Book Review: Don't Say a Word by Jennifer Jaynes

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

  Last year I read Disturbed and the Stranger Inside written by Jennifer Jaynes. I thoroughly enjoyed both thrillers and set out to read more of her work. I opened my e-reader and chose one of her books and settled down for what would be a very entertaining and surprising book.

  Don't Say a Word is written by Jennifer Jaynes, and it is published by Thomas and Mercer, an Amazon imprint. In this tense novel we are introduced to twenty-two year old Allie Callahan. She has come along way from her troubled teen years, adopted by her foster mother, Bitty Callahan. Bitty was successful turning around Allie's life at sixteen, and she has continued to applaud her resilience. With a mother and brother both dead, Allie works through her mental instability with anti-depressants. She vows to keep herself together for her four year old son, Sammy. Allie and Bitty take in foster children regularly and are preparing to handle their incoming charges, Carrie and Zoe Parish.

  When the sisters arrive at Bitty's doorstep, Allie does her best to make the pre-teen girls feel welcome.  The twins are sullen and traumatized from the murder of their parents; having been in the house for two days with their bodies before the girls were found. Carrie is mute and kept to herself, clutching a teddy bear most of the time. Zoe is a bit more outgoing, but suffers creepy episodes of deep depression. Sammy soon begins to see Zoe's personality changes and grows cautious. As the holidays begin to approach Allie and Bitty start plans that include all five of them. But they are being watched by someone from the woods surrounding their home. Someone is calling their home and not saying a word. Has the killer come to Allie and Bitty's home to finish off the Parish family? The shadows are rife with death; don't say a word.

 Don't Say a Word is the third novel in Jaynes' Strangers trilogy. I had not known this going into the book. When I was finished reading about Allie's past, I wanted to learn more of the eight years leading up to this story. Thankfully I have two other books to fill in the details of those years. Jaynes was able to give me enough background on Allie's extraordinary life without giving away plot points from books one and two. Bitty Callahan's compassion for others was inspirational. Her relationship with Allie is a strong bond that shows how a successful foster home can work. Sammy was adorable and added an innocence to the narrative that the older characters severely lack due to trauma. Many of the side characters played larger roles than I had expected them to. They served as a strong foundation that aided Allie and Bitty greatly when they fell into danger. Jaynes delivered a macabre and thrilling book that had me audibly exclaiming my thoughts as the reveals (and there are a few) came into light. And the finale was action packed.

  I read Don't Say a Word in part with the narration of actress, Christina Traister. Her work was excellent, with dramatic presentation that had me turning pages faster than I realized. She is one of those narrators that dives into her performance and makes you believe that you are listening to a movie and not a novel. She never disappoints with her work.

  Don't Say a Word was a four star read for me. It flowed very well and I read this in one sitting. It was suspenseful and contained an excellent group of characters that I genuinely cared about. There was a message of family and strength that drove Allie and Bitty. And that message served the book well and made me think about my own family and what I would do for them. Jennifer Jaynes continues to write excellent thrillers. I will soon be completing this trilogy by "going back in time" to read about Allie and her early years. This is a great book to take outside and enjoy a Spring or Summer day.
 
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