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The Silent Room (Matthew Ryan Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.4 out of 5 stars 755 ratings

The Silent Room is the first tense police procedural in the thrilling Matthew Ryan series by Mari Hannah.

'Nobody understands the many faces of cops better than Mari Hannah' - Val McDermid

A security van sets off for Durham prison, a disgraced Special Branch officer in the back. It never arrives. En route it is hijacked by armed men, the prisoner sprung. Suspended from duty on suspicion of aiding and abetting the audacious escape of his former boss, Detective Sergeant Matthew Ryan is locked out of the manhunt.

Desperate to preserve his career and prove his innocence, he backs off. But when the official investigation falls apart, under surveillance and with his life in danger, Ryan goes dark, enlisting others in his quest to discover the truth.

When the trail leads to the suspicious death of a Norwegian national, Ryan uncovers an international conspiracy that has claimed the lives of many.

Continue the gripping crime series with The Death Messenger.

Product description

Review

It has everything a good thriller should, compelling characters, a gripping plot and storyline, superb pacing and a strong sense of place. In addition it has heart, something many thrillers sorely lack. Mari Hannah's superb writing style is put to good use during this break from her series and I was annoyed every time I was forced to put the book down and do mundane yet necessary stuff like eat or sleep. -- Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Mari Hannah has always had two key specialities: a gift for genuinely ingenious plotting matched by a skill at choreographing suspense sequences that is the equal of more stellar names in the genre. Both characteristics are at full stretch in
The Silent Room, with everyone involved (notably the warring officers in the Northumbrian police) leaping off the page. But a crime novel stands or falls on how vividly its central protagonist is conjured, and Hannah has come up with a real winner in Detective Sergeant Matt Ryan. -- Barry Forshaw ― Independent

Very creepy. Read it on your commute and you'll be looking over your shoulder all the way home. ―
Marie Claire

Exciting and frightening thriller, that makes you look over your shoulder, even here in peaceful Norway - made me think of "Homeland" when I read it. -- Gunnar Staalesen

The Silent Room by Mari Hannah is a dark, gripping and brutal work of true quality from a writer at the very peak of her powers. -- David Mark

Taut storytelling and razor-sharp dialogue - not to mention Hannah's use of the Northumberland countryside - make this a novel not to be missed. ―
Daily Mail

Pacey, standalone thriller . . . turns out to be an International conspiracy, with all the delicious twists and turns that entails. ―
Sunday Express

Hannah knows how to keep up the pace of her narrative with an excellent mix of action scenes and engaging character . . . Best of all, she creates high drama without using psychopaths, paedophiles or lost children. ―
BookOxygen

A tightly plotted, page turning read with believable characters and a good sense of time and place. ―
Choice Magazine

A rollercoaster of a ride involving corruption, surveillance and espionage . . . the author is a brilliant writer. ―
Sun

Marks out this former probation officer as one of our most exciting and accomplished crime writers . . . Since the publication of
The Murder Wall in 2012, Hannah has deservedly moved into the top league, producing deep, dark, action-packed thrillers that showcase her keen eye for authentic police and forensic detail, masterful plotting and superb characterisation skills . . . As always, Hannah's intelligent plotting is given extra impetus by a cast of vibrant and credible characters, each beautifully portrayed and each explored and developed with the author's remarkable insight, empathy and sensitivity.Clever, compelling and sophisticated. -- Pam Norfolk ― Lancashire Evening Post

A tense and compelling standalone thriller from one of our foremost crime writers. This book gripped me from the opening pages and never let go. -- David Jackson, author of
Cry Baby

Mari has had a varied career and her partner was once a murder detective, which perhaps explains why she pulls some punches about the police force here...This story is based on actual experience, like so many crime novels. It is relatively mild, as far as language and explicit violence go, and despite or because of that it is curiously gripping and enjoyable. --
Jessica MannLiterary Review

Review

Hannah knows how to keep up the pace of her narrative with an excellent mix of action scenes and engaging character . . . Best of all, she creates high drama without using psychopaths, paedophiles or lost children. ― BookOxygen

Pacey, standalone thriller . . . turns out to be an International conspiracy, with all the delicious twists and turns that entails. ―
Sunday Express

Nobody understands the many faces of cops better than Mari Hannah -- Val McDermid

A rollercoaster of a ride involving corruption, surveillance and espionage . . . the author is a brilliant writer. ―
Sun

A tightly plotted, page turning read with believable characters and a good sense of time and place. ―
Choice Magazine

Marks out this former probation officer as one of our most exciting and accomplished crime writers . . . Since the publication of
The Murder Wall in 2012, Hannah has deservedly moved into the top league, producing deep, dark, action-packed thrillers that showcase her keen eye for authentic police and forensic detail, masterful plotting and superb characterisation skills . . . As always, Hannah's intelligent plotting is given extra impetus by a cast of vibrant and credible characters, each beautifully portrayed and each explored and developed with the author's remarkable insight, empathy and sensitivity.Clever, compelling and sophisticated. -- Pam Norfolk ― Lancashire Evening Post

Very creepy. Read it on your commute and you'll be looking over your shoulder all the way home. ―
Marie Claire

Taut storytelling and razor-sharp dialogue - not to mention Hannah's use of the Northumberland countryside - make this a novel not to be missed. ―
Daily Mail

The Silent Room by Mari Hannah is a dark, gripping and brutal work of true quality from a writer at the very peak of her powers. -- David Mark

It has everything a good thriller should, compelling characters, a gripping plot and storyline, superb pacing and a strong sense of place. In addition it has heart, something many thrillers sorely lack. Mari Hannah's superb writing style is put to good use during this break from her series and I was annoyed every time I was forced to put the book down and do mundane yet necessary stuff like eat or sleep. -- Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Mari has had a varied career and her partner was once a murder detective, which perhaps explains why she pulls some punches about the police force here...This story is based on actual experience, like so many crime novels. It is relatively mild, as far as language and explicit violence go, and despite or because of that it is curiously gripping and enjoyable. --
Jessica MannLiterary Review

Exciting and frightening thriller, that makes you look over your shoulder, even here in peaceful Norway - made me think of "Homeland" when I read it. -- Gunnar Staalesen

Mari Hannah has always had two key specialities: a gift for genuinely ingenious plotting matched by a skill at choreographing suspense sequences that is the equal of more stellar names in the genre. Both characteristics are at full stretch in
The Silent Room, with everyone involved (notably the warring officers in the Northumbrian police) leaping off the page. But a crime novel stands or falls on how vividly its central protagonist is conjured, and Hannah has come up with a real winner in Detective Sergeant Matt Ryan. -- Barry Forshaw ― Independent

A tense and compelling standalone thriller from one of our foremost crime writers. This book gripped me from the opening pages and never let go. -- David Jackson, author of
Cry Baby

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00YXNO7JK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Macmillan
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 19 Nov. 2015
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Main Market
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.7 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 417 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1447291060
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Customer reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 755 ratings

About the author

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Mari Hannah
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Multi-award winning Mari Hannah is the author of the Stone & Oliver crime series, the Ryan & O'Neil series and the DCI Kate Daniels series.

In July 2010, she won a Northern Writers' Award for Settled Blood. In 2013, she won the Polari First Book Prize for her debut, The Murder Wall. She was awarded the CWA Dagger in the Library 2017 as the author of the most enjoyed collection of work in libraries. In 2019, she was awarded DIVA Wordsmith of the Year. In that same year, Mari was Programming Chair of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Festival. In 2020, Mari was named as DIVA 'Wordsmith of the Year' and won Capital Crime's 'Crime Book of the Year' award.

She lives in Northumberland with her partner, an former murder detective.

To find her or see where she's appearing, visit her events page at: marihannah.com or follow her on Twitter @mariwriter.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
755 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a fantastic page-turner with an intriguing plot that unravels with many twists and turns, making it a real belter of a crime thriller. Moreover, the writing receives praise for its excellent prose, and customers appreciate the well-developed characters.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

32 customers mention ‘Readability’32 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a brilliant and fantastic page turner. One customer notes it's an engrossing read from start to finish.

"...The characters are well written, well formed and totally believable. DS Matthew Ryan is a damaged person who has an air of vulnerability about him...." Read more

"...Enjoyed it; some interesting characters, twists and turns, but a sense of menace underpinning it...." Read more

"...Think I’ll stick to reading and enjoying them and this one was a very enjoyable read and the first one in a new series I hope." Read more

"A good read as usual but it really puts me off when an author doesn't know when to use apostrophe's." Read more

17 customers mention ‘Plot’17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, describing it as a gripping thriller with many twists and turns.

"...Enjoyed it; some interesting characters, twists and turns, but a sense of menace underpinning it...." Read more

"...Action packed right from the start and gripped me from the front page. Couldn’t look away in case I missed something!..." Read more

"...won me over for a variety of reasons, primarily an involving and intelligent plot, a cast of fascinating characters and the credible emotions they..." Read more

"...always, her characters are skilfully drawn and interesting and her plots tight, relevant and exciting, with the tension mounting to a crescendo of..." Read more

13 customers mention ‘Writing quality’13 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as excellent prose and brilliant authorship, with one customer noting how the plain-speaking dialogue effectively conveys the story.

"...Mari is a fantastic writer, who really does know how to write in such a manner that helps to bring the book alive...." Read more

"...to Fenwick's wife, Hilary, and their three children is well conveyed and The Silent Room is a thriller with a real handle on the heartache of Fenwick..." Read more

"...over her six novels has become,in my opinion, one of our most accomplished crime writers." Read more

"...An original plot, interesting characters. Well thought out and all written. The writers knows how to keep one guessing and totally enthralled." Read more

9 customers mention ‘Character development’9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them interesting and well-written, with one customer particularly loving the character of DS Matthew Ryan.

"...The characters are well written, well formed and totally believable. DS Matthew Ryan is a damaged person who has an air of vulnerability about him...." Read more

"...Enjoyed it; some interesting characters, twists and turns, but a sense of menace underpinning it...." Read more

"...of reasons, primarily an involving and intelligent plot, a cast of fascinating characters and the credible emotions they display...." Read more

"...As always, her characters are skilfully drawn and interesting and her plots tight, relevant and exciting, with the tension mounting to a crescendo..." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Strength’5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the strength of the book, with one noting its well-formed narrative and strong character development, while another mentions its excellent condition.

"...The characters are well written, well formed and totally believable. DS Matthew Ryan is a damaged person who has an air of vulnerability about him...." Read more

"...The main characters - Ryan, O`Neil, Caroline, Grace, are well developed and there are clear signs that they may return in future...." Read more

"...Hannah mixes good old police procedural, with strong characterisation and sets her stories in a place that is so distinctively Geordieland, exposing..." Read more

"...The author goes from strength to strength with each book. The plot has so many twists and turns that leave you desperate to know what happens next...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 November 2015
    A disgraced Special Branch Officer, DI Jack Fenwick, is sprung from a prison van, which is on its way to HMP Durham. He is suspected of being corrupt and of arranging for this prison break. His close friend & colleague DS Matthew Ryan is under suspicion of aiding & abetting the escape. DS Ryan is suspended from duty and warned to steer clear of the investigation but when the investigation hits a snag, DS Ryan (with the help of a few shadowy characters) conducts his own investigation to clear his best friend’s name and catch the people who have kidnapped his best friend.
    This is the BEST BOOK that I have read this year. I was hooked from the very first word of the very first page and I was spellbound right through until the last word of the last chapter.
    Mari is a fantastic writer, who really does know how to write in such a manner that helps to bring the book alive. She knows how to ramp up the drama aspect and how to create a tense atmosphere & situation. The action builds throughout this book until a dramatic conclusion.
    The characters are well written, well formed and totally believable. DS Matthew Ryan is a damaged person who has an air of vulnerability about him. He has lost his parents and as a result he is very protective of his twin sister, who is blind, but she doesn’t allow her blindness to hold her back. DS Ryan feels responsible for DI Fenwick’s family and he does what he can to protect them, whilst at the same time he tries to find those responsible for DI Fenwick’s kidnapping. DS Ryan has a big heart but he is no soft centre and he can be hard & ruthless when necessary.
    I loved the setting in the North East of England which is where I live. So many books are set in London or Manchester, so a change of scenery is refreshing. In this book I recognised the place names & roads mentioned, which helped me to visualise the story in my head.
    This is being described as a standalone but I sincerely hope that this is the beginning of a new series as there is so much scope for a Special Branch Officer based in the North East of England. I was so wrapped up in this book that I even began to imagine who could play the main roles when this is adapted for television &/ or film. Surely it must be a case of when not if as regards a tv adaption. I shall be amazed if the televisions & film rights to this book are not snapped up pretty darn quickly.
    I LOVED this book and would definitely recommend it to others. I can’t wait to read more books featuring DS Matthew Ryan (if there are any).
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 March 2021
    Read this after reading the Stone and Oliver series as I've missed out on Mari Hannah previously. Enjoyed it; some interesting characters, twists and turns, but a sense of menace underpinning it. Living in the North East, it's great to be able to visualise a lot of the settings. Also coincidentally been to Norway so that was also another link for me.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 October 2016
    This is a belter of a crime thriller. One of those books where I’m all agog at the brilliance of it all.

    A security van with a disgraced Special Branch officer Jack Fenwick in the back is hijacked by armed men. The prisoner is taken. His close friend and colleague DS Matt Ryan is suspended from duty and under suspicion of being complicit in the escape.
    Action packed right from the start and gripped me from the front page. Couldn’t look away in case I missed something!
    After the prisoner abduction or escape depending on who believes which scenario, we’re off on the journey alongside DS Ryan, an old retired Special Branch colleague of his Grace Ellis, a spook associate of hers Frank Newman to try to first find Frank and discover who is holding him and why.
    Some shocking parts of the book I really didn’t want to happen and I was shouting out “No, no”, but happen they did and the consequences were devastating.

    DCI Eloise O’Neill and her not very likeable colleague DS Maguire from the police professional standards unit are also investigating the case and are not so convinced of the abducted prisoner’s innocence. There’s a Scandinavian connection and at times this is Northumbrian Noir meets Nordic Svart (I looked that up)
    Now and then I have a thought that I might have a go as a crime fiction writer. I can visualise the headlines “Grandmother of five starts writing successful crime fiction novels in her sixties”, then I read books like this and think ‘Ha, who am I kidding’
    Think I’ll stick to reading and enjoying them and this one was a very enjoyable read and the first one in a new series I hope.
    7 people found this helpful
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