The Weight of Silence (Nicole Foster Thriller Book 2)

Aberdeen (town, Grays Harbor County). Wishkah Mall. Target. Detective Nicole Foster (Aberdeen PD Homicide, narrator) met Detective Carter Hanson (Aberdeen PD Homicide, partner) at the crime scene.
Luke Tomlinson (husband/father, WinCo grocery chain asst. mgr.) is being interrogated about his daughter Ally Tomlinson (1) & how she died.
Mia Tomlinson (22, Luke’s wife/mother, college student/ pediatric ward nurse’s aide) arrived at the police station.

Nora Harper (victim advocate) is there to sit in on the interview.
Little Pal’s Day Care (Spruce Ave). Debbie Manning is next on the interview list.
Luke has been charged with 2nd-degree murder, child endangerment, child abuse, & assaulting a police officer.
Warrants have also been obtained.
Thom Russo (lawyer) comes to see Luke.
What did Sam Underwood (McDonald’s, gay) reveal to the Aberdeen PD?
What will happen to Luke?

Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written crime thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great crime movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued? A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Thomas & Mercer; the store Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

Gregg Olsen has delivered once again - a taut, well-written police procedural that will keep you on the edge of your seat! 

I have no idea why I waited so long to read The Weight of Silence by Gregg_Olsen when I know that his books always are going to amazing. Of course this one is no exception! 

The Weight of Silence is the follow-up to Olsen's bestseller, The Sound of Rain, where we first met Detective Nicole Foster. Foster is back after her catastrophic downward spiral in The Sound of Rain and ready for a second chance. She's moved back to her childhood home on the Washington coast to care for her niece Emma and begin "fresh" in a new department. Of course, the past never really is buried and her sociopathic sister, Stacey, is not going to let Nicole's past stay in the past for long. 

The story is two-fold: the majority of the theme is an extremely well written police procedural where Nicole and her partner, Carter, are investigating the worst kind of case - the death of a child. The parents insist at every opportunity available that the child's death was an accident. But was it really? Methodical policing may prove otherwise. As the case progresses, Olsen gives us an in-depth examination of Nicole's current life - her intense love for her niece, her "family" which includes an aging pooch and her Alzheimer ridden father. We learn more about Nicole's gambling addiction and the strength she uses to overcome it every single day. To say that Olsen is a master of character development is understatement. He is brilliant. Ultimately Nicole's past and present converge at a climactic conclusion that is extremely satisfying on both fronts. 

There are times when I think that suspense/mystery/thrillers all are blending together and merely re-telling the same plot over and over again. With The Weight of Silence I am reminded how wonderful it is when the genre is done right. 

Five highly recommended Stars to The Weight of Silence! 

The Weight Of Silence – Gregg Olsen

I was fortunate to receive this novel from Netgalley.com as an Advance Reader Copy, in exchange for an objective review.

Nicole Foster is a Detective with the Aberdeen, California PD, who, partnered with Carter Hanson, is called upon to investigate the death of a toddler left in a hot car. In a scene reminiscent of the Harris incident in 2014, a distraught driver has pulled over in a mall parking lot and is screaming. His baby girl, left in the hot car for the entire workday, is deceased.

Nicole has her own problems. As a mother figure to her niece Emma, and sister to a sociopath named Stacy, and provider for her Alzheimer’s afflicted father, she also has overcome a large career mis-step that resulted in a firing from a former law enforcement position, along with a gambling addiction that had left her homeless. Aberdeen PD is her chance at redemption.

As the investigation into the death of little Ally Tomlinson intensifies, it becomes quickly apparent that there is more to the story than a toddler forgotten in a hot car. Timelines don’t all match and cameras and computers hold hidden clues for the detectives.

Meanwhile, Nicole learns the hard way that her sister has returned, and has set her sights on Emma…

Another fabulous read from Gregg Olsen! I couldn’t put it down! A gritty police procedural about human relationships, the dynamics of sisterhood, and the dark recesses of the pathological mind.

Olsen's protagonist, Nicole Foster, labours mightily under the crushing weight of toxic family baggage. Olsen loaded her up with enough childhood dysfunctional drama to make anyone more than a little unhinged.

Nicole mostly uses her trauma as inspiration to be a good homicide cop, but the mask slips easily. She's got serous personal issues that distract her constantly.

In this book, Nicole struggles with her desire to provide young niece Emma with the kind of healthy loving family experience Nicole herself never knew. Why is that a struggle? Because Emma's mother -- Nicole's murderously sociopathic sister Stacey, who Emma thinks died in a car crash -- suddenly pops up after a three year absence and demands to see her daughter. Nicole (with much good reason) considers her sister so evil that she has led Emma to believe her mother's dead. Now Nicole doesn't want Emma to learn the truth, especially since the whole truth will land both sisters in prison and Emma in foster care.

What to do? Nicole must choose between moral and legal justice.

Olsen is a good writer. I don't know if he intends to continue the Nicole Foster story line after this Book 2. If he does, at least Nicole's emotional baggage cart will be lighter by one sociopathic sister!

Oh wow!!! I didn't know if I was going to be into this book since it is a second in a series. However, it is great! I am definitely going to move forward and read anymore books that Greg Olsen writes.
Nicole is a cop with a gambling addiction that has been hovering over her head. She hasn't gambled since she got custody of her niece, Emma. Emma is her world and she will do anything for her.
Stacy is Emma's mother who left and did not want Emma. Thinking that Emma will never return because of a secret she holds over Stacy, she tells Emma, her mother is dead. Surprisingly, Emma returns with a Vengeance and wants to see Emma and be a part of her life. Can Nicole trust Stacy now? Has she really changed?
During all the family drama, there is also a murder case that Nicole is trying to solve. A child no less...……….. left to die in the car. Was it an accident or was it the father who was sexting numerous people while married to Mia. Did he really forget his daughter in the car?
Nicole has a secret herself and could go to prison if she outs Stacy for her secret. Maybe killing Stacy would make it easier? I mean, she is a cop and she knows how an investigation will go.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of The Weight of Silence by Gregg Olsen that I read and reviewed.
This was the second Nicole Foster Thriller and I did not love it as much as I did the first book but I did not hate this book either. This book was centered around the death of a one year old child in a hot car and so it was a very deep subject and was bit hard to read. It also dealt with a lot of Nicole's family issues so you got to learn a lot about Nicole and what she had to deal with and how she was going to deal with her family and her family issues. I think the thing that I had the problem with this book was the child's death. It was just so hard to wrap ones mind around that a parent would do that to their own child.
Overall, this was a really good book and it was a great way to get deeper into the life of Nicole Foster and what makes her tick. There was also a number of plot twist and turns that keeps the book true that thriller that you are expecting to get from Olsen.
I am giving The Weight of Silence five out of five stars.

In this sequel to "The Sound of Rain", Nicole Foster is given another chance to start over. She's back in her hometown & back on the job as a detective. But being a detective means seeing things you don't want to. This is certainly the case when 1 year old Ally is found dead in her father Luke's car after being left for hours during a terrible August heat wave. Why did this happen? According to Luke he forgot about her being there & forgot to take her to daycare. What kind of person forgets something like that? That's what Nicole & her new partner, Carter, are left to ponder as they investigate this case. Luke is in jail. But was this an act of neglect or was it planned? Also if planned was Luke the only person involved. As if this case wasent enough to take it's toll on her, Nicole is faced with the secrets of the past when someone she would prefer never to see again returns to her life. This was a great sequel! As always Gregg Olsen keeps you guessing until the end. Speaking of the end...Wow, I didn't see that coming! I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for an advance read of The Weight of Silence. I realized, only after I'd finished the book, that I'd read another of the author's as well, and I'd really liked it. This one was certainly no disappointment. It happened that I read it in the middle of a heatwave, and a story of a toddler dying in a hot vehicle, so it was timely. The main plot, though, while interesting, but somewhat predictable, was made better by the background of the police officers. Nicole is on this force after having made some bad decisions in another case, and she's also struggling to raise her niece, knowing her sociopath, narcissist sister could return at any time. This book has a lot of darkness, but it's not so heavy that you won't enjoy it. I highly recommend this book.

This is the second in a series. Readers may want to read the first ("The Sound of Rain") before embarking on this tour de force.They are both outstanding. I eagerly awaited publication of the "Weight of Silence" and I wasn't disappointed. There are two stories unfolding here. One seems to be a straightforward crime novel and the other is a complex family story. Gregg Olsen has the uncommon ability to portray female protagonists, especially ones of the slightly damaged variety. The crime involves the horrific death of a child in a hot car apparently due to the extreme negligence of one of the parents. But as the layers are peeled back a set of darker impulses and motives unfolds, and a cast of unique characters emerges from the fringes. These characters are penetratingly observed. The true "solution" to this crime is not difficult to foresee, if not in all its details, but it is very interesting how the police do go about untangling the complex motivation involved. Cameras, it would seem, are everywhere. The family drama involving the protagonist and her narcissistic sister is slightly less successful. Yes, the love binding Nicole and Emma is real, and her motivation in keeping Emma safe at all costs is convincing but the evil sister is just a little over the top and we are told just a few too many times how bad sister Stacy is. But still, a compelling experience overall. The police officers and tech personnel in the small department seem realistically drawn. One gets the sense that true crime writer Olsen knows what he is talking about. And the writing is outstanding, so many finely etched details make this rewarding to read. I sincerely hope this is not the end of the line for this series. More please!

I didn’t love this book. I had a hard time getting interested in the characters and I did not like the authors writing style. I might have enjoyed the book more if I had read the first book in the series. It seemed the author was referring to a back story I wasn’t aware of.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I got this book right after finishing the first book in the Nicole Foster series. I liked the first book and I liked this one even more. Nicole is back in her hometown and raising her niece. She is trying to put her mistakes behind her. She gets a job at the local police station and is in the middle of a big case when her sister shows up. She wants to see her daughter but Nicole knows her sister is pure evil and does what she needs to do to protect her niece. This book is well written although I would have liked a little bit more of an ending. I am really loving this series and I hope there are more books to come.

Nicole Foster is a detective with a lot on her plate. Her sister is a nightmare and causing her problems. Her father is in late stages of Alzheimer's and doesn't remember her. She's raising her sister's daughter, Emma. And to top it off she's investigating a heart wrenching case where a baby has died after her father left her in the hot car all day.

I started reading this book at midnight and I'm now running on no sleep because I couldn't put it down! I loved The Weight of Silence! It is riveting from the first page and never lets up. The writing is so vivid I felt like I was there. So much that my heart aches from reading the scenes a baby dead after being left in the hot car. I couldn't help but feel fury and sadness for the child.

Gregg Olsen does a phenomenal job of mixing and balancing the various layers of this story without losing the reader. And it is a great follow-up to The Sound of Rain or as a stand alone read. I can not wait to read the next in the series.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review!

This is the 2nd book in the Nicole Foster series. I did read the 1st one, but can say, this one could be read without having the back story from book 1. The author does a good job of recapping the important information that is relevant to the background of the main character.

With that being said, I enjoyed the book but not the ending. I felt it ended rather abruptly and I was left with wanting more. I hope the reason why is because a 3rd in the series is in the works. If it was possible, I would rate this one 3.5/5.

Thank you #netgalley and #thomas&mercer for the eARC.

If you are a fan of mysteries, this is the perfect book for you. Gregg Olson wastes no time in getting to the exciting plot of the characters. It was a thrilling story from the first page to the last. I highly recommend it!

in characters in The Weight of Silence are very real and believable, flaws and all. Detective Nicole unfurls the stories, lies, verses reality to get to the truth. Olsen's books keep you on the edge of your chair with all the twists and this book is no exception.

I just finished another Nicole Foster thriller, even though their is a previous book this book can stand alone. Nic is back in her home town after her hitting bottom and loosing her job as a police officer in Bellevue, WA. She has been hired as a law enforcement officer in her home town, bringing a lot of baggage of her past screw ups but also the love of her life, her neice Emma. Things are going sideways for Nic and her demons are pulling her in several directions. How will Nic deal with everything especially when is comes to keeping Emma safe? Once you start reading it's hard to put down, it's a page turner.

Intriguing plot featuring characters of various moral values.....or lack of them.
Love, hate and twisted relationships keeps the reader engaged.
Anyone who knows the Pacific NW coastal area will appreciate the authentic settings.
Good read.

This story had me up way too late wanting to dive deeper to find out more, but at the same time, not wanting the book to end! Nicole had me spellbound in the first book, The Sound of Rain... and continued to keep me in her grasp throughout The Weight of Silence. Intriguing storyline and emotionally identifiable.

Since the book was dedicated to my daughter, it was a MUST read! Thank you Gregg for such a digestible page turner!
I'm ready for #3!

The author's skill in putting you into the story is demonstrated by the fact that this is a very painful reading experience at too much of the time. The main character, Nicole, is a very troubled woman, and that caused me to want desperately to tell her to get professional help! But, she didn't hear me, so a disaster is sure to happen.......

The twists and turns the story took. The relationships Nicole had with her sister and with Carter. The way the story ended, and the least culpable person and the way the story ended with Ally’s parents.

Wonderful book. My tummy us still a lite tied up from holding my breath over and over. The author did an excellent job with the characters and the story. I was right there the whole time. With an author like this creating this story, I HAVE to give it my recommendation! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! :D

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! :D

I really liked this book. Olsen writes very similarly to Sue Grafton of the Alphabet Murders (A is for Alibi.) I loved the female protagonist. She has her flaws and lives her life to overcome them. I really liked the setting in Hoquiam/Aberdeen Washington, as this is my home state. The plot kept me reading from page 1 to the end.

I really did enjoy this book. The mystery plot was excellent, and I liked the character development. One thing early on bothered me. One the detectives said that the death had been reclassified from murder to homicide. Actually, that would be the other way around. In most states a premeditated murder would be Murder I.

The Weight of Silence returns my favorite serial book character Nicole Foster and also her detestable sociopathic sister Stacy. The story is built around the investigation into the hot car death of one year old Amy Tomlinson and as in the first book in the series this is a well told page turning tale.

This book, like all of Gregg Olsen's books grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go. Before you are even half way through the book you feel like you have known the characters through it all. Olsen does such a great job developing the characters. The storyline keeps you on the edge of your seat and wondering what is going to happen next. This book is great as a standalone or as a continuation.

Crime is not my typical genre, but I gave this one a chance. I have only read one other of Olsen's books. I admit I'm drawn to the sense of place in his books as I live in The Pacific Northwest. The characters are well-developed. The pace is fast and interesting.

This is the second of a series and I highly recommend reading them in order. The characters are complex, the plot - even the plot within the plot -has twists and turns and intrigue. I certainly hope there are more Nicole Foster books to come.

Very rarely am a happy with the ending of a thriller. It always seems that there is so much build up that the author suddenly realize that they need a conclusion and it's quickly and sloppily wrapped up. Not in this case. Both storylines were wrapped up in surprising ways but didn't seem forced. The characters are well written, vulnerable but strong. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I thought that the story line was interesting. However, it seemed to end up being a more minor part of the book than the main characters troubles. I thought that the police work was sloppy and just thrown in around all of Nicole's personal problems.

Gregg is one of my favorite authors. I look forward to new books and have reread a number of the previous books. His dialog is genuine, his characters have depth, and there is enough details to round out the story without writing too much to make it tedious. I highly recommend him!

I chose this story because I had liked the Nicole Foster book 1. It was not for me. I'm a bit of a Pollyanna and it was too depressing to wade thru the destructive family dynamics surrounding Nicole.

I like this guy's books, but not this one in particular.....the crime was too troubling and I thought the ending was abrupt
I was glad when the book was over, but will take a break from him for a while

Book 1, The Sound of Rain, started slow and depressing, but got pretty good toward the end. Book 2 is much worse. There is not one likable character in the entire book. Listening to Nicole complain and whine gets repetitive and annoying. I actually returned this book, and will not be listening to Book 3, if there is one.

A little bit creepy and slightly disturbing, but I can't put it down. The book gives you clues and tidbits at just the right rate to help you try to figure out who done it without making it obvious. The characters are flawed and relatable and, therefore, realistic. And the Washington coast setting is fun. Highly recommend it for people who like realistic mysteries that keep you guessing.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Gregg Olsen's true crime books in the past, and only recently delved into his fiction work. I LOVED this book and was on the edge of my seat - I finished it within the course of one weekend. I followed the Atlanta "hot car case" very closely in the news, so this subject matter was particularly interesting to me. What drama!

I'll be downloading more of Gregg's fiction books next - I have lots to catch up on!

Book 1, The Sound of Rain, started slow and depressing, but got pretty good toward the end. Book 2 is much worse. There is not one likable character in the entire book. Listening to Nicole complain and whine gets repetitive and annoying. I actually returned this book, and will not be listening to Book 3, if there is one.

A little bit creepy and slightly disturbing, but I can't put it down. The book gives you clues and tidbits at just the right rate to help you try to figure out who done it without making it obvious. The characters are flawed and relatable and, therefore, realistic. And the Washington coast setting is fun. Highly recommend it for people who like realistic mysteries that keep you guessing.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Gregg Olsen's true crime books in the past, and only recently delved into his fiction work. I LOVED this book and was on the edge of my seat - I finished it within the course of one weekend. I followed the Atlanta "hot car case" very closely in the news, so this subject matter was particularly interesting to me. What drama!

I'll be downloading more of Gregg's fiction books next - I have lots to catch up on!

First, I have to admit that this was my first Gregg Olsen book. But it won’t be my last!
I listened to the book on an extended weekend driving trip, and hardly made any stops because I didn’t want to miss a word! As a parent, there definitely were emotional moments in this story. And every family has dysfunctional members, but whoa!!
Another trip this weekend . . . time to get The Sound of Rain!

When I choose a new author to read I am seldom disappointed and I definitely was not this time. The story moved slowly at first, drawing you in, then took off. This was a good,pretty short read. I'm excited to read the other books in the series now.

It was good-ish. The ending was very abrupt though. Could we have gotten more about the case? How much time did the parents get? Are they also charged with having sex with an underage girl? What's up with Carter? So many questions still....

Great read, keeps the reader wondering and is a very good adaption of a true story to bring awareness to wrongful conviction and the tolls it can take. The main character goes through lengths to prove a murder as she battles with her own demons. Highly recommended!

This was another great read from Gregg Olsen! He’s got a way of drawing you in and keeping you on edge, which I love. The story line is current and the characters are relatable. This book did not disappoint!