Rating: 
Summary: A Pleasant Surprise!
Review: I was intrigued by the title and have never read anything by Eileen Goudge, but I was pleasantly surprised. The Second Silence has an excellent balance of mystery and romance -a moving relationship drama. Very enjoyable! Also recommend Shade of the Maple by Kirk Martin and The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks-two incredible relationship dramas.
Rating: 
Summary: So Disappointed!
Review: I'm sitting here wondering whats happened to one of my favorite authors, Eileen Goudge. Since I began reading her books in 1989 with Garden of Lies, I have always looked forward to her next book. And now that I have read all of her books except for One Last Dance, I'm afraid to say her books are going steadily downhill. Even her newest title The Second Silence, failed to interest me the way her older titles once did. I think my main objection to The Second Silence is that it was much too contrived and coincidental. In 1969, a friends suicide leaves her schoolmate, Mary bereft. And some how, some way Mary just knows that her friends slimy boyfriend Robert had something to do with it. Now we move to the year 1999, where Mary's daughter Noelle a recovering alcoholic and mother of one young daughter, wants to divorce none other than this same man, Robert whi has become very prominent in the community. Unfortunately for Noelle, Robert doesn't plan on giving Noelle a divorce too quickly without getting what he also wants. And when he takes his daughter from Noelle's grandmother's home where she's been staying, Robert fails to bring her home telling Noelle instead that the child will live with him while he sues for custody. He claims that Noelle is an unfit mother and it seems as though every one including their next door neighbor is afraid of Robert and therefore is against Noelle. Gearing into action to help Noelle are her parents who have been divorced for almost all of her life. And now come the abounding coincidences. Mary, again, falls in love with her former husband. Noelle and the local doctor fall in love. Robert, who seems to have everyone in his hip pocket is proven to be a scoundrel and even their neighbor's wife who was once Noelle's friends, is found to be having an affair with Robert. The ending wasn't at all surprising and the whole plot made me think of many other romance books I've read which were the same in feeling and characters. And while I've come to expect some repetition, this book hardly held my interest and I was sorry I even finished it. Sorry I couldn't offer a better review. I'm not sure if I'll read Goudge's books in the future - perhaps I'll just reread her older titles which I did adore.
Rating:
Summary: Goudge always delivers
Review: In Burns Lake, New York, after eight years of marriage, Noelle Van Doren informs her spouse Robert that their relationship is over. No one messes with Robert, a cruel developer who willingly destroys people, historical sites, and the environment. Robert refuses to go quietly. He concocts a plan to make Noelle look like a drunken loser. He abducts their little girl Emma more as a punishment of Noelle than for any love of the child. If it only involved her, Noelle would have probably accepted Robert's scheme without a whimper. However, no one will harm Emma without Noelle interceding. With the help of her parents, who divorced long ago in spite of their love for one another, Noelle begins to fight back in an attempt to regain her reputation and more importantly, her beloved Emma. Best selling author Eileen Goudge provides her fans with a suspense-laden relationship drama. The story line is exciting and entertaining even as it switches between the modern Van Doren subplot and that of the 1969 tale involving Noelle's parents. The charcaters are for the most part genre stereotypes. The odious Robert is made so amoral that he turns into a caricature of a villain. Still with Ms. Goudge's talent she makes the duel themes of second chances at love and redemption succeed in an engaging tale. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Pleasant surprise on first encounter
Review: It amazes me how 10 people can read the same book and either love it or hate it. This is the first book by Goudge that I have read; I went into it cold and did not read the reviews until I finished it. Not being an avid reader of romance books, it was a surprise to see that it was combined with my favorite genre: mystery-thriller. You can get the details from other reviewers if that is what you are looking for but I say, read it and judge it for yourself. True, it may sound like a soap opera but aren't our lives the basis for those soaps?Every body has to make decisions that ultimately affect the lives of others and your decisions will have great impact that you never in your life could imagine. In this story, decisons made 4 generations ago lead to a terror-riden climax with a beautiful ending. See if you can identify with the different characters in your own family's generations. I did and saw a lot of "what if"s as we all do. Enjoy the book just to get away from all the stress and obscentities of today's pressures.At least you can put the book down but you can't put your own life on hold!!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Summer Read
Review: Just finished reading this great book, and want to reccommend it to everyone. Eileen Goudge has the ability to involve all her readers in her interesting plots and unique characters. Caring about what happens to each person, and hoping that things will work out well, you will find yourself rapidly turning pages well into the night. Love, family relationships and family quarrels, as well as long-ago deaths of significantly important townspeople of Burns Lake will involve the reader from the very beginning.All the "townies", from the youngest Emma to the oldest Doris, become people you want to know. Even the villians are worthy! Read and enjoy this and all of Goudge's books- they are among the best
Rating:
Summary: Could not put it down!
Review: One of her best books to date. She drew me in from the first paragraph and I could not put it down. You really care about the characters and their lives. Robert might have been a little more evil than was necessary, but, since we were not going to like him anyway, why not make it total. Mary and Charlie were wonderful characters with a lot of depth to them. Even knowing the ending, I will read it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: left me silent.....
Review: This novel is about relationships. There is intrigue involved, but like all of Eileen Goudge's novels that I have read, the main theme is how different individuals relate to each other. The plot line does at times seem contrived, but often real life seems contrived when an unbelievable sociopath is involved. The author is a gifted writer and the book makes for an enjoyable read despite lacking any great points.
Rating: 
Summary: an average, yet enjoyable read
Review: This novel is about relationships. There is intrigue involved, but like all of Eileen Goudge's novels that I have read, the main theme is how different individuals relate to each other. The plot line does at times seem contrived, but often real life seems contrived when an unbelievable sociopath is involved. The author is a gifted writer and the book makes for an enjoyable read despite lacking any great points.
Rating:
Summary: Another Soap Opera
Review: This tale of four generations is a thinly disguised soap opera, with the requisite sex, money, emotional baggage and inter-generational misunderstandings. The characterization was dull and lackluster (until the really steamy parts) and the whole book was more than a bit of a stretch. None of the characters was particularly believable, interesting or sympathethic. I knew a couple chapters into the book that it wasn't for me, but I stuck with it and noticed a lot of sloppy editing toward the end. So glad I got my copy from the library, I am very surprised this book came out in hard cover. Definitely paperback material.
Rating:
Summary: Another Soap Opera
Review: This tale of four generations is a thinly disguised soap opera, with the requisite sex, money, emotional baggage and inter-generational misunderstandings. The characterization was dull and lackluster (until the really steamy parts) and the whole book was more than a bit of a stretch. None of the characters was particularly believable, interesting or sympathethic. I knew a couple chapters into the book that it wasn't for me, but I stuck with it and noticed a lot of sloppy editing toward the end. So glad I got my copy from the library, I am very surprised this book came out in hard cover. Definitely paperback material.
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