Speak No Evil

Detective Sebastian Clifford #2

by Sally Rigby, Jonathan Keeble (Narrator)

What happens when someone's too scared to speak?

Ex-police officer Sebastian Clifford had decided to limit his work as a private investigator, until Detective Constable Bird, aka Birdie, asks for his help.

Twelve months ago a young girl was abandoned on the streets of Market Harborough in shocking circumstances. Since then the child has barely spoken and with the police unable to trace her identity, they've given up.

The social services team in charge of the case worry that the child has an intellectual disability but Birdie and her aunt, who’s fostering the little girl, disagree and believe she’s gifted and intelligent, but something bad happened and she’s living in constant fear.

Clifford trusts Birdie’s instinct and together they work to find out who the girl is, so she can be freed from the past. But as secrets are uncovered, the pair realise it's not just the child who’s in danger.


Speak No Evil is the second in the Detective Sebastian Clifford series. Perfect for readers of Faith Martin, Matt Brolly and Joy Ellis.

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Detective, Procedural

Audible Audio

First published July 14, 2021

About the author

Sally Rigby was born in Northampton, in the UK. She has always had the travel bug, and after living in both Manchester and London, eventually moved overseas. From 2001 she has lived with her family in New Zealand, which she considers to be the most beautiful place in the world. During this time she also lived for five years in Australia. Sally has always loved crime fiction books, films and TV programmes, and has a particular fascination with the psychology of serial killers.

Reviews

[Sallie Dunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️.5

Picked this book up on Kindle Unlimited and it was just okay. I certainly am not in the least compelled to read any of the others in the series.

The premise of the story is a little girl who is abandoned and left on a bench in a shopping district somewhere in Great Britain, definitely not London. The little girl, around six years old, won’t speak. Birdie, who is a DC on the police force, doesn’t give up when a year later no leads have materialized to solve the mystery. She teams up with Sebastian Clifford, who is now a private investigator. She’s working on the case outside her regular work hours. Just meh.

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit I was less than thrilled with this book. The series is named Detective Sebastian Clifford but honestly it is the I am so fing annoying and stupid DC Bird series. Sure Seb shows up but he is far from the main character. Maybe Sally Rigby can't write men but based on my opinion she can't write women either.

As far as I can tell most of the book is set in the current era or plus or minus a few years it is the era of smart phones and sat navs and the internet and 23 & Me

But the main characters act like it is 1990 they constantly drive, phone and wander around.

The plot of this story is that Birdie's aunt has taken in an abandoned child and A YEAR LATER the Police are finally looking into it. Although apparently in Britain it is LEGAL to abandon a child over 2 LEGAL WTF?

Anyway thanks to Birdie's off the books investigation we learn where the little girl came from
it's ugly
Meanwhile Birdie's partner Twiggy (WTF is up up British 'coppers' all having stupid nicknames?)

anyway I finished it but I wouldn't recommend it

[frausarahsarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich weiß ja nicht. Hab die Geschichte jetzt nicht so abgenommen, war irgendwie nicht rund und gar nicht glaubwürdig und dann waren auf einmal alle auch voll schnell ok, fast erleichtert damit, dass der ehemalige Priester sich doch nicht die kinderp*rnografischen Bilder runtergeladen hat sondern seine Schwestee. Naja, saß er ja 5 Jahre umsonst im Gefängnis und hat sich danach um das Kind (das er übrigens betrunken mit seiner Schwester gezeugt hat), gekümmert? Whaaaat?

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so enjoying the relationship with Birdie and Sebastian. She keeps him more down-to-earth and he keeps her more on-time ! They're both good for each other and I hope they'll continue working together in whichever capacity it might be. This case for them both working together was interesting as it involved her family in a lot of ways. I imagine he may assist her in finding out her own history as well in the future which should also be quite intriguing, I would expect.
The author always writes some very likeable characters ( just like Whitney and George in her first series). I really like Twiggy, too, and would hate to see Birdie not working with him anymore, yet I'd love to see her working with Sebastian more so I'm not really sure what she should do. Glad I'm not a writer !! It was also nice to see a little more from both their immediate families.
The case of the little girl left abandoned was an intriguing one with the usual twists and turns I never guess at and a story I enjoyed. This author is a definite favourite.
I read an advanced copy she kindly sent over so any errors spotted I'm forwarding over directly.

[Jane MacDonald · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the second book in Sally Rigby's Sebastian Clifford detective series. Unfortunately, unlike Web of Lies, the  Market Harborough setting was not enough to sustain my interest and compensate for the other inadequacies this time. There is nothing much to the plot which is simplistic and laboured in the extreme, barely warranting its mystery classification. The form and structure from the first novel are merely repeated here without some of the more engaging threads to the storyline. The dialogue is stilted and repetitive, with the author having little faith in her reader's ability to remember key details, which are repeated agnosium. There are holes aplenty in the plot, and even the promising relationship between the two main protagonists, established in the first book, fails to develop in any absorbing way. Much as it pains me to give up on this series, the novelty of reading about familiar local streets and landmarks is unlikely to be sufficient to have me reaching for number 3.

[HornFan2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free advance arc copy, from the author for my honest review, also purchased it from amazon.com and something I like to do to support one of my favorite indy authors.

'Speak No Evil' was better than the first book but really it's the character DC Lucinda Bird AKA Birdie, that makes it so good, she just takes over the storyline, Twiggy's a great support character and still think a series based with the two, would be way better.

This has elements of the two being a cold case team, then add Twiggy to the team, think it would be better than having them as private investigators. When I read the following quote from Speak No Evil, regarding what Sebastian Clifford wants to do with owning a PI company and be easy to make him a DC again with Market Harborough Police Dept.

"I don't want to end up spending my time working on potential divorce proceedings and following parties from hours on end. That would not be fulfilling for me. If I take on any PI work, then being selective on cases would be paramount."

With 'Speak No Evil', Birdie and Clifford unofficial solve who left a little girl named Lilly, 12 months ago on a busy Market Harborough street and has the elements in it, that shows they make a great cold case team. The both cases in the two book series so far have been complex, going forward seems like it would make more sense to either have them working on complex cases to solve that would take a lot of man power to solve, working on cold cases also verse PI work.

Since the authors own words regarding what Sebastian Clifford wants from PI work would need to be meaningful fulfilling work and won't run the risk of working on a case. Of either having them help Birdie's old boss with a case or me as a reader realizing the case should be something for the Market Harborough too solve.

With that said, it's still enjoyable reading even if not a good fit having Seb Clifford as a main character, with how the author left it and she must realize how important Birdie is to the series.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Protagonists very similar to those in an earlier series. 3.5 stars overall.

Oddly, this is introduced as ‘Detective Sebastian Clifford - Book 2,’ but Clifford is NOT the protagonist. Also, the main characters are similar to the protagonists in the Cavendish & Walker series. DC Lucinda “Birdie” Bird seems to be an OTT Whitney Walker, to the point of sometimes being off-putting. This is a police procedural, so why was Birdie’s constant lateness tolerated when she was a uniformed officer? Her tardiness was overlooked when she was promoted to Detective Constable?

This book opens slowly onto a meeting with social services, a foster mom, and a mysterious child, but it picks up to a moderate pace after that. I wish the author shaded her secondary characters better, so as to conceal the villain(s). The storyline is a straightforward police procedural wrapped around a domestic melodrama. If you read a lot of crime fiction, you’ll probably develop suspicions and figure out the coming plot twist. There are unbelievable moments in the investigation, mentioned by other reviewers. Overall, a decent crime fiction, so 3.5 stars.

[Mystic Miraflores · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my opinion, this was the best of the series yet. I can't wait for the next installment! I picture Birdie as an English Lucille Ball/Lucy Ricardo; sometimes she's quite comical, but other times, she gets the job done. I still haven't pinned down Seb; sometimes he's very prim and proper, and at other times, he breaks the rules. At first, I thought the plot was a little slow, but it really sped up to the twisting and astounding conclusion. I wonder how the mash-up with Ms. Rigby's other detective series will work out. For me, I can see that Seb and Georgie Cavendish can have an attraction to one another because they are from the same social class and have similar privileged backgrounds. I feel Birdie and Seb have too much of a social and educational gap to have a romance. There is also the age gap, but often that doesn't matter. Well, we'll see how Ms. Rigby handles it. I'm glad Birdie is staying with the official police for now, as one of the characters needs to have access to official information. If both Seb and Birdie became private investigators, they would lose access to police records and CCTV footage. Thank you to Kindle Unlimited for making this book available to its subscribers.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Birdie gets involved with a young girl who was abandoned on the streets when her relative becomes her foster mother. The girl is well behaved but doesn't hardly speak. Then on an outing, the girl sees something or someone that scares her terribly. Birdie is bound and determined to find out what it was, but she needs help and that is where Sebastian comes into play. But Sebastian is busy doing his own work and dealing with his family problems also. Can they find out what happened? I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Sally Lockwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series of books and can’t wait to read the next one

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this enough to want to read book 3.

[Pat K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Sebastion Clifford series. This series of British detective novels is well written, with engaging characters and strong police/mystery storyline.


No swearing, no sex, no excessive violence.

[Richard Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's the dialog that makes this one work.

Despite being billed as "the second Seb Clifford novel," Rigby's style sets up his younger partner, Birdie, as the protagonist. Clifford, from an aristocratic family, was revealed in the first book as recently separated from the police when his elite unit was disbanded. Armed with an extraordinary memory, he's now formed his own private investigation service and moved from the London area close to Bird's location. (I admit to struggling when it comes to British geography.)

A child is found on a bench in the village, a sign around her neck - the title of the book. Quiet, frightened and not speaking, Bird's aunt steps in to foster her. The police investigation ends without finding her family. Bird accompanies her into town one day and the young girl freaks out. Denied permission to reopen the case, Bird uses her own time and her relationship with Clifford to investigate. Along the way there's friction between her partner and Clifford; Clifford encounters family troubles - while his brother is in line to be Viscount, Daddyd can't understand why Seb is still doing that plebian police work; his brother is suddenly clinically depressed - but he and Bird trade banter non stop.

The case gets resolved. But in doing so a serious flaw appears: Clifford is not the main character. I'm not sure how this made it to print in this form. Wasn't anyone editing it? It's a good story: it would easily appear as a British mystery on public tv, but if it were produced direct.from the book it would become obvious that the book features Bird more than Clifford.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good pass time book

This is an approachable story, though in the end, it's a little pat; a little..... hurry up and get there. The main characters are also mostly believable, though some of the mannerisms of the main character can be somewhat exasperating. Sure, she's young, but it's easy to feel indignant on behalf of the secondary character. This series is a little like a series on the beeb- not as tedious as shetland, but also not as cosy as midsummer murders. Sort of in the middle. I'll probably carry on with the next episode.

[AL · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had difficulty really getting into this book. It felt like I was just skimming over the top and never really getting into it.
A child is found abandoned and a year later is frightened by something she saw in a casual walk down the street. It has a decent story line as the detectives attempt to locate the cause of the child’s fear. Unfortunately, it just never pulled me in; I always felt like an outsider just skimming over the top of the story line.

[Gabriela Bourke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out strong like its predecessor but the resolution was contrived and unrealistic which cast a pall over the rest of the book. Without giving any major spoilers, there needs to be some thought and effort given to carving out plausibility in a character if the entire twist is going to be based on them… eye rolled hard. First book in this series was good and I bought them as a pack of three so guess I’ll find out what direction the next one goes in…

[yvonne grannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same likeness

I enjoyed the book,but I don't quite understand why the characters have been created,they are exactly the same as the Whitney books,the other detective. They both have two main characters,each have a down to earth police officer,and the other character is from a aristocracy background!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave up on this

I almost gave up reading this. It didn't really get going until more than halfway through. I hate not finishing a book but this was a close call. The last few chapters were really good.

[Melissa Trice · Rating 3 out of 5]

lackluster ending

The premise was interesting. Had me reading until
the end and then I thought I missed something because the ending was so boring. It had great potential to have a really good ending but it didn’t.

[Ronny · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Boring

[Allison Berryhill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listening on Audiobook while mowing.
The mowing isn't bad.

[Carol Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a re-review:
Have read an ARC copy of this book unfortunately it seems to lack polish excitement not up to Sally's normal standard in my mind, and the author felt the same way and has made many alterations for the better and have now read the updated version. The plot is good sad but nonetheless, it happens the main protagonist has now decided to be a P.I. but at the moment doing work for a colleague from the Met where he previously worked but it is mostly desk work which is not his forte, but it helps to pay the bills when out of the blue a phone call from Birdie aka DC Bird who does work for the police and has a case that has gone cold and needs help to revive it as the police have decided that they have gone as far as they can. It started a year ago when a little girl approx age of 7yrs was left on a seat with a card around her neck "Speak no Evil" she is now being fostered by Birdie's aunt and was doing as well as expected as the little girl hardly ever speaks and is very well advanced for her age. While out with Birdie, she saw something that disturbed her greatly and Birdie wants to re-open the case, but her Sargeant says no, so she rings up Sebastian Clifford as they worked well together before and was delighted to find out that he is a P.I.and offers him the job with no fee, of course, to see if they can put it to rest by finding out where this little girl originated from. A complicated case and after a year it's quite a slog, but what they find out is not good but who is speaking the truth? Birdie put herself in danger but who from ? a well thought out plot, some scary moments but the changes have worked for the better, as for the series I think it still needs a bit of oomph, the Sebastian Clifford does not seem forceful enough whereas Birdie has the guts and as a couple, she can't keep doing side jobs using police software and the timekeeping is bad that it's a wonder any company would keep her on, I'm not all sure if this series will take off, unlike the Whitney series, but worth a read.

[Joe Singleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before the start of 2021 I had never read one of Sally Rigby's book and now have read a novella and this is the second full-length novel of hers I have read.
I love how the author deals with real life dramatic events through the characters she creates. Addressing issues such as child abandonment in a realistic, easy to understand way, even when police procedures have to be discussed, is all dealt very compassionately and in an interesting and thought-provoking way.
I have found with the books of Sally Rigby that I have read that she used very little bad language or gratuitous violence but they have the depth of story to be page turning thrillers where you are never going to be sure who is guilty of what until you get to the end.
Child abandonment and domestic violence are mentioned in the book but they are not overly graphic descriptions.
I was a bit wary when it mentioned Private Investigators in the book as that is more something I would think comes from a book based in the US so maybe a new title for Seb would be better. The author does mention in the book that a lot of people think of divorces and tracking down two-timing partners when they think of a PI.
Do check the book out when it is released on 31st July and get your pre-orders in now.
Many thanks to Sally Rigby for providing me with an advanced review copy of the book on the understanding that I would provide an unbiased and honest review

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speak No Evil - a review by Rosemary Kenny


The eponymous words are written on a cardboard sign hanging around the neck of a seemingly mute 7 year old girl, abandoned on a bench in the middle of Market Harborough, until a concerned shopkeeper calls the police and a kindly shopper stays with the child. They show up and take her into the care of Social Services, when, now known as Lacey she's fostered by Detective Constable 'Birdie' Bird's experienced foster-mother, (and Aunt) Catherine.
When a chance sighting prompts Birdie to unofficially re-open Lacey's case a year later, she reaches out to a former colleague, Sebastian Clifford, who's since opened his own PI Agency and has a soft spot for the red-headed Birdie.
What does Birdie find out about her own birth mother along the way?
As the investigation goes deeper into 'murky waters' and Seb and Birdie grow closer, how does Birdie's police partner 'Twiggy' feel?
A disturbing, yet ultimately heart-warming crime- thriller, that's head and shoulders above 'cozy' or other run-of-the-mill 'whodunnits'. I would highly recommend Speak No Evil to fans of Patricia Cornwell or Ruth Rendell.
Get your copy of Sally Rigby's intriguing, engaging, twist-in-the-tale mystery, that will keep you guessing right til the end!

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much! I have to say I think it might be my favourite of Ms. Rigby's! I like Birdie, she is such a different character than you expect in a mystery. As a detective she is not all stuff and stuffy, she lived food and she is always late! She also gets on her bosses nerves more than any cop and has managed to keep her job somehow. Well you will know why as you read this book even though Birdie is not the main character! That would be Sebastian Clifford, raised as the younger brother, he doesn't have the responsibility to become the next Viscount,but he sure had to live like it growing up. I like Sebastian. I like the way that he is with Birdie and his dog! I also like that he doesn't let anyone push him into doing what he doesn't want, lol well except for one person. The case that Birdie and Seb are working is one that totally held my attention as I couldn't wait to find out where the girl in the bench came from and why she was wearing a sign with such words on it. I'm glad that this is just the second book in this series because it promises not to disappoint! Waiting for more!
I received a free download of this book from the publisher. This review is my own honest opinion.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying the new series for Sebastian Clifford and DC Lucinda "Birdie" Bird. They are interesting characters that complement each other. Birdie is a wise-crack and a mover, I'm not sure she ever stops moving except to sleep. She is a young copper in CID in the town of Market Harborough. Seb is laid back ex-copper from the London Met. He left after they discovered a dirty cop in their specialized unit (hopefully we'll learn more about that), after taking some time off and unofficially investigating a family death (book 1), he's now opened a private investigation firm.

Birdie hasn't heard from Seb in a few months but needs his help with a case involving an abandoned child. After some convincing, Seb's on the case with Birdie's help because it's a case close to her heart. This story has some twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.

I can't wait for the next case for Seb and Birdie to solve. I've previously read all of her Cavendish & Walker books, one of which introduced Seb and I love the new direction with his books; although I'm looking forward to the latest C&W book as well.

[Maine Colonial · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't crazy about the first book in this series, and I was even less impressed with the second. I used an Audible credit to get a volume that included the first three books in the series, so I'm plodding ahead. Trigger warning: There is a child abuse theme in this second book. Nothing graphic occurs, but it's still worth knowing if you're considering reading the book.

Clifford and Birdie follow good investigative procedure to solve this case, but it's not a particularly interesting case--despite a plot twist. I haven't warmed up to the characters too much, either. Clifford is OK, though his father, a viscount, makes an appearance in this book and he's a real authoritarian relic. It could be an interesting insight into Clifford's character, but it read more like a meaningless digression. Birdie continues to annoy me, with her inconsiderate habit of being late to everything and blowing off anybody who calls her on it. She's supposed to be an exceptionally insightful detective, but she seems pretty average to me. She only stands out compared to the plods at her station.

Not an awful book, but not a good one, either.

[R.E. E. Derouin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speak no Evil by Sally Rigby 6/10/2022 Kindle

This is the second installment in the series of jobless unemployed London detective Sebastian Clifford, now dwelling in the countryside, and attempting to establish a private investigation service. Once again he is joined by Birdie, a DI on the local police force. Together they attempt to run down the parents of a seven year old child who was abandoned, and now foster-cared by Birdie’s aunt.

This is a very simple read, lacking a strong story and filled with a lot of nonsense. So why did I stick with it to the end? The characters and their interaction have potential and the price was right. What are my other problems? A sub plot of Seb’s brother’s condition appeared written to fill pages as it was presented and resolved with absolutely no connection to the story and served no purpose. And, while I’m at it, Birdie always being late bit gets incredibly stale. I’m still awaiting some meaningful demonstration of Seb’s amazing mental prowess.

While I try the third episode in this series? Only if my backlog gets really thin.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this new series. Seb and Birdie are really good characters and they work well together. This time they team up to help solve a cold case involving Birdie's foster niece. Lacey was abandoned on a bench with a sign around her neck. She is taken into foster care by Birdie's aunt but no one ever claims her and she doesn't speak. Lots of intrigue in this story. Love the way Birdie and Seb work together but don't see how they can keep teaming up unless Seb is a consultant. Otherwise, Birdie is going to lose her job if she keeps bucking authority and pursuing cases unofficially. At the same time I would hate for Birdie to quit the force as she needs more than just Seb. Glad I'm not the author but knowing Ms. Rigby she'll come up with the perfect solution! Really good series and am looking forward to many more stories.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Rosie Bray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another outing for DC Lucinda 'Birdie' Bird and Seb Clifford, with this case being something close to Birdie's heart ~ how Lacey (the child being fostered by her Auntie Catherine came to be abandoned in the town centre. Birdie's request to have the investigation reopened is not granted, with other more pressing cases than one that's over a year old.

Can Seb and Birdie work their magic? How will their investigation impact on Lacey and those around her?

This is a well thought out and plotted story, that fact that Seb and Birdie are such polar opposites helps to make them engaging. As well as the main plot, there's also progress in Birdie's quest to fins her birth mother. Birdie's disregard for authority gets her into trouble, but will this time be the wake up call that she needs? And if it isn't, how secure will her career in the police be?

I received an advanced reader copy of this novel from the author, and I am voluntarily posting a review