The Stain of Silence

by J.J. Grafton

Set in 1950s Northern Ireland, The Stain of Silence continues the story of Fen Crozier, which began in Ashes on the Tongue.
After fleeing from the wrath of her Protestant father and the B Special Chief Constable, Fen Crozier finds sanctuary in the clergy house of St. Barnabas’ Roman Catholic Church. Sickened by the bigotry she has left behind, she is drawn to the ideal of a united Ireland only to realise she lacks commitment to the cause.
When she inadvertently places herself in danger from ruthless IRA sympathisers, she once again runs from the violence that seems to follow her. Caught between the two factions and with no one to turn to, Fen is forced to take charge of her own destiny.
Struggling to find her place in life, she becomes more deeply embroiled into the sectarian struggle and makes a terrible decision which could destroy her and her family.
In fear of her life and with her world in pieces around her, can Fen survive to find the peaceful life she has always craved?

260 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2022

About the author

JJ (Jacqui Jay) Grafton was born in the province of Ulster and spent her formative years there before following her parents to England. She left school at the age of sixteen, going back into education in her early thirties to study English and Psychology. After a long career in the world of litho print, specialising in the production of art catalogues, Jacqui returned to university to study photography.

For nearly ten years, she competed internationally as a creative photographer, winning many awards and having her work published worldwide. As a natural progression, she became a judge on the British camera club circuit.

In 2020, Jacqui self-published her first book at the age of seventy-seven. To date, she has written five books in a variety of genres, including domestic noir, Irish historical sagas and cosy mystery,

Now an octogenarian, Jacqui lives in Nottingham with her partner of forty four years.

Reviews

[Ann Dudzinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of JJ Grafton. Her writing is gritty, honest, real, and sometimes humorous. She writes across genres with apparent ease, something I really wish I could do. Of her four novels published, she’s tackled Urban Suspense, Historical Fiction, and Cozy Mystery. This novel is another historical fiction offering, the sequel to Ashes on the Tongue. So while you can read this novel as a stand alone, I do recommend you read Ashes first because not only will it give you all the backstory, it’s a terrific read.

Here’s a quick synopsis: Both novels are set in Northern Ireland in the 1950s during the time of escalating IRA violence. At the beginning of this novel, Fen is in hiding after witnessing a disastrous raid by the IRA and the death of an innocent family by the Protestant B Specials. While she sympathizes with the IRA, her family is Protestant and she’s unsure exactly where her loyalties lie: with the people who raised her but then turned their backs on her, or with a united Ireland. No matter which way she turns, Fen seems to get more deeply embroiled in the conflict between the two factions. After setting a disastrous series of events in motion, Fen realizes her destiny lies in her own hands and if she wants peace, she’ll have to fight for it herself.

This is not a novel with a happily ever after or a nice, clean-cut ending. Because history isn’t like that. Our actions have consequences and that concept is brilliantly explored in this novel. The omni point of view shifts seamlessly from character to character, so the reader is right there as each decision is made and action taken, regardless of whether you liked it or not. This was not a peaceful period and it saw a lot of innocent people caught in the crossfire of sectarian violence. Nor was it simple - the chasm between ideals and family was huge. And where should one’s loyalty lie? Grafton tackled both the history and question of loyalties unflinchingly, delivering a novel that I couldn’t put down. Honestly, my only regret is that it took me so long to read it.

[Beverley Latimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling read!

Having read Ashes On The Tongue I was eager to read the sequel to it. It did not disappoint. A fast moving drama between the IRA and the B Specials, the book gives insight into the needless deaths and violence commited on both sides.
A young girl finds herself caught between two worlds as she tries to hide the terrible crime her alcoholic father has committed, while she tries to help and protect others from the truth of what has happened.
I won't say anymore so as not to spoil the story, except to say, this is a book not be missed.
Five stars.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sequel to Ashes on the Tongue pulls no punches in the continuing story of Fen Crozier and her ill-fated attempts to discover the family she’s been forbidden from knowing and reconcile both sides of that family. She’s on a hiding to nothing as the tension and the violence ramps up, with Fen discovering the hard way that you can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds—to use an old saying—and being forced to choose a side, against her better inclinations.

A house divided against itself can’t stand, and it’s a clever ploy by author J J Grafton to use the Crozier and Quinn families as a microcosm of the Northern Irish community—communities, I should say, as there’s no social cohesion here. Rather there’s blind hate, leading to confusion and anarchy on the streets of Greycastle, with the right people being punished by the wrong people and vice-versa. Read that last bit again—does it make sense? No, and neither does the chaos wreaked by people unable to reconcile their differences and live side by side in peace.

The story which began in Ashes on the Tongue with Fen given no choice in her own future ends in similar fashion—she has some choice, but it’s not ideal. Likewise, the back-story of the Kennedy twins—bright girls with everything to look forward to in life—brings the reader to the dire situation in which they find themselves many years later. It’s a bad outlook, and summed-up in powerful fashion by J J Grafton, who shows no favouritism in her bleak rendition which shows both sides as equally evil in their absolute intolerance of each other. An excellent and compelling read.

[Amanda Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stain of Silence by J J Grafton is the sequel to the brilliant Ashes on The Tongue. It picks up after the events at the end of the first book and continues Fen’s story through the danger, the sectarianism and the bigotry of life in Northern Ireland at the end of the 1950’s.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The cover is one of the most beautiful covers I have seen on a book but, more than that, it is perfect for this book. There are many old farmhouses dotted around the countryside even today that still look like that - I grew up in a similar one myself – and it is perfect for the farm in the story.
I also loved the use of the local dialect in the book. Words and phrases still common in Northern Ireland and easily recognised. Many I still use myself.
The story itself has Fen cast out by her family and living in the clergy house of the local RC chapel but her hopes to escape the conflict are dashed when she is once more caught between the two sides in the ongoing terror campaign that she wants no part of.
Can she escape? What will it cost her? Read it and find out. You’ll be glad you did.

[Marcia Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel to “Ashes on the Tongue” is a powerful novel set in Northern Ireland and it does not pull any punches. After fleeing from her Protestant father and in fear of the B Special Chief Constable, young teenager Fen Crozier finds sanctuary in the clergy of St Barnabas Catholic Church. However, Fen is not sure of the path she wishes to follow and finds herself caught between the two sides. Fen’s mother, Ruby, is married to Victor Crozier, a staunch Protestant and, for many years, has been forbidden to associate with her once-adored twin sister, Rose, who is married to Catholic Duncan Quinn. The hatred and bigotry of the two families cleverly echo that of the wider community. A well-written, compelling and strongly recommended read.