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Silence And Shadows #1
The Other Side of Silence
Against a backdrop of murder and intrigue at the dissolute court of King Charles II, can Susannah and Raphael save their friend and find each other along the way?
After a three-year absence mired in anxiety and trapped by her lack of speech, portrait miniaturist Susannah Gresham gathers her courage and returns to Whitehall Palace and her godfather, the King. Encountering Florentine jeweller Raphael Rossi, who appears to her just another court libertine, she is not immune to his appeal. With help from his patron, King's mistress the Duchess of Richmond, Raphael sets out to win her.
When Susannah’s closest friend Sam Carter is sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit, Susannah and Raphael must race against time to uncover the real killer.
But nothing is as it seems, for Sam has dangerous enemies who are determined to see him die...
After a three-year absence mired in anxiety and trapped by her lack of speech, portrait miniaturist Susannah Gresham gathers her courage and returns to Whitehall Palace and her godfather, the King. Encountering Florentine jeweller Raphael Rossi, who appears to her just another court libertine, she is not immune to his appeal. With help from his patron, King's mistress the Duchess of Richmond, Raphael sets out to win her.
When Susannah’s closest friend Sam Carter is sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit, Susannah and Raphael must race against time to uncover the real killer.
But nothing is as it seems, for Sam has dangerous enemies who are determined to see him die...
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 19, 2022
214 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Dodie Bishop
34 books15 followersAuthor of STILL LIFE and the SILENCE AND SHADOWS series, English Literature graduate Dodie Bishop's love of history pushed her towards writing historical fiction, starting with a dual time-line novel for an MA in Creative Writing with the Open University. After discovering how much more she enjoyed researching and writing the historical strand, she abandoned the second plot, so finding her writing genre.
Dodie first encountered STILL LIFE’S Clara Peeters in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, drawn by a female name amongst so many men from an era when they were not expected to stray beyond the home. Yet here was a woman whose paintings had survived for 400 years. Though Clara left behind a body of work, no record of her life remains, giving Dodie space for her fiction.
In THE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE – the 1st book in the SILENCE AND SHADOWS series – Susannah and Raphael are inspired by married couple Susan and Michael Rosse, a portrait miniaturist and jeweller to King Charles II’s court who lived and worked in London’s Henrietta Street in the 17th century. While researching this novel, Dodie came across the practice of spiriting. ‘Spirits,’ often illegally employed by legitimate shipping companies, were responsible for ‘spiriting away’ (kidnapping) people into servitude, many of whom were then ‘barbadosed’ or sent to the West Indies prompting the 2nd book OUR LITTLE LIFE. The 3rd novel A SLAVE TO KINGS moves the action to Florence, Rome and back to London.
Praise for STILL LIFE from the Historical Novel Society … an absorbing portrait of a time and place and of a talented woman’s struggle against convention.
Praise for the SILENCE AND SHADOW series from the Historical Novel Society … Bishop’s characters are plausible and vulnerably human, her descriptions of time and place vivid without ever becoming unwieldy.
Dodie lives in the Devon Blackdown Hills with husband and cat. She has sons in London and Sydney.
Dodie first encountered STILL LIFE’S Clara Peeters in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, drawn by a female name amongst so many men from an era when they were not expected to stray beyond the home. Yet here was a woman whose paintings had survived for 400 years. Though Clara left behind a body of work, no record of her life remains, giving Dodie space for her fiction.
In THE OTHER SIDE OF SILENCE – the 1st book in the SILENCE AND SHADOWS series – Susannah and Raphael are inspired by married couple Susan and Michael Rosse, a portrait miniaturist and jeweller to King Charles II’s court who lived and worked in London’s Henrietta Street in the 17th century. While researching this novel, Dodie came across the practice of spiriting. ‘Spirits,’ often illegally employed by legitimate shipping companies, were responsible for ‘spiriting away’ (kidnapping) people into servitude, many of whom were then ‘barbadosed’ or sent to the West Indies prompting the 2nd book OUR LITTLE LIFE. The 3rd novel A SLAVE TO KINGS moves the action to Florence, Rome and back to London.
Praise for STILL LIFE from the Historical Novel Society … an absorbing portrait of a time and place and of a talented woman’s struggle against convention.
Praise for the SILENCE AND SHADOW series from the Historical Novel Society … Bishop’s characters are plausible and vulnerably human, her descriptions of time and place vivid without ever becoming unwieldy.
Dodie lives in the Devon Blackdown Hills with husband and cat. She has sons in London and Sydney.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 2, 2022
This historical drama is full of twists & turns, with the author capturing the era perfectly. The characters are richly painted & Bishop’s clever prose really brings them to life. The story has some unexpected moments & as I got drawn into the murder mystery aspects the more I enjoyed the book. As an avid reader of history, I can appreciate how much research went into this work & look forward to the next instalment.
February 28, 2022
In The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time⏳
ADULT Historical 17th Century Romance💕 and Adventure during the Reign of King Charles II 👑. Court Intrigue and betrayal with a murder 💀.
London Winter of 1675-1676
A self imposed vow of silence makes Susannah,💃💋 a portrait miniaturist, misunderstood. The only one she speaks to is Sam. I could not figure out this aspect of the novel or why.
Raphael💀🍆⛲💎, an accomplished Italian jeweler💎💍 to one of the King's mistresses, asks for the mistress's help in wooing💕 Susannah💃💋, who is also the God daughter of the King 👑.
The murder💀 of a beastly and abusive nobleman in the King's court, brings down the law on those who might have disliked him. The intrigue and accusations grow...
ARC Provided by Book📚 Sirens 💃
This ebook was $4.99 on Amazon 📚at the time of this review.
Opinions expressed here are entirely my own fault.
The adult scenes are tastefully written and more implied instead of being graphically described. The book is rather long and drawn out but it also has wonderful world 🌎 building.
The mute, non speaking role that Susannah takes upon herself with everyone but Sam and Raphael was ridiculous to me. Susannah relies on written notes to get her thoughts across. There are two problems with this. Paper was expensive and scarce. Less than 10% of England's population could read at the time.
ADULT Historical 17th Century Romance💕 and Adventure during the Reign of King Charles II 👑. Court Intrigue and betrayal with a murder 💀.
London Winter of 1675-1676
A self imposed vow of silence makes Susannah,💃💋 a portrait miniaturist, misunderstood. The only one she speaks to is Sam. I could not figure out this aspect of the novel or why.
Raphael💀🍆⛲💎, an accomplished Italian jeweler💎💍 to one of the King's mistresses, asks for the mistress's help in wooing💕 Susannah💃💋, who is also the God daughter of the King 👑.
The murder💀 of a beastly and abusive nobleman in the King's court, brings down the law on those who might have disliked him. The intrigue and accusations grow...
ARC Provided by Book📚 Sirens 💃
This ebook was $4.99 on Amazon 📚at the time of this review.
Opinions expressed here are entirely my own fault.
The adult scenes are tastefully written and more implied instead of being graphically described. The book is rather long and drawn out but it also has wonderful world 🌎 building.
The mute, non speaking role that Susannah takes upon herself with everyone but Sam and Raphael was ridiculous to me. Susannah relies on written notes to get her thoughts across. There are two problems with this. Paper was expensive and scarce. Less than 10% of England's population could read at the time.
November 3, 2022
I am always intrigued by tales set during the historical periods, especially when there is a lady trying her hand at something other than the usual fare of romance. That is why I started reading this book. The idea of a lady portrait miniaturist was something I wished to delve into. However, despite the smoothness of the writing, I had difficulty in feeling involved with either the characters or for that matter, into the challenge the protagonist and her new found friend were trying to unravel.
Also, most of the story seemed to happen when I was actually expecting the tale to gracefully end.
I generally love to read but I felt like the author took too long to tell the story and concentrated too much on parts that were not so interesting or felt irrelevant, at least to me.
Also, most of the story seemed to happen when I was actually expecting the tale to gracefully end.
I generally love to read but I felt like the author took too long to tell the story and concentrated too much on parts that were not so interesting or felt irrelevant, at least to me.
September 22, 2022
Book 1 of the Silence and Shadows Series introduces all the main characters of the story. Even though the book starts slow and at points feels a little stagnant just continue reading it because it turns completely and becomes a very engaging read.
Dodi Bishop is a writer that puts a lot of attention to details in her books and you can tell that she does an extensive research in order to write them. This book is not the exception. The description of the court and the lives of those attached to it are right on point making this an interesting book.
Add to those descriptions a murder, romance, and the love that grows between the two main characters and you have a very good book.
Dodi Bishop is a writer that puts a lot of attention to details in her books and you can tell that she does an extensive research in order to write them. This book is not the exception. The description of the court and the lives of those attached to it are right on point making this an interesting book.
Add to those descriptions a murder, romance, and the love that grows between the two main characters and you have a very good book.
July 21, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I wanted to read this before reading the sequel (Our Little Life) but I really struggled to engage with it, especially the first half of it.
The novel is structured to alternate between three points-of-view - Susannah writing in her diary as first person PoV, Raphael also as first person PoV and Noah as third person PoV. Overall, there was a lot of the same plot points being repeated by each character without the character contributing a insight.
I'd question why Susannah's PoV is treated as diary entries when it's written as a single person PoV in the same way as Raphael's. From personal experience of daily journal writing I've never included dialouges.
Noah's input only starts from Chapter 3, which I understand in relation to holding off on his involvement and revealing his relationship with another character, but it was jarring to have him turn up quite unexpectedly after the story had been evolving as only between two characters. Also, it's more obvious than the author might realise which character he's connected with so there really wasn't a need to hold off for so long into the book.
I wasn't convinced by the relationship between Susannah and Raphael. There was no build up of attraction, or even basis for it discussed, other than Susannah was beautiful and Raphael was Horny-AF (TM)
The story is set during The Restoration in England, which is a period of history that I'm not very well educated about, so when historical people are reffered to (e.g. "Castlemaine" or Barbara or Louise or "Portobello") I had no idea who they were or even which Given name was linked with which Area/Title name, and was quite lost about some of the background storyline.
A lot of the interactions between the characters felt like watching a chess game with the main characters moving about the board, interacting or engaging in a little bit of dialogue or a little bit of soul-searching, before moving to another part of the chess board and meeting with another character for a bit of interaction/dialogue/soul-searching. Occaissionally, the characters act like they've forgotten that they've only just met. At one point Raphael is entrusted with a letter to be delivered to Sam but because of An Event the seal is broken on the letter and Raphael learns important information about Sam. The letter is never mentioned again, there is no discussion on how to refix the seal or even that it is delivered to Sam - the letter is purely a McGuffin to allow Raphael to gain info on Sam. Box ticked, move to another part of the chess board.
Ultimately, this is really a 2.5 stars for me, rounded up to 3. I recognise that the author has done a significant amount of research and is very familiar with the time-period. I might be better placed to comment on the author's ability as an author rather than as a historian/researcher after I read the sequel.
I wanted to read this before reading the sequel (Our Little Life) but I really struggled to engage with it, especially the first half of it.
The novel is structured to alternate between three points-of-view - Susannah writing in her diary as first person PoV, Raphael also as first person PoV and Noah as third person PoV. Overall, there was a lot of the same plot points being repeated by each character without the character contributing a insight.
I'd question why Susannah's PoV is treated as diary entries when it's written as a single person PoV in the same way as Raphael's. From personal experience of daily journal writing I've never included dialouges.
Noah's input only starts from Chapter 3, which I understand in relation to holding off on his involvement and revealing his relationship with another character, but it was jarring to have him turn up quite unexpectedly after the story had been evolving as only between two characters. Also, it's more obvious than the author might realise which character he's connected with so there really wasn't a need to hold off for so long into the book.
I wasn't convinced by the relationship between Susannah and Raphael. There was no build up of attraction, or even basis for it discussed, other than Susannah was beautiful and Raphael was Horny-AF (TM)
The story is set during The Restoration in England, which is a period of history that I'm not very well educated about, so when historical people are reffered to (e.g. "Castlemaine" or Barbara or Louise or "Portobello") I had no idea who they were or even which Given name was linked with which Area/Title name, and was quite lost about some of the background storyline.
A lot of the interactions between the characters felt like watching a chess game with the main characters moving about the board, interacting or engaging in a little bit of dialogue or a little bit of soul-searching, before moving to another part of the chess board and meeting with another character for a bit of interaction/dialogue/soul-searching. Occaissionally, the characters act like they've forgotten that they've only just met. At one point Raphael is entrusted with a letter to be delivered to Sam but because of An Event the seal is broken on the letter and Raphael learns important information about Sam. The letter is never mentioned again, there is no discussion on how to refix the seal or even that it is delivered to Sam - the letter is purely a McGuffin to allow Raphael to gain info on Sam. Box ticked, move to another part of the chess board.
Ultimately, this is really a 2.5 stars for me, rounded up to 3. I recognise that the author has done a significant amount of research and is very familiar with the time-period. I might be better placed to comment on the author's ability as an author rather than as a historian/researcher after I read the sequel.
March 19, 2022
London, 1676. King Charles II is the king of England and reigning over a promiscuous, venal and blood thirsty court from the Palace of Whitehall.
The King's goddaughter, Susannah Gresham, returns to court after a three year absence. Since the passing of her mother, Susannah is trapped in a speechless world. Sometimes self-imposed, more often due to anxiety and shock of what her life came to after the sudden departing of her beloved mother.
Susannah and her lifelong friend, Sam, are portrait miniaturists whose work are very popular and Sam even travels to the French Court for sittings and as a cover to easily eavesdrop the secret discussions with courtiers and diplomats. One can hardly believe that such beauty came from a court that was well known for its shallowness and Susannah wasn't very keen to return to court at all.
During her first encounter back at court, she meets Florentine Jeweler, Raphael Rossi, who appears to be very popular with bedazzling the ladies with both his stunningly crafted and his very own crown jewels. Although Susannah appears to be dumb as well as blind to all the shenanigans of the courtiers, she isn't blind to the dashing appeal of the handsome Raphael.
When one of the King's nobleman, who is actually more of a scoundrel, gets himself killed, Sam is the immediate suspect and the drama and intrigued intensifies beyond the secret bed chambers and bring us to the Tower of London. Forced together to solve the murder mystery, Susannah, Raphael and a local businessman, Noah, find themselves in a race against time to safe Sam from a certain death sentence.
Although this wasn't my favorite historical read in recent history, I thought the author, Dodie Bishop, did some wonderful research and it will be well worth the reader's time to read The Author's Note and appreciate all the effort she put into this novel. A special note to her superb writing style and for capturing the language and "voice" of Restoration England.
This review was first published @ Elza Reads
The King's goddaughter, Susannah Gresham, returns to court after a three year absence. Since the passing of her mother, Susannah is trapped in a speechless world. Sometimes self-imposed, more often due to anxiety and shock of what her life came to after the sudden departing of her beloved mother.
Susannah and her lifelong friend, Sam, are portrait miniaturists whose work are very popular and Sam even travels to the French Court for sittings and as a cover to easily eavesdrop the secret discussions with courtiers and diplomats. One can hardly believe that such beauty came from a court that was well known for its shallowness and Susannah wasn't very keen to return to court at all.
During her first encounter back at court, she meets Florentine Jeweler, Raphael Rossi, who appears to be very popular with bedazzling the ladies with both his stunningly crafted and his very own crown jewels. Although Susannah appears to be dumb as well as blind to all the shenanigans of the courtiers, she isn't blind to the dashing appeal of the handsome Raphael.
When one of the King's nobleman, who is actually more of a scoundrel, gets himself killed, Sam is the immediate suspect and the drama and intrigued intensifies beyond the secret bed chambers and bring us to the Tower of London. Forced together to solve the murder mystery, Susannah, Raphael and a local businessman, Noah, find themselves in a race against time to safe Sam from a certain death sentence.
Although this wasn't my favorite historical read in recent history, I thought the author, Dodie Bishop, did some wonderful research and it will be well worth the reader's time to read The Author's Note and appreciate all the effort she put into this novel. A special note to her superb writing style and for capturing the language and "voice" of Restoration England.
This review was first published @ Elza Reads
February 13, 2022
What a wonderfully entertaining and multifaceted (historical-whodunnit-lovestory) read this was! The main protagonist is Susannah, a painter of miniatures. She has lost the power of speech after the trauma of her mother's sudden death and her father's hasty remarriage to a cold and vindictive woman. The only person with whom she can use her voice is Sam, her beloved friend from childhood. Susannah is admired and coveted by a jeweler to the court, Raphael, a swarthy, handsome Florentine. The scene is set with a murder and the suspicion falling on Sam. He's being placed into custody, whilst Susannah and Raphael seek to vindicate him.
There are courtly intrigues, illicit love affairs, political machinations, dangerous investigations, and the budding, deep love between two couples. There truly never is a boring moment, and the tension persists almost to the very end. Also, I absolutely love Dodie Bishop's prose, added to that her deep and confident knowledge of the era - political, social, and economic circumstances - which are effortlessly and subtly woven into the tale and bolster its credibility.
This is a frisky book and not for the faint-hearted, as there are swear words and uncouth language aplenty, as well as some mildly steamy scenes. All of it lively, entertaining, and hilarious at times. The two love stories are touching and deeply meaningful, not least thanks to the utterly individualistic characters and their unique personalities and circumstances, all so very well developed.
There is only one thing I wish to criticize, and that is related to grammatical (who, whom; then, than) and typing errors, which grated quite a bit with me.
Overall, I spent some very entertaining hours immersed in Susannah's story and recommend it wholeheartedly! Thank you to BookSirens and the author for granting me an ARC of this novel, which allowed me to submit a voluntary review.
There are courtly intrigues, illicit love affairs, political machinations, dangerous investigations, and the budding, deep love between two couples. There truly never is a boring moment, and the tension persists almost to the very end. Also, I absolutely love Dodie Bishop's prose, added to that her deep and confident knowledge of the era - political, social, and economic circumstances - which are effortlessly and subtly woven into the tale and bolster its credibility.
This is a frisky book and not for the faint-hearted, as there are swear words and uncouth language aplenty, as well as some mildly steamy scenes. All of it lively, entertaining, and hilarious at times. The two love stories are touching and deeply meaningful, not least thanks to the utterly individualistic characters and their unique personalities and circumstances, all so very well developed.
There is only one thing I wish to criticize, and that is related to grammatical (who, whom; then, than) and typing errors, which grated quite a bit with me.
Overall, I spent some very entertaining hours immersed in Susannah's story and recommend it wholeheartedly! Thank you to BookSirens and the author for granting me an ARC of this novel, which allowed me to submit a voluntary review.
March 12, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this historical fiction/romance. The author had done a great deal of research, which really showed in both the language her characters used and her descriptions of the customs of the time and life at Court. Susannah Gresham is a miniature portrait painter at the Court of King Charles. Her best friend Sam is also a miniaturist. After the tragic death of her mother which left Susannah without the ability to speak, her father has re-married - an odious woman called Catherine Villiers, who has an even more odious son, James. When James is found murdered inside the palace grounds, Sam is arrested for his murder and held captive in the Tower of London. Sam enlists the help of his new friend, Raphael, a court jeweller to find who really killed James. Raphael is enchanted by Susannah and at first doesn't understand the relationship between she and Sam. He also can't seem to stop 'swiving' older women at Court who are the King's mistresses. The two reach out to business man Noah to help in their search.
I really enjoyed this historical fiction/romance. The author had done a great deal of research, which really showed in both the language her characters used and her descriptions of the customs of the time and life at Court. Susannah Gresham is a miniature portrait painter at the Court of King Charles. Her best friend Sam is also a miniaturist. After the tragic death of her mother which left Susannah without the ability to speak, her father has re-married - an odious woman called Catherine Villiers, who has an even more odious son, James. When James is found murdered inside the palace grounds, Sam is arrested for his murder and held captive in the Tower of London. Sam enlists the help of his new friend, Raphael, a court jeweller to find who really killed James. Raphael is enchanted by Susannah and at first doesn't understand the relationship between she and Sam. He also can't seem to stop 'swiving' older women at Court who are the King's mistresses. The two reach out to business man Noah to help in their search.
July 3, 2022
I was expecting historical drama and I got it in buckets along with romance (some quite steamy but not overly graphic), murder, politics and art. Set in London in 1676 and following the Restoration of the Monarchy Charles II is on the English throne with court at the Palace of Westminster. The narrative is excellent and adds to the atmosphere of the book but do be aware the language is bawdy and blue at times.
Briefly, Susannah Gresham has had selective mutism since the sudden death of her mother and her fathers unseasonably quick remarriage. She is a talented portrait miniaturist as is her close friend Sam. Having been recalled to court by her godfather, the King, she encounters dashing Florentine Jeweller, Raphael Rossi. When Sam is accused of murdering a nobleman it is Raphael who helps Susannah in her search to prove Sam’s innocence.
The author has certainly done some incredible research and the historical information in the book is excellent. This is quite a long book and there are a few parts I found a bit slow but it’s an interesting read full of suspense and intrigue and I loved the historical content. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Briefly, Susannah Gresham has had selective mutism since the sudden death of her mother and her fathers unseasonably quick remarriage. She is a talented portrait miniaturist as is her close friend Sam. Having been recalled to court by her godfather, the King, she encounters dashing Florentine Jeweller, Raphael Rossi. When Sam is accused of murdering a nobleman it is Raphael who helps Susannah in her search to prove Sam’s innocence.
The author has certainly done some incredible research and the historical information in the book is excellent. This is quite a long book and there are a few parts I found a bit slow but it’s an interesting read full of suspense and intrigue and I loved the historical content. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 16, 2022
Well-written and researched for historical accuracy.
The author has done a great deal of research, which really made both the language the characters uses and her descriptions of the customs of the time and life at Court.
Susannah Gresham is a miniature portrait painter at the Court of King Charles. Her best friend Sam is also a miniaturist. After the death of her mother, which left Susannah without the ability to speak, her father re-married - an evil woman called Catherine Villiers, who has a son, James. When James is found murdered inside the palace grounds, Sam is arrested for his murder and held captive in the Tower of London.
Sam enlists the help of his new friend, Raphael, a court jeweler, to find out who really killed James.
Susannah enchants Raphael and at first, he didn't understand the relationship between her and Sam. He also can't seem to stop 'swiving' older women at Court who are the King's mistresses. The two reach out to businessman Noah to help in their search.
I really enjoyed the story and can't wait to read the next in the series.
The author has done a great deal of research, which really made both the language the characters uses and her descriptions of the customs of the time and life at Court.
Susannah Gresham is a miniature portrait painter at the Court of King Charles. Her best friend Sam is also a miniaturist. After the death of her mother, which left Susannah without the ability to speak, her father re-married - an evil woman called Catherine Villiers, who has a son, James. When James is found murdered inside the palace grounds, Sam is arrested for his murder and held captive in the Tower of London.
Sam enlists the help of his new friend, Raphael, a court jeweler, to find out who really killed James.
Susannah enchants Raphael and at first, he didn't understand the relationship between her and Sam. He also can't seem to stop 'swiving' older women at Court who are the King's mistresses. The two reach out to businessman Noah to help in their search.
I really enjoyed the story and can't wait to read the next in the series.
February 6, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I will admit I didn't have high hopes for this story and boy was a wrong. From the first moment, we met the main love interest I was sold. I loved the mystery and the setting was so different from other historical books I've read and I loved it. I did have a few slight issues with the book. I did not enjoy the main female character. I couldn't relate to her or even force myself to like her, maybe I didn't fully understand her, something she was very contradictory of herself. There were a few spelling mistakes and times when character names were spelled differently and the last few chapters were completely unnecessary in fact, they ruined the book, and the reason I couldn't give it 5 stars. And don't think I will return for a sequel, because of it.
I will admit I didn't have high hopes for this story and boy was a wrong. From the first moment, we met the main love interest I was sold. I loved the mystery and the setting was so different from other historical books I've read and I loved it. I did have a few slight issues with the book. I did not enjoy the main female character. I couldn't relate to her or even force myself to like her, maybe I didn't fully understand her, something she was very contradictory of herself. There were a few spelling mistakes and times when character names were spelled differently and the last few chapters were completely unnecessary in fact, they ruined the book, and the reason I couldn't give it 5 stars. And don't think I will return for a sequel, because of it.
February 8, 2022
Dodie Bishop brings engaging historical detail to this meticulously crafted and researched novel, taking the reader into the heart of a royal court where venality and promiscuity are the norm. The book is rich in immersive sensory detail. Carriage wheels on cobbles. Smoke rising from a multitude of chimneys. The reek and squalor of Southwark. The perfumes and gem-encrusted gowns filling the Banqueting House. Murder and a precipitous dash to prevent the grislily execution of an innocent friend provide a challenging background for Susannah and Raphael’s nascent romance. The novel touches on forgiveness, the redemptive power of love, homosexuality and love between men, and mental afflictions little understood then. As this is the first book in a series, I look forward to more featuring this likeable couple.
March 4, 2022
An interesting story, especially if you enjoy Restoration England. While I wanted to really enjoy this book, I found myself mid-way through realizing I didn't really like many of the characters. The main character, Suzannah, seemed a bit self-involved and didn't really have a winning personality. She is described as beautiful, but even though she's mute, she seems to be snappish and impatient with people. Raphael is a bit of a cad, although he tries to redeem himself. The story was engaging enough to keep me reading through to the end and I did like the characters much better by the end, but wished they were a bit more sympathetic to start. The mystery that lies at the heart of the story has many twists and turns that you don't always see coming. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Read
March 3, 2022The book is told in parallel narratives. The self imposed mute Susannah and the Florentine Jeweler Raphael in the court of Charles II. It took me a quite a few chapters to warm to the story as the start was slow. However it reminded me of a renowned French author Balzac who took his time setting the scene in his novels so I kept on reading.
Ultimately this is a very rewarding read, the descriptions of the court and the lifestyle of those attached to the court is well described. The characters are rounded and the crime interesting.
Well worth reading and getting the atmosphere from those first chapters - they really set the scene and the animosities of the various factions at the royal court.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Ultimately this is a very rewarding read, the descriptions of the court and the lifestyle of those attached to the court is well described. The characters are rounded and the crime interesting.
Well worth reading and getting the atmosphere from those first chapters - they really set the scene and the animosities of the various factions at the royal court.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Read
March 27, 2024There are just some times when you want a good book, and yet when you read it, it lets you down. Unfortunately, The Other Side of Silence happened to fall from my expectations. I wanted to like the characters, yet they were displeasing to read about. Susannah, a girl who chooses not to speak just because her father remarries, is a little childish. To keep it up for so long also shows how insensitive she is to others, especially those who love her. James, her stepbrother, is a perv and a rapist. Sam, alright most of the time. Raphael seems creative yet lacks desire, in my opinion. Just not my type of novel. Sorry.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 5, 2025
The intrigue at King Charles II court was really astonishing. This book is a journey that lets you live life in court with a lot of hedonistic tendencies. Susannah dealing with trauma of losing her mother , finding her father quickly married a woman with no scruples and her rake of a son, trying to protect her sister turn daughter, and Raphael the jeweler who sleeps with the women in court for sales, the king , his horde of mistresses and Sam the bestie of Susannah and her baby daddy. Wow! The secrets upon secrets, setting someone up to take a fall for murder. Enough, just get the book and read it! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 24, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
In this book are the protagonists Susannah and Raphael who are attracted to each other since beginning. When Sam, friend of Susannah is accused of murder, which he did not commit, they try touncover the real killer.
I have enjoyed the story itself, sometimes it reads slowly, but that did not bother me. The ending though was a bit stretched out, it could be quicker, some scenes edited out. However I liked the book quite a lot. Solid 4 stars :)
In this book are the protagonists Susannah and Raphael who are attracted to each other since beginning. When Sam, friend of Susannah is accused of murder, which he did not commit, they try touncover the real killer.
I have enjoyed the story itself, sometimes it reads slowly, but that did not bother me. The ending though was a bit stretched out, it could be quicker, some scenes edited out. However I liked the book quite a lot. Solid 4 stars :)
September 8, 2022
I received a free copy of this book and leave a review voluntarily.
This book is a slow burn, definitely takes it a while to get going.
Court life is well described and an interesting backdrop. It appears you can dispose of anyone you dislike if you have connections and the Kings ear, in this-case Charles. I found myself speed reading much of the beginning of the book, getting the gist of the plot rather than taking in detail.
The second half is much better and I found myself caring about what happened to Sam.
Worth a read but not mind blowing.
This book is a slow burn, definitely takes it a while to get going.
Court life is well described and an interesting backdrop. It appears you can dispose of anyone you dislike if you have connections and the Kings ear, in this-case Charles. I found myself speed reading much of the beginning of the book, getting the gist of the plot rather than taking in detail.
The second half is much better and I found myself caring about what happened to Sam.
Worth a read but not mind blowing.
December 10, 2022
A step back into history. The author takes readers into the life and time of Susannah Gresham. When Lords and Ladies were living in a different period. Sam Carter is Susannah’s closest friend. When he is sentenced to death, Susannah enlists the help of Raphael. Together, they have to solve a mystery to clear Sam from a murder conviction, he had nothing to do with, and save his life. This is an intriguing story that takes readers back in time, although some things never change, and can happen no matter what period of time you are in.
January 5, 2023
A little slow starting, but a fine historical romance. I had a little trouble getting behind the hero of the story at first, but he redeemed himself in fine romance fashion. I did have some trouble keeping everyone straight as there are a lot of people at Court and they are sometimes referred to by name and sometimes by title making it a bit hard to keep track of minor characters. Looking forward to the next in the series!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 23, 2023
The Other Side of Silence is an atmospheric and engaging historical mystery. While a bit slow in the beginning, this book really hits its stride once the murder mystery begins. There is an overarching romance theme, which adds some to the story, but this book is more likely to appeal to those who like lush, detailed historical intrigue. I plan to give the sequels a read as they look to follow in the vein of historical mystery and adventure.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy for free and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy for free and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.
March 19, 2022
Thanks to the History Quill Book Club for the ARC of this book although I’m unclear why it is considered an ARC since it has already been published. I did not enjoy the book at all. I see that other reviewers do not share my opinions that this book was a struggle to get through. The plot was poorly developed and the characters were confusing and unlikable as well as also being poorly developed. The author was more focused on sexual encounters and raunchy foul language than an actual story. Very poorly written book.
May 9, 2022
Very verbose. Slow starting and slow build. Story and characters at times hard to follow. About halfway through, story gets moving and more interesting, easier to keep up with the threads. Ending drags some, as well. Could use some trimming.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 20, 2022
i loved this historical novel, it was a great start to the Silence And Shadows series. The characters were great and I enjoyed the writing that was done.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 5, 2025
Historical fiction with a touch of romance. Susannah has an affliction unheard of these days. At the heart of the story is a mystery which remains until final details reveal the killer and his accomplice from Susannah's household.
June 28, 2025
captivating
Although it was apparent from the time of the murder, that it had something to do with Bess’s rape. Either her, a father or brother. The surprise was that she was married and it was the husband. Made for a more interesting read.
Although it was apparent from the time of the murder, that it had something to do with Bess’s rape. Either her, a father or brother. The surprise was that she was married and it was the husband. Made for a more interesting read.
April 5, 2022
I received an ARC free from BookSirens and this is my voluntary honest review.
* Written well with vivid , descriptions and details.
* Contained unnecessary cuss words and sexual references.
* Solid characters.
* Easy to follow plot.
* Written well with vivid , descriptions and details.
* Contained unnecessary cuss words and sexual references.
* Solid characters.
* Easy to follow plot.
October 2, 2024
Enjoyable read
Good enjoyable read. Couldn't put down from start to finish. Well written with believable characters and just right length of storyline.
Good enjoyable read. Couldn't put down from start to finish. Well written with believable characters and just right length of storyline.
October 28, 2025
The book started a bit slow but once the murder mystery part kicked in, it was quite good. However, the book ended with in a "romance" novel style which isn't my genre.
January 10, 2026
Beautiful love story
This love story was definitely different in the aspect of unending love, lust and a fight for true love to never end. It was a great story indeed.
This love story was definitely different in the aspect of unending love, lust and a fight for true love to never end. It was a great story indeed.
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