SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE WEEK

The Silent Daughter by Emma Christie, Welbeck Publishing, £8.99.

After quitting her law degree to study English literature and medieval history at Aberdeen University, Emma Christie spent five years working as a news reporter with Courier sister paper, The Press and Journal.

However, she admits that throughout her journalism career, she secretly wanted to be every author she ever interviewed. The Silent Daughter hit the shelves this year and it’s so good it’s hard to believe it is a debut novel.

The story is primarily told through the eyes of protagonist Chris Morrison, who is facing a real nightmare scenario. His wife, Maria, is in a coma after a freak running accident. While in hospital trying to contact his daughter, Ruth, his nightmare gets worse. Ruth is missing, and has been for more than nine months.

With his life turned upside down overnight, Chris’s behaviour and decision making becomes frantic and unpredictable. He latches on to clues and leads for dear life, but the secrets amassed within both of these major events slowly start to unravel.

Links between Maria’s accident and Ruth’s disappearance emerge. Bodies are found, as well as bloodied clothing, and Chris fears that among the discoveries, these secrets may just change his life, and his family, forever…

Thrillers are renowned for their complexity, darkness, tension and, quite literally, their thrills. The Silent Daughter has all of these components seeping from its pages.

Emma Christie cleverly ties in the novel’s locations to areas she knows well, which gives the book’s sense of place an authentic feel. Her use of imagery to depict the steep, cobbled streets of Edinburgh’s Old Town is second to none, and each of the book’s main characters possess relatable personality traits.

The complexity of the plot is another of the book’s standout features. At no point do events feel too obvious or out of touch. Emma judges the balance between tension and anticipation skilfully, and leaves the reader guessing right to its unexpected conclusion.

Speaking of the conclusion, this is undoubtedly the novel’s piece de resistance.

Without revealing all, it is deft, intuitive, thought provoking and socially relevant. The surprise was jaw dropping!