The Silent Ones

Book excerpt: A monk must locate a missing priest accused of sexual abuse in a mystery thriller “by turns shocking, poignant, enlightening and inspired” (Wall Street Journal). Monk-turned-lawyer-turned-novelist William Brodrick has proven with each new installment of his Father Anselm series that he’s the “writer of choice for those who prefer a cerebral challenge with a moral and social message”. In The Silent Ones, Brodrick tackles head-on the modern scourge of the Catholic Church to create an intricate thriller that’s as devastating as it is impactful (Crime Review). Father Anselm is enlisted to trace the missing Father Livermore, an American priest with a troubled past. His disappearance is undoubtedly connected to allegations made against him by the family of eleven-year-old Harry Brandwell, but a mysterious visitor to the Priory urges Father Anselm to find out why Harry is prepared to blame an innocent man. Father Anselm finds himself on the trail of an imposter, unaware that he is being drawn into the shadows of a conspiracy while his reputation is exploited by those closest to him. As he probed deeper, he discovers that behind the victim stand many others who have chosen silence as a way to face their own horrors. Contemporary, disturbing, and elegantly plotted, The Silent Ones is a compelling novel about the anatomy of silence, the courage of victims, and the redemptive power of public justice.