Module 9: The Silence of Murder

Mackall, D. D. (2011). The silence of murder. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Summary: Jeremy is an autisitc teenager and a selective mute who has been accused of the murder of the town’s baseball coach. His presence at the scene of the crime and the coach’s blood on his favorite bat lead everyone to believe that he did indeed do it. That is, everyone except his sister Hope. She knows the person that Jeremy is, that it is against his nature to do harm, and will do everything in her power to prove his innocence.

Response: I enjoyed reading this book and was propelled to its finish in order to solve the mystery. I found it interesting to have the story told from Hope’s point of view as the younger and supportive sister to Jeremy. She understands that being his sister makes her different, but it causes her to rise above the immaturity of high school life and drives her to save her brother. I enjoyed that it is not the story of someone who is compelled to snoop into other people’s lives to find out answers, but one who does everything out of love, who gives voice to someone who is voiceless. Hope seeks the truth and in her journey to find it, she find out more about herself and even more about the brother that she knows and loves.

Reviews:

The Silence of Murder.

By Dandi Daley Mackall.

Oct. 2011. 336p. Knopf, Gr. 8-12.

"I have never even once thought there was something 'wrong' with my brother," says 17-year-old Hope Long, but few people share her view. Jeremy, 18, is selectively mute, autistic, and on trial for the murder of a beloved local coach. Wherever their irresponsible alcoholic mother has taken them, Hope has always been Jeremy's advocate, but now, in order to save Jeremy from execution, she must testify to his insanity. Convinced of her brother's innocence, Hope sets out to discover the real murderer. Her investigation leads to the loss of her only friend, a forbidden romance with the sheriff's son, family secrets, and a journey of self-discovery. Hope's first-person narrative pulls readers immediately into the story as she works her way through clues and false leads to the truth. The well-plotted mystery is intriguing, and Hope's determined efforts to solve it have an authentic feel. Secondary characters are a tad one-dimensional, but Hope's compelling voice and the very real sense of danger propel the pace to a solution that will have readers talking.--Lynn Rutan

Rutan, L. (2011, October 1). The Silence of Murder. Booklist, 108(3), 88.

Program: Have a book club discussion about The Silence of Murder. Before the book talk begins, have several jars available and pieces of paper. As that each participant write a pivotal scene or moment from the book that they found pertinent to the mystery or the cohesiveness of the story itself. Have each participant take turns picking a jar and reading the scene described and then discussing its importance.