Hush

Set in a near-future Britain, this multigenerational novel follows a conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of government. Six months before the story opens, a healthy newborn in an English hospital did not breathe at birth, and since then more tragedies have followed. The nation is unsettled, and officials are tightening their hold on citizens' liberties.

The prime minister has passed legislation that gives the authorities sweeping power to watch the entire population, and young pregnant women have begun to disappear. Emma, a midwife, is committed to caring for the women who need her most. When her seventeen-year-old daughter, Lainey, gets into trouble, the danger stops being abstract, and both women are forced into agonizing decisions.

Their only real hope of help lies with Geraldine, Emma's mother, who is estranged from her. Reaching out to Geraldine, however, could endanger everyone involved.

The book is a female-led thriller that offers an unflinching view of a society under growing strain. It is built around female friendship and a close-knit group of women who refuse to give up.