The Silence


Fiction - Paranormal
256 Pages
Reviewed on 08/26/2014
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Silence is a paranormal thriller set in the late 1970s, written by Monty Helfgott. John Mackenzie is a self-made man, an expert in finding gems and minerals and developing mines. Mackenzie has a strict policy of only dealing with countries and companies who will deal fairly and equitably with the miners. This policy has brought him legendary status as a humanitarian but has angered many. Mackenzie's back in New York City for a brief spell at his Rockefeller Center offices and is intrigued by a call he receives from Michael Walleck of the International Museum of Judaic History. Walleck asked him if he's had a chance to look at the envelope Walleck had sent him. In it are photographs of relics that have the museum's experts confounded.

Monty Helfgott's paranormal thriller, The Silence, is a grand adventure tale that travels back in time to the first World War and spans the globe. Mackenzie is complex and tortured. His dreams reveal tantalizing bits of his long-buried past and show him still tortured and terrified by memories of past brutality. His mentor, chauffeur and friend, Falasche Tebiban, is a marvelous foil for him. Falasche has secrets which Mackenzie is not privy to, which also lends a nice touch to the plot. The settings in The Silence are inspired as the reader follows Mackenzie from midtown New York to biblical sites in the Middle East and Tel Aviv, and later to an ancient, unspoiled forest in Eastern Europe. Helfgott's writing style is smooth and conversational, and I was quickly involved in the story.

I love archaeological and historical thrillers and The Silence exceeded my expectations. It's got action and adventure, a great plot that keeps getting better, and an irresistible mystery that makes it hard to put the book down. I was quite pleased to discover that The Silence is the first book in a trilogy and am looking forward to reading the next installment of this continuing story. The Silence is an exceptionally good thriller and is very highly recommended.