Perfect Silence by Helen Fields is the forth installment of her DI Callanach series. Each book in this series currently has an over 4 star rating on good read and is one of my favourite series.
I have previously written about the previous 3 books as well as an Author Q&A with Helen Fields that you can check out before or after reading this.
I thought that this book was really good and I enjoyed reading it. It delved further into the lives of DI Callanach and DCI Ava Turner. I think that there friendship in this book carrying on from the previous booked created a ‘will they, won’t they’ sort of anticipation throughout which engaged me as a reader.
As with the previous book it is based upon a crime that has taken place and the ivestigation into these crimes. This is perfect for those interested in crime and police procedure books but in this novel there is extra depth and almost a second plot with the characters.
I find both of the main characters likable and having both been through tough times you see them develop and cope with these. In this book I believe that Ava Turner was a bit more unlikable due to the superiority in the book however the previous books really help to add to her character. In this novel she is a strong and determined Detective Chief Inspector who isn’t scared to stand her ground to ensure that the victims of these crimes are treated with the respect they deserve and find justice. I find this quite inspirational as a female also. DI Callanach is also still very likable and I think they way he has been written and interacts with the other characters really aids this. He has been through a trauma in his life and that wasn’t just forgotten about in this book so we were able to see how he has coped and progressed in his life after this. These two characters themselves make the books worth reading.
There were two main investigations in this book; one where the bodies of young females are being found alongside dolls made out of the victims skin and one where the letter ‘Z’ is being carved onto the drug users of the cities faces. Both these crimes are gruesome and gory which isn’t what everyone would want to read but I found that there was a good balance between the crimes themselves and the investigation. This made it a good read as we get to see what these police officers are doing to help these poor victims.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and upon reading other reviews people were saying that this installment was not as good as the other 3. I have to say I agree with this on a certain level as I feel that the characters developed less throughout the novel however I would let this stop you from reading this book. It is a great installment within a series and although you don’t necessarily need to read the previous books before you read this, I would highly recommend that you do as it gives background to why the characters are like how they are.
There is also a fifth installment of this series due to be released in April which I am so excited to read!
Many thanks, Caitlin x
(PS please comment if you have ever read this series or would like to)
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