The Usual Silence

Arles Shepherd Thriller, Book 1

By: Jenny Milchman

Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen

A psychologist haunted by childhood trauma must unearth all that is buried in her past in this twisting, lyrical novel of suspense by Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author Jenny Milchman.

Psychologist Arles Shepherd treats troubled children, struggling with each case to recover from her own traumatic past, much of which she’s lost to the shadows of memory. Having just set up a new kind of treatment center in the remote Adirondack wilderness, Arles longs to heal one patient in particular: a ten-year-old boy who has never spoken a word—or so his mother, Louise, believes.

Hundreds of miles away, Cass Monroe is living a parent’s worst nightmare. His twelve-year-old daughter has vanished on her way home from school. With no clues, no witnesses, and no trail, the police are at a dead end. Fighting a heart that was already ailing, and struggling to keep both his marriage and himself alive, Cass turns to a pair of true-crime podcasters for help.

Arles, Louise, and Cass will soon find their lives entangled in ways none of them could have anticipated. And when the collision occurs, a quarter-century-old secret will be forced out of hiding. Because nothing screams louder than silence.

©2024 by Jenny Milchman. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“An emotionally compelling and impressively crafted psychological suspense thriller of a read from start to finish.” —Midwest Book Review

Very captivating

I very much appreciate how the author carefully and thoughtfully wrote this book. Trigger warning for child neglect and abuse. This is a very much needed book to discuss a very uncomfortable subject that hides in the shadows.

The depth of the story

Sometimes I couldn't keep up with all the character's names & which story I was listening to @ the time. BUT I kept on listening & eventually it worked out & I understood the story

An amazing story!

This was a story that grabbed me from the beginning until the very end. There was never a dull moment, and I can honestly say I felt obsessed to find out what was going to happen next.

Great book! I can't wait for the follow-up!

We can never have too many people like Dr. Arles in this world. Despite her own personal trauma, she's a fighter through and through.

Dark, yet intriguing

The first chapter grabs you, but it does get a bit confusing as additional storylines are introduced. It does all come together with many different twists and turns while taking time to develop the characters. I couldn’t put it down.

Realistic Characters & Plotlines

The characters seemed real and true to life. Fascinating to see how the different stories slowly, eventually interwove.
I did not guess who the worst perp was till almost the end.
Excellent writing!

Child abuse

The way the story was told, it was hard to tell it was about child abuse at first. She was very clever in her way of telling a sad stiry. In the end it all worked out.

Healing and Hope

Initially I was afraid to listen to this novel due to trigger issues. I also don't usually enjoy multi-stranded plots unless each arc is clearly relevant. To my surprise (despite some tears and nausea) I found the novel to be memorable and inspiring. Every character's story was resolved beautifully. Skillful writing.

Such a slow pace

I didn't like how slowly this book progressed it also isn't at all what I had thought it would be about. I kept waiting for something to happen and it never does.

Convoluted

I thought I was going to love THE USUAL SILENCE by Jenny Milchman. I’m a retired child psychologist. Reading about those in my profession takes me back to my younger days WHEN it’s done well. THE USUAL SILENCE is not.

As much as I sympathized with Arles, I hated the way she was written with such little insight. Even if she hadn’t committed illegal behavior she’d have been guilty malpractice for continuing to work while psychologically impaired.

Cass, Bea’s father was the only character for whom I felt genuine empathy and the only part of the storyline I cared about.

THE USUAL SILENCE was disjointed and uneven. I often considered giving up and DNF, but I prevailed to the contrived ending.