On their first day, Shep takes Annie and Tess (Ramona & Jerry’s daughter) out.  While they are gone, Ramona, Jerry, and their 2 farm hands are killed and Mira is kidnapped by Allie Hart.  As payback to Sheppard, Mira will die when and how Allie is ready.

All of this happens in the first three chapters.  The mystery is not who kidnapped Mira, but why and how will Shep will find her.

  Allie is an ER doctor with serious control issues.  She is obsessed with patterns.  While kidnapping Mira, Allie shoots Mira in the leg to keep her from running.  Immediately her pattern is screwed up.  Killing people and shooting Mira was not part of the plan.  What Allie hadn’t counted on is lack of control when Mira fights back.  Throughout the book Allie is forced to adapt her plan because of incidents “not in the pattern.”

Considering Mira is the only one not killed at the farm, Shep realizes the kidnapping must be about one of his old cases.  But after 20 years in law enforcement, which case is it?

After the initial kidnapping, the pace of the book doesn’t slow down.  Not wanting to give away the story, I’ll just say that the rest of the book is about the chase of finding Mira and the development of why Allie wants revenge on Shep.  Flashbacks involving Allie’s past and family involve the supernatural.

Total Silence is one of a series featuring Mira and Shep. The horror of six months ago, detailed in the previous book Black Water, involved kidnapping and time travel.  No details are described in Total Silence, but the aftermath of the stress is covered a couple times.  Having not read any of T. J. MacGregor’s books before, I was a little confused by the references to black water.  Fortunately, Total Silence’s mystery stands alone.  I enjoyed the fast action of the Total Silence and will check out the other books with Mira.

--Terry Lawrence