BOOK REVIEW: The Silent Girls by Eric Rickstad

Frank Rath thought he was done with murder when he turned in his detective badge to become a private investigator and raise a daughter alone. Then the police in his remote community of Canaan find an '89 Monte Carlo abandoned by the side of the road. , and the beautiful teenage girl who owned the car seems to have disappeared without a trace.
Soon Rath's investigation brings him face-to-face with the darkest abominations of the human soul.
With the consequences of his violent and painful past plaguing him, and young women with secrets vanishing one by one, he discovers once again that even in the smallest towns on the map, evil lurks everywhere and no one is safe .

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Pages: 416

Eric Rickstad is a new author for me but after reading The Silent Girls, I can understand what all the hype is about. It is a very dark book, the case being investigated is gritty and disturbing but Rath's past which is dealt with in the book is also extremely dark.
Eric Rickstad's writing is brilliantly atmospheric and I can see why comparisons have been made with True Detective. The Silent Girls would translate perfectly on to screen as the author packs so much in. He is very descriptive; it feels like he really layers each scene, building the detail up to give a really clear image in your mind.
I liked Frank Rath, he does have certain cliches of the retired detective but there is more substance to him and he is actually very likable.
The book is reasonably long at 416 pages but Rickstad keeps up a good pace throughout, there were several surprises along the way, especially in the last chapter which I thought was excellent.
The Silent Gils is dark, gritty and gripping, the ending suggested that there may be more books involving Frank Rath; I really hope so as he is an excellent creation.

Many thanks to the Harper Impulse Team for sending me a review copy.