Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Not a Word: A Novel by Linwood Barclay

Linwood Barclay’s newest domestic thriller will be released by Morrow on 25 August in the U.S. and in September in the U.K. It takes place in an upscale suburb west of Toronto, where Reece Chartwell decided to visit his parents and talk to his father Brent about possible career options. His job with the news division of a Canadian television network recently ended as part of a major reduction in force, and Reece does not know what his next role might look like. He did not expect find his parents dead in bed with a gun on the floor near his father and blood everywhere. While he knew his parents had developed separate interests over the years, Reece never dreamed one or the other was this unhappy. He is understandably shocked beyond words.

What initially seemed to the investigating detective to be a straightforward murder-suicide began to look a bit odd as she collected more details at the scene. When she asked more questions about the victims, their relationships, and their history, Brent Chartwell’s long-ago association with a large pharma corporation began to assume more importance.

The story flips back and forth in time from the present to some twenty years earlier when Chartwell was working for Wiffel-Smith, producer of a controversial opioid. Barclay often incorporates tense family dynamics in his books, exploring the different ways individual members of a family experience the impact of a crime. Here, as in Trust Your Eyes (2012), two brothers growing up in the same house have turned out to be very different people in maturity, and they find they need to redefine and re-negotiate their relationship after the death of their parents.

There is no shortage of plot twists here. This is Barclay’s 29^th book. His ability to structure a fast-moving story with suspense and create deeply human characters is outstanding. Barclay’s fans will not be disappointed. Readers new to his work will find this book a good place to start. An absorbing read for anyone looking for a new thriller.

 

·         Publisher: ‎William Morrow

·         Publication date: ‎August 25, 2026

·         Language: English

·         Print length: ‎320 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎0063276380

·         ISBN-13: ‎978-0063276383

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4xJj0Gh

 

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026 

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night