Silent Survivor

Stepping into the darkened hospital  clinic, Mackenzie (Mac) Dodd hears the faint click of a revolver before  spotting the barrel pressed against the young Marine’s temple.  Unable  to stop the suicide, Mac blames herself. Encouraged by her idealistic  neighbor, she posts the incident on “Silent Survivor”, a blog in which  she encourages veterans with PTSD to share stories. When the Marine’s  widow reveals there may be more to her husband's suicide, Mac begins an  investigation, risking her life to expose secrets and betrayals as she  uncovers the unintended consequences of covert government research.

You can learn more about Silent Survivor at Deborah's Blog:  http://shlianbooks.com/category/musings/deborahs-blog/page/2/

PRAISE FOR SILENT SURVIVOR

Provocative and uncompromising. It grabs you by the soul, cuts deep and refuses to let go.

-- John Ling, USA Today Bestselling Author

Cleverly interwoven in this mystery novel are very relevant, often overlooked, important issues facing the nation. A must read..

--Spencer Grin J.D. Ph.D Publisher of The Saturday Review

Shlian’s prose is seamless and a true joy to read. She handled PTSD and ALS with such grace and accuracy, I enjoy medical elements in thrillers. Shlian brought an important issue to the forefront in an engaging way. Bye humanizing Mackenzie and the other characters, she really made me care. What a fabulous read! 

--K.J. Howe, award winning author of the Freedom Broker and Skyjack. 

Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite   

Silent Survivor by Deborah Shlian is a military medical thriller that  churns out suspense at a pace to put a reader's pulse into overdrive.  Mackenzie Dodd is a war veteran with the horrors of both what she  witnessed and what she endured through deployment, and as a woman in the  military, haunting every waking moment and taunting her when she  dreams. On early arrival at a VA support group, she is unable to stop a  fellow soldier from taking his own life. As she attempts to come to  terms with the guilt she harbors, MacKenzie reaches out to vets through  the blog Silent Survivor for PTSD experiences. It soon becomes apparent  that camouflage extends far beyond the bodies of fallen American  warriors, and MacKenzie finds herself ensnared in a web of conspiracy,  deceit, and a sense of duty and honor that could ultimately cost her own  life.

Deborah Shlian engages readers with a campaign of thrills in  her newest release, Silent Survivor, and the first launch starts at page  one and never seems to slow down. Mackenzie Dodd is a convincing  protagonist, complex and layered in a way that makes her feel wholly  authentic. The other characters are equally developed; Sam Cantori - a  former schoolmate, officer, and (eventually) more - in particular. I  loved Shlian's tight writing style. It has all of the credible dialogue  and refined narrative a reader expects in a story. The nuances of  politics and military life she imparts are fantastic. Lines such as:  "They both knew it was a political dance. She'd waited the appropriate  interval since Thursday's call to appear as though she'd struggled with  her decision." If you're looking for a fresh, stand-out read by a bright  author, I'd recommend hitching your wagon to Silent Survivor's shooting  star.

Double Illusion is a haunting psychological thriller in the best-selling tradition of Mary Higgins Clark...
--Los Angeles Times

I devoured Wednesday's Child in two sittings...it was spellbinding.
--Mark B. Perry, TV writer and producer

A sweeping ambitious book whose time has come. Rabbit in the Moon takes us into an unforgettable world of hope, betrayal, love, and revenge.
--George Anders, New York Times best-selling author of Perfect Enough

Silent Survivor may be fiction, but the main plot as well as the various subplots are based on very real contemporary issues like PTSD in the military.  Up until 1980, vets who served in our two World Wars, Korea and even Vietnam were said to suffer from “shell shock” – a condition that received very little attention.  It took 4 decades before the condition Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was introduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). PTSD is often accompanied by depression, substance abuse, or other anxiety disorders. Typical symptoms include hyper-vigilance, emotional numbness and recurring flashbacks. According to experts, as many as 30 percent of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffer from PTSD, but many are reluctant to talk about it. Secrecy and shame have resulted in a virtual epidemic of suicides attributed to the disorder. Hard to believe, but since 2001, more US service members have taken their own lives than have died in combat!!  In 2012, a US Office of Veterans Affairs (VA) study found that on average, 22 US military vets commit suicide everyday. Incredible!!

The Veterans’ Crisis Center in Canandaigua, New York is the only call center in the US serving vets in crisis. Employing 250 responders, 25 percent of whom are veterans themselves, the center receives over 22,000 calls each month.

Because there is such a great need to help the brave men and women who volunteered to fight for our country, every dollar from sales of Silent Survivor will be donated to SemperFiFund.org which helps veterans with PTSD and their families and Powerful Voices Project which helps women survivors of sexual assault. 

Silent Survivor is available on Amazon as a Kindle e-book, paperback, and soon on Audible. Please click on the link below the video.