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Silent Child

By: Sarah A. Denzil
Narrated by: Joanne Froggatt
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Summary

Winner of Audible's 2017 Narrator of the Year Award

Introducing Audible's Thriller of the Year: Silent Child by Sarah A. Denzil, performed by Joanne Froggatt.

In the summer of 2006, Emma Price watched helplessly as her six-year-old son's red coat was fished out of the River Ouse. It was the tragic story of the year - a little boy, Aiden, wandered away from school during a terrible flood, fell into the river, and drowned. His body was never recovered. Ten years later Emma has finally rediscovered the joy in life. She's married, pregnant, and in control again...until Aiden returns.

Too traumatised to speak, he raises endless questions and answers none. Where has he been? What happened to him on that rainy afternoon? And now that he's back, whom can he trust?

At Audible we love listening to crime books. But every so often one comes along that we think is truly special. An Amazon Kindle number one best-seller, Sarah A. Denzil's Silent Child is taking Audible HQ by storm. In an Audible Exclusive production, Joanne Froggatt (Mrs Bates, Downton Abbey) delivers a powerhouse performance that will keep you gripped until the very last second.

©2017 Sarah A. Denzil (P)2017 Audible, Ltd
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About the performer

Golden Globe and BIFA-award winner and three times Emmy nominee Joanne Froggatt is much-loved for her performance as lady’s maid ‘Anna Bates’ in Downton Abbey. In Autumn 2019, she reprised her role in the feature film of the period drama that topped the US, UK and Australian box offices in its opening weekend. She also won acclaim for her ‘Meryl-Streep level performance’ in Liar, one of 2018’s most talked about dramas. Joanne won a British Independent Film Award for her film debut in In Our Name and her other film credits include A Crooked Somebody, Mary Shelley and One Last Thing. She also starred in the film adaptation of A Street Cat Named Bob and Irvine Welsh’s Filth opposite James McAvoy and Jamie Bell. In 2021, she will take on the title role of Angela Black for ITV.

Editor reviews

" Silent Child is a unique book, a shining light of hidden horrors and unbearable tension in a genre where it is always difficult to stand out. Emma's slow descent into hell from the moment her son disappears feels real enough to make you hold onto your loved ones that little bit tighter. Sarah A. Denzil masterfully carries the reader alongside Emma on a tortured mental journey: theories, conspiracies and increasingly justified paranoia as suspicion falls on everyone she has ever held dear. Along with Emma, you find yourself pointing the proverbial finger of accusation at a series of characters who once seemed safe. A visceral, darkly atmospheric listen that will make your heart beat, your mind race and your spine tingle." - Gabriel, Audible Editor

"A good audiobook for me is one that takes me on a ride that I never could have imagined, and Silent Child did exactly that. Sarah A. Denzil weaves a tale that starts with heartbreak, adds mystery and suspense, and ultimately becomes a thriller. The writing is superb and it created a blockbuster movie in my mind as I listened. Silent Child had me at the edge of my seat the entire time, and I even fell off a few times." - Sean, Audible Editor

"The premise is shocking and it compels you to find out where Sarah A. Denzil will take the story. But, where I think the author is truly genius is in the way she supports the central plot with some heartbreakingly real and genuinely flawed characters that were so obviously as fully developed in Denzil's mind as the thrilling hook that makes you choose the book in the first place. There's so much more to this one than first meets the eye." - Alexandra, Audible Editor

About the author

Sarah A. Denzil is a million copy best-selling author of psychological suspense novels. Her books include number one best seller Silent Child, which was a Goodreads Choice semi-finalist in 2017. Her books have been published in several different languages and have appeared on the Wall Street Journal best seller list.

Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her husband and cat, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather. She loves to write moody, psychological fiction with plenty of twists and turns.

Listen to clips from the audiobook

<i>Silent Child</i> by Sarah A. Denzil
Emma reveals the harrowing effect of losing her son
Jake Hewitt makes your acquaintance
The boy who returned from the dead, through the eyes of his mother.
Unreliable or simply misunderstood? Meet Rob...
  • Silent Child by Sarah A. Denzil
  • Emma reveals the harrowing effect of losing her son
  • Jake Hewitt makes your acquaintance
  • The boy who returned from the dead, through the eyes of his mother.
  • Unreliable or simply misunderstood? Meet Rob...

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What listeners say about Silent Child

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
    231

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

I had high hopes for this as Amazon has "bigged it up" so much, but I found the pathetic heroine very annoying and her overly dragged out performance was irritating- how long can a voice tremble before it ceases to be of any impact!
The climax was ridiculous and very unbelievable for a woman in labour- can't say anymore without a spoiler alert.
A real shame and a waste of a credit.

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148 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping!

This was gripping! I had to put everything on hold until it was finished. The best Audible book I've had so far!

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed it

Diverting and entertaining, the author sows clues along the way but I didn't grasp the truth till close to the end. The characters were a tad 2 dimensional and the narration rather breathily melodramatic in places, hence 4 stars.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed it.

A great storyline, but very long winded in places. I enjoyed it. Joanne Froggat great.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Didn't live up to the hype

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I've listened to a lot of this style and was expecting more because it is Audible's Thriller of the Year.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

anti climax

What about Joanne Froggatt’s performance did you like?

She read really well and fluently and didn't put on silly 'man' and 'woman' voices or try special accents. Really listenable.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous tense!

This is a beautifully written thriller. Filled with intrigue and tension, with richly drawn characters. Great twists and a satisfying ending. The narration is also 5*. Although personally, I found it less than ideal, only because Joanne Froggatt’s voice is too familiar to me from Downton Abbey as Lady Mary’s Ladies Maid. Highly recommended.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great performance. Not the best story.

The book started off really strong but became a little bit predictable and jumbled. The narrator rescued what would otherwise be a lacklustre book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

It had me doubting myself

This book gripped me from the start with it's dramatic and emotive beginning. I was desperate to find out who the kidnapper was. I kept thinking I had it figured out and then a character would do something that made me question it all over again.

About half way through I did work out one of the twists but it had enough twists and turns to keep me engrossed all the way to the end.

I really liked the voices and thought it was very well read. I was thoroughly absorbed and enjoyed every tense minute.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant, edge of the seat listen

I couldn't stop listening. A complex, intriguing mystery. The reader is superb. can't recommend enough.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story and narration

The narration brought the characters to life. The story with it's twists and turns was captivating. Enjoyed listening to this book very much.

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