What a page-turner! It’s my first book by Ruhi Choudhary, but it won’t be my last! Can’t wait for the follow-up to this book, since this one ended on an intriguing cliffhanger. This book gave me some vibes from both Beartown and Twin Peaks.

A girl went missing a year ago. Her best friend went missing a year after that. Bones are found. Detective Mackenzie Price is scared. The bones are were she helped her mother bury her father, back when she was twelve. A lot of suspicious things are going on in her hometown, a town obsessed with its sports team, and controlled by a few big shots. It keeps on getting stranger... At the same time Mackenzie is dealing with a cheating husband, and is tormented by her past.

A great start to a new series. Well-developed characters I want to get to know better. A town filled with secrets, and quirky people. What’s not to like? The book is well-written, it has a great plot, and the text is flowing so nicely that I had to finish it in one go. 4,5 stars.

I had to keep my wits about me reading this book, I struggled at first but went back and had another go.There were lots of flashbacks, many new characters to get used to, but the scene is well and truly set for the next book .Plenty going on and an interesting setting.Worthy of a read,good book.

Detective Mackenzie Price is a woman with a past which continually haunts her. Despite vowing never to return, she is now back working in her home town of Lakemore, Washington State.
Elements of Mack’s past continue to surface throughout the story as she works with her colleagues to trace a missing girl – Abigail Correia. Abby has disappeared at exactly the same time as her best friend Erica Perez did a year ago. Erica’s body was found in a shallow grave and the last thing Mack wants is history repeating itself.
The story is gripping and brilliantly written. In a town where those in high places call the shots, Mack and her team very often come up against barriers as they try to solve the case. And some of the brick walls they hit can even be found within their own department. The eventual breakthrough which sees the case solved, delivers a twist I honestly didn’t see coming. This is the first in a series and I eagerly await the next outing with Mackenzie Price and her team. A brilliant debut!

** I recieved this book in exchange for an honest review **

Hidden Lake is the excellent debut novel from Ruhi Choudhary, a crime thriller in which strongly developed characters and a well devised plot keep intrigue high. As Mack serves the people of her childhood home, she finds she is not the only person doing penance for old sins which cast long shadows.

The town of Lakemore is bleak and unforgiving, with a wide gap between the privilege of Erica Perez, and the struggle of Abby, and of Mackenzie. The darkness of a small community turning a blind eye to an evil it is slowly being swallowed by came through clearly as I was reading, leading me to root even harder for Mack, hoping her solving of the case would be redemptive for her and for Lakemore’s inhabitants. If there is a moral to the multitude of stories within Hidden Lake, it is that the price of hiding the truth, however horrible, is much higher than the price of confession.

Choudhary’s writing was both beautifully lyrical and unflinchingly honest. Whilst her expository writing tends towards stating the obvious at times, her deep dives into Mack’s psyche were almost poetic. I found the reminders strung throughout the book of the events of the prologue a little unconvincing, however. Mack would have sudden memories of the scene whenever possible, and as the book progressed this felt less like a genuine response to trauma and more like the author was waving this piece of information at me, hoping I wouldn’t forget.

I very much enjoyed the wide cast of characters in this book, and the attention Choudhary gave to making each person, however fleetingly met, feel real. Whilst some of her characters’ traits strained credulity, others were charmingly quirky, and a light relief from a dark plot. I found the dynamics between Mack, Nick, and Sterling particularly engrossing, and was just as intrigued to see the resolution of these relationships as I was the crimes being investigated.

The central mystery was engaging throughout the book, aided by short snappy chapters with constant progress in the plot. The steady stream of information made the experience of reading a little like building up a case file in my mind, and as the mystery concluded, I felt the slow dawn of understanding as the pieces all came together satisfyingly. The ending left me wanting to immediately dive into the next instalment, which unfortunately for me will be some time away!

I rated Hidden Lake 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend it for readers 15+ with content warnings for domestic abuse, violent death, infidelity, depression, torture, rape, and sexual assault.

Erica Perez, a 17 year old from Lakemore, WA (dubbed the Princess of Lakemore) goes missing. One year to the day, her best friend Abby Correia disappears. Detective Mackenzie Price and the Special Investigations team work on solving these cases. Lakemore is a small town where money, politics and high school football came before everything else. The team finds out that Abby was looking into Erica’s abduction on her own. But as time goes by, Mack is hit with roadblocks from the chain of command.
First of all, Mackenzie is a strong female detective. She had a difficult childhood, which you learn all about in the prologue, and it does remain (in memories and dreams) throughout the book. This has shaped her into the person she is today. I finished this book in 2 days. I couldn’t put it down. Mackenzie Price reminded me a lot of the Josie Quinn Series and Tracy Crosswhite series. Oh, and the last page is a cliffhanger!!! Can’t wait to read the next book in this series. Great debut.
Thank you Ruhi Choudhary, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book, full of excitement and intrigue. Mackenzie Price has a childhood secret that haunts her even still. When her mother finally killed her abusive husband/father, young Mackenzie helps her mother bury the body and the murder. Now, she has returned to her hometown as a police detective and struggles to atone for this past sin. While she investigates the disappearance of a teenager, she realizes that the case resembles the abduction of another girl a year earlier. When that girl is found murdered, the chase for the perpetrator heats up. Can Mack solve both abductions and save at least one life? Will her childhood misdeed emerge and ruin her? The ending is a real cliffhanger, and readers are left asking what will happen in the next book.

This book was one surprise from one page to another. Just as soon as you think you've figured something out, there is a twist that leaves you guessing... Recommended.
TB

Would I recommend it?Yes
Would I read more of the series? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
For a first book by a new author , she's off to a great start with this series, from the very start it had me hooked and I had to know what happened next . And I'm so glad that I requested as soon as I saw it on Netgalley , it was the title that made it want to get it as well as the cover. And the characters themselves was great as well but my favorite character is Mackenzie. The story line was wrote in a way that once you started reading it had you hook, line and sinker.That no matter how hard you tried to put down the book you just couldn't , because of suspense, secrets, crime, lies, secrets, friendship and the twist and turns that came at you , and as your setting at the edge of your set you wounder what else could go wrong, with that said I want to thank NetGalley for letting me read and review it.

Astoundingly, jaw-droppingly brilliant. Hard to believe this is a debut. The twists keep on coming, one after the other; the pace never lets up and as a reader you are on tenterhooks, frantically turning the pages while at the same time not wanting the book to end because it's just SO good. What a character Mackenzie is! Real, flawed and so very relatable. From the stunning first chapter to the gasp-inducing last one, this was a book I just couldn't put down;
a book and series that stands out by a mile. An author I am so glad to have discovered and who I will be shouting about to all and sundry. Please do yourself a favour and read this amazing book. It will transport you, take you away from all that is happening in the world right now. Unmissable. A genius work of art.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Hidden Lake' by Ruhi Choudhary

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Release date August 19th 2020

This is the first book that Ruhi Choudhary has written and it is the first novel in the 'Detective Mackenzie Price' series. This will not be my last and I can only hope the very talented Ruhi is already typing away!!!

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful cover, interesting title & intriguing blurb. I was also excited as it stated that it is 'perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter and Angela Marsons'. These are 2 of my favourite authors so it will be interesting to see if it lives up to them. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 78 chapters and an epilogue which are a nice length so that you can read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is written from third person point of view and the protagonist is Mackenzie. It is set in the United States.

Wow, Wow just WOW!!! What an explosive start to what promises to be an epic series!!!! If I didn't know this was her first book there is no way I would have guessed it was. What an amazing first novel!!!

I knew I was going to love the characters from the first page and that didn't change throughout. I thought Mackenzie was a fantastic, strong female lead, always a bonus having a female lead being one myself!! Nick was brilliant, absolutely loved her team and they all worked well with their different personalities. I really cannot wait to read more about them. They were exactly what a good crime book needs, a mix of funny, serious and I just couldn't get enough of them.

The storyline itself had me hook, like and sinker from the start and kept me on the edge of my seat as well as up at night flipping through the pages that I just couldn't put down. Packed with suspense, secrets, crime, lies, secrets, friendship and the BIG BANG at the end. I thought I had my suspicions of who was up to what but I was proven wrong and damn lady I DID NOT EXPECT that nucleur ending!!! Where did that come from!!! Just mega wow!!! Completely left me speechless and sitting there with my mouth hanging open like a dog. Cliffhanger much!!! I could not compliment this book enough, it just had everything!!!

The whole thing was brilliantly written and although it was mainly set in 2018 there were nicely woven flashbacks from 1997 to 2014 included which were all in the right places. The descriptions put me right next to Mackenzie and I was just completely lost in the story.

The description was completely accurate saying it is perfect for fans of Karin Slaughters and Angela Marsons. I would like to add that fans of C. L Taylor and Carol Wyer or any other amazing (and my top) authors will absolutely sink their teeth into this.

You Ruhi Choudhary have just made my top 10 authors and that is NOT an easy list to get onto!! I cannot wait for more of your books and to read more of the characters I have grown to love.

Overall if you are looking for a heart racing, page turning psychological crime that will leave you shocked and demanding more this is the book for you.

Genres covered include Mystery, Thriller, Crime fiction, psychological thriller, and Police procedural.

I would recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!

414 pages.

This book is 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!! What are you waiting for?

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED IT) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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If this book determines the quality of the series, we are in for a major treat!

There is a lot going on in this story, but that's of course what makes it a very interesting read as well. Not only has Detective MacKenzie a complicated case on her hands, but her private life is in turmoil too.

Her private life is on the back burner, because first she has other fish to fry.

I reeled from one surprise to another. Author's brains can work in mysterious ways and we, readers, can only benefit from it.

I was fascinated the whole way through. I am a fan. 5 stars


Thank you, Ruhi Choudhary and Bookouture.

Mackenzie Price is a detective in Lakemore, a town forever defined by its football team. When a high school student goes missing she is assigned the case and links it to another missing girl from the year before and then a body is found.

Mack is a survivor, her father was a violent alcoholic who beat and abused her mother until she finally snapped and killed him. With the case leading nowhere and problems with her marriage Detective Price finds her memories overwhelming her regularly and knows she has to hold it all together if she's to do her job properly.

I enjoyed this but there was an awful lot going on and I had to go back to find out who people were a few times which is never a good thing. The story was told in two timeframes and I felt some of the background could have been saved until book two. The main protagonists aren't as fully formed as they could be but hopefully they will continue to evolve but if Mack still has as many flashbacks as this time she could be out of a job! There is a cliffhanger of an ending which did surprise me. It should make a very good part of the next installment.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new series to get their teeth into.

I never repeat the blurb. Could not get into this at all, and I did try, I really did. The characters were superficial, unlikable and stretched credibility. Got bored and have up. Too many good books waiting...

This was a long read.
First in a series with detective Mackenzie "Mack" Price. She helps her mother do something horrible as a young child and can't forget it.
Her town is trying to get over the disappearance of Erika, a young high school girl. When another girl goes missing.
This a complex story. Mack is dealing with her past and what she did, her marriage, and trying to solve this case and find the missing girl.
I will definitely read next in series. A big surprise at end of book.

Hidden Lake by Ruhi Choudhary started out really well with a compelling and gripping horrific occurrence in Mack's life. This horrifying incident follows and terrorizes her for the rest of her life. I found it interesting she returned to the scene of the crime so to speak, to become even further haunted and tormented. Mack is a complicated character and a well written one. She carries the story. I feel the became a little heavy on the police procedural angle, but otherwise a good story and solidly written.

A gripping mystery that had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the way it was written and it was laced with suspense and tension. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

Hidden Lake is a well written suspense. The plot is a real page turner. I look forward to reading more books in this this series. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

A fantastic read which had me gripped till the end,
I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Hidden Lake, the first novel to feature Detective Mackenzie Price of the Lakemore, Washington PD.

Twenty years ago Mack came home from school to find her dad dead on the kitchen floor, now she is back in Lakemore working as a detective. Her latest case is the disappearance of 18 year old Abigail Correia, exactly one year after her friend Erica Perez was last seen. The town is hiding secrets.

I enjoyed Hidden Lake which is an interesting start to the series with an explosive plot and several good twists. The novel is told from Mack’s point of view almost exclusively so the reader gets up close and personal with her character. This has its good and bad points. I like this style of narrative as it allows the reader to get involved in the investigation without any supplementary knowledge and try to work out the solution. No, I didn’t get it right but I had plenty of fun trying. It also allows the reader to get stuck in and concentrate. On the downside the novel over concentrates on Mack and her mental state with not only present day flashbacks but whole chapters devoted to important events in her past. I feel it gets tedious after a while.

I enjoyed the plot with its many twists and absolute bombshell final sentences. It is, however, very American and I found it hard to empathise with some of it. Lakemore is a high school football town where the stars, both past and present get special treatment. Apparently success on the pitch brings much needed money to the town. I liked the dynamic of how this plays out and found it interesting, especially as the former players all seem to be part of the town’s monied elite. I also liked how the author leads the reader down certain paths, only to blindside them later with misdirection. It’s very well done.

Mack is too traumatised by her past to be a sympathetic protagonist but she’s to be admired for her dogged determination and evenhandedness in her investigation. Abby Correia might not come from the rich side of town like Erica Perez but she’s equally important to Mack, if not to the rest of the department. The reader also gets to know Abby through her diary excerpts and she’s not as she presents in public. At times I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

Hidden Lake is a promising start to the series so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.

Detective Price, Mack, is investigating the disappearance of a young girl which is similar to that of another girl, and her best best friend, 12 months before, never found. Delving into the two cases she uncovers dark secrets in a middle-class town that people try very hard to ignore whilst having to chase her own demons. That part is a good story. She clearly has severe problems with her demons, not surprisingly, and I'm surprised that she's got where she has in the police force with them still not settled. Her relationship with her husband is odd and doesn't fit with the story at all. She seems too much to go it alone, alienating other police characters who could help so I'm not that convinced I want to read further stories. Thanks to Bookouture and Net Galley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.