second part, the subject matter doesn’t. Ms Talbot bases her writing on past social injustice where harm was done with impunity and no consequences so I had a good idea of where she would be going in this novel, but, to give her her due, she uses that as a starting point for further horrible revelations. The cruelty and casual disregard for other human beings is, at times, difficult to read, all the more so because it is fictionalised reality.
The novel is basically told from Oonagh’s point of view with occasional switches to her friend, DI Alec Davies to get the police point of view. There are also some chapters set in 1983 which relate one character’s experiences and are difficult to read. The plot is well done as Oonagh gradually unravels a conspiracy. It has plenty of twists and surprises along the way which keep the reader interested and guessing.
I like Oonagh who is a tenacious reporter and always prepared to go the extra mile to get her story. Mostly, however, she seems like a real person. Wading through the horror of this story sickens her and she struggles to cope with it. No wonder she likes a bucket, as we say up here. She is also feisty and her dealings with her boss, Alan, always produce a smile as she puts him in his place (somewhere below her in the Machiavellian stakes). Unfortunately she is like too many other successful women, lonely and somewhat isolated.
The Quiet Ones is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
When footballer turned businessman Harry Nugent apparently commits suicide Oonagh gets interested in his history and soon finds sordid secrets to investigate.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Quiet Ones, partly because it is based in my home town of Glasgow where familiarity with the locations gives a level of comfort to the read which the second part, the subject matter doesn’t. Ms Talbot bases her writing on past social injustice where harm was done with impunity and no consequences so I had a good idea of where she would be going in this novel, but, to give her her due, she uses that as a starting point for further horrible revelations. The cruelty and casual disregard for other human beings is, at times, difficult to read, all the more so because it is fictionalised reality.
The novel is basically told from Oonagh’s point of view with occasional switches to her friend, DI Alec Davies to get the police point of view. There are also some chapters set in 1983 which relate one character’s experiences and are difficult to read. The plot is well done as Oonagh gradually unravels a conspiracy. It has plenty of twists and surprises along the way which keep the reader interested and guessing.
I like Oonagh who is a tenacious reporter and always prepared to go the extra mile to get her story. Mostly, however, she seems like a real person. Wading through the horror of this story sickens her and she struggles to cope with it. No wonder she likes a bucket, as we say up here. She is also feisty and her dealings with her boss, Alan, always produce a smile as she puts him in his place (somewhere below her in the Machiavellian stakes). Unfortunately she is like too many other successful women, lonely and somewhat isolated.
The Quiet Ones is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
September 12, 2019
The Quiet Ones by Theresa Talbot is the third book in The Oonagh O’Neil series. Oonagh O’Neil is a television journalist in Glasgow, Scotland who is being shoved off the anchor desk for the latest new young thing. While Oonagh resents it, it does give her the opportunity to do more in depth pieces since she does enjoy research and production. Oonagh has a troubled past that continues to haunt her and has her overindulging in alcoholic beverages. To make matters worse, a certain gentleman with the Glasgow police seems to be ignoring her. When Oonagh learns that Harry Nugent’s death is the result of foul play, not a suicide, she sees the possibility of a series. Despite not having official permission to do her story, Oonagh begins digging into Harry’s life. While Harry’s life appeared squeaky clean on the surface, Oonagh soon discovers that the man had a nasty predilection and she wonders if this is what got him killed. The more Oonagh digs, the more dirt she uncovers. The Quiet Ones deals with a sensitive subject and I am glad that the story did not go into detail. Oonagh is an older protagonist which I appreciated (I can relate more since she is closer to my age). Oonagh has established connections and is a good researcher. People seem to open up when she talks to them which helps her get juicy tidbits. The mystery was complex with new details emerging as the story progresses. I like how murder is multifaceted and we get information from various sources including flashbacks. The tension built the further I got into the book and as Oonagh finds out more about Harry’s personal and business dealings. My favorite phrase from The Quiet Ones deals with Harry and is “up to his eyes in something brown and smelly.” I do want to let readers know that, unfortunately, there is extensive foul language. I found The Quiet Ones to be a slow starter and the pacing varied depending upon the scene. Oonagh O’Neil is a character that I could not like. I wish the author had made the protagonist more relatable and friendly. The author’s detailed descriptions allowed me to visualize the characters and the scenes. I recommend reading The Oonagh O’Neil books in order so you can get the background on Oonagh. The ending will have your jaw dropping in shock.
September 14, 2019
I want you to tell me what it’s like to die “
Harry Nugent is found, by his wife, hanging from a bannister….all looking like suicide, until they find his tongue has been cut off and stuffed back in his mouth.
A police investigation begins with DI Alec Davies and his team and rumours start to circulate that Harry may not have been the person the public believed him to be.
Journalist, Oonagh O’Neill sees a colleague writing the obituary and thinks there may be more to this story and so she starts her own investigation……but then two more bodies are found, with similar mutilations!! As Oonagh gets closer to the answers, she is in danger herself….can the guilty be brought to justice finally?
This is a difficult read at times due to the subject matter. It deals with the abuse of young boys by a well respected football coach…..(something that has been in the news quite recently)….and that it was kept quiet by others around him.
This tale by Theresa Talbot is written showing sensitivity and compassion for the victims, and while it is a tough subject this brilliant thriller is a compelling read.
Thank you to Aria Fiction and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
Harry Nugent is found, by his wife, hanging from a bannister….all looking like suicide, until they find his tongue has been cut off and stuffed back in his mouth.
A police investigation begins with DI Alec Davies and his team and rumours start to circulate that Harry may not have been the person the public believed him to be.
Journalist, Oonagh O’Neill sees a colleague writing the obituary and thinks there may be more to this story and so she starts her own investigation……but then two more bodies are found, with similar mutilations!! As Oonagh gets closer to the answers, she is in danger herself….can the guilty be brought to justice finally?
This is a difficult read at times due to the subject matter. It deals with the abuse of young boys by a well respected football coach…..(something that has been in the news quite recently)….and that it was kept quiet by others around him.
This tale by Theresa Talbot is written showing sensitivity and compassion for the victims, and while it is a tough subject this brilliant thriller is a compelling read.
Thank you to Aria Fiction and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
May 29, 2019
New author for me. But this book is great. If you like a. Atmospheric thriller than this one is for you. Buckle up. Deep dark secrets ahead.
September 10, 2019
This book centers around a very tough topic involving young kids. While there are no graphic details, it was still hard to read, so fair warning if you pick this up.
The plot felt a bit disjointed, there seemed to be some sort of relationship between Investigative journalist Oonagh and an upper level Police Office Alec that's never clearly defined but the "hits" or suggestions seem to come out of no where and aren't really developed. Part of the overview hinted that Oonagh's investigation into the death of famous Scottish football coach Harry Nugent, places her in mortal danger but I never felt that.
Overall this book fell short of me, the topic was hard to read, the characters felt underdeveloped and the plot disjointed.
The plot felt a bit disjointed, there seemed to be some sort of relationship between Investigative journalist Oonagh and an upper level Police Office Alec that's never clearly defined but the "hits" or suggestions seem to come out of no where and aren't really developed. Part of the overview hinted that Oonagh's investigation into the death of famous Scottish football coach Harry Nugent, places her in mortal danger but I never felt that.
Overall this book fell short of me, the topic was hard to read, the characters felt underdeveloped and the plot disjointed.
April 14, 2020
*I´ve got this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*
Firstly I´m sorry, that it took me so long to read this book. But honestly I tried so many times to start it, however after few pages I just put it aside.
But this month I forced myself to finish it and this book was good. Nothing great, nothing bad, just right in the middle.
Honestly, I think this book needs a trigger warning, because of the topics, that are described in it. I´m not easily disturbed, but this book made me feel uncomfortable quite a few times. So I just can imagine, how can it affect someone who is triggered by child abuse and rape. Although, even if the idea of the book was solid, I wasn´t a fan of writing style. I felt bored almost all the time I read it. But this is my problem, not the book.
Talking about characters, I have to say it felt that it was a second or a third book in a series, because you had small glimpse into a past and you know, that something happened to them, to make them who they are now. So once again it´s my fault, that I didn´t checked before reading, because it was a little bit irritating to not know the whole story.
The ending was certainly unexpected, however it left more questions, than answers.
All in all I recommend this book even though I didn´t enjoy it as much as I hoped to, but maybe you will like it a lot more.
Firstly I´m sorry, that it took me so long to read this book. But honestly I tried so many times to start it, however after few pages I just put it aside.
But this month I forced myself to finish it and this book was good. Nothing great, nothing bad, just right in the middle.
Honestly, I think this book needs a trigger warning, because of the topics, that are described in it. I´m not easily disturbed, but this book made me feel uncomfortable quite a few times. So I just can imagine, how can it affect someone who is triggered by child abuse and rape. Although, even if the idea of the book was solid, I wasn´t a fan of writing style. I felt bored almost all the time I read it. But this is my problem, not the book.
Talking about characters, I have to say it felt that it was a second or a third book in a series, because you had small glimpse into a past and you know, that something happened to them, to make them who they are now. So once again it´s my fault, that I didn´t checked before reading, because it was a little bit irritating to not know the whole story.
The ending was certainly unexpected, however it left more questions, than answers.
All in all I recommend this book even though I didn´t enjoy it as much as I hoped to, but maybe you will like it a lot more.
September 10, 2019
I didn't realise when I requested this book that it's actually the third in a series, it worked perfectly as a standalone though so no problems there, although I would like to go back and read the previous two as I enjoyed this one so much.
This book begins with the apparent suicide of a famous football coach but it's not long after his death that rumours begin to spread that maybe he isn't the man he originally appeared to be. The issues discussed in this book are very topical and hard to read at times but I think Talbot did a fantastic job in writing this one in a sensitive way.
I did find this one a bit slow to start but once I got into it, I found it impossible to put back down. I was consistently questioning what happened and who done it but I didn't manage to guess, so the ending came as a shock for me.
This was such an impressive read from a new-to-me author and I can't wait to go back and explore more of this authors work as if it's all to this standard then I know I will love it.
*ARC copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book begins with the apparent suicide of a famous football coach but it's not long after his death that rumours begin to spread that maybe he isn't the man he originally appeared to be. The issues discussed in this book are very topical and hard to read at times but I think Talbot did a fantastic job in writing this one in a sensitive way.
I did find this one a bit slow to start but once I got into it, I found it impossible to put back down. I was consistently questioning what happened and who done it but I didn't manage to guess, so the ending came as a shock for me.
This was such an impressive read from a new-to-me author and I can't wait to go back and explore more of this authors work as if it's all to this standard then I know I will love it.
*ARC copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2019
I didn't realize this was part of a series, but it worked perfectly for me as a standalone.
It's a gripping murder mystery with a likable main character who would go to any length to make sure that justice is served to the innocents dead or alive.
What started as the apparent suicide of a famous and respected coach, soon proves to be a gruesome murder followed by the murder of other victims connected to that coach. What is exactly happening and who would go to any length to cover up dark and horrific truths?
Thanks Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
It's a gripping murder mystery with a likable main character who would go to any length to make sure that justice is served to the innocents dead or alive.
What started as the apparent suicide of a famous and respected coach, soon proves to be a gruesome murder followed by the murder of other victims connected to that coach. What is exactly happening and who would go to any length to cover up dark and horrific truths?
Thanks Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
September 10, 2019
I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Yes, I admit it, it took me quite a while to read this book. Over a month. Because one, I found it slow and second in the meantime I read other books.
In this book a well-known football coach is found by his wife Sarah, hanged from the balustrade of his house. After investigating the fact, detectives find that it is not all as it seems and disturbing facts about the past of the coach come to the surface.
Oonagh is the journalist who follows the case even if not officially, but stubbornly she will manage to find the whole truth.
I liked the book in general, because the case is interesting even if not that much. The book has a delicate topic so it isn't for everyone but nothing graphic is shown.
Oonagh once says: "'A bit like Mussolini and the trains?’ she’d replied, but the reference had been lost on Sarah." about the accounting books of Sarah's husband. The reference is lost to me, too... And I'm Italian. I should know what the hell she was talking about... but I don't. And I don't like when foreign authors use other culture references and not even the people of that culture know what's going on.
I don't like the protagonist, she drinks too much and I don't know... I don't feel involved in her character. But, and maybe it's my fault (and the author and the publisher since they didn't mention this), this is the third book in the series so I don't know what happened before. If I knew, I wouldn't have read it because I don't like reading books in a series not in chronological order.
Anyway, I didn't feel much with this book, I didn't wish to finish it or even read it (in fact I read other books while I was reading this). It isn't a bad book, it's just not for me.
There is another thing that I couldn't understand and it was the use of "was" after "if". I was taught that the correct version of the subjunctive tense is "if it were" and not "if it was". Here, I found "if it was" so many times! And I know that it is accepted now as I read in internet but, to me, it sound so wrong.
Yes, I admit it, it took me quite a while to read this book. Over a month. Because one, I found it slow and second in the meantime I read other books.
In this book a well-known football coach is found by his wife Sarah, hanged from the balustrade of his house. After investigating the fact, detectives find that it is not all as it seems and disturbing facts about the past of the coach come to the surface.
Oonagh is the journalist who follows the case even if not officially, but stubbornly she will manage to find the whole truth.
I liked the book in general, because the case is interesting even if not that much. The book has a delicate topic so it isn't for everyone but nothing graphic is shown.
Oonagh once says: "'A bit like Mussolini and the trains?’ she’d replied, but the reference had been lost on Sarah." about the accounting books of Sarah's husband. The reference is lost to me, too... And I'm Italian. I should know what the hell she was talking about... but I don't. And I don't like when foreign authors use other culture references and not even the people of that culture know what's going on.
I don't like the protagonist, she drinks too much and I don't know... I don't feel involved in her character. But, and maybe it's my fault (and the author and the publisher since they didn't mention this), this is the third book in the series so I don't know what happened before. If I knew, I wouldn't have read it because I don't like reading books in a series not in chronological order.
Anyway, I didn't feel much with this book, I didn't wish to finish it or even read it (in fact I read other books while I was reading this). It isn't a bad book, it's just not for me.
There is another thing that I couldn't understand and it was the use of "was" after "if". I was taught that the correct version of the subjunctive tense is "if it were" and not "if it was". Here, I found "if it was" so many times! And I know that it is accepted now as I read in internet but, to me, it sound so wrong.
July 11, 2019
The third book in the Oonagh O'Neil did not disappoint. I loved the first two and have no hesitation in recommending this series. Theresa writes with great sensitivity about the topical issue of abuse by a coach at a football club. Oonagh is an investigative journalist who uncovers a whole catalogue of abuse. The book is well written and atmospheric. It gripped me from the start and I loved the ending. Hope there is more to come in this series. My thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
September 24, 2019
When Harry Nugent is found hanging from the stairs of his home at first it seems like suicide. However, the fact his tongue had been cut out & shoved in his mouth seemed to disprove that! Football pundit, ex coach & renowned for his charity work-it would be expected that people would be falling over themselves to talk about him. The fact they are not, stirs investigative journalist Oonagh O'Neil's interest. Initially the police seem to think it is gang related but it is something far darker.
This was a hard hitting book. It explored some very upsetting areas. The chapters featuring Tommy Gallagher really brought home the damage done by Harry Nugent & his like. It is not always an easy book to read but worth the effort. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
This was a hard hitting book. It explored some very upsetting areas. The chapters featuring Tommy Gallagher really brought home the damage done by Harry Nugent & his like. It is not always an easy book to read but worth the effort. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
September 26, 2019
Theresa Talbot is back with The Quiet Ones, a shocking, gritty and twisted crime thriller featuring her brilliant sleuth, investigative journalist Oonagh O’Neill. Powerful, nerve-twisting and heart-pounding, The Quiet Ones is a fabulous crime novel written by an author at the height of her storytelling powers.
When the death of famous Scottish football coach Harry Nugent is announced, the legendary sportsman is painted as a pillar of the community by the tabloids whose passion for the game helped to influence millions to take up this sport. Harry had been not just an inspirational figure to many, but a man who had used his position in society to help those less fortunate than he was. However, there is something far more sinister going on beneath the surface than most people realized. Something is clearly not quite right and Oonagh O’Neill finds herself giving into her gut instinct and looking into the reasons why most people seem keen to distance themselves from Harry Nugent.
As Oonagh begins to dig deep into the life of the man beneath the footballing legend, she is flabbergasted by what she discovers. The man the tabloids thought a hero and a pillar of the community had a closet full of skeletons and had been keeping close to his chest shocking and scandalous secrets which propels Oonagh down a dark and dangerous path and straight into a tangled and terrifying cover-up that chills her to her very core. Just who was the real Harry Nugent? How many people had his sick secrets and dark desires damaged and destroyed? Oonagh knows that she is in very dangers waters, but she simply cannot stop now. She must
keep investigating and uncover these terrifying scandals – even if it places her in mortal danger!
Somebody wants Oonagh to keep her nose out of their business and they will go to any lengths to ensure that their secrets stay dead and buried – even murder…
The Quiet Ones is intelligently written, brilliantly suspenseful and packed with so many twists and turns that readers will be left breathless. Theresa Talbot is a fantastic writer who has written a spine-chilling page-turner that is thought-provoking, nail-biting and thrilling from start to finish. Oonagh O’Neill is a fabulous detective who is incisive and meticulous in her work, but also humane, compassionate and fiercely intelligent.
Theresa Talbot gets better with every book she writes and with The Quiet Ones, she has penned a gritty, gutsy and terrifying page-turner that continues to cement her standing as one of the genre’s most exciting and most talented writers.
When the death of famous Scottish football coach Harry Nugent is announced, the legendary sportsman is painted as a pillar of the community by the tabloids whose passion for the game helped to influence millions to take up this sport. Harry had been not just an inspirational figure to many, but a man who had used his position in society to help those less fortunate than he was. However, there is something far more sinister going on beneath the surface than most people realized. Something is clearly not quite right and Oonagh O’Neill finds herself giving into her gut instinct and looking into the reasons why most people seem keen to distance themselves from Harry Nugent.
As Oonagh begins to dig deep into the life of the man beneath the footballing legend, she is flabbergasted by what she discovers. The man the tabloids thought a hero and a pillar of the community had a closet full of skeletons and had been keeping close to his chest shocking and scandalous secrets which propels Oonagh down a dark and dangerous path and straight into a tangled and terrifying cover-up that chills her to her very core. Just who was the real Harry Nugent? How many people had his sick secrets and dark desires damaged and destroyed? Oonagh knows that she is in very dangers waters, but she simply cannot stop now. She must
keep investigating and uncover these terrifying scandals – even if it places her in mortal danger!
Somebody wants Oonagh to keep her nose out of their business and they will go to any lengths to ensure that their secrets stay dead and buried – even murder…
The Quiet Ones is intelligently written, brilliantly suspenseful and packed with so many twists and turns that readers will be left breathless. Theresa Talbot is a fantastic writer who has written a spine-chilling page-turner that is thought-provoking, nail-biting and thrilling from start to finish. Oonagh O’Neill is a fabulous detective who is incisive and meticulous in her work, but also humane, compassionate and fiercely intelligent.
Theresa Talbot gets better with every book she writes and with The Quiet Ones, she has penned a gritty, gutsy and terrifying page-turner that continues to cement her standing as one of the genre’s most exciting and most talented writers.
September 13, 2025
Theresa Talbot’s The Quiet Ones, the third book in her Oonagh O’Neil series, sits in an uneasy middle ground. It is a novel that is neither bad nor great — solid in premise, often uncomfortable in theme, occasionally effective in its revelations, but also slow, unevenly paced, and hampered by a protagonist who remains, for me, difficult to like. It took me over a month to finish, not because the subject matter was impossible to stomach (though it is disturbing at points), but because the novel itself simply did not compel me forward with urgency. Other books intervened; I put this one down, picked it up, and put it down again. Eventually, I forced myself to finish — and I am glad I did, for the ending delivers a satisfying enough twist — but the journey there was often sluggish. This, more than anything, defines the book for me: interesting case, delicate subject, adequate writing, but never gripping.
The premise is initially striking. A well-known football coach, Harry Nugent, is discovered hanged by his wife. What at first appears to be suicide quickly reveals itself as something else. As Oonagh O’Neil digs — unofficially, stubbornly, as is her way — layers of Nugent’s life are uncovered, including disturbing facts about his past, his proclivities, and the disjunction between his respectable public image and his private behaviours. It is not a graphic book; Talbot does not linger on explicit descriptions, and the sensitive subject of abuse is handled with restraint. Yet the implications are there, and they are chilling enough. The “quiet ones” of the title gesture towards those whose secrets fester in silence, whose seemingly clean façades hide corruption.
This theme, of surfaces concealing rot, brings Nietzsche into play. In On the Genealogy of Morality, Nietzsche diagnosed Western morality as a system born of ressentiment: the weak, resentful, and constrained transmute their impotence into moral superiority, condemning others while hiding their own failings. Harry Nugent is a Nietzschean hypocrite: a coach, a public figure, a supposed role model, yet “up to his eyes in something brown and smelly.” The novel’s project is essentially genealogical in Nietzsche’s sense: to strip away the moralising surface and reveal the will to power, the appetites, the sordid underbelly that polite society refuses to acknowledge. The scandal is not simply Nugent’s secret but the broader culture that allowed him to pass unexamined, the institutions and communities complicit in looking the other way.
Here Oonagh, the journalist, reprises her Foucauldian role from earlier books: not a detective in the procedural sense, but an exposer of silences, a digger beneath institutional cover-ups. She is dogged, stubborn, rarely permitted official sanction, often stumbling into revelations more by persistence than brilliance. And yet, as in the previous entries, she remains hard to warm to. She drinks too much, she alienates as much as she persuades, she is often irritating rather than inspiring. Talbot clearly intends her flaws to humanise her, to differentiate her from the infallible sleuths of genre convention. But there is a difference between “flawed” and “alienating,” and Oonagh too often falls into the latter. The result is a protagonist who can carry a story only unevenly, at times compelling, at times exasperating.
The pacing compounds this problem. The book is a slow starter, and even as details accumulate — new sources, flashbacks, revelations about Nugent’s dealings — the tension never quite tightens. Some passages drag, others move briskly, creating a rhythm that is jerky rather than suspenseful. I often found myself disengaged, reading dutifully rather than eagerly. The final twist redeems some of this, delivering a shock that retrospectively reorders what came before, but the slog to get there left me fatigued.
What Talbot does achieve, however, is a refusal to sensationalise. The subject matter — abuse, exploitation, betrayal by trusted figures — could easily lend itself to graphic spectacle. Instead, Talbot opts for restraint. She suggests rather than depicts, leaving the reader to feel discomfort without being subjected to gratuitous detail. This is commendable. It aligns with trauma theory’s insight (Freud’s Nachträglichkeit, Caruth’s belatedness) that trauma is often unspeakable, that representation itself can retraumatise. By keeping the details oblique, Talbot preserves both the sensitivity of the subject and the possibility of narrative engagement. The problem, however, is that restraint alone does not generate narrative drive. Without the propulsion of prose or the magnetism of character, the novel risks lapsing into flatness.
The Mussolini reference is emblematic of the novel’s unevenness. At one point, Oonagh jokes that Nugent’s meticulous accounting books are “a bit like Mussolini and the trains.” The character Sarah does not understand the remark; nor, frankly, did I — and I am Italian. The reference is clumsy, poorly contextualised, and symptomatic of a broader issue: Talbot’s tendency to reach for cultural markers without grounding them. It is not a fatal flaw, but it adds to the sense that the writing style is workmanlike rather than elegant, functional rather than finely tuned.
Where does this leave The Quiet Ones in relation to the series so far? In The Lost Children, the problem was tonal imbalance: humour clashing with horror, lightness colliding with the brutality of the Magdalene homes. In Keep Her Silent, the problem was narrative imbalance: the fictional murder plot collapsing under the weight of the real-life tainted blood scandal. In The Quiet Ones, the problem is structural imbalance: pacing that sags, a protagonist who fails to compel, a case that is interesting but never urgent. Each novel grapples with the difficulty of aligning crime fiction’s demands with the weight of real or realistic institutional evils. Each fails in different ways. Yet The Quiet Ones at least avoids the structural collapse of Keep Her Silent: the subject here is disturbing but not as globally systemic, and thus the fictional frame does not strain quite so painfully against reality. The novel is middling rather than misjudged, slow rather than incoherent.
The callback to Arendt’s “banality of evil” from my last review remains relevant. Nugent is not a flamboyant villain but an ordinary man whose secrets corrode his life and those around him. The evil here is quiet, banal, woven into the fabric of everyday respectability. Talbot captures this effectively. But Nietzsche’s genealogical suspicion adds a sharper critique: that the institutions around Nugent — football clubs, communities, even families — participate in the hypocrisy, sustaining the moral fiction that allows such men to thrive. This is perhaps Talbot’s most important contribution: not the thriller mechanics, which remain uneven, but the exposure of the gap between surface respectability and underlying corruption.
Three stars, then. Not because the novel fails completely — it does not. The ending is effective, the subject is handled with restraint, and the theme of hypocrisy is important. But not more than three, because the pacing drags, the writing is flat, and the protagonist is difficult to engage with. It is, like its subject, a quiet book: not spectacular, not disastrous, but middling.
The premise is initially striking. A well-known football coach, Harry Nugent, is discovered hanged by his wife. What at first appears to be suicide quickly reveals itself as something else. As Oonagh O’Neil digs — unofficially, stubbornly, as is her way — layers of Nugent’s life are uncovered, including disturbing facts about his past, his proclivities, and the disjunction between his respectable public image and his private behaviours. It is not a graphic book; Talbot does not linger on explicit descriptions, and the sensitive subject of abuse is handled with restraint. Yet the implications are there, and they are chilling enough. The “quiet ones” of the title gesture towards those whose secrets fester in silence, whose seemingly clean façades hide corruption.
This theme, of surfaces concealing rot, brings Nietzsche into play. In On the Genealogy of Morality, Nietzsche diagnosed Western morality as a system born of ressentiment: the weak, resentful, and constrained transmute their impotence into moral superiority, condemning others while hiding their own failings. Harry Nugent is a Nietzschean hypocrite: a coach, a public figure, a supposed role model, yet “up to his eyes in something brown and smelly.” The novel’s project is essentially genealogical in Nietzsche’s sense: to strip away the moralising surface and reveal the will to power, the appetites, the sordid underbelly that polite society refuses to acknowledge. The scandal is not simply Nugent’s secret but the broader culture that allowed him to pass unexamined, the institutions and communities complicit in looking the other way.
Here Oonagh, the journalist, reprises her Foucauldian role from earlier books: not a detective in the procedural sense, but an exposer of silences, a digger beneath institutional cover-ups. She is dogged, stubborn, rarely permitted official sanction, often stumbling into revelations more by persistence than brilliance. And yet, as in the previous entries, she remains hard to warm to. She drinks too much, she alienates as much as she persuades, she is often irritating rather than inspiring. Talbot clearly intends her flaws to humanise her, to differentiate her from the infallible sleuths of genre convention. But there is a difference between “flawed” and “alienating,” and Oonagh too often falls into the latter. The result is a protagonist who can carry a story only unevenly, at times compelling, at times exasperating.
The pacing compounds this problem. The book is a slow starter, and even as details accumulate — new sources, flashbacks, revelations about Nugent’s dealings — the tension never quite tightens. Some passages drag, others move briskly, creating a rhythm that is jerky rather than suspenseful. I often found myself disengaged, reading dutifully rather than eagerly. The final twist redeems some of this, delivering a shock that retrospectively reorders what came before, but the slog to get there left me fatigued.
What Talbot does achieve, however, is a refusal to sensationalise. The subject matter — abuse, exploitation, betrayal by trusted figures — could easily lend itself to graphic spectacle. Instead, Talbot opts for restraint. She suggests rather than depicts, leaving the reader to feel discomfort without being subjected to gratuitous detail. This is commendable. It aligns with trauma theory’s insight (Freud’s Nachträglichkeit, Caruth’s belatedness) that trauma is often unspeakable, that representation itself can retraumatise. By keeping the details oblique, Talbot preserves both the sensitivity of the subject and the possibility of narrative engagement. The problem, however, is that restraint alone does not generate narrative drive. Without the propulsion of prose or the magnetism of character, the novel risks lapsing into flatness.
The Mussolini reference is emblematic of the novel’s unevenness. At one point, Oonagh jokes that Nugent’s meticulous accounting books are “a bit like Mussolini and the trains.” The character Sarah does not understand the remark; nor, frankly, did I — and I am Italian. The reference is clumsy, poorly contextualised, and symptomatic of a broader issue: Talbot’s tendency to reach for cultural markers without grounding them. It is not a fatal flaw, but it adds to the sense that the writing style is workmanlike rather than elegant, functional rather than finely tuned.
Where does this leave The Quiet Ones in relation to the series so far? In The Lost Children, the problem was tonal imbalance: humour clashing with horror, lightness colliding with the brutality of the Magdalene homes. In Keep Her Silent, the problem was narrative imbalance: the fictional murder plot collapsing under the weight of the real-life tainted blood scandal. In The Quiet Ones, the problem is structural imbalance: pacing that sags, a protagonist who fails to compel, a case that is interesting but never urgent. Each novel grapples with the difficulty of aligning crime fiction’s demands with the weight of real or realistic institutional evils. Each fails in different ways. Yet The Quiet Ones at least avoids the structural collapse of Keep Her Silent: the subject here is disturbing but not as globally systemic, and thus the fictional frame does not strain quite so painfully against reality. The novel is middling rather than misjudged, slow rather than incoherent.
The callback to Arendt’s “banality of evil” from my last review remains relevant. Nugent is not a flamboyant villain but an ordinary man whose secrets corrode his life and those around him. The evil here is quiet, banal, woven into the fabric of everyday respectability. Talbot captures this effectively. But Nietzsche’s genealogical suspicion adds a sharper critique: that the institutions around Nugent — football clubs, communities, even families — participate in the hypocrisy, sustaining the moral fiction that allows such men to thrive. This is perhaps Talbot’s most important contribution: not the thriller mechanics, which remain uneven, but the exposure of the gap between surface respectability and underlying corruption.
Three stars, then. Not because the novel fails completely — it does not. The ending is effective, the subject is handled with restraint, and the theme of hypocrisy is important. But not more than three, because the pacing drags, the writing is flat, and the protagonist is difficult to engage with. It is, like its subject, a quiet book: not spectacular, not disastrous, but middling.
September 23, 2019
A Very Good If Somewhat Grisly Read
Harry Nugent, a famous Scottish football coach, supposedly commits suicide and the media paint him as a pillar of the community. However, investigative journalist, Oonagh O'Neill, gets the impression that other celebrities are trying to distance themselves from him. Oonagh's investigation leads her to a haunting cover-up that places her in mortal danger from dark, sadistic people.
This is the author's third book in this series but the first I have read. It was fine to be read as a standalone with only occasional references to the previous novels. The novel is set in Glasgow, and the author's depiction of that city is very authentic. It is a book of short chapters which I prefer, although others may well disagree. The book starts off in a thrilling and quite grisly fashion, which certainly gets the reader's attention hooked immediately.
Oonagh is an interesting character, and I found myself involved with the author’s depiction of her. She has integrity, is likeable, affable, but also tenacious when it comes to her investigations. There are plenty of twists and surprises in the story, and it is a difficult read at times due to the subject matter of sports coaches and grooming, which is all too topical recently. The one main reason this book lost a star is that there is rather too much gratuitous swearing throughout it, which is not necessary to add anything to the story.
There are dark, deep secrets interwoven throughout the storyline right up to and including a very satisfying conclusion. There are numerous side issues and events which keep the reader on their toes, and I liked the spattering of humour that the author included, especially the conversations between Oonagh are her somewhat embittered boss.
All in all, an entertaining read and will probably lead me to search out the first two books in this series.
Digger95
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
Harry Nugent, a famous Scottish football coach, supposedly commits suicide and the media paint him as a pillar of the community. However, investigative journalist, Oonagh O'Neill, gets the impression that other celebrities are trying to distance themselves from him. Oonagh's investigation leads her to a haunting cover-up that places her in mortal danger from dark, sadistic people.
This is the author's third book in this series but the first I have read. It was fine to be read as a standalone with only occasional references to the previous novels. The novel is set in Glasgow, and the author's depiction of that city is very authentic. It is a book of short chapters which I prefer, although others may well disagree. The book starts off in a thrilling and quite grisly fashion, which certainly gets the reader's attention hooked immediately.
Oonagh is an interesting character, and I found myself involved with the author’s depiction of her. She has integrity, is likeable, affable, but also tenacious when it comes to her investigations. There are plenty of twists and surprises in the story, and it is a difficult read at times due to the subject matter of sports coaches and grooming, which is all too topical recently. The one main reason this book lost a star is that there is rather too much gratuitous swearing throughout it, which is not necessary to add anything to the story.
There are dark, deep secrets interwoven throughout the storyline right up to and including a very satisfying conclusion. There are numerous side issues and events which keep the reader on their toes, and I liked the spattering of humour that the author included, especially the conversations between Oonagh are her somewhat embittered boss.
All in all, an entertaining read and will probably lead me to search out the first two books in this series.
Digger95
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
September 18, 2019
Firstly Thanks to Vicky at Aria for my e-arc of the new dark thriller from Theresa Talbot, The Quiet Ones
This is my first read by this author, and to start I didn't realise I was reading the 3rd in a series, so straight away, this is very easy to read as a standalone, though by the end, if as like me this is your first, I can only imagine you will want more of investigative reporter Oonagh O'Neil.
When a rich, football coach and now businessman, Harry Nugent is found in an apparent suicide, It's soon discovered there is not only more to his death, He was in fact murdered, there is much more to the man himself... and its nothing good.
With no one wanting to talk, rumours soon surface about Harry's foul predilection for the young boys he was coaching.
A cold, dark story of corruption in high places, disgraceful men and women of power abusing their positions for their vile gain. This is a disturbing and at times grim tale
Written as Oonagh investigates, it's also interspersed with DI Alec Davies's investigation, and back to 1983 where young Tommy's story is told, he being one of Harry's early victims.
Oonagh is a character I took to almost straight away, a strong character with a need to make things right, she doesn't let up in her pursuit of justice and I like both the character in DI Alec Davies and the relationship they have.
This is really quite a current thriller, paced perfectly throughout and a cracking finale.
With stories coming out now in real life from footballers who had their dreams shattered by these despicable men, this book shocks and pulls no punches.
A tragic yet compelling tale, this is an excellent chilling thriller.
Highly recommended
4
This is my first read by this author, and to start I didn't realise I was reading the 3rd in a series, so straight away, this is very easy to read as a standalone, though by the end, if as like me this is your first, I can only imagine you will want more of investigative reporter Oonagh O'Neil.
When a rich, football coach and now businessman, Harry Nugent is found in an apparent suicide, It's soon discovered there is not only more to his death, He was in fact murdered, there is much more to the man himself... and its nothing good.
With no one wanting to talk, rumours soon surface about Harry's foul predilection for the young boys he was coaching.
A cold, dark story of corruption in high places, disgraceful men and women of power abusing their positions for their vile gain. This is a disturbing and at times grim tale
Written as Oonagh investigates, it's also interspersed with DI Alec Davies's investigation, and back to 1983 where young Tommy's story is told, he being one of Harry's early victims.
Oonagh is a character I took to almost straight away, a strong character with a need to make things right, she doesn't let up in her pursuit of justice and I like both the character in DI Alec Davies and the relationship they have.
This is really quite a current thriller, paced perfectly throughout and a cracking finale.
With stories coming out now in real life from footballers who had their dreams shattered by these despicable men, this book shocks and pulls no punches.
A tragic yet compelling tale, this is an excellent chilling thriller.
Highly recommended
4
September 13, 2019
I've been lucky enough to follow this series from the very beginning, and the third book is every bit as riveting as I thought it would be!
Oonagh O'Neil is no-one's fool; a journalist of some repute with years of experience behind her, she definitely has a nose for a story. So when three supposedly unconnected bodies are found in a short space of time with similarities in the murder method, Oonagh's antennae is twitching. There's something not quite right and the police don't seem to be making any connections - can she find out what it's all about?
Another spectacular offering from Theresa Talbot, with enough secrets, twists and turns to keep the readers' attention gripped all the way through - I loved this one! Very cleverly created, incorporating plenty of side issues and events and laced with humour all the way through whilst never losing focus of the main story. Glasgow is my closest city, and I enjoy picturing all the locations described in the novel. Oonagh is no shrinking violet - she wouldn't be able to do her job if she was - but showing her vulnerable side is a masterstroke and makes her more human to the rest of us feartie's out here! A superb third novel, and another which fully earns the full five stars I'm very happy to attach to my review. A stunning read, and highly recommended to lovers of great crime fiction.
Oonagh O'Neil is no-one's fool; a journalist of some repute with years of experience behind her, she definitely has a nose for a story. So when three supposedly unconnected bodies are found in a short space of time with similarities in the murder method, Oonagh's antennae is twitching. There's something not quite right and the police don't seem to be making any connections - can she find out what it's all about?
Another spectacular offering from Theresa Talbot, with enough secrets, twists and turns to keep the readers' attention gripped all the way through - I loved this one! Very cleverly created, incorporating plenty of side issues and events and laced with humour all the way through whilst never losing focus of the main story. Glasgow is my closest city, and I enjoy picturing all the locations described in the novel. Oonagh is no shrinking violet - she wouldn't be able to do her job if she was - but showing her vulnerable side is a masterstroke and makes her more human to the rest of us feartie's out here! A superb third novel, and another which fully earns the full five stars I'm very happy to attach to my review. A stunning read, and highly recommended to lovers of great crime fiction.
September 24, 2019
The third in the series of the investigative journalist, Oonagh O’Neil, novels, once again tackles a heinous crime that is currently topical. The grisly death of a high-profile football coach opens a dark and powerful web of lies and secrets that exist in plain sight, yet no one appears to care.
The appeal of this story is its authenticity and topicality. There is no gratuitous description in this story, but the themes are dark and hard to read about. The story follows Oonagh’s investigation into the football coach’s death, and what lies behind it. It leads her into some dark places, with frightened victims, and powerful culprits, who will stop at nothing to save themselves.
Oonagh is a clever and tenacious investigator, who uses her contacts ruthlessly, and her personal experiences to get to the truth. Her flaws and overuse of alcohol, make her relatable, and real, Given what she sees and experiences in the course of her investigations, it isn’t surprising she needs to forget sometimes.
The language and behaviour give the novel’s setting authenticity and the plot is cleverly twisted and layered with menace and suspense. The ending ties up the investigation well and concludes this disturbingly poignant story convincingly.
I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The appeal of this story is its authenticity and topicality. There is no gratuitous description in this story, but the themes are dark and hard to read about. The story follows Oonagh’s investigation into the football coach’s death, and what lies behind it. It leads her into some dark places, with frightened victims, and powerful culprits, who will stop at nothing to save themselves.
Oonagh is a clever and tenacious investigator, who uses her contacts ruthlessly, and her personal experiences to get to the truth. Her flaws and overuse of alcohol, make her relatable, and real, Given what she sees and experiences in the course of her investigations, it isn’t surprising she needs to forget sometimes.
The language and behaviour give the novel’s setting authenticity and the plot is cleverly twisted and layered with menace and suspense. The ending ties up the investigation well and concludes this disturbingly poignant story convincingly.
I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
September 19, 2019
I was kindly sent a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, this was a hard hitting read. The book starts with the death of a well known, renowned football figure Harry Nugent - and the way he dies and his body is found is absolutely brutal. Oonagh McNeil is a journalist looking to cover the story who finds herself investigating what happened to him and the brutal deaths of other men which followed. What connected them - and who wanted them dead?
Oonagh and the police uncover much more than they probably expected to but the scary thing is we know that things like this happen in real life, thanks to very high profile cases of TV entertainers using places such as hospitals for their own 'benefit'.
The ending was a complete surprise - I actually kept turning to my partner and saying I need to get to the end, I need to know who did it - and I didn't guess it at all - it was a complete surprise but one that made total sense.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this author and I'd love to read more about Oonagh, she is a very interesting character.
Honestly, this was a hard hitting read. The book starts with the death of a well known, renowned football figure Harry Nugent - and the way he dies and his body is found is absolutely brutal. Oonagh McNeil is a journalist looking to cover the story who finds herself investigating what happened to him and the brutal deaths of other men which followed. What connected them - and who wanted them dead?
Oonagh and the police uncover much more than they probably expected to but the scary thing is we know that things like this happen in real life, thanks to very high profile cases of TV entertainers using places such as hospitals for their own 'benefit'.
The ending was a complete surprise - I actually kept turning to my partner and saying I need to get to the end, I need to know who did it - and I didn't guess it at all - it was a complete surprise but one that made total sense.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this author and I'd love to read more about Oonagh, she is a very interesting character.
May 31, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the eARC.
Oonagh O'Neil, an investigative tv journalist in Glasgow, is trying to find out if the death of famous football coach Harry Nugent really was suicide, but it proves to be a rather gruesome murder. His reputation was stellar, not only as a successful business man but also as a charitable man who did much for the community. However, nasty rumors start to make the rounds and after 2 more murders, Oonagh realizes there is some horrific history there of systematic abuse and Harry was at the very centre.
I enjoyed this book a lot and really liked Oonagh, who is fighting her own demons but intent on finding justice for the innocent victims, dead or alive, who suffered so much.
Not having read the previous 2 books in the series, I intend to remedy that. This one was a good standalone, there's enough information to give the reader insight into the recurring characters and I recommend it highly.
Oonagh O'Neil, an investigative tv journalist in Glasgow, is trying to find out if the death of famous football coach Harry Nugent really was suicide, but it proves to be a rather gruesome murder. His reputation was stellar, not only as a successful business man but also as a charitable man who did much for the community. However, nasty rumors start to make the rounds and after 2 more murders, Oonagh realizes there is some horrific history there of systematic abuse and Harry was at the very centre.
I enjoyed this book a lot and really liked Oonagh, who is fighting her own demons but intent on finding justice for the innocent victims, dead or alive, who suffered so much.
Not having read the previous 2 books in the series, I intend to remedy that. This one was a good standalone, there's enough information to give the reader insight into the recurring characters and I recommend it highly.
July 8, 2019
4.5 stars The Quiet Ones by Theresa Talbot starts with a bang - or a hanging - the death of a famous Scottish football coach. It looks like a suicide buy that is quickly ruled out when the police learn his tongue was cut out and shoved down his throat. Hard to do that to yourself.
But Coach Harry Nugent was seemingly a good guy, until the police and a journalist named Oonagh begin to peel back the layers.
The coach was twisted - no doubt about it. How far did his perversions go? Who else was infected? Is Oonagh putting herself in danger by investigating his death and letting the truth out?
The Quiet Ones is a thriller no doubt. I was on the edge of my seating to learn what Oonagh would dig up about Harry. Each revelation was worse than the one before. Get this book if you like twisted stories that will keep you up at night.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
But Coach Harry Nugent was seemingly a good guy, until the police and a journalist named Oonagh begin to peel back the layers.
The coach was twisted - no doubt about it. How far did his perversions go? Who else was infected? Is Oonagh putting herself in danger by investigating his death and letting the truth out?
The Quiet Ones is a thriller no doubt. I was on the edge of my seating to learn what Oonagh would dig up about Harry. Each revelation was worse than the one before. Get this book if you like twisted stories that will keep you up at night.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2019
Thank you to Aria and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story behind the plot is heartbreaking, and sadly all too familiar in our day and age - young, vulnerable children and youths abused by older, powerful adults. Cover-up at the time, lots of brokenness, and now the sins of the past have come home to roost and first one, then two and then three messy murders ensue.
The story was well-written, I enjoyed the POV of the journalist working alongside the police to uncover the truth. However, I did find it slow going, and there were quite a few references to happenings in earlier books (I didn't realize this was one of a series) that were not very understandable to anyone reading this author for the first time. The author did a great job of setting the scene in Glasgow, and of working with the moral ambiguity we feel when bad things happen to horrible people.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
The story behind the plot is heartbreaking, and sadly all too familiar in our day and age - young, vulnerable children and youths abused by older, powerful adults. Cover-up at the time, lots of brokenness, and now the sins of the past have come home to roost and first one, then two and then three messy murders ensue.
The story was well-written, I enjoyed the POV of the journalist working alongside the police to uncover the truth. However, I did find it slow going, and there were quite a few references to happenings in earlier books (I didn't realize this was one of a series) that were not very understandable to anyone reading this author for the first time. The author did a great job of setting the scene in Glasgow, and of working with the moral ambiguity we feel when bad things happen to horrible people.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
June 6, 2019
This is a disturbing book, not just because of the violent death of Harry Nugent but because the reality of his life is very credible. It is very well written, Oonagh is ambitious but flawed but overall decent as journalists go and they other characters are well thought out. It’s not especially full of twists and turns but does still leave you wondering who did it, the answer to that could have been better revealed though as I felt the ending did feel rushed and a couple more chapters before the epilogue would have rounded Oonagh’s story off better. Tommy Gallagher's chapters gave a good insight from the young footballers perspective but otherwise didn’t add to the story however it’s so well written you can easily overlook that. Overall this is a good crime book but not quite a thriller, very enjoyable though.
September 13, 2019
(I received a digital ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)
I'm conflicted as to give this a 2 or 1 stars. Personally, it was more of a (maybe) me thing and I could totally understand those who gave the book 4 to 5 stars.
The Quiet Ones followed Oonagh, a journalist hellbent on finding the truth behind a (seemingly) murder of a famous football coach, Nugent. Not only that there was a murder, there also seemed to be a mystery revolving the dead man. A secret that could shock everyone.
Not me tho.
I don't know. Is the book rely on the big shocking scandal? Or is it more procedural?
I didn't feel Oonagh there and she was the one in almost every chapter. Is it the writing? Is it the plot?
I felt distanced from the characters so I rushed to the end to find, at least, a closure. Much like what the book needs.
I'm conflicted as to give this a 2 or 1 stars. Personally, it was more of a (maybe) me thing and I could totally understand those who gave the book 4 to 5 stars.
The Quiet Ones followed Oonagh, a journalist hellbent on finding the truth behind a (seemingly) murder of a famous football coach, Nugent. Not only that there was a murder, there also seemed to be a mystery revolving the dead man. A secret that could shock everyone.
Not me tho.
I don't know. Is the book rely on the big shocking scandal? Or is it more procedural?
I didn't feel Oonagh there and she was the one in almost every chapter. Is it the writing? Is it the plot?
I felt distanced from the characters so I rushed to the end to find, at least, a closure. Much like what the book needs.
July 18, 2019
When a local football coach who was loved by all is found dead, you would expect the community to come out to honor him. Not so in this case. So, the question is why? Theresa Talbot has written a sensitive portrayal of a community that is trying to heal from a wound they do not want to acknowledge. The mystery of exactly how the coach died and why no one will talk about it leads to more questions which leads to criminal action against our journalist. The book was a good read, taking the reader inside this community to grieve with them the actions of the few against the many.
August 24, 2019
Another excellent book from Theresa Talbot. I love her character Oonagh O'Neill who is a journalist working closely with the police and I love the Glasgow setting which I could certainly identify with.
This book was really quite dark with some disturbing themes. My heart broke for some of the characters and the fact that the book was based on a true story made it even more devastating. My worst fear of rats figured at one point. omg my skin was crawling!
Really well written and authentic, I hope there are many more Oonagh O'Neill books to come!
This book was really quite dark with some disturbing themes. My heart broke for some of the characters and the fact that the book was based on a true story made it even more devastating. My worst fear of rats figured at one point. omg my skin was crawling!
Really well written and authentic, I hope there are many more Oonagh O'Neill books to come!
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