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The book under consideration<\/strong> here is an example of a type of novel I like very much. It\u2019s a \u201csmall\u201d mystery, localized and character-driven. No international conspiracies; no shadowy government agents. An End to a Silence<\/a><\/em> is the sort of mystery that\u2019s produced more in England than in America nowadays, and as it happens the author is English, though the story is set in America, in a small town in Montana, and seems right at home.<\/p>\n Detective Newton is a burnt-out case, a cop whose career stalled long ago. Now he\u2019s just marking time until retirement. But he\u2019s called to a local nursing home, where an old man\u2019s death has been identified as murder. When Newton sees the victim, he\u2019s suddenly galvanized. This man, Bill O\u2019Donnell, is a suspect in 25 year old case, the disappearance of O\u2019Donnell\u2019s own grandson. Newton is certain that O\u2019Donnell killed the boy and hid the body, despite the fact that he was a kindly man, loved in the community and active in his church.<\/p>\n A new policeman has come to help. His name is Ward (he never explains whether it\u2019s his first or last name), and he\u2019s straight out of a Hollywood western. He\u2019s from Texas, he’s tall and lean and taciturn, he wears a cowboy hat, and he has secrets. Along with investigating the murder, he gets involved in protecting a local woman from her abusive, junkie ex-husband.<\/p>\n The story is all about secrets, and what people do to protect themselves and those they love. There\u2019s a surprising reversal at the end, giving us a resolution that\u2019s not entirely satisfying, but true to life as we know it.<\/p>\n I enjoyed An End to a Silence<\/em> very much, and regret that this is the author\u2019s first novel. I fear I\u2019ll forget his name before there\u2019s another. Sex, language, and violence are relatively mild, and on top of that the Christians in the book are treated respectfully.<\/p>\n Recommended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The book under consideration here is an example of a type of novel I like very much. It\u2019s a \u201csmall\u201d mystery, localized and character-driven. No international conspiracies; no shadowy government agents. An End to a Silence is the sort of mystery that\u2019s produced more in England than in America nowadays, and as it happens the … Continue reading ‘An End to a Silence,’ by W. H. Clark<\/span>