Silence of the Missing

By: Rick R. Reed

Narrated by: David Allen Vargo

Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

He went into the woods…and never came out.

In 1986, thirteen-year-old Jeb Kleber vanished during his small town’s Fourth of July fireworks. His mysterious disappearance left his first love, Sammy Blake, grieving for years.

Flash forward to present day. A now middle-aged Sam Blake has a comfortable and predictable life with his husband Marc in Chicago. All that changes when a stranger arrives at Sam’s door, claiming to be the missing Jeb Kleber. The stranger knows things he couldn’t possibly know—including the hidden love the boys shared during the summer of ’86. He also wears an amethyst pendant Sam gave him shortly before he disappeared.

Could this be the real Jeb Kleber, missing for thirty-seven years? If not, who is this mysterious stranger? And what does he want after all this time? His appearance plunges Sam’s life into a nightmare of questionable identity, long-buried secrets, and perhaps even murder.

©2023 Rick R. Reed (P)2024 Rick R. Reed

Great read!

Wow this new book by Rick Reed is fantastic!
So many twists and turns, and so unexpected! It went in a very different direction from what I was expecting! The book is much more a thriller than romance, and I loved every breath-taking moment of it. I loved the many different POVs giving away the overall plot step by step.

I adored David Allen Vargo’s performance, truly outstanding!

Amazing story

This was an amazing story from the initial disappearance of the young boy Jeb and the devastating effects it has on everyone, especially the other young boy who loves him, Sam. Sam grieves, but as one does after a time, one gets on with life and for Sam, that means marriage to Marc and life as an adult. Then, suddenly there is a man on his doorstep, claiming to be Jeb and knowing things seemingly only Jeb could know and with identifying objects only Jeb should have. The blurb made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and the book itself was even better than the blurb promised. I found this one by turns, sad, creepy, scary and thought provoking. We always assume that if a missing person came back, everything would be an unmitigated joy for that person and all who know them. This book asks, what if we aren't quite sure the returnee is who they claim to be? And what about the lives all those other people have gone on and built? Just went back to this book again on audio and I have to say it was even better the second time. This is one where you notice things on a reread you missed the first time because then you just had to keep reading to find out what happened. Given time for a slow read you appreciate the author's craft even more. David Allen Vargo does a superb job narrating this story and drawing you into the characters thoughts and lives.

Impressive Story & Narration🎧 Thought-Provoking!

“Silence of the Missing” is a fantastic psychological crime thriller, and Rick R. Reed pulls you right in, not only grabbing your attention but keeps you thinking and needing to know what happens next, making it impossible to put the book down. It is a well-written and plotted story and I enjoyed how the timelines were presented, alternating from the present to the past, giving you a glimpse of what happened in the character’s point of view. Sammy Blake’s friend and his first love interest, Jeb Kleber, disappeared in 1986, and was never to be found. Sammy was thirteen-years-old then, but he never got over that loss or the grief from it. Sammy is Sam, a now middle-aged man married to Marc, in what he thought was a solid marriage. One day a stranger rings his bell and claims to be Jeb, has his eyes and even the pendent he gave him. Sam wonders if it is possible and gives the guy a chance to explain, everything he says sounds plausible, but he is still skeptical, especially after he disappears before they finish talking. Then his life gets turned around once again, and everything he thought he knew was not as it seemed. Reed’s descriptive details keep you alongside Sam, experiencing everything he does, including all his emotions, you can to help but feel for the man. It is best to go into the book knowing as little as possible, go in with an open mind and enjoy the ride. The drama is non-stop in this fast moving, thought-provoking story, an emotional rollercoaster ride with lots of twists and turns.

🎧📚🎧  David Allen Vargo delivers another outstanding performance bringing the characters and story to life. He is a versatile voice artist who performs a plethora of different voices, which is great since he covers the roles of all the characters, giving each their own distinct voice, making it easy to follow along and tell who is who. You could hear how much heart he puts into his performance as he captures all the characters’ emotions making you feel every one. This entertaining storyteller is a pleasure to listen to and his performance elevates the story to another level.

Extraordinary event and ordinary people

This is the Before, During, and After story of the lives of ordinary people changed by an extraordinary event. The narrative is wonderful and engaging. He has a beautiful voice. The narrator brought distinction to each character and his vocal talent kept me interested in the story. The story is grounded and sober, using the phenomenon of child disappearance to highlight the effect on everyone who experiences it. The story does not get directly in to the "why" it happens, but provides the mechanics of "how" it can happen. Like life, the characters don't get all the answers, but they do have to go on with the business of living.

Very Disturbing

I am angry with you, Mr. Reed. To have so much distraught for Sammy who only wanted to love and be loved. You gave him all that misery and heartache. My heart broke for Sammy repeatedly. This story was compelling and emotional. The two fold plot lines became intertwined revealing the shocking conclusion. This was well written, delivered brilliantly by the uber talents of David Allen Vargo's narration.

Twisty and Eerie Suspense

This was so memorable. I absolutely loved the book and the audio version did not disappoint either. Sam’s story is filled with loss and grief and the narrator does a good job getting the tone right. This is a compelling listen because Sam’s story has so many twists and turns. This author is so good a creating an eerie atmosphere where you don’t know what is real or who to trust. But what I loved most is all the different looks at love, the unending love between parent and child, a fleeting first love that never had a chance, a once strong love slowly dying. Without spoiling, I loved that we leave Sam in a hopeful place which is kind of a miracle. This one is amazing.

An interesting and accessible thriller

On the surface, “Silence of the Missing” by Rick R. Reed is a rather enthralling mystery/thriller involving murder, abduction, love and loss. Digging into it a little deeper though is where the cracks start to appear through some plot inconsistencies and where some plot choices require significant leaps that are hard to reconcile.

The story is mostly told from the perspective of Sam Blake. Starting back in the mid-eighties, the young Sam is falling for his boyhood friend Jeb. Together, they’re somewhat shyly exploring their feelings and coming to grips with what it all means.

During the Fourth of July’s fireworks put on by the small town they live in, Jeb goes missing without a trace. Never to be heard from again, until some thirty plus years later a man turns up on Sam’s doorstep, claiming to be Jeb.

In this time, Sam has moved on and married and has a reasonably happy, if dull, life. The arrival of Jeb throws everything Sam knows into question, and when Sam’s husband Marc suddenly vanishes, the stresses Sam is under began to take their toll.

There are, as mentioned, some inconsistencies I made a note of that took me out of the moment. One was where the young Sam comes out to Trudy, his mother, by telling her he’s in love with Jeb. Trudy acknowledges that she knew but wanted Sam to say it first. Then later in the story during a flashback, Trudy mentions to someone while on a date that Sam told her he is gay, even though that doesn’t happen until the following weekend.

The other major note I had was Jeb’s abductor had been in prison for multiple times, yet he hadn’t somehow moved on or escaped the life. Just a little hard to believe, doubly so when early in the book the older Sam talks of other abduction cases where the kids escaped at the first available moment.

Ignoring the inconsistencies, the story is actually engaging and kept me listening and needing to know exactly what the hell happened those thirty-some years ago, and why the sudden reappearance of Jeb in Sam’s life.

It’s not the most complex of plots, as I was piecing together a lot of the parts earlier than I think the author intended, but simplicity can be just as satisfying. More of a pulp-thriller if I were to boil it down to a specific genre.

This is the second book I have listened to recently that is narrated by David Allen Vargo. Like the first, Vargo delivers an excellent and immersive performance in his easy-to-listen-to voice. A range of distinct male and female voices, light effects and music sprinkled throughout, with excellent production and a clean, consistent read.

Ultimately, “Silence of the Missing” is an interesting and accessible thriller that, with a runtime of just under seven hours, can be finished in a few short sittings. While the plot may not withstand intense scrutiny, the surface-level story will draw you into a world of mystery and suspense, making it a great choice for those seeking a riveting and straightforward listen.

Captivating!!

An emotionally charged audio with explicit details of the horror two victims encounter. One struggles with making sense of this world while the other adheres to the darkness. All the while, a man is strung along trying to find his purpose after loss. I cried throughout the majority of these words, holding on to a small piece of hope for Sam and his childhood memories. Unfortunately, people change and become the villain rather than the hero.

Edge of your seat!!!

Rick R Reed created an amazing dark mystery with this one. I listened to this book on Audible narrated by David Allen Vargo... he did an amazing job considering how many POVs there were. What a wild ride. If you like psychological thriller/mysteries stories then this will be right up your alley. It had me on the edge of my seat.

There were a couple of unanswered questions I had, but all in all it was an enjoyable listen.

Rollercoaster tide of emotions!

Holy Moly!!! This was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Sam has went through a world of hurt and it all came around full force. There were many unexpected turns and the author kept me guessing. The storyline is well thought out and the character’s personalities are varied and believable. Thrilling.