I mean, what can I say? This is the book where Hannibal Lecter first took center stage, and it's a doozy. Harris handles the relationship between the genius serial killer and the newbie FBI agent with a sure and nuanced hand. It's not fair to call this a great genre novel; it's a great novel, period. Harris started the serial-killer trend in fiction, and despite the slew of successful imitators, he's still the grand master. While I like his RED DRAGON just slightly more, SILENCE is still a must read. You will not be disappointed.