When We Were Silent

With a dark and poetic pen, Fiona McPhillips snakes through the waters of a tony private school, peeling away secrets in tiny waves until they crash into a powerful ending. This book absolutely nails what it feels like to be young, female, powerless, and dead set on redemption. A wonderful, relevant, and beautifully written debut.

Julia Heaberlin, bestselling author of WE ARE ALL THE SAME IN THE DARK

Taut, compelling, powerful and devastatingly relevant. A sensational debut

Louise O'Neill, bestselling author of IDOL

I raced through this spellbinding, gripping thriller about scandal and secrets at a prestigious girls school. It’s gripping, shocking and enraging, a story of lost youth, redemption and the power of speaking out, and it’s so beautifully written

Cressida McLaughlin

Fiona McPhillips captures the claustrophobic nuance of teenage loyalties, lies and privilege on every page. A twisting, turning dive into a web of long-buried secrets, When We Were Silent marks Fiona McPhillips as one to watch

Jane Harper, New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of EXILES

One of the most compelling books I've ever read. Fiona McPhillips has woven a story that is compulsive, tender and chilling in its familiarity. I was hooked all the way through, and had an enormously cathartic sob at the end!

Jessica Bull, author of MISS AUSTEN INVESTIGATES

A heart-pounding, gripping, fury-inducing, all-consuming emotional rollercoaster of a story

Jennie Godfrey, author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS

Such achingly beautiful, lyrical writing. It’s no mean feat to develop a teenage character of such depth and complexity, and I was utterly enthralled by Lou’s journey. The prose was at once defiant, vulnerable and deeply compelling. I found myself holding my breath so many times and the slow burning rage of Lou’s voice gripped me throughout.

Natalie Chandler, author of BELIEVE ME NOT

Brilliantly written, compelling and harrowing in equal parts. I absolutely loved it. You don't want to miss it

James Oswald, author of NATURAL CAUSES

I love a great literary psychological drama. I devoured Fiona McPhillips's debut, a lovechild of Tana French and Patricia Highsmith, but also totally original. Absolutely brilliant!

John Boyne, bestselling author of THE HEART'S INVISIBLE FURIES

A stunning debut – beautifully written, tender and poignant, but pulls no punches. A powerful, unforgettable read

Andrea Mara, bestselling author of NO ONE SAW A THING

Broken bonds, betrayal and breaststroke. With shades of My Dark Vanessa, this moving thriller set at an elite private school dives into dark, emotional depths I couldn't tear myself away from. Top marks from me

Chris MacDonald, author of THE ACTOR

‘An urgent and suspenseful read that asks important questions about consent, agency and complicity. It will keep you gripped’

Katie Bishop, author of THE GIRLS OF SUMMER

Fiona McPhillips’ suspenseful debut is a taut, beautifully written exploration of the burden of guilt and grief and the scarring effects of misogyny, abuse, and long-buried pain. When We Were Silent with its poetic prose and unsettling tension, strikes the perfect balance of discomfort, despair, and ultimately, hope

Ashley Tate, author of TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES

If you enjoyed My Dark Vanessa, this is definitely one for your TBR. Phenomenally tense and very, very well written

Elle Machray, author of REMEMBER, REMEMBER

Utterly amazing . . . Powerful, moving, enraging

Marian Keyes, bestselling author of AGAIN, RACHEL

McPhillips deftly alternates between past and present, maximizing suspense by playing multiple mysteries in each timeline off one another. With the added urgency of Lou’s first-person-present narration, the author wrings her powerful plot for maximum impact. This is a triumph

Publishers Weekly

Such a compelling read - it's brave, dark, and thought-provoking, fast-paced with several twists that completely surprised me, and the writing is fantastic.

Kristen Perrin, author of HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER

A powerful thriller about privilege, exploitation and retribution

Crime Scene Magazine

In this gripping dual narrative thriller, Fiona McPhillips explores power dynamics and privilege and asks if redemption is possible in the face of an elite school that has never been held accountable for its culture of silence, corruption and abuse.

Female First

Gripping, intelligent, assured - and devastating.

Catherine Ryan Howard, bestselling author of THE TRAP

A dark academia thriller? We're sold.

Cosmopolitan, 'The best new books out in May 2024'

A complex story of power, abuse and secrets

Irish Times

Gripping… intricate… An outstanding debut

Irish Independent

Suspenseful and beautifully written, this novel perfectly captures teenage intensity and anguish

The Guardian

Angry, accomplished . . . arresting

The Times

A powerful exploration of corruption, wealth and redemption

Woman's Weekly

A powerful exploration of corruption, wealth and redemption.

Woman's Own

This is both a beautifully drawn portrait of 80s teenage life and an appallingly believable story of how hard it is to confront evil-doing

Mail on Sunday

Tense and unsettling

New York Times

A great revenge story that will appeal to fans of Gone Girl and Promising Young Woman.

Edel Coffey, The Gloss

Powerful and compelling

Best

A literary page-turner

The Meath Chronicle

Secrets involving sexual abuse at an elite private school. Excruciating suspense. Well-written. Made me think of serial abuser/rapist Larry Nassar.

Stephen King

Compelling . . . wonderfully worked out and very satisfying

Irish Examiner