"The Silence Factory" by Bridget Collins

WITH A SETTING VERY MUCH LIKE Victorian Britain, the story begins with the writings of Sophia in 1820, who accompanies her husband to a remote Greek island to search for rare biological specimens.

The Victorians were obsessed with science and progress, confident that their exploration and growing knowledge of the natural world could help improve society in the same way as they were advancing technology. As it turns out, this confidence – and the arrogance that men are entitled to all of nature's offerings – casts a terrifying shadow over Sophia's life.

Decades later, audiologist Henry Latimer is sent to the home of industrialist Sir Edward Ashmore-Percy to help cure the man's daughter of her deafness. Here, Henry's encounter with Philomel and her governess Miss Fielding plays a crucial role in his journey of self-discovery.

As Henry is drawn deeper into Sir Edward's world, he becomes obsessed with the fascinating nature of the man's business – spinning silk with a rare and magical breed of spiders. The extraordinary silk shields sound, offering respite from the everyday noise in one's surroundings. The result is absolute tranquility and soothing calmness.

Silence is indeed golden, but, as Henry soon finds out, it comes with a price, both personal and collective.

This is an intriguing book, its writing stunningly exquisite, its depiction of the mysterious spiders creepy yet memorising, and its detailed examination of the dark and insatiable greed behind the industrialised capital world then – and now – is both captivating and alarming.