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Macy Greeley Mystery #4
Silent Rain
"Salvalaggio, whose trademarks include intricate plotting and stark but affecting prose, scores another triumph."― Richmond Times-Dispatch
Grace Adams has spent three years trying to move on―mentally, physically, emotionally―from the traumatizing events of her past. But it’s not easy when the world is morbidly curious about the crimes that shaped her childhood, when despite her changed name, people still track her down for the sensational details. Now in college in Bolton, Montana, the one person Grace has trusted with the truth about her past has betrayed her. The bestselling novelist Peter Granger wants to use Grace’s story in his next book, regardless of how desperate Grace is to keep the details to herself. And then, on Halloween night, Peter Granger’s house burns to the ground and his and his wife’s bodies are found inside.
Montana state detective Macy Greeley is sent to Bolton to handle the investigation into the fire and deaths…which soon appear to be arson and murder. It doesn’t take Macy long to realize that Grace isn’t the only one whom Peter Granger has betrayed, and there are no shortage of others in town who took issue with him and his wife. What at first looked like a straightforward investigation is poised to expose some of Bolton’s darkest secrets, and the fallout may put more than one life in danger.
Grace Adams has spent three years trying to move on―mentally, physically, emotionally―from the traumatizing events of her past. But it’s not easy when the world is morbidly curious about the crimes that shaped her childhood, when despite her changed name, people still track her down for the sensational details. Now in college in Bolton, Montana, the one person Grace has trusted with the truth about her past has betrayed her. The bestselling novelist Peter Granger wants to use Grace’s story in his next book, regardless of how desperate Grace is to keep the details to herself. And then, on Halloween night, Peter Granger’s house burns to the ground and his and his wife’s bodies are found inside.
Montana state detective Macy Greeley is sent to Bolton to handle the investigation into the fire and deaths…which soon appear to be arson and murder. It doesn’t take Macy long to realize that Grace isn’t the only one whom Peter Granger has betrayed, and there are no shortage of others in town who took issue with him and his wife. What at first looked like a straightforward investigation is poised to expose some of Bolton’s darkest secrets, and the fallout may put more than one life in danger.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 9, 2017
10 people are currently reading
529 people want to read
About the author
Karin Salvalaggio
10 books93 followersKarin Salvalaggio was born in West Virginia in the 1960s. Her father was career military and her mother was a homemaker. Karin has fond memories of her nomadic childhood. She’s lived in places as climatically diverse as Alaska and Florida and as culturally distinct as California and Iran. Early on, she found companionship in books. Karin attended the University of California Santa Cruz, graduating in 1989, but aside from two years in Italy, she has lived in London, England since 1994. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck, University of London. Her short story “Walleye Junction” was published in the Mechanics Institute Review 8 in 2011. Her debut novel, a thriller entitled Bone Dust White, has received critical praise. Burnt River, the follow up in the Macy Greeley Mystery Series, was published on May 12th 2015 and Walleye Junction came out in May 2016. Silent Rain, the fourth novel in the series, will be published in May 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 27, 2017
This was a stunning, beautifully-written novel that thrilled and inspired me in equal measure. Though fast-paced and the traditional page-turner, Silent Rain felt patient. Salvalaggio knows how to tease and charm her reader, how to 'stop and look around' while still pushing forward. She writes strong, flawed and real females, and she writes them with love. This book will definitely linger, the way a special relationship often does.
April 26, 2017
Review to come.
July 12, 2017
dnf at 27%.
gee, another netgalley dnf. i'm not doing very well, am i?this is only the second but i hate giving up on books
i'm afraid i just wasn't interested enough to keep going. i wasn't going to continue reading a book that bored me out of my mind just for the sake of it. the writing was flat, the characters were flat, and i absolutely do not care who set fire to mr and mrs granger's house. (is that their surname? i can't even remember.)
god, it was just so exceedingly dull. maybe it's my fault, because this is book 4 in a series and i was under the impression it could be read as a standalone, but maybe i was wrong about that? oh well. c'est la vie.
gee, another netgalley dnf. i'm not doing very well, am i?
i'm afraid i just wasn't interested enough to keep going. i wasn't going to continue reading a book that bored me out of my mind just for the sake of it. the writing was flat, the characters were flat, and i absolutely do not care who set fire to mr and mrs granger's house. (is that their surname? i can't even remember.)
god, it was just so exceedingly dull. maybe it's my fault, because this is book 4 in a series and i was under the impression it could be read as a standalone, but maybe i was wrong about that? oh well. c'est la vie.
September 3, 2017
this is the first book I've read by this author. There were a few slow parts to the book but I became intrigued and did not see the end. have already checked out another book by this author from the library. Looking forward to reading more.
April 29, 2017
Silent Rain is part of a series about an intrepid Montana Police Detective Macy Greeley. In this particular novel we meet again Grace Adams, a character from her first novel (Bone Dust White). Macy Greeley balances single motherhood with Luke, a boyfriend, Aiden and her work. Each case that takes her away from her family is a concern, but she is dogged in solving her cases.
Grace is trying to restart her life away from her past, although right now she has a stalker, who is scaring her. She is going to college and has a small circle of friends. There was a huge fire in a local professor’s home with two bodies found. While Macy starts to investigate, she realizes that somehow Grace is tied in with the mystery. There are so many links.
Silent Rain by Karin Salvalaggio brings you on a twisting and turning journey. I found myself changing my perception of who did what several times during the novel as the clues are slowly revealed. Macy’s ability to weave facts and uncover important facets of the case intrigued me.
Silent Rain by Karin Salvalaggio is a mystery to uncover.
Grace is trying to restart her life away from her past, although right now she has a stalker, who is scaring her. She is going to college and has a small circle of friends. There was a huge fire in a local professor’s home with two bodies found. While Macy starts to investigate, she realizes that somehow Grace is tied in with the mystery. There are so many links.
Silent Rain by Karin Salvalaggio brings you on a twisting and turning journey. I found myself changing my perception of who did what several times during the novel as the clues are slowly revealed. Macy’s ability to weave facts and uncover important facets of the case intrigued me.
Silent Rain by Karin Salvalaggio is a mystery to uncover.
May 17, 2017
Silent Rain is the fourth Macy Greeley Mystery by Karin Salvalaggio. I have been really enjoying this series set in Montana.
Macy Greeley is a Montana state detective who is sent all over the state to assist with crimes. This time out she is sent to Bolton, a town that has detectives but needs extra assistance with a case involving a house fire and murders involving a famous author.
Macy comes across Grace Adams from an earlier book. It seems the famous author, Peter Granger whose body is found in his burnt out house, was planning on writing a book about Grace's past without her permission. This of course sets up Grace to be the main suspect.
The author Salvalaggio keeps the reader in suspense until the end with the novel Silent Rain's plot twists. Enjoyable read. Definitely recommend this series.
Macy Greeley is a Montana state detective who is sent all over the state to assist with crimes. This time out she is sent to Bolton, a town that has detectives but needs extra assistance with a case involving a house fire and murders involving a famous author.
Macy comes across Grace Adams from an earlier book. It seems the famous author, Peter Granger whose body is found in his burnt out house, was planning on writing a book about Grace's past without her permission. This of course sets up Grace to be the main suspect.
The author Salvalaggio keeps the reader in suspense until the end with the novel Silent Rain's plot twists. Enjoyable read. Definitely recommend this series.
mystery
May 9, 2017Find it at West Hempstead Public Library http://www.alisweb.org/search/a?searc...
May 19, 2017
Nice job. Salvalaggio gets better with each book.
May 15, 2017
These books keep getting better and better. Macy Greeley is a complex heroine with a great mind. I am very glad to have found them.
August 15, 2017
A great mystery series set in Montana. So excited to see characters from the first book in the series return. Can't wait to see what's next for Macy.
August 12, 2017
Grace Adams has spent three years getting over her traumatic past. Now in college in another town her friend has betrayed her to her college professor. She does not want him to write a book about her and is very unhappy about it.
Then on Halloween night his house burns to the ground and his body is found inside. Soon Grace discovers he has betrayed others.
Then on Halloween night his house burns to the ground and his body is found inside. Soon Grace discovers he has betrayed others.
July 25, 2017
So I now have a new author to read. Three pevious books to put on hold at the library. Loved her heroine and the story. Kept me guessing right till the reveal. Her characters come to life and feel very real.
May 31, 2017
I read the first in the series, which I thought was wonderfully written, and now the fourth. I will need to go back and fill in the middle. The fact that I could pick this up and enjoy it without the middle of the story bodes well for those who want to jump into the series with the latest. "Silent Rain" stands alone as a great book.
In a Montana college town, there's been a Halloween night fire that killed a man and woman, presumed to be a writing and art teacher, respectively. Also in the town, and connected with both of the teachers, is a young woman who had a notoriously horrendous upbringing and so has changed her name in an attempt at anonymity. Not for the first time, however, she is being stalked. Who died, who caused their deaths and why, and how do women survive the predatory men they encounter? Macy Greeley, the state investigator who is called to the remains of the fire is deeply involved with all of these questions.
The depth of the characterization and the underlying questions about the relationships between men and women make this a highly compelling read.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In a Montana college town, there's been a Halloween night fire that killed a man and woman, presumed to be a writing and art teacher, respectively. Also in the town, and connected with both of the teachers, is a young woman who had a notoriously horrendous upbringing and so has changed her name in an attempt at anonymity. Not for the first time, however, she is being stalked. Who died, who caused their deaths and why, and how do women survive the predatory men they encounter? Macy Greeley, the state investigator who is called to the remains of the fire is deeply involved with all of these questions.
The depth of the characterization and the underlying questions about the relationships between men and women make this a highly compelling read.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 5, 2017
I was so glad to have another Macy Greeley book to read! This one was a great addition to the series. I love Macy and enjoy seeing her solving mysteries or spending time with her little son. She is a great character, and she is back again to solve another mystery that involves Grace Adams from the first book, and the murder of an author and his wife. The case soon becomes very complicated as Macy finds out that the victims had a number of potential enemies. She is soon treading on dangerous ground as secrets are uncovered.
Loved the characters in this one, and the storyline kept me engaged and anxious to find out what would happen next. Another winner in the series for me!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
Loved the characters in this one, and the storyline kept me engaged and anxious to find out what would happen next. Another winner in the series for me!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
June 21, 2017
Very much enjoyed this new to me authors book. A murder mystery dealing with an author and artist. Set in a college town in Montana. Lots of twists and turns and side stories keep the action moving right along. Looking forward to exploring more of this writers backlist
June 25, 2017
This book is part of a series set in Montana. The characters give enough hints to help make the mystery a believable tale. This ending allows the reader some clues that there will be more stories for this series.
July 17, 2017
I will look forward to reading the next in the series. I may go back to pick up the first two.
May 15, 2017
Silent Rain by Karin Salvalaggio is the fourth book in the Macy Greeley Mystery series. Grace Larson (aka Grace Adams) is going to Bolton College in Bolton, Montana. She is trying to move on from her horrific past. On Halloween night, Grace went to K-Bar with her friend, Lara and has too much to drink. Grace notices her latest stalker, Jordan, in the bar and, despite her drunken state, also following her on the way home. As she makes her way home (after a few missteps), she finds Peter and Hannah Granger’s home on fire. Grace had thought Peter to be a friend and confidant until he betrayed her trust. Peter, a novelist, just wanted her story for his latest book (I couldn’t believe she actually trusted him). When firefighters enter the house, they find two bodies inside. Detective Macy Greeley is a special investigator with the Montana Department of Justice. Her latest assignment is the fire at the Granger’s home. It is determined that the Granger fire was arson. Now, Macy needs to positively identify the remains found. Grace is worried about her friend, Taylor Moore. She is missing and no one has heard from her. In addition, Grace must deal with her latest stalker, Jordan. One of the victims is Peter Granger, and Macy finds herself with a long suspect list. It turns out that Grace was not the only person Peter betrayed. Macy discovers that Peter had a dark side. Macy needs to zero in on the killer before he strikes again.
Silent Rain has a complex mystery with good clues. Mystery readers will be able to correctly identify the culprit if they pay close attention. I did, though, find the pace of the novel to be very sluggish (it really needed a faster pace). The POV switched back and forth between Grace and Macy. It would take a beat to figure out which character was now speaking. A few details are repeated over and over throughout the book (did the author think we would forget). I give Silent Rain 3 out of 5 stars. Silent Rain could have benefited from some editing and rewriting. It was have made a big difference. I have not read any of the previous books in the Macy Greeley Mystery series, but I found that it did not matter. What happened to Grace in Bone Dust White (first book in series) is told in Silent Rain and the author provides the necessary background details on Macy. Do I want to read the other three books in the series? After reading Silent Rain, the answer is no. I was not taken with the characters or the writing style.
Silent Rain has a complex mystery with good clues. Mystery readers will be able to correctly identify the culprit if they pay close attention. I did, though, find the pace of the novel to be very sluggish (it really needed a faster pace). The POV switched back and forth between Grace and Macy. It would take a beat to figure out which character was now speaking. A few details are repeated over and over throughout the book (did the author think we would forget). I give Silent Rain 3 out of 5 stars. Silent Rain could have benefited from some editing and rewriting. It was have made a big difference. I have not read any of the previous books in the Macy Greeley Mystery series, but I found that it did not matter. What happened to Grace in Bone Dust White (first book in series) is told in Silent Rain and the author provides the necessary background details on Macy. Do I want to read the other three books in the series? After reading Silent Rain, the answer is no. I was not taken with the characters or the writing style.
August 5, 2023
It’s Halloween night in Bolton, Montana as the book opens. Grace Adams is at a bar with her roommate, Lara. Elvis impersonators in costume surround them. Grace wears a prom dress and heels. You don’t need to have read any other books in this series, but if you did, you’d remember Grace Adams. She lived through some nasty stuff in book one, and she lives in Bolton now to reinvent herself a bit. But Grace has a stalker, and she’s afraid to talk to the cops about it. Worse still, a local creative writing instructor wormed her story out of her and now wants to use it as fodder for his next book—something Grace vehemently opposes.
The crowd separates Grace and Lara as the night ends, and soon Grace is on her own walking home in that ridiculous dress and heels. That’s when she sees the stalker. While she clumsily runs to escape him, she sees fires scattered throughout the community that an arsonist presumably set. One of the houses ablaze belongs to Peter Granger, the creative writing instructor who desperately wants to publish Grace’s life story against her will. Granger and a woman presumed to be his wife, Hannah, die in the fire.
The local cops can’t handle the seeming crime wave. So, they reach out to Macy Greeley in Helena. Salvalaggio brings a highly readable writing style to this book, and I found it hard to walk away from.
The crowd separates Grace and Lara as the night ends, and soon Grace is on her own walking home in that ridiculous dress and heels. That’s when she sees the stalker. While she clumsily runs to escape him, she sees fires scattered throughout the community that an arsonist presumably set. One of the houses ablaze belongs to Peter Granger, the creative writing instructor who desperately wants to publish Grace’s life story against her will. Granger and a woman presumed to be his wife, Hannah, die in the fire.
The local cops can’t handle the seeming crime wave. So, they reach out to Macy Greeley in Helena. Salvalaggio brings a highly readable writing style to this book, and I found it hard to walk away from.
July 16, 2017
Silent Rain is the 4th book in the Macy Greeley mystery series, and it should come with a warning label suggesting that readers' enjoyment of this novel will be considerably diminished if they haven't read the previous three...the backstories of the two central characters, Montana state detective Macy Greeley and college student Grace Adams are tangled by events several years in the past, and the tangle is echoing down the years into a current murder(s)...and although author Salvalaggio nicely layers in references to these backstories, these are discreet hints, not rehashes...great if you've read the previous novels, but without that knowledge the two main characters fall a little flat and their actions come across as perplexing or irrational...the mystery itself is complex, though it involves a few too many coincidences and villains....but the glimpses into Macy Greeley's backstory in Silent Rain are intriguing enough to make reading the earlier novels an attractive idea
December 2, 2017
Just now, as I came over to write this, I am learning that this is a series of books. That leaves me even more impressed.
This novel is well-paced, capturing the stresses of being a single parent who relies on her own mother to help out, a woman who always has more to prove as a detective in a rural state agency, and the atmosphere of small town Montana, including how these leading characters could come to be so enigmatic in a college town. Salvalaggio draws very flawed, but relatable, characters. Despite being part of a series, she hit a great balance on explaining the protagonist's past while keeping the story going, and I would guess not annoying her long-time fans. Some of this is how the protagonist is gaining her wisdom and sharing it with others. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
*Rounded up from 4.5 stars.
This novel is well-paced, capturing the stresses of being a single parent who relies on her own mother to help out, a woman who always has more to prove as a detective in a rural state agency, and the atmosphere of small town Montana, including how these leading characters could come to be so enigmatic in a college town. Salvalaggio draws very flawed, but relatable, characters. Despite being part of a series, she hit a great balance on explaining the protagonist's past while keeping the story going, and I would guess not annoying her long-time fans. Some of this is how the protagonist is gaining her wisdom and sharing it with others. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
*Rounded up from 4.5 stars.
January 6, 2018
I didn't know this was part of an ongoing series, but, to tell the truth, the hints at previous crimes and perils were skillfully handled and only served to whet my appetite for the current story. It could be a stand-alone, IMO. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book all the way up to the end. That's when the culprit and the loose ends were brought together and it fell apart for me. There were just too many holes in how I see human psychology working. So, an unsatisfying destination, but one hell of an enjoyable journey to get there.
One VERY small pet peeve: the title. As far as I can tell, the term "silent rain" appears precisely once toward the end of the tale. It was not memorable and I'm puzzled as to why it merited becoming the title.
In the end, I'll definitely try some more of this author's work.
One VERY small pet peeve: the title. As far as I can tell, the term "silent rain" appears precisely once toward the end of the tale. It was not memorable and I'm puzzled as to why it merited becoming the title.
In the end, I'll definitely try some more of this author's work.
December 14, 2021
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway for an honest review.
Will Grace Adams ever be able to move beyond her past and will the world let her? She thought she had finally made a new life in college in a new town. What will unfold will call everything into question. Interesting plot twists, murder, obsession and affairs. What more can you want in a great book. I definitely enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author for sure.
Will Grace Adams ever be able to move beyond her past and will the world let her? She thought she had finally made a new life in college in a new town. What will unfold will call everything into question. Interesting plot twists, murder, obsession and affairs. What more can you want in a great book. I definitely enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author for sure.
June 22, 2017
Despite a decent start this was an overall disappointment. Weak characters, underdeveloped plot, lack of suspense in figuring out who was responsible for the murders/fire, disjointed references to previous circumstances involving both Macy and Grace and a lot of uninteresting action in the first half of the book. Possibly better for those who read all the previous Macy Greeley books.
August 26, 2021
This is my 3rd novel by this author and I’m just not feeling it. It was just, “OK”. Barely. I couldn’t connect with the main character, Macy Greeley and the plot got a little too silly towards end to be anything close to believable. I really tried to get into this series but can waste any more time on future books by this author. A disappointing read!
May 13, 2017
Fantastic. I really love these Macy Greeley books, and this one is especially good. Great set up with a successful author and his obsessed coterie of female students and other women. Lots of twists and a cracking story.
July 17, 2017
My first book w/ Salvalaggio. It was just " okay. " Nice story set in Montana (Bolton) about a writer that was killed and burned to death in his home along w/ another woman ( other than his wife ). A few leads and suspects, but I found it a little boring.
June 19, 2018
The last third of the book saved it. It started slow but finally picked up to a good conclusion. I did not read the previous books so sometimes the review and hints to previous events either slowed the flow down or threw me off the the plot line.
June 22, 2018
Murder & mayhem set in the seamy underbelly of the world of literary fiction! Another excellent read from Karin Salvalaggio, couldn’t put it down & loved getting reacquainted with a character from the first book in the series, Bone Dust White.
August 8, 2017
I found it hard to get into the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews