There aren’t many thriller authors out there whose novels leave such a deep impact on your psyche as Linwood Barclay. They range from twisty treats to those that completely pull the rug out from under you when you least expect it. His latest is in the former category. It is as twisting as a predatory snake in the grass.

The events in NOT A WORD unfurl immediately as Reece Chartwell is being questioned by police about what he found in his parents’ bedroom: two lifeless, naked bodies. A gun that he had never seen before was also there, but this was not the biggest surprise. The male was definitely his father, Brent, but the female was not his mother.

"...as twisting as a predatory snake in the grass.... NOT A WORD is exactly what we have come to expect from a Linwood Barclay thriller, and I am confident that his fans will be quite satisfied."

Reece then phones his mother, Catherine, who is still at work. This is all done at the behest of the lead detective in the case, Janice McCabe, who is not to be trifled with and seems to see through the visage of lies and family secrets before Reece does. Both victims died from gunshot wounds to the head, and the initial ruling is a murder-suicide perpetrated by Brent. The woman is eventually identified as Leah Kennard, a name completely unfamiliar to Reece. He picks up his mother from work to bring her home and explain what happened. He also shares details with his wife, Diana, and later his brother, Holden, a recovering drug addict who he knows will not handle this situation well.

As with much of Barclay’s work, it is difficult to present too much within the body of a review without giving away important and really fun details. Let me just say that the portions of the novel that step back into the past show a relationship between Reece’s parents that is not only shocking but also full of deadly secrets. Some of their choices will lay the foundation for the tragic double murder at the start of the book, and the ultimate retribution may not have played out yet.

One very telling historical note has to do with Brent, who was once a top executive at the ultimately ill-fated pharmaceutical company Wiffel-Smith, which created a pain medication that rivaled fentanyl for its deadly and addictive qualities. Just how much that part of his life played in his untimely demise remains to be seen. It is worth pointing out that Barclay has no throwaway references or plot elements. Any and all of them may be at play in helping to sort out the truth behind the novel’s tragic events.

Perhaps the biggest victim here is Reece. The fact that so much of his family’s history occurred both behind his back and directly under his nose elicits much sympathy from readers, if any can be left after all of the Chartwells' dark secrets are revealed. 

NOT A WORD is exactly what we have come to expect from a Linwood Barclay thriller, and I am confident that his fans will be quite satisfied.