The Quiet:
A novel in three parts

published by Pan Macmillan
out 15 May 2025 (20 May in US)

Isaac is Hannah’s entire world.

She knows that her son is gifted, and that those gifts make him vulnerable. To keep him safe, she spends every waking moment by his side. If she lets her guard down, lets him out of her sight, lets him show what he’s capable of, he will be taken from her.

When the Soundfield arrived twenty years ago, the world changed with it. Now, people are forced to live at night due to the deadly heat of the day, food and water are scarce, and everyday life is punctuated by the constant and disconcerting hum from the Field. A brilliant scientist, Hannah spent her early career working on the enigma of the Soundfield, looking for answers; now, resigned, she has focussed all her energies on keeping Isaac living, not just alive.​

To do so, she will have to lie to the people she knows and hope she can trust the ones she doesn't. Because the only thing more dangerous than her lies, is the truth of what she's done.

The Quiet touches on lots of themes – our relationship with our past selves, the evil that can spring from good intentions, the joy and solace of community – but at its core, this is a novel about a parent’s love for their child and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love most.

Praise for The Quiet

“A riveting story about parenting through an unforeseen apocalypse. Martin weaves an inspired premise into an engrossing and wholly original adventure.”

Ernest Cline, No.1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Ready Player One

“An extremely tense plot delivered through elegant prose. I found The Quiet as fascinating as it was terrifying.”

Holly Seddon, International Bestselling Author of Try Not to Breathe

“The Quiet took my breath away. Gripping, fiercely intelligent and quietly heartbreaking. I will think of Isaac for a long time to come.”

Emma Kavanagh, Author of To Catch a Killer

“A dystopian thriller with heart. With echoes of The Road this is a really special book. It’s about connection, about hope. Tense and utterly fascinating.”

Carys Green, Author of Always on My Mind

“What a beautiful book, whose final pages I literally read in complete quiet. A clever and unique dystopian premise, this was spare and tense, gripping and heartbreaking. Ultimately about the sacrifices we make for a beloved child.”

Louise Swanson, Author of End of Story