The Silent Girls (Canaan Crime Novels) Paperback – 13 August 2015

A surprisingly good read. I didn't really expect it to pull me in & hold me riveted to the book. Pretty much didn't stop till I made it through the entire book in one big delicious gulp

This book took so many turns ....what a lot of surprises! I couldn't put it down.......very simulating read!!!!I recommend to anyone who thinks they can guess the end..... You will be shocked!!!!

I'm a fan of mysteries, crime thrillers, psychological thrillers and horror. When I come across an author who is able to hit all genres simultaneously and deliver masterfully, he or she is an author I'm going to look forward to reading again. With one book, Eric Rickstad has inserted himself onto my list of favorites.From the first few opening pages, I was struck by his craft and eloquence with words. Almost anyone can write but not everyone can write well; elevating their work to an art they take care to carefully create and construct. Rickstad paints with words and in The Silent Girls, he creates a dark, moody and barren feel on his narrative canvas that, I gather, is probably just as stark and vivid as Vermont in Winter actually is - or at least he made me believe it is, having never actually been there, myself.Rickstad is a master of metaphor... but also a master at crafting a good, solid, page turning story with interesting characters who generate a desire in the reader to want to learn more about what makes them tick. Rickstad gives plenty to understand each character's motives and agendas but is just as careful not to reveal everything too soon; careful in some cases not to reveal at all and leave you wondering, mulling, speculating.Another example of great technique: the dialog style. Very quick, even and believable back and forth but also the insertion the unusual, flow/halt/flow speaking patterns for certain characters - what some reviewers misunderstood to be a failure to punctuate properly but what was actually a clever device that gave greater insight into specific characters and their personalities; a brilliant way to demonstrate caution, hesitation and the censoring we all do from time to time when trying to articulate ourselves without offending, putting our foot in our mouth or shooting that same said proverbial foot. Show, don't tell. Rickstad presumes the perceptive abilities and intelligence of his reader and deftly understands how to show us what he wants us to see and know without hand-holding and overtly pointing things out in a Julie McCoy activities director kind of way. I appreciated this.The story itself - expertly constructed. I kept looking for opportunities over the week it took me to complete the book to resume reading, eager to find out what happened next; feeling just as eager to unravel the mystery as Rath was. 5 minutes here on my Kindle app while waiting in the check-out line at the grocery store, 15 minutes there while on my morning and afternoon breaks at work. I found the story had an even flow that kept the suspense and tension momentum building throughout.I have to admit, I did guess a couple outcomes long before they were revealed... but I didn't come close to guessing everything, despite the clues being there - and I loved Rickstad all the more for keeping me unsure and off balance with my theories.The reveal at the end - impressive! Several mysteries - only one of them being the primary - laid bare and open. And yet, I was still left disturbed, unsettled. Many loose ends neatly tied up but a few left hanging in a fantastically disconcerting way. Perfection! Life is, after all, seldom wrapped up in a nice, neat package.Thank you, Mr. Rickstad, for a decidedly suspenseful, disquieting and totally enjoyable read! I look forward to your next work.

Enjoyable read, gripping and sometimes scary. Well written and descriptive. Will certainly read more of Eric Rickstad. Would definitely recommend.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book . At times I.did find it a bit odd in the beginning , all the scenery description mixed with what rath was doing or thinking . Once I got into the story though it was brilliant . Great characters , great plot with twists and turns and a cliffhanger ending . I recommend it to.crime and mystery fans !

Loved it. A good mystery always enjoyable