When We Were Silent
A gripping and addictive feminist dark academia thriller
$18.05
- Paperback
400 pages
- Release Date
15 April 2025
Summary
In this gripping dark academia revenge thriller, a woman finally speaks out against her elite school, exposing decades of silence, corruption and abuse of power.
“I’m not here for prestige. I’m here for revenge.”
Lou Manson is an outsider when she joins the final-year class at Highfield Manor, Dublin’s most exclusive private school. Beyond the granite pillars and the wrought-iron gates is a world of wealth, privilege and potential.
But Highfield is also hiding a dark s…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781804992494 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1804992496 |
| Author: | Fiona McPhillips |
| Publisher: | Transworld Publishers Ltd |
| Imprint: | Penguin |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 400 |
| Release Date: | 15 April 2025 |
| Weight: | 280g |
| Dimensions: | 199mm x 129mm x 25mm |
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Critics Review
Fiona McPhillips captures the claustrophobic nuance of teenage loyalties, lies and privilege on every page. A twisting, turning dive into a web of long-buried secrets, When We Were Silent marks Fiona McPhillips as one to watch * Jane Harper, New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of EXILES *Suspenseful and beautifully written, this novel perfectly captures teenage intensity and anguish * The Guardian *Secrets involving sexual abuse at an elite private school. Excruciating suspense. Well-written. Made me think of serial abuser/rapist Larry Nassar. * Stephen King *I love a great literary psychological drama. I devoured Fiona McPhillips’s debut, a lovechild of Tana French and Patricia Highsmith, but also totally original. Absolutely brilliant! * John Boyne, bestselling author of THE HEART’S INVISIBLE FURIES *Tense and unsettling * New York Times *A stunning debut – beautifully written, tender and poignant, but pulls no punches. A powerful, unforgettable read * Andrea Mara, bestselling author of NO ONE SAW A THING *A complex story of power, abuse and secrets * Irish Times *With a dark and poetic pen, Fiona McPhillips snakes through the waters of a tony private school, peeling away secrets in tiny waves until they crash into a powerful ending. This book absolutely nails what it feels like to be young, female, powerless, and dead set on redemption. A wonderful, relevant, and beautifully written debut. * Julia Heaberlin, bestselling author of WE ARE ALL THE SAME IN THE DARK *Angry, accomplished … arresting * The Times *Taut, compelling, powerful and devastatingly relevant. A sensational debut * Louise O’Neill, bestselling author of IDOL *
About The Author
Fiona McPhillips
Fiona McPhillips is an Irish journalist, author, and screenwriter. She is also an editor at The Forge literary magazine.
Fiona’s debut novel, When We Were Silent, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards, was the runner-up for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger, and was named one of the Irish Times’ crime books of the year. The Party in the Woods is her second novel.
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