Silent Came the Monster

A Novel of the 1916 Jersey Shore Shark Attacks

By: Amy Hill Hearth

Narrated by: David Marantz

Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner, AudioFile Earphones Award

"This audiobook demonstrates that a shark attack can be as scary on audio as it is on the big screen…[Marantz] employs a low-key delivery that complements author Amy Hill Hearth's superb dialogue."–AudioFile Magazine

From New York Times bestselling author Amy Hill Hearth comes her first historical thriller, inspired by the story of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark.

“Sharks are as timid as rabbits,” says a superintendent of the Coast Guard, dismissing the possibility that a shark could be the culprit in an unprecedented fatal attack at the Jersey Shore. It’s July, and swimming in the sea is a popular new pastime, but people up and down the East Coast are shocked and mystified by the swimmer’s death. A prominent surgeon at the shore, Dr. Edwin Halsey is the one who examines the victim, and the only one who believes the perpetrator was a shark—and that it will strike again.

With the public and the authorities—and even those who witnessed the attacks—so stubbornly disbelieving, Dr. Halsey finds himself fighting widespread confusion, conspiracy theories, and outright denial. Seeking the input of commercial fisherman, he soon learns they have long been concerned about a creature they call the Beast. The Lenape, one of the tribes native to the area, have their own beliefs about this creature, but can Dr. Halsey convince the rest of the world before it’s too late?

The story of the 1916 Jersey Shore shark changed the way Americans think of the seashore, reminding us once again that nature plays by its own rules.

©2023 Amy Hill Hearth (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Thoroughly enjoyed!!!

I have watched multiple documentaries about the 1916 shark attacks on the Jersey shore. This was a very well written historical fiction. Loved it!!

Enjoyed this fiction of the Jersey Shore

The characters were so lifelike! Being familiar with the town of Beach Haven and the fishing dock, I felt like I was there. Before my time ,but I found this very interesting

The Summer Of The Shark

I was 12 when I first learned about the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916. As some may recall, the summer of 2001 was called “The Summer Of The Shark” after a series of prolific attacks up and down the eastern seaboard and in the gulf. After which the 1916 attacks were given new notoriety. As someone who was obsessed with both the film and novel “Jaws” from a young age, it was thrilling to learn about the history that inspired everyone’s favorite shark story. So when I saw that a historical fiction novel about the 1916 attacks was coming just in time for summer, I knew I had to buy it as soon as possible.
To be sure, not all shark stories are created equal. Far too many are schlocky “Jaws” ripoffs populated by humans that are quite literally too dumb to live. So if you’re looking for silly “Meg”-style shark horror, prepare to be disappointed. This is a more atmospheric, thoughtful, and historically minded account of the attacks. It’s clear that the author has done painstaking research into the setting and time and all that legwork (pardon the pun) lends a real feeling of authenticity to the piece. And while it’s not as terrifying or chilling as “Jaws”, and the dialogue can feel stilted or clunky, there is a palpable tension and dread that the author establishes every time the shark emerges, so much so I would call this “historical horror” rather than “historical fiction”. To be sure, it has its problems. The dialogue can feel unnatural, the pace can be paradoxically brisk and glacial, the characters are a bit thin, and the story beats are pretty familiar and predictable at this point. However, I think it’s perfect beach reading for a hot summer day. So if you’re looking for a fun summer novel or something spooky to read at the shore while you suspiciously eye the ocean then definitely give “Silent Came The Monster” a listen.

If you enjoyed “Silent Came The Monster” and are in the market for similar “sea-horror” titles for the summer then check out “Jaws”, “Beast”, or “White Shark” by Peter Benchley or the “Rolling In The Deep” series by Mira Grant. If however you’re looking for more historically minded accounts of the 1916 attacks, you might enjoy “Close To Shore” by Michael Capuzzo, or “Twelve Days Of Terror” by Richard G. Fernicola.

Death Comes on Silent Waves

This was a really interesting view on the shark attacks that were happening off the New Jersey shoreline. For the longest time, many did not or could not believe that a shark could be responsible for the attacks. Not until a few were able to get an actual view of the beast did the idea that a shark COULD be killing those off the coast become a reality.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was a fabulous read, and one that I think my kids will enjoy reading as well.

A Misguided Homage To Jaws

I was excited for this book. As a student of sharks I eagerly devour everything I can find in the genre. This was a huge disappointment and looks like the author uploaded the novel JAWS to ChatGPT and this, with a few select edits and rewrites, it the final draft. This could have been an exciting book. Alas, it’s a boring ripoff.

Supportive of shark preservation

From the book, “They have as much a right to be here as we do.”
Tightly and expertly written. Deep characters. Fun to read.
Terrific narrator!

Jaw-ful

Another listener commented that the story sounds like it was written by AI, and I couldn’t offer a better assessment if I tried.

Also, the book tries in a not-so-subtle way to draw parallels to the the way that the general public and some factions of the government deny science and deny facts. I get it, but it came off preachy. I just wanted to listen to a story about sharks.

Boring and barley any shark

At first, I was happy when I found this because there’s not a lot of novels about the 1916 shark attacks but unfortunately, this book had way too much filler and not enough shark much like a lot of shark movies nowadays, don’t waste your money on this book because it is boring as heck

How did this get published?

The writing is just horrible. I was very excited for this release, but it has been a disappointment. Just terrible

Glacial pace. Predictable story beats

Could have been written by AI, imo.
Based upon historical events. Could have skipped this and read the newspaper clippings instead. :/