In the third book in the Silence and Shaows series, Dodie Bishop once again brings the drama and the heat with Raphael and Susannah Rossi. I’ve really been enjoying this series, and I hope this isn’t the last novel. I think it wrapped things up with Sam, but I’m hoping Bishop will continue the series in whatever direction she sees fit. I’m going to give this novel 4.5/5 stars, but I’ll round it up to 5 for the Goodreads review!
Raphael, Susannah, Sam, Noah, and his sons are once again dealing with danger, drama, and chaos. Sam is going to start a new life in Italy after he was “killed” in Jamaica, and connects with his mother’s family in order to do so. They come from the same town as Raphael’s family, so the group is looking forward to reconnecting with relatives. Raphael and Susannah discover multiple surprises and Sam is gratified that his family are more accepting of him and Noah than he thought. All too soon, the group must separate to find out who tried to kill Sam in Jamaica. Noah goes on the hunt in London, Susannah and Raphael get back to their artistry, and Sam is left to worry and wait. However, Susannah accidentally spills the truth to the Duke of Monmouth, which lands everyone in a pile of worry and trouble. Will Sam’s problems ever be laid to rest?
There was so much going on in A Slave to Kings that my synopsis has only reflected the general nature of the book. I’ve totally left out the minor character drama and other issues that Raphael and Susannah are experiencing. Bishop really knows how to weave a complex storyline with the adventure, romance, character-building, and world-building all in a superb and delicate balance. This novel might have been a tad more on the romantic side, but my guess is that it was necessary to give us more insight into a character who I hope will be central to the continuation of the series.
As I said in my introduction, I believe that we’ve wrapped up the business with Sam. I think I’ll have to do more reading about King Charles II to really understand why Sam needed to die in the first book. I get the conundrum he was in, but I’m still not sure why it needed to result in his being out of the picture permanently. I do believe this was a misunderstanding on my part rather than poor execution on Bishop’s. If you want to read more about the Duke of Monmouth, you can check him out here.
Because Sam’s problem appears to have been resolved, I’m curious (and a little worried, if I’m honest) about the next direction this series will take. I’m not ready to let go of Raphael and Susannah after three books! I want more! This series just ticks all of my boxes for romantic suspense. The plot is tense, there’s good camaraderie between the characters, each character has realistic flaws, the romance is a little spicy, and the drama is REAL. I don’t know how Bishop has included all of these elements while still making the books likable. I feel that it’s very hard to have so much going on while still creating a comprehensive novel that isn’t overbalanced in some element.
So, Dodie Bishop, if you’re ever reading this: please write more! The only novel by Bishop I haven’t read is Still Life, but that’s because BookSirens said it had a bittersweet ending and I’m not here for sadness. I’ve said before that Bishop is an author to watch, and I’m finding that I connect with her writing really well. Part of what makes it so quality to me is that if someone needs to be killed, it happens, even though the characters obviously don’t want to. Or, a bit of rough language is thrown in at totally the right moment, or some intimate description is included that could otherwise be closed-door. I find that these details increase the believability of the story and make the characters more relatable.
If you’ve read this far, thanks for sticking with me! Give the Silence and Shadows series a try; I’ve really enjoyed it. Let me know what you think! I will look forward to the next installment, provided there is one. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks, BookSirens!