Book Review - To Keep Silent by Thomas Sachs

A thrilling piece of occult horror from Thomas Sachs

Have you ever wished for a totally different life? What would you do to attain that wish? For one particular group, taking part in an occult ritual was the way to go, but keeping silent about your deeds can be difficult, especially when you have someone snooping around looking for answers.

For the start, you become aware that Nick, the main character of the piece, is ill-equipped for the task he has taken on, which is to find out about the death of his lover, Floriana. He can’t even decide how to introduce himself to the men he has tracked down, believing that “Private, private investigator” is the way to go.

I really enjoyed the way each interaction with the people involved in the ritual played out. It felt like a connected series of short stories, which is not to suggest that the book is disjointed, as it certainly is not. Even when the found men speak, there still feels like an air of mystery to the entire ordeal, which keeps you turning the pages, looking for a larger reveal.

There is an air of negativity and unhappiness hanging around each of the people involved in the ritual, proving that the grass is not always greener when you have everything you want. Finding the answers seems to deliver that same feeling to Nick, dragging the reader to an unpleasant ending that hits hard.

This is a fantastic debut novel and one that I am more than happy to recommend to horror lovers, especially if you are a fan of occult horror.