This one will definitely keep you turning the pages!
About the Book
A nine-year-old girl is missing. Her parents are frantic with worry, and local searches turn up nothing.
Having been widowed in the past year, Hull based Detective Inspector Paul Calvert takes some time away and heads to Argyll, Scotland, for some fell walking, whisky drinking and relaxation. Always in the wrong place at the wrong time, Calvert is pulled into the investigation of the missing girl.
When she, Florence Findlay, is found, she utters only one word, ‘Hayley’.
Initially overjoyed to have Florence safely returned to them, the Findlay’s emotions now rollercoaster as they discover that Hayley, their other daughter missing for a decade, could still be alive.
Calvert races against time to find a second missing girl, and potentially, against all odds, reunite the Findlay family.
My Thoughts
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I was impressed by his descriptions. He really put you in the scenes. And in gorgeous Scotland, most of the time, that’s a lovely experience. Of course, in crime fiction, it is very occasionally unwelcome. But he did a good balancing act, in my opinion.
This was an interesting introduction to DI Calvert, catching him when he was supposed to be on vacation. Of course, I could now do without hearing the term “busman’s holiday” for quite a while, as I’m sure could Calvert. He was a nice, competent detective who seemed like he could man the helm of a good British detective series. And I really enjoyed the story.
It was such a quirky, confusing tale. The unlikely setup was, of course, intriguing and had the power to keep the pages turning. But the series of unfortunate events that kept Calvert at the head of an investigation 400 miles from home while he was supposed to be on vacation was a bit of a darkly humourous subplot that definitely kept me interested.
I don’t think this would be considered a cozy as the detective is a regular detective, just on vacation. However, the quirky town full of supporting characters and the incredibly rural setting really lends itself to a cozy vibe.
I’m super grateful to the author and LBT for including me on this tour!
Who’s It For?
If you love descriptive, English detective stories, this is one for you. A strong, seasoned detective takes on a puzzling, disturbing case in a sleepy, rural tourist town in Scotland, far from home, while on vacation. This one has multiple content warnings, especially because it has to do with children.
Content Warnings: This book contains topics that may disturb some readers, including, but not limited to, Partner Death, Child Death, Kidnapping, Torture, Illness, Child Abuse and Neglect, Violence, Adult Language, and possibly More.
About the Author
Mark Pettinger is a crime fiction writer of the DCI Priest novels set in Manchester, and the more recent DI Calvert series set in Hull.
Fitting his writing around his ‘day job’, Mark’s writing pattern is somewhat sporadic, and he writes when he can, which currently is in hotel rooms / foyer, or in an airport lounge trying to keep one eye on the departure board to ensure he doesn’t miss his flight!
Mark’s interest in the murky world of crime started a number of years ago when he was attracted to reading true crime. He became fascinated with the exploits of the Yorkshire Ripper, Dennis Nilsen, John Wayne Gacy, Andrei Chikatilo etc. An avid reader of many genres, but his attention turned to favouring crime fiction; and his reading list includes Ian Rankin, Mark Billingham, Lynda La Plante, Jo Nesbo, and latterly CJ Tudor (for something just that little bit special).
Mark has openly credited Ian Rankin as the primary inspiration for not only stirring his interest in reading crime fiction, but also ‘picking up the pen’.
Mark has published four hugely successful crime fiction novels: The Decalogue, Tick Tock Time’s Up, Paper Soldiers and more recently Where Darkness Lies. Two books in the series entered the Amazon Bestseller Top 100 list, and the Top 10 on the sub-genre of ‘police procedurals’.
Links
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Desperate-Silence-Calvert-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0F2SBD9ZD/ref=sr_1_1
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/3oIjE48
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230601478-desperate-silence
Author’s Website: https://www.independentauthornetwork.com/mark-pettinger.html
Love Books Tours (includes easy click links to other reviews!): https://kellylacey.com/2025/04/22/follow-the-virtualbooktour-for-desperate-silence-by-mark-pettinger-proudly-organised-by-lovebookstours-booktour-supportingauthors-bookpromotion-booksky-%F0%9F%92%99%F0%9F%93%9A/
Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.