"The Others Hide" by debut author and musician HUSBND is a fictional novel based on a true story and supported by an original soundtrack. It follows the frantic struggle of a man falsely accused of domestic abuse by his wife, who is herself controlling and coercive.
Set in lock down Britain, it narrates an innocent father's desperate fight to clear his name and get his two children back. This explosive drama begins as a flashback to 29th June 1986 as the World Cup final is taking place in Mexico. At the same time on the other side of the globe, two terrifying incidents trigger a journey that brings a man and a woman together, then tears them apart.
Andy Carter is pitched against the Police, the Courts and his wife, a toxic liar who manipulates her young children and the legal system to crush her husband. It charts his journey through the family courts and the criminal justice system as he stands up to her, and she stops access to his beloved daughters.
Supported by loyal friends and a loving family, he endures a successful fight to overcome adversity, which includes the death of his father and a pending neurological disease. Dark humour is mixed with shocking truth as he is pursued at the school gates by a cretinous man, his 3-year-old daughter is rushed to A&E after consuming a poisonous berry, and his best friend of 20 years capitulates to another controlling partner.
The latest UK Office for National Statistics figures for 2023/24 show that one in three victims of domestic abuse were male, equating to 712,000 men (3.0%). One in seven men (13.7%) will be a victim of domestic abuse in their lifetime, which is 2.95 million men. These are shocking and underreported facts which The Others Hide will shed a light on to help hundreds of thousands of men suffering from controlling partners, and the millions more that are too afraid to speak up.
This 11-chapter publication is supported by a music soundtrack of 12 original songs, written and recorded by HUSBND. Film rights are being pursued for the book, along with a music and publishing deal. UK trademarks and domains have already been established.