Keep Quiet

By: Lisa Scottoline

Narrated by: Ron Livingston

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award winning author Lisa Scottoline is loved by millions of readers and listeners for her suspenseful novels about family and justice.

Scottoline delivers once again with Keep Quiet, an emotionally gripping and complex story about one man's split-second decision to protect his son—and the devastating consequences that follow. Jake Buckman's relationship with his sixteen-year-old son Ryan is not an easy one, so at the urging of his loving wife, Pam, Jake goes alone to pick up Ryan at their suburban movie theater. On the way home, Ryan asks to drive on a deserted road, and Jake sees it as a chance to make a connection. However, what starts as a father-son bonding opportunity instantly turns into a nightmare. Tragedy strikes, and with Ryan's entire future hanging in the balance, Jake is forced to make a split-second decision that plunges them both into a world of guilt and lies. Without ever meaning to, Jake and Ryan find themselves living under the crushing weight of their secret, which threatens to tear their family to shreds and ruin them all.

Powerful and dramatic, Keep Quiet will have listeners and book clubs debating what it means to be a parent and how far you can, and should, go to protect those you love.

©2014 Smart Blonde, LLC (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Every parent's worst nightmare is brought chillingly to life by narrator Ron Livingston. He deftly captures the story's many characters and as the terror grows, his measured approach keeps the story believable… a riveting listening experience.” —AudioFile Magazine

“This fast-paced thriller keeps the reader engaged until the very end.” —Library Journal

Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline.

Online Really enjoyed this book. It kept my attention from the beginning to the end. Mystery kept til the end. Quick reading. Good discussion at our book club. Reader did a great job. Pleasant voice.

so many twists!

Engaging and shocking twists the entire way through! Not what you expect, ever!
Highly recommend!

Commute not long enough

Having an hour plus commute each day, I enjoy listening to books. This one, however, made me want to just keep driving! I’m pretty sure I could have listened straight through! Anguish is my best description for this book.

Great book!

I love this book! Keeps you in suspense and isn't too predictable. Some of the voices are too similar, but overall I really enjoyed it!

Couldn't Stop Listening

Finished book in two days. Edge of your seat suspense. Really makes you think how far you would go for your child.

Awesome awesome

If you could sum up Keep Quiet in three words, what would they be?

Keep family safe

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, I never thought it was going to end with secrets

What about Ron Livingston’s performance did you like?

He has always been a good man to listen to.

Who was the most memorable character of Keep Quiet and why?

I would have to say all were memorable, I really got into all the characters.

Excellent and unpredictable

Often stories seems predictable, but as usual, Lisa Scottoline produces an ending like an unexpected “rabbit out of the hat”. This story ran a tad bit slower than usual for me, but maybe I was just being impatient, As a result, I increased the pace of the reading to 1.5. I am glad that I listened to the entire book, for it was worth it. The narration was very clear and well-paced. Even at the speed of 1.5, the comprehension did not muddy the oration. Great storyline. Read it and enjoy expecting the unexpected.

suspenseful, could not put it down

Would you consider the audio edition of Keep Quiet to be better than the print version?

Livingstone voice is amazing

Who was your favorite character and why?

Father - interesting always thinking of ways to shelter his family

What about Ron Livingston’s performance did you like?

He sounded perfect for the father in the story- would search out books that he narrates

If you could take any character from Keep Quiet out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Father very conivving

Any additional comments?

Great story -as a parent this could happen to any family

Quite Compelling Until the Unrealistic Epilogue

What did you like best about Keep Quiet? What did you like least?

The ethical implications were compelling. The situation was one that reminds us that our lives can change in an instant. Our years of goodness can quickly be dismantled by any single moment or series of moments. The quick decisions we make in the face of adversity are easy to criticize in hindsight and this is a key message of the book. I found the character of the mother to be annoying in her endless know-it-all attitude. Her character should have been more developed. She seemed to be a control freak over the males in her life. I felt she somewhat emasculated her husband and treated her high school age son like a little kid.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I found the epilogue highly unrealistic in a modern society where swift judgment is likely unrelenting for a long time to come. I question that any such truths would have set anybody free. It seemed almost like a fairytale ending when too much tragedy had occurred. The truth of the matter is that when certain lines are crossed there is no return to any normalcy and forgiveness is but a slim hope.

Have you listened to any of Ron Livingston’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not but he did a fine job of interpreting the ages and personalities of the characters.

Was Keep Quiet worth the listening time?

Yes. It is light but engaging material for long runs or walks when you don't want to concentrate too hard. The last quarter of the listening time is quite exciting!

Any additional comments?

I loved the story line. I would have just liked the characters to have been a tad more developed in their emotional complexity. Again, the end was a little to nicely tied up with a nice bow. It shouldn't have been so in the realism of life in America.

Enjoyed With a Few Reservations

The story kept me absorbed even though it was unsettling. I felt that the ending was rushed as though the publisher's deadline was approaching and she needed to wrap it up.

The narrator was a mixed bag, although generally good. He did a terrific job with most of the dialogue. But much of the narration sounded like throwaway lines, often rushed. Often he would start a sentence with high energy and peter out as the sentence went on.