4 out of 4 stars
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Jenna Johnson’s first marriage is plagued by abuse and neglect, sending her spiraling down a path of self-doubt. After the divorce, she is determined to prevent other women from feeling as powerless as she had. She becomes a domestic violence caseworker, but her past can sometimes cause her to become too emotionally involved with her clients. It is impossible for her to save every woman that crosses her path, and as her losses seem to outweigh her triumphs, she delves deeper into her own silent agony. However, there is one woman she knows that she can save, but it won’t be easy for Jenna, especially when she finds that her work makes her a target of an anonymous man out for revenge. Will Jenna be able to save her client and herself from the heat of unruly rage?
Meanwhile, Roger Hawthorn becomes trapped in his own web of lies, and he’ll do anything to keep it from unraveling. One woman named Anne Marie has the ability to expose his secrets, so he uses his power as the DA to keep her confined in a mental institution, but she remains determined to expose him.
Teresa Tuten’s Silent Agony is a story full of complex plotlines. I love how all of the pieces fall together at the end to create a satisfying resolution to the suspenseful mystery. The fast-paced action will never leave the reader bored as new revelations are made in every chapter.
The words “silent agony” are repeatedly italicized throughout the novel, emphasizing that you can never tell how a person is truly feeling from their appearance. As she settles into her career, Jenna begins to date again. She goes out with one of her work colleagues;however, he is not exactly who he seems. Tuten mentions his tainted past, and he shows strong anger that hints at an abusive nature. Jenna even feels uneasy around him, but goes on a few dates with him anyway. Despite being a caseworker, she doesn’t realize the extent of his anger. I feel that this points out that the signs of an abusive relationship aren’t always obvious. As the story goes on, many other characters are also revealed to have once been involved in an abusive relationship, showing that it is more common than one might think. While navigating the treacherous waters of dating, Jenna has no idea that the perfect man has been in front of her all along.
I found many commas either missing or added where they shouldn't have been throughout the book. However, these mistakes weren’t enough to detract from my rating. I would give Silent Agony 4 out of 4 stars, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a suspenseful mystery that features a protagonist struggling to overcome her fears of the past in order to look forward to a bright future.
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Silent Agony
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