The Silence

Early in this chilling thriller from Veste (The Bone Keeper), three couples, close friends from Liverpool, England, go on a camping trip to a music festival. One night, a scream brings them rushing out of their tents, except for the missing Stuart. The other five run into the woods in the direction of the scream. They find Stuart unharmed, but what else they discover leads them to make a split-second decision never to speak of it again. Big changes in all their lives follow. Matt and Alexandra split up after buying a house and talking about starting a family. Stuart and Michelle, who have always had an on-again off-again relationship, agree never to see each other again. Chris and Nicola remain a couple, but rarely see anyone from the group except Matt. Then Stuart is hit by a train, a possible victim of foul play. When another group member goes missing, the remaining four wonder whether their actions that day in the woods are coming back to haunt them. The suspense mounts relentlessly in this hard-to-put-down story. Veste is on a roll. Agent: Nicole James, Chalberg & Sussman. (Aug.)