Author Claire Stibbe has hit a home run with Into The Silent Sea: A Psychological Thriller. Her in depth examination of her character’s desperation is skin-crawling. The book takes off running from the prologue with the words, “I dream of you. I dream of killing you.” Show me any reader who could resist a hook like that! I couldn’t and didn’t want to resist. In fact, I dove in feet first and was immediately captured by Stibbe hypnotic use of prose to reveal every character’s weakness. And believe me, there are some serious weaknesses in these pages.
When Clo’s husband Ryan announces he is divorcing her, something in her snaps. Never mind that he is an abusive cheater; Clo is devastated. While she admits to “Generalized Anxiety Disorder,” her psychological problems are much more severe. But the reader will soon learn she is not the only mentally ill person in this taut tale.
Taking place in a part of the world I am very familiar with, Stibbe has chosen the coast of eastern Long Island for the setting. She ably captures the raw Atlantic Ocean as well as the lifestyles of the wealthy homeowners who have built extraordinary homes along the coast.
Every character in the story jumps forward to play their part in this twisted tale of betrayal, madness, revenge, and perversion. There are a couple of twists I didn’t see coming, and they kept me reading into the wee hours.
I don’t want to give anything away, but I will say I hated for the story to end. For me, a book is satisfying when it concludes satisfactorily but leaves me wanting more. Stibbe accomplishes this miracle. I can’t wait to see what Claire Stibbe comes up with next!
Between the Beats 
Thank you so much, Lizzi for your fabulous review. It was such a wonderful surprise to wake up to this morning. I’m so glad you liked it!