Hush Little Baby

August 5, 2013
This snappily paced, cinematic novel about the dysfunctional modern American family from architect and first-time author Redfearn contains heavy doses of violence, danger, and fear. Jill Kane—much-sought-after architect who’s just turned 40—has two small children, Addie and Drew, with her cop husband, Gordon. The outwardly happy family lives in the touristy resort city of Laguna Beach, Calif. Privately, however, Jill has endured Gordon’s alcohol-fueled abusiveness for nine years. When her “consummate psychopath” husband threatens to kill her and their two children, Jill files for divorce. The cunning Gordon legally outmaneuvers her to gain sole custody of their children. With Gordon becoming increasingly threatening, Jill rounds up Addie and Drew and flees north to a small town outside of Spokane, Wash., where Jill waits tables at a rustic diner. Events hurtle along with great urgency to a rousing climax. A smart, suspenseful debut. Agent: Nick Ellison, Nicholas Ellison Agency.

August 15, 2013
Jill Kane lives in a suburban dystopia. Beneath the Little League games, the lovingly packed school lunches, the manicured lawns and scrubbed kitchen floors lie the family secrets. Working hard to maintain the facade of the perfect family, Jill is a talented architect who has risen to become the youngest vice president of Harris Development, the third largest design firm in the nation. Her husband, Gordon, is a well-respected cop, a devoted father to 8-year-old Drew and 4-year-old Addie, and a violently abusive husband. Afraid and ashamed, Jill hides bruises beneath her expensive blouses, popping emergency contraception after each attack. The pressure builds until Jill bolts. Her flight--and the reawakening of her affair with Jeffrey, a client--provokes even more persecution from Gordon. Jill swiftly finds herself battling not only for custody of her children, but also for her own reputation, as Gordon exploits his power within the police force to cast doubts upon her sobriety, as well as her fitness to parent. More sinisterly, Jeffrey turns up dead. Briefly finding refuge within a remote Native American community, Jill realizes that she cannot endanger others to protect herself and her children any longer. To truly escape Gordon's control, she will have to destroy Gordon's reputation, and her best friend, Connor, in-house counsel for Harris Development, is eager to conspire. Complicating matters, though, are her new pregnancy and a devastating diagnosis. Redfearn's debut ratchets up the tension page by page, as husband and wife try to inflict the most damage on each other without harming the kids. Every character hides something, and each surprising revelation torques the plot further. The emotional and physical injuries mount, driving inexorably toward a surprising climax. A compelling tale of the deceit, violation and anguish that undergird the myth of suburbia.

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