When we meet Professor Frank Hobbs and his wife, Maggie, Frank is playing chess against his computer, although not very successfully. Maggie, on the other hand, has just taken some pills - eight of them, in fact - and before long she will collapse. When Frank rings the emergency services in Oxford he has a bit of a problem. He has to admit that he and Maggie haven't actually spoken for a while. How long? Well, it's about six months since he spoke to Maggie and he can't really say if it's likely that Maggie has tried to take her own life.

In Intensive Care, the full force of what has happened hits Frank. He cannot bear to lose Maggie. In fact, he really can't believe that he's been lucky enough to have her as his wife for forty years. He knows that his not speaking to Maggie has been entirely his fault, but he has a secret and he knows that if Maggie knew that secret then she would leave him. In his own mind, he decided that it was better to have Maggie with him, even if they didn't communicate, rather than not have her there at all. But it seems that the only way to try to bring Maggie back from her coma is to talk to her, so Frank decides that he must tell his story.

But Maggie has been hiding something too. She's never stopped loving Frank, and when they stopped talking she decided that she would give him six months and then she would take action. A week before the six months is up she starts to write her story because she can't believe that she's been lucky enough to have Frank all these years and she feels that she owes him an explanation for what she's done. We hear the two stories in tandem.

After fifteen years of marriage, Frank and Maggie had a baby. She was called Eleanor and Eleanor was where the problem began.

Sometimes you pick up a book and you're pulled into the story. Maggie's bright and bubbly and Frank - well, Frank's probably best described as 'hapless'. He's very clever but there's a distinct lack of self-confidence and he doesn't read people well. Not talking to someone you love for six months seems like an extreme way of dealing with a problem, but when you know Frank you can understand that in his mind it was completely logical. But what was Frank's secret, the secret that was so terrible that Maggie would leave him and why does Maggie feel that taking her own life is the best option?

The writing is superb: there's a clarity and a deceptive simplicity which hides great skill and the plotting is skillful. I really couldn't believe that there would be anything which could make two people act as they did but as you read you realise that this was the obvious way for a man and a woman who loved each other as much as Frank and Maggie.

If you take one thing from this book it will be the importance of communication, the need to leave nothing unsaid, to risk what might happen when you tell the truth. You will also know that you've encountered a superb writer and I really can't wait to see what Abbie Greaves writes next. I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag see a review copy.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

this one gripped me in such a way that i had to read to the end...

its about a normal family frank and his wife maggie who have spent the last 6 months not talking to each other...and why...why did frank stop talking to his wife...

this story is heartbreaking to read..on so many levels, dont want to give to much away..

but its told with franks version and maggies version of the whys...gripping stuff...

another author to keep an eye out for

Frank has not spoken a word to his wife in 6 months, so will Maggie trying to take her own life spur Frank on to reveal what he has not been able to say for all of this time?

The Silent Treatment was a surprising heart-breaking read for me. I was expecting a thriller type story – a dark and hidden family secret to be revealed but instead we got the story of a relationship; it’s origins, the marriage and the trials of parenthood. The book deals with some very hard-hitting issues (which I can’t really mention for spoilers) which are dealt with in a confident and sensitive way by author Abbie Greaves. Maggie and Frank are really well-detailed characters; we start out getting the relationship early years story from Frank’s perspective and then the latter half of the book switched between Maggie and Frank as narrators. It’s a sad story and one that is very well told – we get invested in these characters and we feel empathy for their sorrow.

My only criticism would be that as a plot it can be a bit contrived and convenient at times. There is a diary read at one point that takes far too long in the timeline to read, whereas if I was the character reading it, I would take an hour or two and read it all in one go. The diary also doesn’t feel like it’s written by the person who is supposed to have written it – it doesn’t really have the right narrative voice and the ‘tasks’ she asks Frank to do just seems very unrealistic.

Overall, The Silent Treatment is a heart-breaking read but perhaps one it’s best not to look at too closely. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK – Century and Cornerstone for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well written but just not for me. I just couldn't connect to the characters, I'm not sure why but it didn't resonate.
There are some upsetting issues dealt with, so was surprised that I wasn't blubbering.

I think this novel has one of the best editorial commentaries (blurbs) that I have read for a long time. Straight away you know that at the very heart of this novel is a devastating family crisis, and this is the type of story that I really like to read and enjoy. I thought the actual story was even better than that though and I know it will stay with me for a very long time.
The story revolves around Frank, his wife Maggie and their only child Eleanor, a surprise arrival after years of trying for a family, so very much a treasured daughter, like all ‘miracle babies’ are. The main voices belong to the devoted, husband and wife team. Frank’s narration is told in his thoughts, actions, anecdotes, memories and his words to his wife. Maggie’s most important words, certainly those that move the story forward, are revealed in her journal and read by Frank following a truly traumatic event which temporarily separates the couple. These two main characters are lovely people, both intelligent and worldly wise. They are caring, kind and committed to each other and Eleanor. Their individual stories are so poignant and really thought provoking. I am really impressed by this beautifully written and envisaged debut novel. This new author oozes with talent and her storyline is so well planned it kept me on the edge of me chair and hooked me from the very first few pages. The entire story filled me with compassion and worry about their future. I felt anxious for them and rooted for their story to deliver them richly deserved happiness.
I loved the theme of deeply buried secrets, so often the source of misunderstandings and regret. So the big question is ‘What Happened?’ and now I have to tell you that you must read the story yourselves. I highly recommend this novel as very readable, especially if your interest is tweaked by this review. I will certainly be on the lookout for future novels written by Abbie Greaves.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Cornerstone Digital through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you so much for my copy. These are my own honest opinions without any outside influences. It’s an exceptionally good read and a 4.5* review from me. I’d personally class it as an unmissable page-turner.

I loved the hook for this book so much but once I started reading I felt a little cheated. The 6 months without speaking were largely sidelined and seemed an unlikely response once the reason was finally revealed. I'm not sure, therefore, that it was quite the book for me after all although it was well written and I'm sure will be very well received by other readers..

I liked the way time worked in this book, and seeing how the two timelines met was interesting. I did never fall completely under the spell of the characters but it was a good read.

Overall an enjoyable read, slow at times and rather frustrating for me towards the characters and their inability to communicate. However, I did begin to understand the reasons for this as the story developed.

This is a beautiful book, well written and moving. It is so unusual to read a book about a mature relationship, not a couple who are dewy eyed and starting out but who have spent forty years together and now face a crisis that may end in tragedy.

Frank and Maggie each have secrets that they keep in part not to hurt the other but also because of the fear of losing the other. Frank's secret leads to a six month silence and the story eventually leads us to that secret. Maggie's secrets come out later and we learn of their lives together as we take the journey to what has brought them to where they are now.

I absolutely loved this book and would happily recommend it to just about anyone. I will be recommending it to friends.

Gripping with a touch of frustration at that carrot constantly being dangled before me. While mundane, the story portraits the complexity of life and especially the possibility of this story being yours or mine. I am a bit conflicted because as I've said, I didn't think much of the story itself, yet I end up shedding a tear or two because I've seen myself in Maggie and Frank's shoes.

This is an emotional read so well written I sat up half the night as I needed to finish it. How many families have suffered like this , I knew what was coming and hoped I was wrong, the bedside waiting and talking had me in tears many times. I was wrong in my assumption and felt it was worse than I had feared . This is heartbreaking and healing on many levels. Let’s make everyday count or we may live to regret it.

The title actually says it all. 6 months of silent treatment between husband and wife. A story of secrets, things we wish we’d said, and most importantly, love. A moving novel which shows how a long marriage has its twists and turns. Definitely recommend

The story of this married couple is a family drama/saga style of book that explores both sides of the marriage, and why they haven't spoken a word to each other in 6 months. At times I found it hard to relate to the characters or the story, I can see it was well written and with a clear message of communication and inner feelings becoming conflicted, yet somehow there was just something that I held back from.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS STORY!!

This is a beautifully written, highly emotional book about love, the lies we tell ( even to those closest to us), loss and the NEED for honesty. The story starts with Frank and Maggie. Maggie is found unconscious and remains like this is hospital. A nurse advises Frank to continue talking to his wife even whilst she is in a coma. He clearly finds this very difficult but soon realises he doesn't actually know how long he has with Maggie and if she does regain consciousness the extent of brain damage if any is unknowe. As we work backwards we find that this couple actually haven't spoken to each other for the last 6 months. It's got to the point where all of those years of marriage, all of those years together comes into question because you'd like to think that whatever is going on they'd at least talk to each other to sort things out. We discover a relationship that is like an elastic band stretched to breaking point by an 'event/incident' that happened 6 months ago to trigger silence. As the reader your heart breaks for Maggie and Frank - I certainly went through a fair few tissues but as much as this book is sad and emotional, it has hope. We have themes of forgiveness, it has learning to love again after you thought you were broken. The writing is beautiful - I can't wait to read more from this author.

A tender love story spanning 40 years. Told first from Frank’s perspective and then from Maggie’s. Emotional , with such believable characters, this is an excellent debut novel.

This book hits hard. This book is both a heartwarming story of the love between the two main characters who have been married for 40years, a love that I would like to inspire to after reading. However this book is also packed of some truly upsetting and hard times faced by this couple. It had be hooked from the introduction and I could not wait to get back to it everyday. Would highly recommend but its not an easy ride!

**Review**
The Silent Treatment by Abbie Greaves
‘A lifetime together. Six months of silence. One last chance.’
Frank has not spoken to his wife in six months. It will take a dramatic turn of events for him to finally unravel the secrets that have silenced him.
I have one word for this book. Wow!
It is not the type of read I would normally go for, but something about the synopsis caught my attention. I was quickly hooked on the story, due to a dramatic prologue that made me want to read further. I really warmed to Frank as a character, and loved his account of his life with Maggie. I really believed in the love he had for her.
I won’t say too much as I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I found it an emotional rollercoaster and was a tearful wreck by the end.
It did get a little soppy and overly romantic in places for me, but I forgive that and by the end I didn’t even care!
If you want an emotional, well written, heart-wrenching story to get caught up in, I would highly recommend you pick this up. It is moving and beautiful. Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for this advanced digital copy. Publication date 02/04/2020

What a fantastic novel!! I had so much fun reading this novel, and absolutely loved the characters. The book itself was well-written which made the world and characters so rich. 4 stars!

A lifetime together.
Six months of silence.
One last chance.

From the outside Frank and Maggie share a happy and loving marriage. Then why haven't they spoken for the past six months?

Why has Frank just shut down and stopped speaking to his beloved wife?

Still living together, eating together and sleeping together but without a word spoken - just what has happened to make Frank stop speaking to Maggie?

How much longer will the silent treatment carry on?

Everything changes when Frank finds Maggie collapsed in the kitchen, unconscious with an empty package of sleeping pills on the table.

She's rushed to hospital and is placed in a medically induced coma while the doctors assess the damage.

A kind nurse Daisy tells Frank this is the time to be speaking to Maggie - they don't have all the time in the world and if he has things he wants to get off his chest then this is the time to say them.

If she regains consciousness, Maggie may never be the same. Though he is overwhelmed at the thought of losing his wife, will Frank be able to find his voice once again—and explain his withdrawal—or is it too late?

We're taken back to when Frank and Maggie first met and fell in love. Their whirlwind romance and the pain of losing a baby and the years of turmoil of trying and failing to get pregnant.

Then along comes their miracle baby and a whole host of new challenges.

I really enjoyed the story and was rooting for Frank and Maggie. I desperately wanted to know what on Earth was so terrible that Frank stopped speaking to the woman with all of his heart.

I really wanted Maggie to wake up and be ok.

And I really wanted to know what happened at the party that changed their daughter.

An emotional but really good read. I will not share any spoilers but will say read it.

Not sure about this one. I liked the story but found it hard to accept that Frank hadn’t spoken one word to Maggie in 6 months and the ending was no surprise either. Nonetheless, an enjoyable book.