This was an exciting and captivating romantic suspense story that was fast-paced and fun to read! I enjoyed the characters, the storyline, and the mystery that tied it all together.

This was my first time reading this author and I really liked what I got. It felt like it was an even split between the suspense and the romance. I liked all the intrigue happening and the build to the story and the fact that there are multiple POVs. Romance wise I liked both Jacob and Bailey, they had a great attraction, and I enjoyed the conflict and trust issues they had with one another and how it all played out. There was a nice slow burn happening for these two as well. I thought the suspense and romance were well balanced and I was looking forward to finding out all the answers and Jacob and Bailey getting their HEA.

The story was intriguing and light. It had good details and building layers, but not a lot of depth. It was just a really great read with an awesome mystery happening and these two characters happened to fall for each other in the middle of it all. It definitely felt like a lighter romance where things were glossed over at times.

All in all, I found it really enjoyable. It was a good story that wasn't too taxing and it wrapped up nice and easy. If you want a really good mystery and a bit of romance and you don't want to completely stress yourself out, this would be a great choice. Nice mix of suspense and passion that will keep you turning the page!

Queen of Suspense!

Magnificent! With words alone, Laura Griffin is able to fabricate a goosebump producing, edge of your seat, white knuckle read!!! With hairs standing up on your neck, you flip through the pages as fast as you can. COMPLETELY IMMERSED! COMPLETELY CONSUMED, with no thought, other then the story. These heart pounding twists make this book UNPUTDOWNABLE!

Hidden is chilling, with the perfect touch of romance. Rough around the edges with a sweet gooey middle. Laura Griffin absolutely delivers on this romantic suspense!

A BRILLIANT new start to a new series. I’m completely hooked.

I really enjoy a fast-paced romantic suspense read that keeps you at the edge of your seat, and a thriller to keep your heart pumping and fingers turning those pages. Laura Griffin is a new author to me, and she has quickly become a favorite. She writes the best mix of suspense and romance.

Hidden is the first book the “The Texas Murder Files” series where in this installation, a woman is found brutally murdered in the hike and bike trail in Austin. The main character is Bailey Rhoads who is an investigative report who is following this investigation. That leads us to the lead detective, Jacob Merritt who definitely has great chemistry with Bailey. I love a great cat and mouse type of a read and this one did not disappoint. I loved that the plot was intricate and razor sharp. Kept me thinking and guessing and I love the uniqueness of nothing is what it seems and for the characters to dig deeper into a complex and intricate web and dark secrets.

Griffin’s storytelling style is truly gripping and exciting. I love how she keeps the pacing going where the suspense just keeps building. The writing was fabulous and atmospheric – characters are great to read about and you feel the intensity of this suspenseful read.

What a great and fantastic start to this series. I cannot wait for more. In the meantime, I will be binging on Griffin’s other series.

Investigative reporter, Bailey Rhoads, is on the job when a young woman is murdered on a hiking trail in Austin, Texas. She meets up with the detective assigned to the case, Jacob Merritt but he’s not very forthcoming with information. Bailey is sure there is more to this case than meets the eye.

Jacob Merritt does not get personally involved with reporters, but Bailey Rhoads has sure grabbed his attention. When Bailey insists there’s something sinister going on, he slowly believes her when the FBI gets involved.

Against his better judgment, Jacob agrees to team up with Bailey to find a killer. They must do it before the killer comes after them.

This is an edge-of-your seat police procedural. The action never stops. As a reader, I could feel the tension Jacob and Bailey experienced. I was totally engrossed in this spellbinding drama. It’s the first of a series and I’m definitely looking forward to the next book.

A high energy drama that kept my interest until the last page. The characters are dynamic and realistic. Great start to a new series.

Romance + crime + murder, COUNT ME IN!  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
I had no idea romantic suspense was a genre and I’ve totally been missing out.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
*Thank you @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review* 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
Review: 
Okay as a true crime junkie, I was all over the idea of this book. As I mentioned above, it was my first romantic suspense and my first book by this author. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
The dynamic between Bailey and Jacob was fun and flirty which kept the romance vibe strong. It was fun to follow Bailey along on her investigation and try to help her solve the murder.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 
Needless to say, I’ll be checking out Laura Griffin’s other books and finding more romantic suspense books.

I think 2020 is the year of new series to get hooked on. I have read the first book in a few new series this year, and I am now counting the days until the next one of each of them come out.

This book is exactly what I want in a romantic suspense. Heavy on the suspense and mystery and not too light or heavy on the romance part. The author does a great job at balancing the two in this book. There is just enough romance mixed with the suspense to keep all readers happy.

I loved these characters. The author did a great job at showing us their dedication to their respective jobs, a detective and a journalist, and their struggle in not just the mystery but also with their budding feelings and the complications their jobs bring.

Overall, this book was extremely well written. Great characters. Great plot. Great suspense. It is definitely one I would recommend. I am looking forward to next Spring when the next book in this series releases.

Hidden was good. But it wasn't really great. Despite the thrilling sounding story line, I feel like not a lot happened. The book subject isn't what I normally pick up so maybe that is some of it. I just feel like I don't have a lot to say about this one.

I really did like the relationship between Bailey and Jacob though. It felt authentic and romantic. Like they were made perfectly for each other.

Thank you Laura Griffin, Berkley and NetGalley for this DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book from Laura Griffin and unfortunately it did not work for me, DNF at 18%. I think I wasn’t the right reader for Hidden, I struggled to feel engaged in the plot.

I’ve enjoyed several of Laura Griffin’s romantic suspense novels in the past, although I have to admit that the last couple of her books have left me feeling a bit short-changed as regards the romance.  But a new title from her will always have me taking a second look.  I liked the sound of Hidden, book one in her new Texas Murder Files series, in which the murder of a young woman turns up few leads, no suspects and a whole lot of dead ends.

Austin Herald crime-beat reporter Bailey Rhoads is sent to investigate reports of a shooting at a local bike-hike trail and arrives at the scene to find it already buzzing with activity.  The lead detective on the case is tight-lipped and obviously suspicious of reporters, but Bailey does manage to find out that the victim wasn’t shot, but was stabbed in the back, and that whoever perpetrated the crime clearly knew what they were doing.  Bailey suspects a professional hit – Merrit won’t be drawn on the matter, but privately believes that to be very likely.  But a hit on a young woman who works as a nanny and volunteers at a local after-school centre makes no sense – until Bailey starts digging for more information about her, and Jacob receives a visit from the FBI.

The reader follows the investigation from both Jacob and Baiiey’s points of view, and I liked the way we’re shown them each uncovering various clues and pieces of information from different angles.  Jacob has one big advantage in that he’s an LEO, so his access to certain things is easier, but Bailey is clever and tenacious and manages to ferret out a lot of information on her own.  Their working relationship is frequently uneasy – Jacob’s wariness of reporters and Bailey’s desire to play her cards close to her chest mean that they often keep things from each other - even information the reader knows they both have - which was frustrating at times, and which ultimately affects the development of the romantic relationship between them.  They have great chemistry and there’s a definite spark of attraction between them, but because of the lack of openness between them due to the case and their professions, it was hard to see how they could build an emotionally sound relationship.

The suspense plot was pretty good, although I did find the pacing a bit slow in places.  Things take a while to get going, but things soon pick up as both Jacob and Bailey dig deeper and discover they’re dealing with something far more complex than a murder enquiry. One of the things I’ve enjoyed about this author’s other books is her ability to weave in interesting background information about things like forensics or police procedures, and in this book she turns her attention to how technology can be used to circumvent secure channels and the security of previously well-established programs like WITSEC, and even to potentially subvert the entire justice system. The things she writes about are scarily plausible, which definitely helped to ratchet up the tension in the second half of the book.

It’s been a recurring theme in my reviews of many of the m/f romantic suspense novels I’ve read over the past few years, that the romance is sidelined at the expense of the plot, and that’s an issue here, too.  The romance is more prominent here than in the last couple of Ms. Griffin’s books I’ve read, but the lack of romantic development and emotional connection made the final HEA and ILYs feel rushed.  This is one of those times I’d have been happier with an HFN and “lets see how it goes”.

Jacob and Bailey are fairly likeable, although Bailey is your typical ‘plucky female reporter’ whose insistence on doing things her way meant some of her decisions were borderline TSTL and she was clearly out of her depth at times.  Jacob fares a bit better; he’s the more sympathetic of the two because we know he has to play by certain rules for good reason.

In spite of my reservations, Hidden is a decent romantic suspense tale and I enjoyed it.  I may pick up the next book in the series.

Grade: B- / 3.5 stars (rounded up).

Fast-paced and gripping, Hidden by Laura Griffin, kept me on my toes and the edge of my seat while the twists and turns kept me guessing until the end. I haven’t read a mystery in quite a long time, and while the change of pace was nice, the writing and storyline kept me entertained and riveted to this story. I couldn’t put it down until I knew the who/what/why of it all.

Bailey Rhodes is a fierce and tenacious crime beat reporter in Austin who can sniff out a story, get sources to open up and trust her, and her gut instincts rarely lead her astray. Jacob Merritt is a dedicated police detective with a protective streak a mile wide. He cares about his job and his city, and he doesn’t give up, even when the trail runs cold.

Bailey and Jacob make an unlikely yet excellent team, working on solving the same crime from their own direction. Distrust abounds between them, but their chemistry is hard to deny. I really enjoyed the will-they-or-won’t-they tension, the gripping storyline, and the unexpected conclusion.

Hidden is the first book in a new series, and I can’t wait to read more. This was also my first book by Griffin, but I plan to go back to read some of her previous titles. I highly recommend Hidden if you’re looking for a mysterious romantic suspense that will keep you glued to your Kindle.

***ARC Provided by the Author***

4.5 Stars

Books like this one are the reason I devour Laura Griffin's books as soon as I have them in my hand.

I love the mix of a romance that feels so real with the grittier story of crimes and police-work and detectives and all of the things that are great to read about when they aren't your everyday life.

Bailey and Jacob's story is wonderful. You are drawn in from the beginning both with the relationship between them and the story.

I also find it a little tough to review this one, not because I didn't love it, but because I did and all of the things I loved about it are ruined if I tell you and you don;t get to experience them on your own. So, I am going to keep this review short and tell you that this is a book you should read.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

Laura Griffin is one of my auto-buy authors ever since I read UNTRACEABLE, the first in her long running Tracers series. I love the mix of police procedural and romantic suspense in her novels.

HIDDEN is the first in Giffin’s new Texas Murder Files and features an intrepid reporter and a seasoned detective who reluctantly join forces to discover what really happened to the jogger who was murdered on running path outside of Austin, Texas. The investigation takes several twists and turns and eventually reveals more sinister plots afoot involving witness protection programs and scary surveillance systems.

Looking for a mystery with some romance, danger and enough creepy technology to keep you thinking long after you finish the book? HIDDEN is for you! Bonus: a book club kit is available here: https://lauragriffin.com/extras/book-club-kit-hidden/

(Advanced copy read courtesy of Netgalley and Berkley Romance, and then I bought a copy for me, lol.)

I love a good crime series, and Hidden is the first in a new series! A woman is found brutally murdered on a trail under mysterious circumstances. Investigative reporter, Bailey Rhoads wants the inside story and is forced to try to coax information out of the lead detective, Jacob Merritt. Before long, it seems that the murder victim isn't who they thought she was, and it is all part of a larger plot. I have been having a hard time focusing on reading lately, but I was hooked by this book. I would look forward to reading it every night and to know how the story developed. There's a good balance of crime solving, strong characters, and some romance. Without giving anything away, there was a technology used in these crimes that I had honestly never heard of or thought about, and it had me spooked! I can't wait to see where this series goes. It has all of the right components that will keep me coming back for more. If you are a fan of Bones or the Harry Bosch/Renee Ballard series then I think you will love this one too!

HIDDEN was my first Laura Griffin novel, which is surprising because I love romantic suspense, and she has a solid back list! When I saw this was the first book in a new series, I figured this was as good of a place as any to dive in. While I ended up enjoying the book, it wasn’t anything I want to write home about.

The story follows an intrepid reporter heroine, Bailey, and Austin homicide detective, Jacob, as they try to uncover the details of a mysterious murder in the park. To be honest, reporter/detective romances aren’t my favorite. The lack of trust between both parties seems insurmountable and I appreciated that Ms. Griffin addressed this as a large part of the conflict between Bailey and Jacob.

What I liked: I really enjoyed the tight-laced police officer with the more laid back yet motivated reporter. It was fun seeing them both try, and fail, to fight their attraction to each other. I also LOVED the suspense plot. While it started slow, once the storyline picked up speed, it didn’t stop for a second. I loved that I wasn’t able to predict where the book would twist and where it would turn. I actually gasped a few times!

What I didn’t like: One of the biggest sticking points for me as a romance reader is that I didn’t believe the romance between Bailey and Jacob. Yes, I believe they were attracted to each other, but I didn’t believe in the deeper emotions they were supposed to have. They barely trusted each other most of the book. I would have liked to see more of an emotional connection or discussions outside of work or the case. Also, as I mentioned, the book was SLOW to start. So slow. I felt like the plot didn’t really go anywhere for the first 25% or so.

Overall, I did enjoy this book for the most part; it was well-written and suspenseful. I just wanted more.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

The first book in the Texas Murder Files is a fast paced romantic suspense. I didn’t want to put it down. The characters are well developed, likable and sexy. This is a very well written thriller full of twists and turns throughout. Very entertaining. I received a free copy of this book vis NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review

Hidden is the first book in the new Texas Murder Files series by Laura Griffin. This book unites a tough police detective and a crime reporter who are both racing to solve a murder.
Hidden begins with a woman jogging in a park and then getting stabbed to death. The problem is that the victim, Dana Smith, doesn't really exist. She has no friends, no family, and no traceable background. Her employer, a doctor who hired her as a nanny, doesn't know anything more about her than what the cops can find.
Our hero, Jacob Merritt is a homicide detective. He and his partner, Kendra Porter, are assigned to find out what happened to Ms. Smith. The clues lead them to a dead end. Our heroine, Bailey Rhoads, is a crime reporter with the local newspaper who is desperately trying to find a story big enough that will keep her employed. When she discovers that Dana Porter didn’t really exist, she knows she is on to something big. Bailey finds out that the victim was actually in the Federal Witness Protection program which makes it nearly impossible to trace. Because of this information, the case is taken away from the police and turned over to the FBI. However, Bailey continues to hunt for any clues. Jacob won’t let this case go and searches for answers on his own.

Hidden is fantastic book. It has romance, great characters, and a suspenseful murder investigation. This book also has some very edgy plot twists involving state of the art technology. I was fascinated with this aspect of the book. Jacob and Bailey are so likeable. I loved how Ms. Griffin was able to make the tough detective and the persistent news reporter find their romance while they each tried to solve this case without disclosing anything or stepping on each other. The supporting characters were fully fleshed out and I hope they each get their own story.
Ms. Griffin is on my auto-buy list, and I eagerly look forward to each new book. I have read Ms. Griffin’s other series books and thoroughly enjoyed them all. She writes fantastic characters, unbelievable suspense and creates a world I can become immersed in. I highly recommend this new book and suggest if you haven’t read her other series, you should give them a try.

This was my first Laura Griffin book, but I don’t think it’s going to be my last. This was a very fast paced murder mystery with a touch of romance mixed it. I’m not sure I had ever even heard of the sub genre ‘romantic suspense’ but this was a great fast pace mystery.

This is the first book in her new two part series, The Texas Murder Files. Bailey Rhoads, an Austin crime reporter, unintentionally teams up with detective Jacob Merritt as they separately investigate the brutal murder of a women at Austin’s lakeside bike trail. But nothing adds up in the investigate, and Dana Smith seems to not even exist. This story gets a little dark and without getting too much into the story and giving things away, the added plot dealing with ‘big brother’ really kept this book packed with twists and turns.

I really enjoyed our main characters and thought they were a great mix. Bailey is smart, resourceful and stubborn. The amount of investigative journalism and effort she put into this case was amazing. She wouldn’t rest until she felt that she had the full story and did the ‘right’ thing. Jacob was the perfect complement to Bailey. He has a strong moral compass but also cares deeply for the victims. The chemistry between our two main characters was fabulous and even our secondary characters seem well developed.

This was a great read and is perfect for getting out of a slump, at least if you enjoyed a good murder mystery. Definitely looking forward to the second book which comes out next year.

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on Hidden. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books. Huge thank you to Berkley Publishing for my advanced copy.

3.5 Stars

Hidden is the first book in the new Texas Murder Files by Laura Griffin. The story is about Bailey, a crime beat reporter and Jacob, an Austin detective. These two are passionate about their jobs which would normally make them somewhat advisories. But mutual respect and attraction has them forming a bond as they work together on the death of a woman that was murdered on a jogging trail.

The murder mystery in this book was really entertaining for me. The fact that the woman they find on the trail, Dana Smith, doesn’t appear to really exist sets off a really intriguing story. As a fan of true crime podcasts and investigative journalism, this story was right up my alley. A lot of these scenes reminded me of watching an episode of Law & Order or listening to an episode of the podcast My Favorite Murder.

I won’t give away any of the details of the mystery, I’ll only say Griffin handles these plot points very well. Doling out just enough information as the story went on to keep me interested til the last scene. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing which is pretty impressive since I pride myself in figuring out mysteries right away.

What didn’t work for me was the relationship between Jacob and Bailey. I’ve always been a fan of romantic suspense and I’m happy to suspend reality to believe that a cop and reporter would end up together. But I didn’t feel like I ever got enough in the head of either of these two to know why they were falling in love. The sex scenes were brief and a little tepid, and any emotional conversations seemed stunted.

Since this is the first in a new series I am hoping that other characters in this novel, such as Jacob’s partner will get a chance at a book. Even though I wasn’t a huge fan of this love story I did enjoy the book overall and will be keeping up with this series for sure. Fans of a good detective book that is more centered on the investigation and less on the action will probably enjoy this offering. But if you’re looking for high stakes and a lot of action you may want to check out this author’s other series, Tracers.

~ Lindsey

4 1/2

It has been awhile since I’ve finished a book in one evening, but there was no way I was going to sleep until I knew the ending of Laura Griffin’s newest novel, Hidden.

If you’ve read any of Laura Griffin’s novels, you know that you should never get too attached to the person whose narration begins the book because this person is odds on favorite to have an early demise. As such, I tried not to care about the runner who was distantly stalking and crushing on Mr. Blue Eyes on her early morning run, except Griffin made her likable just by showing us this side of her. And then “poof,” she was gone.

Enter police detective Jacob and reporter Bailey. They click, but they are wary of each other. They are also very good at their jobs. I loved how they both proved their abilities throughout. How Bailey proved that reporters can be just as good at discovering information as police detectives.

There is a lot of tension and suspense throughout the novel that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, which is one reason why I found the book so hard to put down. The exploration and ramifications of how facial recognition impinge on privacy is disturbing and real, although hopefully it isn’t to the extent that it is in the book. Yet. How can anyone slip from the grid if there are cameras on every street corner?

Griffin’s writing is inviting, so much so that the reader forgets that they are reading a novel.

If you’re a fan of thrilling police procedurals and mysteries, this one might just be for you!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really great book. I loved the characters and the plot was really interesting and kind of scary. To think that this stuff is really happening in the world is frightening. It put a lot of things in my mind that you take for granted, such as your safety, and what would you do if that was taken away. Bailey is a hard working journalist working the crime beat at the local paper. When she is working on a story she meets a detective that will give her nothing about the case. The attraction is instantaneous and explosive, but they are both not acting on it because of their jobs and the conflict that it could create. As they work together to try to find a killer, they realize that they can no longer fight their attraction and give in to the temptation. Bailey and Jacob were such wonderful characters and I loved reading about how their relationship progressed.