Tuesday Book Review: Silent Payback @jaydawes2 #PsychologicalFiction #DetectiveFiction

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Hi, everyone, and welcome to my last book review of October. It seems like only yesterday I was lounging by my pool, but in two days I’m going to be handing out trick-or-treat candy. Yet another month has blown by on a whirlwind! Somehow, despite all that fast-forward flash of time, I still manage to slow the hours down long enough to read. Which brings me to today’s review!

book cover for Silent Payback by Jaye Marie shows profiles of two men, one side by side, one with long hair, beard and mustache, other clean cutSilent Payback
by Jaye Marie
This is a polished story that reads easily and moves at a good clip. The author does an excellent job of getting into the minds of her characters and sharing their emotions. Detective David Mallory is tasked with finding a serial killer, but in addition to tracking down the murderer, he must prove himself worthy to his peers while facing the scrutiny of a legendary commander.He’s also struggling with an issue in his personal life, that if exposed, could ruin everything.

The focus on the crime, and the efforts David employs, along with his partner Anna to find the killer before he strikes again, are the strength of the book in this reader’s opinion. I also loved the inclusion of Snow, the commander whose reputation precedes him. He has a quiet strength and dominates every scene he’s in. When the book is focused on crime solving, it’s great.

Somewhere near the halfway point, David’s secret is revealed (although we get hints prior) and the focus shifts to his personal life. His secret is a big one. Clearly, the author intended for it to be a surprise. It’s definitely nothing I would have guessed, but nor is it something I would normally choose to read about. Which could be why that part of the novel doesn’t work for me.

Huge points to the author for deft handling of a delicate situation. At this point it becomes a matter of personal taste, but I found too much of the story focused on the details of David problem. I liked the wrap to the crime. Coupled with the strength of the writing, and the obvious effort the author put into telling this tale, it warrants five glowing stars despite the issues I had.

Amazon Link
Genre: Psychological Fiction > Murder Fiction

Congratulations to Jaye on her new release! I probably won’t be reading much (or as much) during the month of November due to NaNo, but before the year is out, I hope to have several more reviews to share. In the meantime, I wish you happy reading!

47 thoughts on “Tuesday Book Review: Silent Payback @jaydawes2 #PsychologicalFiction #DetectiveFiction”

    • David is an unusual character. I was surprised how deftly Jaye handled the challenges he faced in his personal life. It’s a different type of story, but very polished and well told.

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  4. I’m 70% along with this novel and really absorbed – the unusual circumstances of David the detective are certainly an antidote to the usual brooding detectives we come across in the many crime dramas around. This has engendered much questioning of my retired policeman husband as to would David be able to keep his secret.I would love to have read this as part of a book group – there would be plenty to discuss!

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  8. Great review! Detectives with a dark past are pretty typical in Noir detective fiction. I don’t know if this would fit that sub-genre or not but I understand how you felt. I will definitely take a closer look at it!

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