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The Silence Beneath the Pines
It was supposed to be an innocent childhood game – but not every kid made it home before dark.Twenty years later, I still think about that night – the night Delainey Grout never returned home. The night we never told anyone about what we’d done.
It still haunts me. All the secrets. All the lies.
The shadows…the noises…the eyes we feel on us in the dark when we’re alone beneath the pines… Are they real, or just our imagination?
What if the only monster in the woods – is me?
It still haunts me. All the secrets. All the lies.
The shadows…the noises…the eyes we feel on us in the dark when we’re alone beneath the pines… Are they real, or just our imagination?
What if the only monster in the woods – is me?
- GenresThriller
429 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2019
10 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Kennedy
11 books11 followersThis author also writes as Randileigh Kennedy
RL Kennedy grew up in the Galena Woods, reading thrillers at too young an age (before her parents knew who Stephen King was). She started writing The Silence Between the Pines at only 9 years old - then returned to it many years later to finally finish it (and there is more in store).
While you wait for her next thriller, if you like a bit of romance, you can check out her other books under her full name, Randileigh Kennedy.
She loves to connect on Facebook (either her personal page @ RandileighKennedy or if you want a much less personal experience, @RandileighkennedyAuthor).
RL Kennedy grew up in the Galena Woods, reading thrillers at too young an age (before her parents knew who Stephen King was). She started writing The Silence Between the Pines at only 9 years old - then returned to it many years later to finally finish it (and there is more in store).
While you wait for her next thriller, if you like a bit of romance, you can check out her other books under her full name, Randileigh Kennedy.
She loves to connect on Facebook (either her personal page @ RandileighKennedy or if you want a much less personal experience, @RandileighkennedyAuthor).
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 27, 2019
Twenty years ago, a small group of youngsters calling themselves the Psycho Six, went into the woods to play. It was normal for the kids to play here, but on this one night, one of the children never got home. The kids never told what happened ... the part they played in the disappearance.
Following a nasty divorce, Hailey and her 8-year-old son are back in her hometown. She had left 10 years earlier and never looked back.
Being one of the children in the woods that night, she still feels guilt. All the secrets ...all the lies ...
Her son is tormented by a man peeking into his windows. Shadows on the ceiling form the image of a boy. Hailey can feel eyes watching her every move. She has forbidden her son to play in the woods ... but we all know how little boys are.
And when her son disappears, her first thought is .... is the monster back?
Told in Hailey's voice, this is well written filled with suspense and mystery. Everyone has secrets ... everyone lies. The last few chapters had me biting nails and holding my breath. What an ending!
Many thanks to the author / TBC Reviewer Request Group (FB) for the digital copy of this Psychological Thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Following a nasty divorce, Hailey and her 8-year-old son are back in her hometown. She had left 10 years earlier and never looked back.
Being one of the children in the woods that night, she still feels guilt. All the secrets ...all the lies ...
Her son is tormented by a man peeking into his windows. Shadows on the ceiling form the image of a boy. Hailey can feel eyes watching her every move. She has forbidden her son to play in the woods ... but we all know how little boys are.
And when her son disappears, her first thought is .... is the monster back?
Told in Hailey's voice, this is well written filled with suspense and mystery. Everyone has secrets ... everyone lies. The last few chapters had me biting nails and holding my breath. What an ending!
Many thanks to the author / TBC Reviewer Request Group (FB) for the digital copy of this Psychological Thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
July 7, 2019
THE SILENCE BENEATH THE PINES is a psychological thriller by author Randileigh Kennedy. I made a mistake by reading this book in the evening, constantly looking over my shoulder as the book was so dark and creepy.
An innocent childhood game where not every kid makes it home before dark… safe and sound. Delainey Court, an unwelcome girl who wanted to join the group, never returned home! It was just a prank!
In a heavily wooded area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, remote area near Lake Tahoe, six kids met up most nights after dinner and after school was out for the summer, to play games in the woods. They called themselves the “Psycho Six” (Hailey-9, Jake and Ethan-11- year-old twins, Nicki-Hailey’s best friend, Mya and Alex) and range in ages from nine to twelve.
It was an unspoken rule that all of their adventures in the woods remained their secret!
They never told anyone about what they had done…just an innocent childhood game.
Twenty years later, Hailey Walker returns home, after the break down of her marriage, with her eight-year-old son, Bennett, to move in with her parents…and the memories come flooding back. It still haunts her. All the secrets. All the lies.
Hailey and her son are being watched…and Hailey has prohibited her son to play in the woods…but does he listen? And then her son disappears. Has the monster come back?
This eerie story is narrated by Hailey and is full of mystery and suspense with a surprise ending.
Many thanks to the author and the TBC Reviewer Request Group (FB) for my digital copy.
An innocent childhood game where not every kid makes it home before dark… safe and sound. Delainey Court, an unwelcome girl who wanted to join the group, never returned home! It was just a prank!
In a heavily wooded area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, remote area near Lake Tahoe, six kids met up most nights after dinner and after school was out for the summer, to play games in the woods. They called themselves the “Psycho Six” (Hailey-9, Jake and Ethan-11- year-old twins, Nicki-Hailey’s best friend, Mya and Alex) and range in ages from nine to twelve.
It was an unspoken rule that all of their adventures in the woods remained their secret!
They never told anyone about what they had done…just an innocent childhood game.
Twenty years later, Hailey Walker returns home, after the break down of her marriage, with her eight-year-old son, Bennett, to move in with her parents…and the memories come flooding back. It still haunts her. All the secrets. All the lies.
Hailey and her son are being watched…and Hailey has prohibited her son to play in the woods…but does he listen? And then her son disappears. Has the monster come back?
This eerie story is narrated by Hailey and is full of mystery and suspense with a surprise ending.
Many thanks to the author and the TBC Reviewer Request Group (FB) for my digital copy.
June 26, 2019
I was excited to read this book as I absolutely love a thriller.
It started really well with the anticipation as to what was happening in the woods.
However I felt that from there on in it struggled to hold my attention.
I was constantly waiting for something to happen, the anticipation would build up and then come to nothing.
I read it to the end as I knew I had to review it but i found it very slow, until the last 3 chapters.
I also found the language repetitive, for example the word sneered was used over and over.
Really sorry, but if you love a thriller, I would not recommend this.
It started really well with the anticipation as to what was happening in the woods.
However I felt that from there on in it struggled to hold my attention.
I was constantly waiting for something to happen, the anticipation would build up and then come to nothing.
I read it to the end as I knew I had to review it but i found it very slow, until the last 3 chapters.
I also found the language repetitive, for example the word sneered was used over and over.
Really sorry, but if you love a thriller, I would not recommend this.
June 21, 2019
I had mixed feelings regarding this book.
Small town girl, Hailey Walker, returns home following the recent break up of her marriage. with son Bennett with her they move in with her parents. This is when the past starts to catch up with Hailey and she must confront her secrets and lies.
The book has a very moody atmosphere. The setting of the woods makes it quite dark and sometimes unsettling, but very good.
Overall I enjoyed the story and the build up to the climax but felt the ending was very abrupt and maybe a little rushed. This was helped however with the authors note that there could be more to come so hopefully this will provide some answers.
Highly recommended and I will be looking forward to reading the follow up.
Small town girl, Hailey Walker, returns home following the recent break up of her marriage. with son Bennett with her they move in with her parents. This is when the past starts to catch up with Hailey and she must confront her secrets and lies.
The book has a very moody atmosphere. The setting of the woods makes it quite dark and sometimes unsettling, but very good.
Overall I enjoyed the story and the build up to the climax but felt the ending was very abrupt and maybe a little rushed. This was helped however with the authors note that there could be more to come so hopefully this will provide some answers.
Highly recommended and I will be looking forward to reading the follow up.
June 22, 2019
What a good read. How a quiet life in a small town can become such a frightening place. Childhood memory become adult nightmares, games in the woods change life forever. I was fascinated by the concept of this book and scared at the same time. R.L. Kennedy manages to put so ma y feelings into this story, unputadownable. Contains big life affecting events. I never want to wander in the woods alone. Thank you for the opportunity to read pre release. Waiting for the next book in the series if there is one.
July 2, 2019
For Hailey, returning home to her parents house and childhood home with her 8 year old son in tow, is not ideal, not least because the memories she has of her own childhood there are scarred by the disappearance of a local child in the woods surrounding the town.
As the story unfolds we find out more about both Hailey in the modern day but also about the events of her childhood that lead her to be so scared of coming home and of letting her son out of her sight.
This is well written with clear delineation between the now and then parts of the story and with just the right amount if background being drip fed to keep you reading.
I certainly wouldn't want my son out in the woods-particularly after the revelations in the last few chapters!
A great read with great descriptions of the surroundings that really draw you in to Hailey's paranoia and the small town life she finds herself returning to.
As the story unfolds we find out more about both Hailey in the modern day but also about the events of her childhood that lead her to be so scared of coming home and of letting her son out of her sight.
This is well written with clear delineation between the now and then parts of the story and with just the right amount if background being drip fed to keep you reading.
I certainly wouldn't want my son out in the woods-particularly after the revelations in the last few chapters!
A great read with great descriptions of the surroundings that really draw you in to Hailey's paranoia and the small town life she finds herself returning to.
July 4, 2019
This is the first book I have read from this author and I absolutely loved it!
Twenty years ago a group of kids calling themselves the Psycho Six played in the woods near their homes. It was a normal occurrence for them to play various games together including Hide and Seek and Monster but not everyone was included in these games and on this occasion the girl they leave out disappears...
Hailey Walker (one of the Psycho Six) returns to her home town with her young son, Bennett, following separating from her husband and is soon left paranoid, convinced she is being watched/followed. In such a small town it seems everyone has secrets and the lies of the past are catching them all up!
Highly recommend and I hope there is more in the series. A special shout out to Bennett's pet pig who was a personal highlight for me!
Twenty years ago a group of kids calling themselves the Psycho Six played in the woods near their homes. It was a normal occurrence for them to play various games together including Hide and Seek and Monster but not everyone was included in these games and on this occasion the girl they leave out disappears...
Hailey Walker (one of the Psycho Six) returns to her home town with her young son, Bennett, following separating from her husband and is soon left paranoid, convinced she is being watched/followed. In such a small town it seems everyone has secrets and the lies of the past are catching them all up!
Highly recommend and I hope there is more in the series. A special shout out to Bennett's pet pig who was a personal highlight for me!
July 3, 2019
A decent thriller with some excellent strengths. The writing was atmospheric and genuinely creepy at times. It was unpredictable and there was a good mix of interesting and entertaining characters. The themes and premise of childhood innocence enjoyed and lost and living with guilt for past sins, both real and imagined are explored with great skill. You have sympathy and empathy for many of the characters and their points of view and you do think about what you would do in similar situations. I found the pace a little uneven in places though and there were some chapters and events that felt a little anticlimactic to me. Having said that, I was always interested enough to keep reading and I found the conclusion quite satisfactory.
July 17, 2019
The 'Pyscho Six' go out to play one day in the woods, and Delainey Grout comes out to play with them. Except, the Six don't really like playing with her, she's a bit odd, and they hatch a plan to get out of playing with her and it works. A little too well - she goes missing that night and they never see her again.
Hailey moves back to her hometown after a bad break up, hoping for a new start with her son. Since that night, the woods have scared her a little and she's nervous about her son playing outside. Strange incidents start to happen and Hailey doesn't know how to deal with everything that's happening and her fears.
Are her fears real and justified or a figment of her imagination based on childhood fears?
This was a great atmospheric read, I really enjoyed it.
Hailey moves back to her hometown after a bad break up, hoping for a new start with her son. Since that night, the woods have scared her a little and she's nervous about her son playing outside. Strange incidents start to happen and Hailey doesn't know how to deal with everything that's happening and her fears.
Are her fears real and justified or a figment of her imagination based on childhood fears?
This was a great atmospheric read, I really enjoyed it.
July 7, 2019
I received a copy of this book from the book club reviewers request- thank you
This is my first book by RLKennedy but it certainly won’t be my last!
I loved the premise of the story, the atmosphere that the author creates and the unwinding relationships of characters in the book.
I found the ending ‘odd’ but only because it’s clearly been set up for another novel
Well worth a read
Thank you
This is my first book by RLKennedy but it certainly won’t be my last!
I loved the premise of the story, the atmosphere that the author creates and the unwinding relationships of characters in the book.
I found the ending ‘odd’ but only because it’s clearly been set up for another novel
Well worth a read
Thank you
March 25, 2025
This book was filled with anticipation but the ending was somewhat abrupt and felt rushed. I feel like more detail into certain aspects would have made the climax and ending more interesting. It kept me reading up until the last few chapters where I had trouble getting into it. I also got a little tired of how many times she stated that she drove a Range Rover. Overall it was a decent story!
July 7, 2019
This was the first book I read by the author and I enjoyed. I highly recommend it for anyone that likes thrills, and chills to a book as this one sure can do that. A great read. Very gripping story. Many thanks to TBC group for allowing me to review the book.
July 7, 2019
Atmospheric thriller with a decent storyline, some interesting characters and with some real promise. I hope theres a follow up to this after what I did find a little bit of a disappointing end. Overall enjoyed
July 12, 2019
Kept me up at night. Found myself creeped out reading this when i should’ve been sleeping, making the woods and words even scarier. I guessed some of the twists but it didn’t take it away from being a great psychological thriller.
October 25, 2019
The stars don’t allow a half star but it should as this is a 3 1/2 stars.
A great story that rushed me along with it, tailed off and then rushed off again seeming to come to an emergency stop ... for a follow on story I hope
A great story that rushed me along with it, tailed off and then rushed off again seeming to come to an emergency stop ... for a follow on story I hope
July 8, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I found that I kept wanting to read just one more chapter. I was really invested in the characters and I cared about what happened to them. Well worth a read.
July 10, 2019
The silence beneath the pines by R.L Kennedy.
A very good read. Creepy in places. It gets a little slow too. But the ending i was on the edge of my seat. I hope there is more to come. 4*.
A very good read. Creepy in places. It gets a little slow too. But the ending i was on the edge of my seat. I hope there is more to come. 4*.
July 28, 2019
I loved it!
What a good read! I’d like to say I’m pretty smart but I didn’t see that one coming....which part? Read it and see for yourself. Thanks for another good book Randi!!
What a good read! I’d like to say I’m pretty smart but I didn’t see that one coming....which part? Read it and see for yourself. Thanks for another good book Randi!!
August 17, 2024
I took a chance on this and I am not disappointed!!
November 10, 2019
Goodreads must have a '.5" star option. This book, in my opinion, is 3.5 stars worthy.
Goods:-
1) The atmosphere was dark (of course it was, it's in the woods!), the painting of the jungle was vivid.
2) No jumps between "Past" & "Present".
3) The pig!! The sweetest character I've read about in a thriller recently.
Bads:-
1) The climax was long. Really long.
2) The motive is peculiar... though I kind of understand where the culprit is coming from.
3) I am still confused by the exact locations of some spots. If it's just in the "backyard" of Holmes house then how come they have so little knowledge of it? How far was those cabin in the woods from the house? It was never explicitly mentioned so the scenario is kinda messy.
Goods:-
1) The atmosphere was dark (of course it was, it's in the woods!), the painting of the jungle was vivid.
2) No jumps between "Past" & "Present".
3) The pig!! The sweetest character I've read about in a thriller recently.
Bads:-
1) The climax was long. Really long.
2) The motive is peculiar... though I kind of understand where the culprit is coming from.
3) I am still confused by the exact locations of some spots. If it's just in the "backyard" of Holmes house then how come they have so little knowledge of it? How far was those cabin in the woods from the house? It was never explicitly mentioned so the scenario is kinda messy.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews