While the plot centers on a murder case, The Silence of Murder is more a story about complicated familial, friend, and romantic relationships than a face-paced, suspenseful whodunnit. In fact, the story moves fairly slowly until about the last fifth of the novel, when the action picks up. The moral tone of the book lacks subtlety and older and more sophisticated readers will likely roll their eyes at the heavy-handed approach (such as many more mentions of the narrator's mother's inappropriate dress than are necessary for character development, or a teen character's digressive lamenting of a spontaneous tattoo he will forever regret). However, the book does deal with deeper religious themes and questions of faith that Christian teens and parents will appreciate and find relatable. The Silence of Murder is a good choice for a reader who is interested in the issues the book touches on: criminal investigation, autism, complex relationships, and faith, but not likely to be enjoyed by those who want an edge-of-their-seat read or those wary of overt moral messages. Ages 11-15.