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Silent Key

Published by Flame Tree Press
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

A detective, supernatural mystery for fans of Kelley Armstrong and Rachel Caine, with elements of Nick Cutter’s The Deep and Stephen King’s Firestarter.



After the loss of her husband under mysterious circumstances, former Detective Cam Ambrose learns how little she truly knew him. Reeling with the grief of her loss and the realization that the man she loved was a stranger, she must learn how to keep her young daughter safe from a world of the supernatural she never knew existed. With the help of her best friend Dimi and reclusive neighbor Eric Morgan, she sets out to solve a decades-old mystery entangling the machinations of an obsessed killer, her husband’s mistress, and a series of deadly hauntings.

FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress.

About The Author

Laurel Hightower lives in Lexington, Kentucky, the land of horses and bourbon, with her husband, son, and a rescue Pitbull. She is the author of Whispers in the Dark, Crossroads, and Below, and has more than a dozen short fiction stories in print.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Flame Tree Press (October 10, 2023)
  • Length: 304 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781787588561

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Raves and Reviews

'Silent Key is one hell of a read. In this masterful melding of multiple genres, Hightower weaves mystery and espionage into a stellar twist on the ghost story. This book deserves to make it into every airport bookshop and supermarket spinner rack. Laurel Hightower is one to watch!'

– Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones and All Hallows

'Leave it to Laurel Hightower to skillfully blend crime, heart and horror with the deftness of an artisan at the top of their game. A hard-boiled thriller from start to finish with a killer ending. Do not miss this one.'

– Robert P. Ottone, author of The Vile Thing We Created and the Bram Stoker Award-winning novel The Triangle

'I’m convinced that everything Hightower writes is designed to emotionally destroy readers, and Silent Key is no exception. This book is a harrowing character study wrapped in a paranormal mystery that’s guaranteed to have you desperate (and afraid) to turn the page.'

– Caitlin Marceau, Award-winning author of This Is Where We Talk Things Out

'Intense. Terrifying. Heartfelt. With Silent Key, Laurel Hightower perfects her unique blend of ghostly horror with the technical prowess of a crime thriller. This novel will pull you into its depths and drown you in its mystery. Don't miss it.'

– Todd Keisling, Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Devil’s Creek

'Paranormal horror rolls like waves through a heart wrenching ocean of grief, loss, and the bonds of family as Hightower examines the lengths we'll go to save the ones we love most. Creepy dread permeates Silent Key which expertly blends history, romance, and mystery all the while delivering a story that will drag you into the deepest abyss and leave you breathless.'

– E.V. Knight, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Fourth Whore and Three Days in the Pink Tower

"Silent Key is a great mash-up of different genres, full of well-drawn characters, dropped into a fast-moving plot with some thrills and spills and a fair dose of frights ranging from feelings of dread and unease to full blown jump scares. You have been warned."

– Concatenation

"Silent Key, being primarily a horror and supernatural story, has sturdy elements of a police detective and crime story and even some elements of historical espionage, which work wonderfully together. On top of that, reading it was almost like watching a film in book form."

– British Fantasy Society

"A great ghost tale [with] aspects of a thriller and crime story."

– SF Book

"Laurel Hightower remains consistent in her ability to really weave horror in with motherhood, grief, and humanity, creating compelling characters facing supernatural threats with a particular kind of strength."

– Divination Hollow Reviews

"A chilling ghost story."

– Scintilla

"Part police procedural, part mystery, and part paranormal horror, this book is sure to hook readers right from the start, pulling them deeper and deeper as things progress. Readers that enjoy tales that slowly unravel while the action picks up are going to love this."

– Erica Robyn Reads

"Hightower’s skill at portraying strong female heroines who don’t give up without a fight is on full display here. Fans who have enjoyed Hightower’s previous books will enjoy this one."

– Booklist

"Thoroughly absorbing. This is not just a supernatural tale – there is mystery combined with thriller and horror elements. If, like me, you delight in a compellingly gripping ghost story, you will not want to miss this one!"

– Phantasmagoria Magazine

"A highly readable and enjoyable horror novel which was dreamed up by an incredibly fertile imagination."

– Ginger Nuts of Horror

"‘Silent Key’ features a melding of several genres that Laurel Hightower wields deftly and confidently, ultimately giving us readers one of the more solid ‘paranormal-mystery-thrillers’ I’ve read in some time."

– Steve Stred

"An outstanding genre-bender." / one of Tony Jones' top horror novels of 2023

– HorrorDNA

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