Hush, Delilah

by Angie Gallion

On the surface, Delilah Reddick’s life looks perfect. Her husband is a pillar of the community, and with her as his quietly supportive wife, they appear to be the picture of success and happiness. But there are deep cracks in the foundation, dark secrets Delilah has never shared with anyone.

Delilah knows what her husband is capable of when the evil inside him finds its way to the surface, but running would only delay the inevitable. Chase would hunt her to the ends of the earth before allowing her to take his only son from him. Delilah would rather die than leave her fourteen-year-old behind, but when her son begins displaying his father’s violent tendencies, she knows she must act.

In her quest to save her son, Delilah sets off a chain of events that could rock the community and reveal the darkest secret of them all. After years of staying quiet, Delilah must find her voice before her husband silences her forever.

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Suspense

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2022

About the author

Angie Gallion has been a stage actor, an anti-money laundering investigator, a photographer, and a paralegal. She has lived in Illinois, California, Missouri, and Georgia and has traveled to Greece, the Dominican Republic, Scotland, and Ireland. She dreams of traveling when her children are grown, and she and her husband can set out into the world. She is currently rooted outside of Atlanta Georgia with her husband, their children, and their two French Bulldogs.

Angie’s writings often deal with personal growth through tragedy or trauma. She explores complex relationships, often set against the backdrop of addiction or mental illness. Her first novel, Intoxic, was the 2016 bronze medalist in the Readers Favorite for General Fiction. That book was a twenty-five-year adventure in self-doubt and hesitation.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

Chase is an evil man, not sure what made him the way he was. Delilah was the person he took his anger out on which happens to be his wife. I don't believe he loved her what so ever. He used her as an Alibi, and I believe they stayed married because of their son Jackson.

Delilah with the help of her Best Friend Carmen start looking into the murder of Mike Deitz. Delilah believes Chase had something to do with it. As they collect information Carmen is killed. Then to top it off Delilah is in an accident when the lug nuts are tampered with.

With the help of a kind out of town police officer Chase is eventually arrested. There were so many details about everything it would have been nice to have a walk through of the trial and learn hoe long he got. But it just ends.... And you left guessing.

[Georgia Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read Hush, Delilah as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team. I received a copy from the author, but this does not affect my review in any way.

No one ever truly knows what goes on inside a marriage, apart from those in it. So, while Chase and Delilah Reddick appear to the outside world to have it all there are deep cracks in their relationship that run right back to when they first got together.

Delilah is blessed with a best friend, Carmen, who patches her up and urges her to leave Chase. But Delilah won’t leave their fourteen year old son, Jackson, behind and knows Chase will hunt her down if she takes him. But then Jackson starts displaying some of his father’s behaviour and Delilah knows something has to change.

Just when Delilah appears to be trying to take control something truly horrific happens – no spoilers here - which surprises the reader and completely derails Delilah, for months. Meanwhile each day that passes is a day closer to when she knows Chase will eventually kill her.

Hush, Delilah is the first book by Angie Gallion that I have read, and I loved it. It’s extremely well written and the plot is tight. While I wondered how, or indeed if, (because given the previously mentioned truly horrific thing that happened I felt this writer could go in any direction) Delilah would manage to do what she needed to I thoroughly enjoyed how the story unfolded and I found the ending immensely satisfying.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am such a huge fan of Angie Gallion, and it's been a few years since I've experienced her amazing talent ... but here we are, with Hush, Delilah. Gallion doesn't disappoint in yet another poignant story about the complexities of life and love and self-reflection. This one is from the viewpoint of a battered wife and mother, who seeks to find her way out of the disaster that has been her life for so long. The story is delivered with such raw emotion, as is typical with Gallion's books, it filled me with the longing to reach out to Delilah myself, to help her help herself. There were some lines that absolutely blew my head off, so poetically written as a part of Delilah's head space. I enthusiastically recommend that you put this book on your to-be-read shelf today.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well-written book, gripping and intelligent, and, unfortunately, all too believable.
Delilah is portrayed very authentically, and, while it is quite frustrating to read the novel at times because of her reactions and inaction, it is very clear why she behaves as she does, and why she feels so trapped and powerless.
Chase is very accurate, the way he manipulates Delilah so terrifying to read, and the influence he has on the couple’s son one of the most disturbing aspects of the narrative. The way he has ‘chosen’ Delilah to be his wife is so telling, and the reasons she has for believing his lies, and becoming so cut off from everyone and so reliant are easy to believe. It is unsettling and upsetting to feel her fear and trepidation when she is simply doing things we take for granted and wouldn’t think about twice. That the author has done this in a way that makes you want to read on, wanting to know what happens to Delilah, rooting for her all the while, is a testament to the skill of the writing.
Recommended.

[Shauntelle (shauntellereads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is told from the viewpoint of an abused wife and mother who is trying to save herself and her son. This book was intense and made me feel so many emotions. This book is narrarated by Delilah and is told in first person, which only heightens the emotions as a reader because we were in Delilah’s head. This book is a beautifully heartbreaking story of how things are not always as they seem on the surface. My heart bled for Delilah, and I found myself rooting for her. I found myself so invested in the plot and the characters. I devoured this in one sitting.

There were great twists and turns throughout the book, and Gallion did well weaving a very emotional yet suspenseful plot together. The characters were well developed, and I felt I knew Delilah by the end of the story. I loved and felt for Delilah, while my hatred for Chase deepened as the story developed. This one is excellent!

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this amazing ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Domestic thriller
The book focuses on a woman who is in an abusive marriage. She believes her husband did something sinister in the past.

This audiobook is well done and is definitely character driven.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 but rounded down only because the ending and what happened with her child was a little far fetched.

[Zaeem Ahsan · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Summary:**
"Delilah Reddick's life appears idyllic on the surface, with her husband as a respected pillar of the community. Yet, beneath the facade of success and happiness lies a web of dark secrets that Delilah has kept hidden for years. She knows the darkness that lurks within her husband, and the terror it brings when it surfaces. But escaping would mean leaving her beloved son behind, a choice she's unwilling to make. When her son begins to show signs of his father's violent tendencies, Delilah is faced with a harrowing decision. In her quest to protect her child, she sets in motion a series of events that could shatter the community and expose the darkest secret of all. After years of silence, Delilah must find her voice before her husband silences her forever."

**Occasion for Reading:**
This gripping tale is a must-read for those who enjoy suspenseful and emotionally charged novels. It's perfect for those seeking a thrilling, page-turning experience that delves into the complexities of family dynamics and the resilience of the human spirit. Whether you're looking for a book to devour in a single sitting or to discuss with a book club, "Delilah's Secret" promises to keep you on the edge of your seat.

**Suggestions:**
- **Discussion Groups:** Consider reading "Delilah's Secret" with a book club or discussion group. Its exploration of secrets, domestic turmoil, and the consequences of silence make it a compelling choice for in-depth conversations.

- **Reflect on Silence:** After reading, take time to reflect on the power of silence in the face of abuse and trauma. Consider how the characters' choices resonate with real-world experiences and the importance of finding one's voice in difficult circumstances.

- **Explore Similar Works:** If you find the themes of this book intriguing, explore other novels and literature that touch on domestic suspense, family secrets, and the enduring strength of individuals facing adversity.

"Delilah's Secret" is a heart-wrenching exploration of the sacrifices a mother is willing to make to protect her child and the price of silence in the face of danger. It's a riveting read that will keep you engaged from start to finish and leave you pondering its themes long after the final page.

[Terry Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 *

Wife and mother Delilah wonders if she will ever be brave enough to escape years of domestic violence - and whether she can discover the truth about the crimes she fears her husband may have committed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it's so well-written and a real page-turner. The portrayal of Chase Reddick's character is so typical of the misogynist violent male, and anyone who has ever been in a relationship with this sort of man (or those with addiction problems) will be so familiar with that 'waiting for the other shoe to drop' situation that Delilah finds herself in, every minute of every day. The side-plot is interesting and convincing, and added another dimension to the story.

As with any tale about a person stuck in similar circumstances, Delilah's tale will make you want to scream at her to be brave, to take friend Carmen's offer of a way out. The intricate way in which the author details her constant strategies to hide what she's doing from Chase is artfully depicted, and also the confusion she feels when she discovers that Chase is sleeping with another woman. She knows she shouldn't care, but an atom of jealousy creeps in, and meetings with the woman concerned only increase her feeling of inadequacy.

The reasons why the glamorous Chase chose Delilah are all totally feasible - aside from the immediate, practical reason, men like him often make a point, either consciously or subconsciously, of choosing women who will accept the treatment they are likely to dish out. Why Delilah wanted Chase is also clear - the infatuation, obsession, lack of self-esteem. The only question for me is why she had such rock bottom self-esteem in the first place - that she stayed with a man who made it clear to her that he didn't find her attractive (and worse). Just a few lines to say something about why she was such a doormat would have rounded her character out nicely; I kept wondering, all through, if we were going to find out, maybe in flashbacks, about the relationship she had with Chase when she was younger.

That said, this is an extremely good book and one I most definitely recommend!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was happy to recommend this novel to my book club because I've read others by the author. No disappointment here, as this was her best yet.
The first person, present tense, made the story feel very intimate as it unfolds from Delilah's point of view. Delilah hides her shame of being an abused wife; her husband, Chase, is a pillar of the community with friends on the police force, so there's no point in filing charges against him. The couple has a fourteen-year-old son, Jackson, who adores his father, and there's no way Chase would ever let her take his son away from him. So, Delilah feels trapped in the marriage. But when Jackson gets in trouble in school for hitting a girl, Delilah is afraid he'll grow up like Chase if she doesn't act soon.
Carmen, Delilah's best friend, urges her to leave Chase before he kills her. The two women begin investigating the murder of a classmate that happened the night Delilah and Chase first got together. Another man was arrested and sentenced to prison, but Chase knows some things about the murder weapon that the police never shared. Delilah has long suspected that Chase used her as his alibi. With Carmen's help, she turns up evidence that points to her husband's involvement. But then Carmen suddenly commits suicide. Or is it suicide? And will Delilah be next? Or does she find the courage to finish the job alone?
This isn't really a mystery, since we always know "who dunnit" but the writing is engaging and the plot moves at a brisk pace. Highly recommended!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this.

The main character was difficult to root for. I realize that battered women can be difficult to understand, but that wasn't the reason I didn't like her. She had many characteristics of a battered wife, but others were missing? She didn't seem to have ANY good/loving times with her husband. In fact, she admits that he never wanted to marry her, and was forced into it. It's hardly the hot/cold relationship that sucks women back in. Plus she seems to have the ability to get a job, get
cash, and a community of friends willing to assist. Based on her movements, she has the opportunity to initiate, and already has initiated, some safeguards.

Instead, she comes off as selfish. She knows she needs to get her son away. And when he commits an assault against a female, she doesn't even talk of getting him the help he needs. And, despite the fact that she knows an innocent man is in jail for years, her catalyst to do something only comes when "she will be killed next".

It's all too little, too late, in my humble opinion. And I don't feel it gives a realistic portrayal of those who are truly in a relationship they are unable to leave, as I have witnessed.

Overall, I thought the author could have done more to convince me, to root for the heroine. Perhaps the necessary detail is missing to convince only me, since other readers found the book compelling.

[Just another reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes there is nothing as devastating as camouflaged trauma, that festers from years of abuse. This story is a brilliant portrayal of how what we see on the surface is not how things are. The Reddicks' marriage is not all that it portrays to be - with Delilah having been a silent sufferer for ages. As we read through Delilah's inner turmoil and conflict of why she is unable to leave Chase, despite her best friend Carmen's encouragement, we chillingly realize the fear and demons that abuse victims live with. When life takes an absolutely horrifying turn, Delilah has no choice but to battle her demons and take matters into her own hands.
An absolutely fabulous book, this turned out be. My thanks to Gallion, and the publishers Red Adept Publishing, for gifting me with a copy of this book.

[Barbara Conrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delilah believes she is invisible, unworthy. She is beaten down. She is beaten. Yet she stays with her tormentor because she can not leave her son. There isn’t a woman alive who cannot bleed for this character. We want her to go, but we understand why she can’t. And then she finds a way. She discovers a truth she was never meant to know. But is she brave enough to execute her plan? And once she decides to be seen, can she handle the consequences?

I read Hush, Delilah by Angie Gallion in less than twenty-four hours. You need to read it also!

[Stacey Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those rare books I couldn't put down for a break. For six hours, I disregarded my list of to-dos in order to plow my way through this immersive experience. From the opening chapter, I empathized with the protagonist, Delilah, which deepened every chapter thereafter. As my empathy for the POV grew, my rage toward the antagonist did too. He was painted terrifying and frightening. I was invested in these characters and their situations, caring deeply for what happened to them... and boy does a lot happen to them!

[Jess Pham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never ever ever left a review. And I’ve listened to hundreds of audiobooks. This is my second time, listening to this author, and her characterization is amazing but also her understanding of the situation is otherworldly. I have never been an abusive relationship, but this gives me an insight into the hell that it must be. This book is More than just fiction, it is also a PSA in a help guide to those who are in domestic violence, relationships. Thank you for writing this book. All five stars for me.

[G.A. Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the audio version of Hush, Delilah, in fact, after day 2, I couldn't stop listening. I needed to finish and see what happens. Talk about getting in close, getting you involved, and making you feel everything Delilah is feeling....anger, rage, revenge---wow, I was right there with her. What a great job!
I don't want to give too much away....but I can't stop thinking about where Delilah is now, and about Jack, and how that will all end. What a great job by the author!! Love it, and totally recommend it!

[Katy Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in a matter of days! While the storyline was slightly predictable at times (only because art mimics life, unfortunately, in this story) it was generally engaging throughout and I kept on reading to see what would happen next. What did happen next was not always what it seemed and there were enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. If reading for entertainment purposes, and for a few good general life lessons, this book is a keeper!

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead:

This book would have been somewhat of a decent read, but the ending was just ridiculous. Her 14-year-old son “runs away” because he’s going to live on his own, and she packs up and moves? Let’s break out the award for mother of the f#%##%# year!🤦🏻‍♀️🙄

She’s telling everybody that she isn’t moving far so that he can “come home.”

Come home? How the hell is he supposed to know where Home is?!?

I think that this author is a “one and done for me.”

[Becca Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Red Adept Publishing, Angie Gallion and NetGalley for a copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest review.

Hush, Delilah was one of those quick, easy reads that pulls you in from the get-go. Delilah Stone is the epitome of strength in terrifying situations. In this novel, we get to witness her journey from a beaten down (literally and emotionally) Mom and housewife who didn't know how capable and valuable she was to a strong woman who does what she needs to do to ensure she and her son get the life they deserve.

I would have liked to see more character development, however, I feel like I got enough to be invested in the ending/outcome for each character. If ever a sequel to this novel comes to be, a storyline based in Jackson's adulthood would be awesome - I'm curious if he was able to escape his father's violent tendencies. I was also left wondering how the relationship between him and Delilah evolved once they were reunited.

When your only complaint is wanting more once the story ends, you know you've found a gem. This is the first novel I've read by Gallion, but it won't be the last.

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Domestic abuse, in any form, is just beyond my comprehension. At what point do you stop being a doormat? Delilah is married to a control freak that has a terrible temper. The story is compelling because of her response to the abuse. Not my favorite type of book but if it gets one abused person to seek help if will have been worth the time it took reading the book.

[Patricia Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

This book keeps you engrossed from the beginning. I have read this author's other books and this one is my favorite. Twisted plot keeps the reader intrigued. Highly recommend

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 4 days. I was brought in on page 1 and had a hard time putting it down. I really enjoyed the story and didn't want it to end. I am left asking what happened with the trial, what happened to Jackson, how does Delilah move on?

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 4 days. I was brought in on page 1 and had a hard time putting it down. I really enjoyed the story and didn't want it to end. I am left asking what happened with the trial, what happened to Jackson, how does Delilah move on?

[Cathy Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many things could have been different in so many lives if one of any of a group of people would have changed course. These characters are each well-developed to the point where they feel known to me. This book is written well and hard to put down!

[Donna Reynolds Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

another page turner, really enjoyed. A married couple live with secrets for years until the wife realizes that she has been beaten once too many and researches her husband's past and the probability the he murdered someone.

[Sabrina Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great! It kept me on the edge of my seat! I couldn’t put it down!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in just two sittings - it was great! I was always on the edge of my seat and wondering how it was going to turn out. This was written well, and a great quick read.

[Deedee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intense! But ending left me hanging...

[Christine Hrbcek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone and their trophy's.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written psychological thriller - unputdownable. The ending was a bit off for me but not horrible.