Promotional Information

The collapse of a decades long relationship has deadly consequences in a novel perfect for readers of Sophe Hannah, Nicci French and Barbara Vine

About the Author

A.S.A. Harrison published four non-fiction books before writing her first novel, THE SILENT WIFE. Rave early reviews for the novel quickly suggested that it would become a success, but very sadly Harrison died shortly before publication. THE SILENT WIFE became a long-running bestseller in the author's native Canada, in the UK, the USA and around the world.

Reviews

This perfectly pitched debut offers sharp insights into the grievances that accumulate over a long relationship, and the lengths to which a woman will go when her world collapses * Sunday Times *
'This summer's blockbuster novel' -- Celia Walden * Daily Telegraph *
'Utterly believable, complex, and compelling' -- Jojo Moyes
Well balanced, painfully perceptive and very dark, The Silent Wife is as riveting as a slow-motion car crash * Guardian *
Beautifully written and deeply unsettling, this darkly funny examination of what happens when you've got nothing left to lose is also brilliantly addictive. It left me almost breathless as I raced towards the devastating finale -- S.J. Watson, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP
This will be the book everyone will be talking about by the end of summer, it will be the number one choice for book clubs and well-thumbed copies will be passed between friends and work colleagues with glowing recommendation... The term "must-read" is often bandied around and not always deservedly. The Silent Wife justifies the plaudit without question * Sunday Express *
SUPERB... As a novel about the dark side of marriage and relationships, it's better than Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl. A must read -- Sophie Hannah, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of KIND OF CRUEL
The slow, murderous disintegration of a marriage is all too believable in A.S.A. Harrison's first - and final - novel... As the novel advances into treacherous territory, Harrison's elegant, incisive prose gets dirtier, more dangerous' * Observer *
Sharp, witty, dark as hell and totally engrossing... A worthy rival to Gone Girl in its psychological complexity and accomplishment * Daily Mail *
The Silent Wife is so poised, so fully composed, so inward in its knowledge of its characters, it's unmistakably the work of a writer who had finally discovered her true talent... If [it] is not quite so high concept as Gone Girl, it is more precise, plausible and unnerving and just as compelling... Don't miss this one * London Evening Standard *
It is inevitably being compared with last year's mega-hit, Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl... The Silent Wife is psychologically more interesting * The Times *
The Silent Wife is one of those books you hate to put down. Harrison writes well with a light touch, but her touch is devastating nonetheless... Profoundly disquieting * Guardian.co.uk *
After Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, novels about toxic marriages are suddenly in vogue. The Silent Wife is the classiest of the bunch... A smart psychological chiller * Mail on Sunday *
'A gripping psychological thriller' * Saturday Magazine, Daily Express *
A hit... and you can see why * The Sun *
Beautifully written and superbly paced, not to mention full of ingenious twists. Fans of Gone Girl will love it * Sunday Mirror *
A sizzling debut and a chilling psychological thriller - 9/10 -- Press Association
Well plotted, fast-paced and hugely addictive * Stylist *
Sharp, psychological and intricate, if you've ever wondered just how far you'd go if you had nothing left to lose, this will make you do a double-take * Harper's Bazaar online *
[A] deliciously wicked pleasure... A very clever, very funny comedy of manners spliced with a domestic thriller -- Kate Atkinson, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of LIFE AFTER LIFE and CASE HISTORIES
The characterization is exceptionally well done, the writing stylish and mature... this is a very accomplished psychological thriller -- S.J. Bolton
A terrific debut novel -- Val McDermid, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of WIRE IN THE BLOOD
This is an utterly compelling story, gorgeously written and with so many shocks and surprises... I raced through it. My highest recommendation -- Tess Gerritsen, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of KEEPING THE DEAD
[A] heart-thumping tale of deception * Woman & Home *
This unsettling story of two people heading for catastrophe is impossible to put down... Will appeal to anyone hooked by Gone Girl * Prima *
If you enjoyed Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, you'll love this unsettling psychological thriller * Sun on Sunday, Fabulous Magazine *
A brilliant tale of misreadings and desperate measures * Sainsbury's Magazine *
Reminiscent of Gone Girl in that it's written in the alternating voices of the couple, it's every bit as addictive. You'll be thinking about it for months to come * cosmopolitan.co.uk *
A.S.A. Harrison knocks it out of the park with her first novel The Silent Wife. With a spare, elegant, and deft hand, she paints two dueling psychological portraits of longtime live-in lovers who become putative killer and hapless victim in a tale that no one is likely to forget any time soon. I couldn't put this book down -- Elizabeth George
A chilling portrait of a relationship gone terribly awry. Harrison takes the reader down a wickedly twisted path that has us at once rooting for and wary of the protagonists. A breathtaking story that will keep you reading well into the night and wide awake long after the final page -- Heather Gudenkauf
Original & absorbing * Big Issue *

Canadian author Harrison's first novel is a smart, nuanced portrait of a dying marriage. Psychotherapist Jodi Brett is content with her tidy, tranquil existence-cooking for her husband, Todd Gilbert; walking the dog; seeing a few clients out of their gorgeous Chicago condo-while headstrong Todd works as a professional renovator. As Jodi sees it, they complement each other, and she doesn't mind pretending to disregard Todd's indiscretions (which he clumsily attempts to cover up) in exchange. Accepting the peccadillos of her adulterous husband is one thing, but when Todd takes his infidelity to the next level and tells her that he's leaving her, the existence she's clung to so dearly is destroyed. And Jodi will do anything to take it back. And she does. Harrison (Zodicat Speaks and three other nonfiction titles) breathes life into Adlerian psychology, and weaves theory into a heart-pounding thriller that will keep you up at night. Agent: Samantha Haywood, Transatlantic Literary Agency (Canada). (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Jodi has led a quietly ordered and opulent life with her partner, Todd, for the past 20 years. She considers herself to be a flexible and understanding better half, who reacts to Todd's indiscretions by cooking him his favorite meal to remind him of their stable home life. A psychiatrist, she perceives an insurmountable difference between herself and her clients, whom she thinks would benefit from accepting the low points of their lives along with the high ones. But the events that Todd is about to set in motion will test Jodi's limits to a harrowing degree and cause a secret that she buried long ago to resurface. Told in the alternating voices of Jodi and Todd, Harrison's novel is the story of what happens when the life we've worked so hard to achieve is exposed as an illusion. VERDICT Reminiscent of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, Harrison's (Zodicat Speaks) fiction debut is at once coolly detached and heartbreakingly accurate. Sure to be a hit with psychological-thriller fans.-Caitlin Bronner, St. Joseph's Coll. Lib., Brooklyn, NY (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.