Extraordinary . . . [No Visible Bruises] takes apart the myths that surround domestic violence. . . In its scope and seriousness--its palpable desire to spur change--this book invites reflection not only about violence but about writing itself . . . [Snyder] brings all of fiction's techniques to this new book--canny pacing, an eye for the animating detail and bursts of quick, confident characterization. There is a fullness and density to every one of her subjects . . . She glides from history to the present day, from scene to analysis, with a relaxed virtuosity that filled me with admiration. This is a writer using every tool at her disposal to make this story come alive, to make it matter.

Parul Sehgal, New York Times, “Editors' Choice”

[Snyder] has written a book about everything: about men who beat and kill their wives or girlfriends; about people who work to predict murder, and those who try to heal the abusers; and also, deeply, about gender, poverty, depression, despair, privilege, law enforcement, incarceration, justice, mental health, and politics . . . It takes a writer of uncommon talent and confidence to pull this off. Snyder's stories are about people, every single one of whom is drawn empathically. Her investigation is intellectual and unsparingly complex.

Masha Gessen, New Yorker's "Page-Turner" blog

Compulsively readable . . . In a writing style that's as gripping as good fiction, as intimate as memoir and deeply informed, [Snyder] takes us into the lives of the abused, the abusers and the survivors. . . The stories are devastating, but Snyder keeps us reading by pointing us toward possible solutions . . . After a few chapters, I was telling a prosecutor friend that everyone in her office--no, everyone in the state who deals with family violence--had to read this book. Because it will save lives.

The Washington Post

Powerful . . . Snyder exposes this hidden crisis by combining her own careful analysis with deeply upsetting and thoughtfully told accounts of the victims . . . [An] important book.

New York Times Book Review

Gut-wrenching, required reading.

Esquire,“Best of the Year”

Snyder [goes] both wide and deep . . . her empathy for the victims is powerful, and infectious. But so is her interest in the perpetrators, some of whom may be able to recover, to change and atone. And as she makes very clear, those who undertake reform -- studying and quantifying risk, asking smart questions about whether women's shelters help or hurt, counseling survivors and getting them the support they need -- are heroes.

Los Angeles Times