Book Review: The Silent Friend by Alison Stockham

I am pleased to be welcoming Alison Stockham to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Silent Friend.

When it comes to saving yourself, who will you betray?

Louise has a shadowy past that she wants to break free from and when she develops an unlikely friendship with Isabelle, her neighbour, she finally finds the family she’s always yearned for.

But Louise knows more about Isabelle than her new friend realises, more specifically about her imprisoned husband – and the circumstances behind his arrest.

Louise is faced with a choice: to continue lying to her only friend or tell the truth and ruin any chance she has of starting over…

*****

When Louise befriends her new neighbour, Isabelle, she sees a chance to break away from her past. 

However, Louise is keeping a big secret. One that, if it comes out, could ruin the new life she has found for herself. 

This was the first book by Alison Stockham I had read. The premise for the book intrigued me so I couldn’t wait to get started. 

This book has unexpected twists and turns that had me reading well into the night. There is a big sense of tension that bubbles under the surface all the way through. 

Louise is a complex character. There were times where I really didn’t like her and then I’d find out something about her or she’d do something that would have me questioning my feelings. She’s had a tough life and although this doesn’t condone her actions, it gives you perspective on her and allows the sympathy to build just a little. By the end, I wanted her to be ok. 

Isabelle has growth through the novel too. She goes from being sheltered to finding herself and becoming stronger and that was good to see. 

The relationship between Louise and Isabelle was lovely despite the complications around it. It was a good study on platonic love and how families can be formed in many different ways. 

I honestly hope that we catch up with Isabelle and Louise at some point. I became very fond of them.

This is a novel about trust, family and redemption. It’s about taking a leap of faith on yourself and those around you. It does cover some hard themes – like fraud for example and shines a much needed light on how devastating confidence fraud and theft can be. 

I found this book to be very compelling and it would make an excellent holiday companion or that book you decide to read on sunny day. 

About Alison Stockham –

Alison Stockham’s debut novel The Cuckoo Sister, will be published by Boldwood in February 2023, and has already been longlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize.

Having worked in TV documentary production for the BBC and Channel 4, Alison is now the Events Coordinator for the Cambridge Literary Festival.

Say hello via Facebook and Twitter. Click here to sign up to Alison’s newsletter. 

The Silent Friend was released by Boldwood Books on 24th July 2023. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.