Deputy Chief M.E. Jake Rosen receives a call from his former mentor, asking for assistance with a challenging case. When Jake travels from New York City to the small town of Turner, he learns that human remains of four individuals have been found on the site of a former state hospital that is targeted for development as a shopping mall. One of the bodies is identified as a former patient who disappeared from the hospital more than 40 years ago. When the victim’s daughter turns up, wanting to sue the hospital and uncover the truth about her father’s death, Jake knows just the right person to call – Philomena “Manny” Manfreda, a crusading attorney who loves to help the underdog in David vs. Goliath cases.  

Unfortunately Jake’s most recent encounter with Manny found him testifying for the defense in her wrongful death suit against the New York City Police Department, so he’s not on her list of favorite people right now. But the possibility of addressing another injustice is enough to overcome Manny’s residual hostility towards Jake, and soon the two are working together to determine how and why four bodies came to be found in unmarked graves. But someone doesn’t want the secrets of the past to come to light, and the investigation turns deadly dangerous and surprisingly personal. The rumpled, intense ME and the stylish but sharp attorney find they make a good team professionally and romantically, but will their first investigation together also be their last?  

The writing in this brief novel is serviceable but unremarkable; Baden and Kenney don’t embarrass themselves but they don’t distinguish themselves either. Undoubtedly the strongest part of the book is the forensic angle. Baden is obviously an expert in this field, and his counterpart Jake teaches a fascinated (and slightly repulsed) Manny the many secrets to be learned by careful, detailed examination of a corpse. Fans of CSI and Baden’s own HBO show Autopsy will appreciate the information, most notably during an unforgettably explicit autopsy.  

The romance between Jake and Manny aspires to Hepburn-and-Tracyesque banter and falls far short, but it’s still charming in an understated sort of way. As much as Manny’s designer name dropping and cutesy relationship with her pet poodle annoyed me, I have to respect a woman who can appreciate Jake’s nerdy but appealing charms. Thankfully the authors realize their writing limitations and include only one mercifully brief sex scene.  

The plot moves along quickly, and while some of the revelations are telegraphed in advance, others are welcome surprises. The story is weakened, however, by utilizing several tired suspense clichés, including the fake phone call from the bad guy to lure the heroine into danger, and the villain who blurts out a long monologue confession with only the slightest push after 40 years of silence.  

With the exception of one scene in the very beginning of the novel, we don’t see any of Manny’s skills as a trial attorney; she functions primarily as a private investigator and Jake’s sounding board. If Baden and Kenney continue to develop these characters in future novels, I hope that the reader will be treated to scenes of the heroine in action. If the relationship, like the authors’ marriage, is to thrive, Manny deserves equal time.  

Remains Silent is far from an accomplished suspense novel, but for two novice novelists it’s not too shabby. If you want a quick entertaining read and are interested in learning the difference between male and female skulls, consider giving it a try.  

--Susan Scribner