Not A Word

Author: Linwood Barclay
Genre: Crime Fiction
320 pages
Publisher: William Morrow, June 2026

Synopsis
Someone’s been watching. Someone’s been waiting.

Every family has secrets, but when Reece visits his parents’ home he’s shocked to find his father and a woman he assumes is his mother in bed. Dead. At first glance it looks like a murder-suicide perpetrated by his father, but on closer inspection there’s clearly more to the story. For starters, inconsistencies in the crime scene suggest his dad may not have shot himself.

As Reece, shaken by his horrifying discovery, awaits questioning from the police, his phone lights up. It’s a call from his mom—his real mom. The dead woman in that bed is clearly not the person Reece believed her to be.

His mom is at a lunch date with friends, she says, and can’t raise her husband on the phone. Could Reece drop by and see if everything’s okay? At a loss for how to tell his mother her husband is dead in bed with another woman, Reece simply tells “Come home now.”

But instead of rushing home, she disappears. Could she have been involved? Was she seeking revenge on her husband and a mistress? Or, just as frightening, did someone kill Reece’s father and that woman, thinking wrongly that Reece’s mother had been dispatched?

And what might this grisly scene have to do with the unscrupulous pharma company Reece’s father worked for years ago?

Soon Reece finds himself questioning how well he really knew his parents—who they were, what they did, and who they hurt. Most importantly, he needs to figure out who might want to hurt him and his own family now.

My review
Not A Word is a strong crime thriller from Linwood Barclay. This is the first novel I’ve read by Barclay and I’m impressed with his clean, accessible writing, compelling storyline, and skill at maintaining tension throughout. I was completely drawn into the characters and enjoyed the twisty, chaotic journey to uncover dark family secrets. One hallmark of a great thriller is its ability to fully capture my attention, with a story I can’t put down and characters I can believe, and this one absolutely delivers!

Barclay created sympathetic characters and he clearly has a knack for putting ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. I didn’t always like the characters, but I but I found them convincing and understood most of their choices. The story was compelling, and I was fascinated with how the various characters’ storylines all interconnected. I simply wanted to know more!

Not A Word is a story of long-held family secrets, lies, manipulation, and greed. It’s also a story of family bonds and how far one will go to protect those they love. It’s always fun to discover new authors, and I’m excited to put Barclay on my must-read list. I’ll definitely check out his previous novels.

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Linwood Barclay for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

My recommendation: definitely worth the read!