Strangled Silence

Amina Mir, a summer temp and wannabe fledgling journalist for a local newspaper, is assigned to interview Ivor McMorris, a wounded war correspondent of an ongoing war in Sinnostan who wins a couple million in the lottery. McMorris reveals that he’s afraid to spend the money because of what the army might do to him since he believes that he’s been brainwashed. Although the newspaper severely waters down the final report, Amina joins forces with Ivor and tabloid reporter Chi Sandwith to investigate Ivor’s conspiracy theories amid death threats, mysterious murders, and a multitude of setups. It is a race against time whether the truth is revealed or not.

Award-winning author Oisín McGann spins a twisted conspiracy thriller that has a fact-over-fiction feel to it. First published in the UK in 2008, McGann’s narrative aptly captures relevant hot-topic issues. Good examples are media’s imbalanced coverage of news and the control of government and the military. McGann uses a number of literary tools to keep his narrative moving, such as using his surly and sinister antagonists as foils to develop his three protagonists and constantly alternating between character scenes throughout his oddly numbered chapters. Strangled Silence is indubitably a gripping read from beginning to end!