The Silent Woman by Minka Kent
Newlywed Jade Westmore has finally found her forever in husband Wells, a charming, successful, and recently divorced architect—only there’s one caveat. Behind the gates of their elysian estate, hidden from street view in the caretaker’s cottage lives Wells’ first wife, Sylvie. Three years ago, she suffered an unfortunate accident and hasn’t uttered a sound since—until Jade pays her an unexpected visit.
Krysten’s Review
My grandfather used to tell me, “Not every question has an answer.” The sentiment always bothered my curious soul, and I’ve spent my entire life proving how wrong he was. If a person looks hard enough, there are answers for everything.
The Silent Woman by Minka Kent reminds me a lot of Colleen Hoover’s Verity, in that it revolves around an infirm woman whose (ex) husband cares for her following a terrible accident that left her all but catatonic. Like Verity, there are questions surrounding her condition, whether it was an accident, and if she’s faking her symptoms. Like Verity, the narrator is a writer who wants to get to the bottom of what actually happened and begins snooping around for answers.
Unlike Verity, in The Silent Woman, there is a clear-cut answer about what happened.
The book is well written, easy to read, and moves along at a steady (if not fast) pace. There were a couple of twists that kept me interested and deepened the plot. However, the ending felt a bit rushed: There was quite a slow buildup to the climax, but when the answer was uncovered, there was no doubt about whether it was true. Jade believed and accepted it without resistance. The victim was saved; the culprit was identified and quickly brought to justice with little fanfare. I kept waiting for something to happen to Jade, for her life to be threatened or even just her progress hindered. But alas, her plan went off without a hitch, which was a bit disappointing.
Though this one fell a bit flat for me, I would give Kent another try in the future.
Purchase on: Amazon
3.5Overall Score
The Silent Woman by Minka Kent
Three years ago, the original Mrs. Westmore suffered an unfortunate accident and hasn’t uttered a sound since. Until Jade, the new Mrs. Westmore, pays her an unexpected visit.