Laura Griffin is kicking off her Texas Murder Files duo with HIDDEN, and man is it great. She’s a perennial favorite of mine, and I feel a real affinity with her because of our shared background of newspaper reporting. She writes from the perspective of an observer, taking in all elements of the surrounding details. I love that her stories often feature investigative reporters. Like Stan Lee always used the newspaper to add to the plot (Peter Parker is a photographer, Clark Kent is a reporter), Griffin uses the news to tell the story. She balances the stubbornness, drive, and empathy between investigative journalist Bailey Rhoads and Detective Jacob Merritt, which makes for a powerful combination.

*Originally published at Frolic: https://frolic.media/must-read-romantic-suspense-for-fall/

One reason i always come back to Laura Griffin is that she delivers. Once again, HIDDEN is the perfect blend of suspense, a great plot and mystery that keeps you guessing. It's just the romance that's a bit lacking for me...plus the lies and omissions the H/h had going on throughout the book as part of their professions, although I thought they might have a good start at turning this around when they agreed to be honest with each other as long as they don't violate ethical considerations that go with their jobs.

I don't really like reporters as protagonists but Bailey grew on me, plus she has integrity and principles, which I love. She's also tenacious in going after what she wants, i.e. investigating the story, and not giving up even when it seems dead ends abound.

Jacob is the kind of cop you wish more of them exists. He fights for the victim's justice, even when he was already taken off the case, and he (and his partner) continues investigating at the risk of his (their) career. I'm not even sure such a person does exist. I think his character is a bit idealistic, though he's written realistically.

Laura Griffin has long been on my auto-buy list, and the consistent great stories she releases over the years cements her place there. Can't wait to get my hands on her next book!

Hidden was such a fun and enjoyable read. It was fast and entertaining and the characters were a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the story even though it seemed a little jumpy at times. I loved how fast paced the story was and it felt like it was a TV episode with even more entertainment to come. I’m excited to read more from Griffin in this series!

I am proud to announce that for once I remembered not to get too attached to the POV character that the book started with, since with a Laura Griffin book, chances are about 99.99% that they're about to die.

Go, me!

(And yeah, she dies. Spoiler alert. :( )

I enjoyed this start to a new series (The Texas Murder Files) from Ms Griffin (and book two-- Flight --excerpted at the end, sounds like another winner as well). Bailey and Jacob are characters it's easy to root for, and I really enjoyed their chemistry as well. The crime beat reporter/lead detective dynamic was solid--though they might have been able to solve the crime faster if they'd done a better job of collaborating, it's 100% believable that they probably shouldn't have, all things considered. Their respective jobs will definitely make their life together interesting going forward... ;)

I don't want to go into too much detail about the actual mystery--there's a whole lot here that I know I wouldn't have wanted to be spoiled ahead of time. I'll just say that the way the antagonist was able to locate his victims creeped me the heck out--because it's 100% plausible. Technology. Not always our friend...

Counting the days until book 2!

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

As an investigative reporter, Bailey Rhoads is good at her job - she knows how to find information and how to get what she needs from informants and interviewees. When a young woman is found murdered at the local lake trail, Bailey is determined to get answers. Unfortunately, she's met her match with the lead detective, Jacob Merritt. Jacob is steadfast in his own work, doggedly searching for answers to prevent another murder and put the perpetrator behind bars. Both of them are in way over their heads, though, with this case and with each other. While it gets more difficult for them to deny their mutual attraction, the case gets more dangerous and their entanglement more complicated. Bailey and Jacob will have to figure out a way to trust one another before one of them ends up as the next headline.

Thoughts: The plot, the chemistry, the action -- all of it worked so well together that I found this story difficult to walk away from when I had to get back to the "real world". The action was fast-paced yet didn't feel rushed, Jacob and Bailey are both really likable characters on their own and also likable together, and the plot was an intriguing investigative crime story. No fictional relationship would be complete without miscommunication, so Jacob and Bailey have to navigate some tricky conflict-of-interest terrain, which is my own reasoning for the four stars -- as a reader, I would've appreciated a bit more conversation of this relationship negotiation, especially given Bailey's dating history (not a spoiler - it is mentioned very early on in the story that she used to date a cop and it didn't turn out well). Despite this, though, I enjoyed the two characters together as well as their own story lines. I'm looking forward to reading more about Jacob's detective partner in the next book, as well. I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys a good crime story with a simmering PG-13-ish romance.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.**

3.5 Stars

A woman is murdered on a running/hiking trail capturing the attention of reporter Baily Rhoades, and Detective Jacob Merrit. Each are wary of the other, the press and cops are usually a bit at odds in my reading experience and it’s no different here, which makes the attraction brewing between these two a little inconvenient. Uncovering details about the victim soon reveals that a lot more is going on that just a random assault on a runner and digging puts Bailey in danger.

I’m usually not a huge fan of investigative reporters because they seem to be out for the story instead of justice, but Bailey is an exception. She’s principled and doesn’t just report without regard for the investigation and I liked that. I really liked her. Jacob and Bailey are a reluctant team, but I enjoyed the pairing and really liked how it all turned out.

I have to say this scenario wakes up my personal awareness, as I hike and run alone, and this situation is something I worry about often. I carry pepper spray as I go, but still. I feel it’s so unfair that men don’t have to worry about this, women are so often prey in so many situations. Why can’t we just enjoy the outdoors in peace?! My personal rant aside, I really enjoyed Hidden. Laura Griffin is a staple in the romantic suspense/crime procedural genre. Her stories are consistently entertaining and captivating.

I was not familiar with Laura Griffin's work so I did not know what to expect. But this book did not disappoint. This is a face-paced thriller/murder mystery that will keep you turning the page to know more. Splash in a little romance and you have a great book to escape in to.

Witness protection program, US Marshalls, FBI, biometrics, faceprinting are just a few of the twists and turns that this book will take you on. Add in another character that I will not mention as to not give away anything made this book a fun read. I tend to gravitate towards more historical fiction or women's fiction but I will definitely check out past and future books by Griffin.

Really enjoyed this first title I have read by Laura Griffin and certainly has encouraged me to look at more by this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, one I couldn’t put down. The storyline was intriguing and the characters were well thought out., especially Jacob and Bailey. The chemistry between the two added just enough romance to the book. Can’t wait for the second book in this series.

Griffin’s new series includes memorable characters and an intricate plot. Perfect for fans of her Tracer’s series or Allison Brennan.

4.5 stars

Investigative reporters are akin to ambulance-chasing lawyers, their ear next to the ground so they don’t miss any breaking stories. In an era where jobs in journalism are precarious, there’s an urgency to be the one, on the regular, who ferrets out what police would prefer to stay hidden. Austin, Texas based reporter Bailey Rhoads feels the pressure.

It was time for Bailey to get creative. It had been a slow month, and rumor had it the newsroom was in for another round of layoffs. She should spend her Sunday brainstorming feature ideas. Something about local law enforcement that wouldn’t be interchangeable with a story pulled off the wire. Maybe an innovative new forensic technique. Or budgets overruns. Or official corruption. She had to dig up something. For months she’d been hanging on to this job by her fingernails.

Max, her editor, calls her on Saturday—where is she? There’s something in his voice that makes her pulse quicken

“Some chatter on the scanner,” Max said. “Lance heard something about a code thirty-seven.”

A thirty-seven is a shooting. Max tells her it’s out at Lady Bird Lake. Austin’s Lady Bird Lake is a mecca for outdoor activities, from hiking and biking, to kayaking and rowing, with everything else in between. Austin stands out in Texas, with its keep Austin weird vibe, a vibrant indie music scene, great-paying high tech jobs, and a reputation of being very liberal. An enclave of sorts. When Bailey arrives at Lady Bird Lake, she heads to a trailhead near the nature center where she knows the territory. She immediately notices that the usually packed Jay’s Juice Bar is deserted.

She spotted a patrol car in the parking lot. Bingo.



As she hurried closer, she saw not just one but four police cars in the lot behind the place, along with an unmarked unit with a spotlight mounted on the windshield—probably a detective’s car. How had this stayed off the scanner? Someone must be trying to keep a lid on the story.

When Bailey spots a detective talking to a juice bar employee, she goes right up to him, even knowing “she was about to get stonewalled.” And she was—the detective won’t tell her who he is, won’t tell her what happened, on or off the record, officially or unofficially. He finally says he’s Detective Merritt and tells her to talk to his PR officer. Come on, can’t he cut her a break—what’s she supposed to tell her editor? In the end, it was the please and a pleading look that did it. Jacob Merritt is aware of Bailey’s reputation for “being sneaky and pushy as hell,” but he still shares some valuable inside information: it wasn’t a shooting.

“About five fifty, one of our units responded to a call about an unresponsive female near the hike-and-bike trail,” Jacob said. “The officers—”



“Wait, ‘unresponsive’?” She glanced up from her pad.



“The officers confirmed that the woman was dead.”

That’s all she gets. Her editor is not impressed with her sketchy information. But Bailey has an extensive toolkit of resources and people to tap, and she uses them all. The police have proprietary methods too. Jacob and Bailey overlap over their initial inability to identify the dead woman. She was killed with great precision by someone wielding a military-grade knife. Since she was jogging when she was killed, perhaps it’s not unusual that she wasn’t carrying her ID. But to be carrying absolutely nothing? Jacob’s partner Kendra says it’s a “bizarre” case all round. Jacob presses her, asking her what jumps out most? It’s the lack of ID.

“No license, no keys, no abandoned vehicle. No missing-person report. This thing’s been all over the news, and yet no one’s called to say maybe it’s their roommate or their girlfriend who hasn’t been home all weekend.” Kendra jabbed a button and a bottle of water thunked down. “Normally, I’d think maybe she’s a transient.”



“Evidence doesn’t back that up,” he said.



“Exactly. Expensive teeth, shoes, clothing. Hell, those designer running shorts alone cost eighty-five bucks.”



Jacob shot her a look. “Eighty-five bucks for shorts?”



“Yeah, at least. I’ve got a pair just like them. I—” She halted. “Damn, I just thought of something.”

You take your breaks where you find them. They go to the morgue, glove up, and Kendra examines the inside pocket and pulls out a “white plastic card with a black magnetic strip on the back.” It’s their first break. Things start tumbling into place, but the victim’s life is unusually empty. Bailey and Jacob explore the possibility that she was part of the Witness Protection program.

Bailey has a hunch that the victim wasn’t who she claimed to be and believes this mugging-turned-murder could have been a targeted hit. When she digs deeper, the trail leads her to a high-tech fortress on the outskirts of Austin, where researchers are pushing the boundaries of a cutting-edge technology that could be deadly in the wrong hands.

Complicating the delicate dance of trading, sharing, and collaborating between a reporter and a detective is the attraction Bailey and Jacob feel for each other. We’re in Texan writer Sandra Brown territory: Hidden is a compelling, complicated mystery infused with some serious heat.

You won’t be able to stop thinking about what it means to go off the grid in 2020. Can a person stay hidden once they’ve made that decision? Author Laura Griffin discussed this recently on Criminal Element. Just consider all the faces that are being captured on Zoom calls these past six months. Hidden is a one-degree of separation book from issues that we’re living with and confronting right now.

I enjoyed Hidden however it was a bit predictable. The little love brewing between reporter Bailey and detective Jacob was entertaining. I found myself rooting for them. The mystery was good however it didn't wow me. I would be interested to see what she does with book 2.

I love everything Laura Griffin writes, so I was excited to learn about her newest book, Hidden. It is an absorbing story and I was quickly turning pages to find out what happens next. The writing is masterful and I felt like I was right there trying to solve the mystery of a young woman’s murder. This story has edge of your seat suspense, unforgettable characters and romance.

Bailey is a tenacious reporter working the crime scene and Jacob is a hard working, stoic detective. Their paths cross when a woman is murdered. They are both working on the same murder case, but they each have a different agenda. Bailey wants information from Jacob to write a story and Jacob avoids giving into her requests because he doesn’t want to hurt the case he is working on. Even though they each have different goals, they find a way to help each other solve this perplexing case.

I really liked Jacob and Bailey. The air combusts whenever they are together and they connect on many different levels. They know, this isn’t the time to get involved, but it is difficult to avoid what they are feeling. Jacob and Bailey slowly learn they can trust one another. They are alike in many ways. They have integrity and a strong work ethic. If you like suspense and romance, you will love Hidden.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Twenty-something investigative reporter Bailey Rhoads meets Detective Jacob Merritt when an unidentified woman is found murdered in a local lake. Jacob doesn’t like reporters and doesn’t want to give her any information, but Bailey has her own sources. Bailey and Jacob are investigating the same crime from different angles, but their attraction to each other and Bailey’s persistence sees them sharing bits of information while not quite working together.

The solving of this murder mystery starts with discovering the name of the victim which, when we learn it, throws up more questions than it answers. The story here is really good and it goes places I wasn’t expecting, which was great. I liked the surprise and the touch of unpredictability. While there were times I would have liked the story to move a little faster, it was generally well paced, and there were moments when it had my heart racing.

The romance between Jacob and Bailey is hot and gave me a good warm and fuzzies amongst the murder. If, like me, you enjoy a mystery that mixes crime solving with romance, I’d definitely recommend Hidden. It is well worth your time and marks a good start to a new series, which I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next chapter of.

This is a quick and easy romantic suspense and my first by author Laura Griffin. This genre is quickly becoming a favorite since I really enjoy the thriller + romance aspects of the writing. The book was well written and suspenseful enough to keep my interest. The characters were gritty and well developed. I am looking forward to more titles in this series, especially because of the budding romance between Jacob and Bailey.

Overall, a solid 4 star read!

Laura Griffin has become one of my go to authors when I want a dependably good romantic suspense novel. Hidden did not disappoint. The Austin-based plot was well done and suspenseful and I was sucked into a satisfying quick read. Hidden didn’t quite live up to some of its predecessors when it came to a slow burn of a romance. The characters were fine but somehow the source of the attraction wasn’t as evident as one might like.
I expect that’s a one off and I look forward to my next Laura Griffin title.

My first romantic suspense by Griffin and it was a quick, easy, entertaining weekend read. I say entertaining because there were a lot of narrative twists, but nothing that thoroughly surprised me in terms of the overall mystery or wound up really upending my expectations. In terms of the romance, I felt like something was missing between the leads for me. Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t sense a ridiculous amount of chemistry between them, the kind where you really want that energy to sizzle on the page — especially in high-tension situations. Their best moments were when they were challenging each other over the investigation, but I would’ve liked those scenes to crackle even more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve heard so many good things about Laura Griffin’s romantic suspense novels that I couldn’t wait to dive into Hidden! Unfortunately, while there was quite a lot to like about this book, it fell a bit flat for me. The mystery was incredibly interesting (especially the facial recognition one!) but ultimately felt like two completely separate plots smushed into one, with not quite enough attention devoted to either one. Plus I didn’t really understand the romance between Bailey and Jacob, which definitely made it difficult for me to get into the book at times.

Overall, Hidden wasn’t the book for me. But I do think that I’ll be checking out some of Laura Griffin’s other series to see if those work better for me.

*Disclaimer: I received a digital advance copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Austin police detective, Jacob Merritt, is investigating the brutal murder of an unidentified female, when he’s approached by reporter, Bailey Rhoads, for information about the case. Bailey is well aware that more and more reporters are losing their jobs at the Austin Herald, so she’s more tenacious than usual about trying to get a story. Jacob is being very close lipped about giving out any information, much to Bailey’s frustration. During their own investigations into the murder, Bailey and Jacob keep encountering each other, and have come to a point where they each share a bit of information, but are obviously holding back more. They are both fighting their mutual attraction, as a relationship between them is just not possible. Bailey’s last romance was with a policeman, and that ended badly. Jacob knows that becoming involved with a reporter would bring him under scrutiny.

When the FBI becomes involved, and actually takes over the case, it’s clear that there is much more to the story than murder. Jacob can’t let this case go, and keeps investigating under the radar. Soon, he and Bailey learn that the federal witness program has been compromised, a hired hit man is involved, and even a local high tech company plays a part. They rush to save a surviving witness, who is next on the list to be eliminated.

Jacob and Bailey have found their attraction too strong to resist, and have begun an affair. Even so, their wariness still has them holding back information, which takes its toll. I found myself liking Jacob a lot more than Bailey, as her pushiness grated on me a bit. Having said that, I understand that a crime reporter can’t be a shrinking violet, but she did put herself in dangerous situations, seemingly without thinking of possible consequences. I really enjoyed reading the last half of HIDDEN, as both the romance and the action picked up. The twist involving the tech company is scary in that the scenario portrayed is probably going to occur, if it hasn’t already. HIDDEN is the first book in the new Texas Murder Files series, and is a satisfying read for those who enjoy romantic suspense.

I’ve enjoyed Griffin over the years and was excited to see a new series by her. Hidden is the first novel in the Texas Murder Files. We get to meet a tenacious report, and a police detective who won’t rest until they stop a killer.

Coffee Dates With Hidden
First Date: We as the reader are witness to the events leading up to the homicide along Austin’s lakeside hike-and-bike trail. Investigative reporter Bailey Rhoads gets a tip that something is up and heads to the lake. Lead detective, Jacob Merritt is on scene when Bailey tries to pry information from our tight-lipped detective. Both have a job to do and their paths continue to cross as the chemistry between them grows. Detective Merritt isn’t willing to give up investigating when the Feds take over and Bailey get’s a lead that might just spell trouble.
Second Date: Pizza, craft beer, and angles. The two spend time together as Merritt tries to warn Bailey off the case, but this ace reporter is finding connections and offering tips. The case is interesting, with topics and discoveries relevant to today’s headlines as big brother watches.
Third Date: As another woman faces danger, the romance gains traction. The steamy scenes are fade to black and while I could characterize this as insta-love, their attraction felt genuine. As trust built, they shared more on the case and even tracked a lead together before a climatic closure to their investigations. Griffin let us spend some time with the couple and wrapped up loose threads, leaving me smiling and looking forward to the next book in the Texas Murder Files.
Fans of murder-mysteries, crime thrillers, and romantic suspense will want to add Hidden to their bookshelves.
Review first appeared at Caffeinated Reviewer