This novel follows on from the previous book 'Little Boy Blue' with Helen Grace getting to grips with life in Holloway Prison. When Helen’s neighboring cell mate is found dead suspicion falls on her. Helen starts asking questions to find out what she can about the murder but at the same time it puts her life in jeopardy.

I wasn’t happy with Helen Grace being locked up because there is no banter between her team and takes away something from the book. The books should be read in order to fully appreciate them which I haven’t done. I do look forward to the next book in this series.
This is the 3rd book I have read in the series and it definitely didn't disappoint me.

Hide and Seek is the latest Helen Grace novel by M. J. Arlidge and a follow up to Little Boy Blue. Hide and Seek gives you enough prior information for it to be a stand alone story, but it's much better if at least Little Boy Blue was read previously, and even richer if the reader started with the first story, Eeny Meeny. The only problem I have with this series is that each time I finish a book I can't wait for the next in the series. I was given an early copy to review.

The story of this book is brilliant, as all previous books in the series have been. It picks up from the cliffhanger at the end of Little Boy Blue. Here's the rub. I would have liked it if this series had been published in order in The US. Book 5 ended on a cliffhanger. Book 7 was released in May. Book 6 is being released on October 10. Then charge $11.99 for a story you know the ending for because you read ahead in the storyline. If you haven't, kudos, it's an incredible series that should not be missed out on.

This is the third book I've read in the author's series featuring Detective Inspector Helen Grace. Like the others, it's fast-paced and almost riveting - I'd have been quite content if I could have read the whole thing in one sitting. But truth is, I didn't actually "like" it much. Here's why: The only setting I hate more in books and motion pictures than an Afghanistan war zone is in a prison. And guess where most of the action takes place?

But that's a personal preference that shouldn't hamper other readers' enjoyment - especially long-time fans of the series - and when it's otherwise a very good book. The real focus is a question: How is it that the fiesty Helen is locked away? Well, it appears she's been disGraced - I'm assuming the details of her situation were laid out in a book I didn't read. She's now in jail awaiting trial for a murder she didn't commit; she was framed by her nephew Robert Stonehill (or so she claims). Her old department continues to run with someone else at the helm; some of her former colleagues think she's guilty and others - like her fiercely loyal friend Charlie - are working hard to gather evidence that proves Helen's innocence.

None of them, though, can protect her from what she's dealing with now. Leah, a woman who occupied the cell next to Helen's, has been murdered in the night. The word on the block is that she was a snitch - clearly grounds for reprisal in the eyes of other innates. And a gruesome murder it was: Her eyes, mouth and other body parts were sewn shut and her ears stuffed with an unidentified substance - yet there were few signs of a struggle. The prison security chief is convinced that Helen somehow did the deed, so Helen tries to put her investigative skills to work on finding the real killer. In the process, she takes a real beating that lands her in the infirmary. Another murder happens in similar fashion, leading Helen to believe it may be the work of a prison employee rather than an inmate.

On the outside, still another force is working against Helen - Emilia, the reporter who broke Helen's pre-jail story. The woman left her old newspaper job, hoping to cash in on her scoop - and when she learned of the first murder, she became more determined than ever to keep dogging Helen and turn up more dirt to boost her own career.

While all this is happening, Charlie keeps trying to nail Stonehill, much to the dismay of her superiors, meaning she's jeopardizing her own career. Inside the prison, though, all hell is breaking loose, with Helen squarely in the middle of the action. Will Charlie be able to find Stonehill and prove Helen's innocence in time to save her friend? It's a race to the finish, taking readers on a wild ride.

As a final note, I'll say that this book certainly can be read as a standalone, although knowing what happened previously would have helped me get more out of the experience (I skipped one or two more recent books in the series including the one immediately preceding this one). That said, it's another excellent addition to the series and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Helen raised her head, refusing to look broken, but all she saw was a hundred mocking faces-laughing, joking, reveling in her misfortune. In her former life, she'd been a respected police officer- she would have dealt with someone like Campbell swiftly and decisively- but now she was powerless to act. In here she was the butt of all jokes, an accident waiting to happen, a handsome trophy for any inmate brave enough to chance an attack.".....

We're back for book six in the "Detective Inspector Helen Grace" series. Book 5, (Little Boy Blue), ended in a way you knew there was going to be serious trouble coming for Helen. These are stand alone books, but I highly recommend the series. Seeing character development through the books gives you a greater investment, and I think more enjoyment with each book. Helen is a complicated woman.

Helen is now in Holloway prison. From there she's waiting for trial to try to prove her innocence. Will she make it on the inside? When fellow inmates are being murdered in a gruesome manner, she begins a hunt for a serial killer.

Who could this killer be? Is it another inmate, or someone from the staff? Helen needs to figure it out before she becomes next on the killers list. Many have eyes on the former police officer, and very few would lift a finger to help her.

Meanwhile, trying to solve this while not having police means and access, may be one of her most trying cases yet. The cop in her won't let it pass. It's being officially investigated of course, but having Helen on the inside may save some lives.

I hated to see Helen end up where she has. Will she be able to prove she's not a killer? Will she ever be able to go back to being a police officer, even if she is found innocent? The real question is who is the killer, and will Helen die at Holloway? What an exciting read this was!

Thank you M.J. Arlidge, NetGalley, and Penguin UK.

M.J.Arlidge does it again! Whenever a new book comes out in this series, I get apoplectic as I KNOW it is going to be a winner. So far, he has never failed on this mission. Despite the continued storyline, I feel comfortable recommending this as a stand alone. However, reading the other books helps to expand the novel giving it a further depth. In his 6th novel featuring Detective Helen Grace, she is unjustly accused of 3 crimes and sentenced to prison awaiting her trial. While in prison she is subjected to taunts and physical acts of violence. However, when an horrendous murder with macabre results occurs, Grace puts on her inspector's hat and tries to uncover the devious plot. The followup to this is fast paced and thrilling and not clear as to whom the perpetrator is. The other plot line features her side kick Charlie trying to find Grace's nephew who has framed Helen for these murders. Although the structure of the novel doesn't lend itself to be as tense as her previous novels, Arlidge does a terrific job of keeping one up late into the night.

This is an excellent series and I love Helen Grace, so I was worried that setting the story in prison would limit her. It does, but surprisingly it makes her more compelling by humanizing her. Stripped of her authority and targeted by all the inmates that she put in prison (and a lot who hate her just because she's a cop), she has to be even more resourceful. When creepy murders start taking place around her, Helen will get involved against her better judgement. And what horrific murders! But who has access to these inmates? Why aren't they fighting back? How long until Helen herself is in danger? In the meantime Charlie, Helen's old colleague and friend, is trying to prove that Helen isn't guilty of the murders for which she is being charged. The back and forth between the stories creates so much tension, that it's easy to fall in the "one more chapter before I go to bed" trap and find yourself very sleepy in the morning. As usual, the characters - ones we know, others are new to the series - are well fleshed out and believable. This is an excellent novel.

DI Helen Grace is in a women's prison awaiting trial for three murders. She is kept in general population and her life is hellish. Then fellow prisoners begin to die and were obviously put to death. Helen's old friends from the Police are still investigating her allegations that her nephew committed the three murders and framed her for them. Politics is running rampant through the police department leading to the attempt to stop the investigation. Helen knows her friends are looking into the charges against her and she begins to investigate the murders. The novel is gripping and will grab the reader's interest from the onset. After a conclusion that includes a prison riot, one cannot help but wonder where Helen's next adventure might lead. Thanks to Net Galley and Berkeley for an ARC for an honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, M.J. Arlidge, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

HIDE AND SEEK by M.J. Arlidge is the sixth Helen Grace novel. Helen Grace was once one of the country's best police detectives, but now, she's behind bards with the very same killers she's caught. Framed for murder, she knows she must prove her innocence. But first, she must survive until then.

This was a fast, exciting read that was well drawn out. Unlike most crime thrillers, this one didn't have the expansive settings. Even so, you're quickly drawn in. Arlidge is proving to not need exotic locations to tell a good story! I highly recommend this to those who enjoy crime thrillers, but it is recommended you, in the very least, read the book released before this one, as it sets up the story line for HIDE AND SEEK.

I feel like I've waited for this book for a crazy long time! I ended up getting it an audiobook. I LOVED the audiobook and would recommend it to anyone who loves audiobooks and thrillers. This one wasn't quite the same as the others as DI Helen Grace is in jail! You have to read or listen to the other books. This is not a standalone. However, I could recommend every single one of MJ Arlidge books! I haven't read a bad one yet!

Helen Grace is a brilliantly complex character who just wants to investigate crime and put the bad guys away, and she is out of her depth when the tables have been turned and she finds herself behind bars! While all the time there is a rich tapestry going on in the background that will bring danger and death in equal amounts. What we get is a grisly and gripping thriller that leaves you guessing throughout and makes out for what at times is a very chilling read, you can feel the tension oozing right off the pages. You will flip through the pages furiously seeking the conclusion, all while not wanting it to end!

Hide and Seek, once again proves why MJ Arlidge is one of the most exciting writers in the thriller genre! Arlidge draws the reader in with this breathless and tauting thriller, that will have readers turning the pages feverishly, getting hooked the deeper they go. MJ Arlidge knows how to entertain the reader and throws enough twists in to confuse but not overwhelm the story.