The Silence of Darkness

How is the disappearance of a sixteen-year old Hispanic boy connected to the suicide of a young farmer twenty years in the past? Through a turbulent journey over the back roads of a rural America quilted with lush farm landscapes and quaint traditions, The Silence of Darkness searches for the answer to this question while exploring a trail of violence, tears, confession and justice. When university professor Paul Thornton takes his best friend Deputy Billy Truax's suggestion to move to the country and resurrect a struggling veterinary practice, Paul and his young daughter find the small community of Prairie View shocked by the disappearance of Hector Gonzalez. On duty when the boy vanished, Billy blames himself for missing clues in the silent darkness masquerading as an ordinary Saturday night. Frustrated with prejudiced citizens and his own department for framing a local misfit for the boy's fate, Billy vows to uncover the truth at all cost. Paul and Billy join forces and quickly move to expose the string of lies and organized deception holding the truth in darkness. Without regard for the consequences, Billy risks his career, while Paul risks his relationship with the woman he loves. Their chase follows familiar back roads, and what they find has the potential to rock a small town—and affect the lives of its residents for years to come.

Bradley J. Tall's writing is the culmination of his career in journalism and print media, his childhood growing up on his family's dairy farm, and his experience operating his own farm with his wife and son in Door County, Wisconsin. After graduating with a BA in journalism, Bradley worked as an editor for a publishing firm where he wrote and published five of his own works: one novel and four short historical books for young readers. To fulfill his life-long dream of farming, Bradley left the big city and bought a farm, where he began writing "The Silence of Darkness," his first book in over 35 years. While living on his farm in Wisconsin he gained first-hand knowledge of the current struggles of rural America. As a result, the realism of the scenes, people and events of his writing are captivating, involving the reader in uniquely personal stories.