The Silence Factory

A Novel

By: Bridget Collins

Narrated by: Bridget Collins, Ned Porteous

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

From the acclaimed author of the #1 international bestseller The Binding—a captivating story of gothic suspense about a powerful family, the magical and dangerous silk their fortune is built upon, and the exploitative history they are desperately trying to hide.

1820: Sophia Ashmore-Percy reluctantly accompanies her husband James to a remote Greek island, where he searches for rare biological specimens. Once there, however, she sets on her own voyage of discovery—stumbling across the very creature he is looking for, making an unexpected connection with a local woman, and ultimately reconsidering her marriage, life, and own desires.

Decades later, audiologist Henry Latimer is sent to the home of industrialist Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy and tasked with curing the man’s young daughter, Philomel, of her deafness. But Henry, eager to escape a troubled past, quickly becomes obsessed with the fascinating nature of Sir Edward’s business: spinning silk with a rare and magical breed of spiders. The extraordinary silk shields sound, offering respite from bustling streets and noisy neighbors. The result is instant tranquility, as wearers experience a soothing calmness. Yet, those within earshot of the outward-facing silk are subjected to eerie murmurs that amplify with proximity. Bystanders suffer the consequences of this unnerving phenomenon, manifesting in physical and mental afflictions ranging from headaches and drowsiness to severe cases of madness.

As Henry becomes entangled in the allure of the silk and Sir Edward’s charm, he glimpses a more sinister family history. The closer he ventures into the inner circle of Carthmute House, the more he unravels the horrifying underbelly of the silk business.

With Bridget Collins’s signature, stunning prose, The Silence Factory is an equally enthralling and unsettling gothic story about complicity, desire, and corruption—a novel to lose yourself in.

©2024 Bridget Collins (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Not my favorite by this author

It is difficult to admit that this book was not disappointing so much as it was immemorable. There were a few extraneous characters that add nothing to the book and just muddled the story. The Ashmore/Henry relationship was so completely implausible because regardless of Henry's immaturity and desperation, Ashmore was despicable. He was so cruel and dismissive that even a milquetoast like Henry could not have found much alluring about the man.

Also why was there no mention of Mercy following the flood? Would Henry not have enquired after her?

I will always think of The Binding as an impossibly perfect book. This one, while good, did not hold my interest. The characters all lacked passion.