Sam's fiancée, Anne Farrell, is also deaf and the two seem made for each other, which is why it is such a shock to family and friends when Anne is found bludgeoned to death with one of Sam's sculptures, and even more of a shock when Sam is charged with Anne's murder. Caleb, believing in his brother's innocence, begins to ask questions about Anne, trying to learn more about her and who might want her dead.

While he is looking into Anne's past, one of Caleb's patients attempts suicide and he begins to look into Melanie's possible motives for the suicide. When he realizes that Melanie may have a connection to Anne, he becomes more convinced than ever that Sam did not kill Anne and that Melanie did not "just go over the edge." The more Caleb learns, the more his world and his faith are shaken and the more dangerous it becomes for Caleb and Sam.

Keeping Silent is a well-written debut mystery with an intriguing protagonist. On the surface, Caleb appears to be a well put together guy, capable of handling things, but readers will catch a glimpse of his past and suspect there are many layers to Caleb worth delving into. Sam is a worthy sidekick who appears to be a multi-faceted character readers would enjoy learning more about.

The mystery, will straight-forward and well-plotted, offers little in the way of surprises, but the solution is not so obvious as to cause readers to loose interest early on. Carla Damron has written a worthy first mystery, and while it is not apparent whether a sequel is in the works, readers would most definitely look forward to further visits with Caleb and Sam.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry