NYPD Detective Claire Codella recently beat a rare form of cancer, but that doesn’t earn her any points with her superior. If anything, she believes it makes him even more determined to discredit her. For some reason, McGowan just doesn’t want her around. But when a body is discovered, he puts in a call to Codella, maybe thinking she’s a better choice than the rookie Munoz, who seems to be the only other person available. Nonetheless, he soon regrets it. A high-profile case like this will give Codella a chance to shine, and there’s little McGowan hates more than watching her take a victory lap.

"SILENT CITY...will please fans of police procedurals and murder mysteries, and those who enjoy a little flirting between characters.... Bravo to this fresh new voice!"

The victim turns out to be Hector Sanchez, the heralded principal of PS 777, one of New York City’s most troubled schools. He was well loved --- at least if you talk to the right people. Others, though, loathed him --- enough others that Codella has no shortage of suspects. The problem is, almost all of them are keeping secrets and none of them are telling her the whole truth. Meanwhile, McGowan is pushing for results, and Codella knows he’d like nothing more than for her to fail. Or at least give him a good reason to yank the case from her. She has a lot to prove, and not just to McGowan. Codella can’t afford to doubt herself, but she has to be sure of her abilities. Can she really handle the job anymore? Is she up to the physical punishment of the long hours and demands of the work?

It takes courage, grit and stamina to be a cop, and Codella intends to use all of her resources to make her comeback a stellar one. But working a homicide means trailing a killer, and sometimes that killer can turn the tables and make the hunter the hunted. Codella must watch out, for her questions about Principal Sanchez are starting to make some people very uncomfortable. One more inquiry that hits a raw nerve, and Codella might find herself the next victim.

Undercurrents of romance flow throughout the story, most notably Codella and Detective Brian Haggerty. They were close before she began treatment for cancer, but something happened to compromise their relationship. Now, trust must be regained…if it can be. The important thing is to be sure the right choices are made when it comes to the job. No one wants to wonder if the backup will be there when it’s needed. What does Haggerty want? Does Codella care, or is that chapter entirely over? And where does Munoz fit in? He’s young, good-looking and smart. Sometimes that’s not enough, though. It turns out that he has his own demons to fight. And how about the school staff? There are all sorts of innuendos being dropped, politics being played and passes being made. PS 777 is a hotbed of backstabbing and finger pointing. But are any of them killers?

SILENT CITY, Carrie Smith’s debut novel, will please fans of police procedurals and murder mysteries, and those who enjoy a little flirting between characters. It’s a quick read, a page-turner, with little time for the reader to catch a breath. Bravo to this fresh new voice!