*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Different from most of the other thrillers i read this year! wouldn't mind owning this, really good story

This was a fun thriller and a super quick read. I enjoyed this author’s style and would definitely read more from this author. I really liked the story overall!

After reading Little Darlings, I had big expectations for The Hidden. It did NOT disappoint! I love the detective/thriller aspect mixed with mythology. It’s such a refreshing combo and I think this is probably my new favorite genre mashup.

I enjoy reading about many things, but Scotland, selkies, and serial killers all together were never a combination I thought I’d absolutely enjoy. But I sure did!!

I loved learning more about Jo Harper (though you can read both books as stand-alones, I think it’s a great follow up to the story in Little Darlings). Her backstory was just as interesting as the mysterious folktale life of Gregor, Constance, and Leonie.

One thing is for certain, I am here for Melanie Golding’s writing. I already can’t wait for her next book!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free copy of this book to read and review.

I was definitely intrigued by the blurb of The Hidden, it seemed like something right up my street, and to an extent it was...

When I first started reading The Hidden I was really struggling with the multiple POV and chapter set up, it seemed to just be causing unnecessary confusion, almost as if the author was deliberately trying to make us feel confused in our own minds. However, once I got deeper into the story I did (eventually) learn to live with the multiple POV/chapter set up.

From the beginning it was clear that the writing was going to be impeccable, I couldn't fault the way this book was written at all. The author has a way with words that seem to draw you into the story, with descriptive phrases and paragraphs, and I felt it was so easy to immerse myself into the story and enjoy the writing.

The high quality of the writing also lent itself well to how the author managed to build up the intrigue throughout the story, although at points it did feel as though we were being led on a wild goose chase... The feeling of which was heightened by the multiple POV chapters, it felt like we were being pulled from all sides without any reason or explanation.

I don't think the characters themselves helped with this feeling, as they were all starkly different and not developed well enough for me to connect with, I felt like they were very nondescript and hard to visualize. Which is a shame because the characters were such a HUGE part of the story, they carried it with their chapters from their POV, so it just would have been nice to have a bit more about them to form a better picture in my head.

It was a real shame as the actual writing quality and the description of the settings were impeccable, it just wasn't extended to the characters.

That being said, the plot did redeem the book to me somewhat, the individual aspects came together to form a cleverly crafted story that included some wonderful folklore elements, that eventually came to be the main plot of the story. And I have to applaud the plot and the author because I did not see the twist coming at all! I was completely blindsided and had guessed it entirely wrong...

However, it did feel like towards the end of the story it kind of dropped off and was forgotten about, and the folklore just became irrelevant. I also felt that the ending itself was rushed, and I felt let down when I got to the end of the book.

Overall, the writing and the intrigue of this story were what pushed me to rate it 3 stars, as it was actually an enjoyable read, it just had a few aspects that could have been better developed or written to really elevate the book, these aspects were in no way terrible, they just missed the mark in comparison to the other really good parts.

Just over two years ago, I read and enjoyed Golding's debut novel, LITTLE DARLINGS. It blends a more traditional mystery/thriller with spookier, more horror-like elements. This one blends those mystery/thriller moments with bits of magic and folklore - specifically around selkies. I was pleasantly surprised to encounter Joanna Harper again as the lead detective. This isn't marketed as a sequel, and I don't think you really need to read Little Darlings to enjoy this one, as they do not overlap, really, except for Joanna. Joanna's narrative largely covers the investigation side of things. Meanwhile, Ruby Harper becomes embroiled in a neighboring family's drama whilst being estranged from her own family. The villain's voice provides the third perspective and definitely grows more and more chilling. The plot takes some unexpected turns and I enjoyed the way that Golding weaves in the selkie legend here. It's an engaging and hard to put down read - the latter half flew particularly fast for me. I am really excited to see what direction Golding takes next!

Melanie Golding is an awesome author who does a great job at adding supernatural elements or a supernatural lorecto her stories in a way that they seem completely real. I loved the lore of the seal people that she used to write her story this time. All of the characters were excellent and I enjoyed reading from all the different point of views. I loved the twists with Gregor and I enjoyed all of the action in the book. I thought Ruby’s family history was very interesting and unique as well. Overall I enjoyed the story and the adventure it took me on and I would definitely recommend this one.

This was one of my favorite books of 2021, and I'm still not quite sure how to put my thoughts into words other than-- just read it.

Ruby's flat looks directly into Gregor's, and she's enthralled by the man who practices yoga in the middle of the night. To the outside world, he appears single, but he lets her in on a secret. He cares for Constance, a seemingly mentally unstable woman who believes she's a Selkie, and their daughter Leonie.

When Leonie is found abandoned at a seaside shop and Gregor is discovered bludgeoned in the bathroom, no one connects the two. Especially when a woman claiming to be Leonie's mother shows up and takes the little girl away. DS Joanna Harper is on the case, but she's got a personal stake in the outcome that she hasn't told anyone.

The lines between fact, fiction, and folklore take you on a wild ride. Hold on and enjoy it!

A procedural crime mystery novel with folklore, disturbing murders, and missing children. SAY NO MORE.

This book was phenomenal and so creative. I also highly recommend the audiobook of this one, the narrator was brilliant and fit the parts seamlessly.

All around, 5 brilliant stars. The Hidden has easily made it into my top 10 favorite books of this year.

Back-of-book synopsis:


‘One dark December night, in a small seaside town, a little girl is found abandoned. When her mother finally arrives, authorities release the pair, believing it to be an innocent case of a toddler running off.

Gregor, a seemingly single man, is found bludgeoned and left for dead in his apartment, but the discovery of children’s toys raises more questions than answers.

Every night, Ruby gazes into Gregor’s apartment, leading to the discovery of his secret family: his unusually silent daughter and his mentally unstable wife, Constance, who insists that she is descended from the mythological Selkies. She begs Ruby to aid in finding the sealskin that Gregor has hidden from her, making it impossible to return to her people.

DS Joanna Harper’s investigation into Gregor’s assault leads her to CCTV footage of the mother-daughter pair from town. Harper realizes she knows the woman almost as well as she knows herself: it’s her estranged daughter, Ruby. No matter the depth of Ruby’s involvement, she knows she will choose her daughter over her career.’



My thoughts:

What a creative book that played on all the things I love: murder mysteries, serial killers, folklore, selkies, sea creatures, the strength of a mothers love, and a beautiful ending. I loved this one. If any of those things are tropes you love, I highly highly recommend you pick this book up. Really talented author as well, the writing was exquisite.

I don't know why I do these things to myself. I don't generally like books that involve a mystical plot that intertwines with "real life" fiction. I also hated the ending. Everything in between just didn't stick with me.

This was a really unique and engaging thriller! It centers around the mystery of a man who was found unconscious in his home after being attacked and how it relates to a little girl who was left abandoned by the sea. There's some really interesting fantastical elements to this story as well.

OverallI I really enjoyed this one. The book was a page turner and I thought that the pacing and reveals were executed well. Definitely pick it up if you're looking for a unique thriller with some subtle supernatural elements.

In 2019 I read Little Darlings and loved it. So I was really excited to see that Melanie Golding had a new book coming out. I am happy to say that The Hidden is another fantastically original thriller. The aughor has a great way of combining really interesting psychological thrillers with European folklore. At first I thought I had the whole story figured out, and thought that the story lacked mystery. I could not have been more wrong. This story had surprises around every bend at a certain point. Then it was a exciting roller coaster ride to the end.

This book is perfect for those that love thrillers and police procedural stories that are steeped in myths and legends. I highly recommend this book. Especially if you are looking for a unique take on a psychological thriller genre.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Hidden is a story told from multiple perspectives that focus not just on the direct events of the book, but also on the past lives of the individuals involved. Pieces of reality-like-modernism, it presents as your typical police thriller, but provides ample twists and turns as the reader pieces together information supplied by the different views.

The reader is first introduced to Joanna Harper, a detective with the local police department. She is tasked with finding answers shortly after a man is found floating in a tub, his own blood seeping into the tepid water. As bits of the mystery is unraveled, she realizes that she's not only on the hunt for his attackers, but also on a hunt for a missing woman and child. As the police drama unfolds, it is also impacted with nods to folklore, mental health crises, interpersonal revelations.

The story cycles through the view points of Joanna, Ruby (a musician), Constance (the mother with a mysterious past), Leonie (her child) and more. Similar to books I have read in the past, each viewpoint provides snippets of the truth, but are decoyed with unreliable mental states, bias and instinct.

I usually enjoy mysteries that are presented this way, due to the fact that it starts to become a puzzle for me to solve throughout; however, I do find that too many perspectives can get distracting. There are times when too much information is revealed in one POV, which lessened the thrill that I usually seek. That being said, I think it was delivered well enough, as I was taken by surprise in some of the twists I stumbled over.

I think the biggest criticism I can think of for this novel is that the time is fluid. The reader is bounced around between memories and real-time that incites figurative whiplash. It caused some points of confusion where I had to go back and read sections to ensure I understood what was happening.

Another piece that didn't quite fit for me was the revelation surrounding Constance's behaviour. Initially introduced as a mental health disorder, Constance seems despondent and unhinged. She is convinced she was born as a seal, lending to the popular myths of Selkies and their longing to return to the sea. I read a bit on the selkie folklore, and much of Constance's actions and reactions is a mirror of the mythical people, including her hysteria surrounding the loss of her "seal coat" and the accompanied agoraphobia she exhibited. The inclusion of this folk tale (and the resolution of her seeming madness) felt a bit misplaced and much like a separate, more interesting direction more fitting for a fantasy novel versus a real-world thriller.

Aside from these issues, I did find Melanie's writing very easy to read. As she described the various settings - English countryside, Scottish highlands and rocky crags - I felt immersed in the world she portrayed. Much of the family elements and dynamics were well done, and some of the desperation from a broken family felt similar to my own experiences.

This book would be perfect for individuals who enjoy police dramas. I will note that it deals with tense scenes of domestic violence, child abandonment, family conflict and mild gore.

This was my first book by author Melanie Golding and it was everything I wanted. The synopsis of the book really drew me in, but the details and plot twist were what really kept me reading.

On a cold dark night a young toddler is found alone on the street. She is soon reunited with her mother and it is written off simply as an adventurous child wondering away. On the same night a man is found close to death in his apartment where there seems to be something more to the scene. DS Joanna Harper soon begins to discover there is a connection to both incidents. Her investigation leads her to a mystery woman who may be involved in both cases; a woman she recognizes as her daughter, Ruby.

I’m not sure what genre I would catalog this book as, it was thriller/mystery with a good amount of folklore/mythology. Whatever it was, it was just perfect. The storyline is told from different POV’s in a time line that alternates between the past and present. The plot twist were original and plausible while still weaving in the folklore myth. While I enjoyed the characters, I didn’t feel incredibly attached or connected to any other them.

Ruby Harper is struggling financially and emotionally. On leave from her job and estranged from her family, she lives alone, waiting and watching. She is waiting to feel better about herself and her life, and she is watching her neighbor.

Gregor does yoga early each morning. He does it in front of his window with the blinds open. From across the way, Ruby watches him. She finds comfort in his routine and feels a bit less alone.

Unexpectedly, Ruby meets Gregor and becomes a part of his life, along with his unusual Constance and their toddler, Leonie. Though Gregor and Constance are separated, they are still living together. Constance, it turns out, strongly believes that she is a Selkie and Gregor is holding her hostage by not returning her sealskin so that she can escape.

Although Ruby is infatuated with Gregor, she soon realized that all is not as it appears in their household. Because of her love and concern for Leonie, she makes a drastic decision that may lead to reuniting with her detective mother, or it could lead to her death.

I loved this book! I loved the mythology and the mystery surrounding Constance. The setting was atmospheric and the characters well-developed and fascinating. What was The Hidden? Often it was the truth about each character that was hidden. Who were they, really? Could Constance really be a mythical Selkie, or was she mentally ill? Was Gregor the kind, timid, and handsome young man she thought he was, or did he have a darker side? And who was Ruby? That was something even Ruby wasn’t certain of.

If you enjoy mythology and mystery, this book is for you. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this suspenseful thriller and immediately became enthralled with the folklore behind it.

The story begins with a little girl who is left alone outside of a shop in a small seaside town. When a woman who claims to be her mother shows up, everything seems to be in order, and the authorities allow them to leave. The story then segues to a man named Gregor who is presumed to be single and is found dead in his apartment, but when the police find toys in his apartment, they begin to question who he really is and how he really died.

From there the elusive story of Ruby, Gregor, Constance, and Leonie unravels. Throughout the investigation, DS Joanna Harper is searching for her estranged daughter, who just so happens to be Ruby, and she’s determined to find out how Ruby got involved in this tangled web of deception and murder.

This was such a fantastic story, and I loved the inclusion of the mythical Selkies. Constance believed she was descended from this “clan”, and at first I would have thought she was crazy and just weaving a well thought out tale, but as the story progresses, you learn there may be some truth to her story.

I also loved the mother/daughter relationship not only between Constance and Leonie, but Ruby and Leonie as well. For a while, it seemed like Constance was just another checked-out mother who abandoned her daughter outside of a shop, but when you learn the truth, you realize that everything she did was for Leonie, to keep her safe, and Ruby was pivotal in making that happen.

Highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from Melanie Golding!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4315725699

“𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏.”

This was my first Melanie Golding book and definitely won’t be my last! This story was told in 3rd person from various POVs (my favorite)! It also takes place over several months flashing between now and then. 👉🏻 swipe for book description.

I absolutely loved the way this book was told and the way it unfolded. I really loved the characters (favs were Ruby, Jo and Leonie). This book was mysterious and was definitely a page turner because I wanted to figure out wtf was going on. While I loved the book, it was definitely different with the folklore aspect which I’m not used to in thrillers, hence the one less star rating. However I do think the folklore was done really well within the story, I personally just could have done without it. Definitely recommend giving this one a go!

Thank you to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Melanie Golding for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Hidden was one of my most anticipated Mysteries of the year. As you can see, it did not disappoint. I absolutely loved Little Darlings by Melanie Golding when I read it back in 2019. At the time, I thought that was a stand-alone novel. Because of that, I was absolutely elated when I discovered Golding was writing this new book also featuring DS Joanna Harper. Harper's character really drew me in during the investigation in Little Darlings, so I was psyched to get the opportunity to crack another case with her.

Called to the home of a seemingly-single man, Joanna initially believes it will be a homicide investigation, as the man was found bludgeoned to a pulp, unconscious in his bathtub, but it turns into much more than that. Observing children's toys and other evidence of a family, Joanna wonders where they could be.

Just prior to the man in the bathtub, in a small seaside town, the police are called after a little girl is found wandering alone down a beachside street. After the stricken mother suddenly appears, she is briefly questioned and the officers involved believe it was an accident; the child slipped away, nothing more. The two are released.

Watching video footage of the abandoned toddler incident, Joanna is shocked to discovered she knows the alleged mother. It's her estranged daughter, Ruby. Are these two cases related? That's what Joanna needs to find out, and if they are, what is Ruby doing with this little girl? It's certainly not her child, is it?

I love Golding's writing style. The way she sets up her stories with that captivating 'is it supernatural, is it not supernatural' feel. I absolutely adore it. In this story, there is a character who purports to be descended from the mythological selkies. I loved how that lore was woven into this story.

There were many different layers to the mystery and I was completely engaged the entire way through. As it all started to come together, my mind was spinning, how was it going to end!? Golding did a great job of pulling it together, while also continuing to build intensity. Additionally, I loved having the opportunity to learn more about Joanna and her family. I hope this means this won't be the last we see of her.

I did listen to the audiobook and I would highly recommend that. There is an element related to the selkie lore that required a bit of singing on the narrator's part, and wow, what a great job she did! It was haunting. I felt the narration style truly added to the story. I was hooked once I started listening.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had such a great time reading this novel and will be keeping my fingers crossed that Golding delivers more DS Joanna Harper in the future!!!

Requesting this book, getting it, reading it, and finishing it was a whole weird sequence of events. I requested it thinking, “Folklore? Celtic mythology? Selkies? A man who stole a woman’s selkie skin and is hiding it from her to hold her hostage… but she’s mentally unstable so is she really a selkie or just mentally unstable?” And then I got it and started reading it and I exhaled loudly because it’s got a non-linear timeline, multiple POV narratives, and mental illness involved. That means unreliable narrators and this story is going to unfold like a puzzle and fit together in it’s own way in it’s own time. And then I got finished with it and ultimately felt… slightly let down. But not because of the story, because the story is great! But because of the way it was executed in the latter 30% of the book.

Golding weaved a wonderful tale here. Some critics called this a modern folktale, but I disagree completely, mainly because it doesn’t meet the criteria for a folktale. But in the latter 30% of the story the writing got sloppy and the plot wasn’t woven as tightly as it was in the prior 60% of the book. Some readers can only suspend their disbelief so much before they start to crinkle their nose up like they smelled something fishy (pun intended).

That doesn’t mean this isn’t an entertaining, engaging, and seriously cool psychological thriller with a heavy coating of mythology and magical atmosphere. I highly recommend it if you find yourself in the mood for something a little different than your usual psychological thrillers, or if you think you might like a little thriller mixed in with your fantasy.

The Hidden by Melanie Golding is a mystery about an abandoned little girl, her mom, Ruby, and Gregor. Ruby and Gregor become friends, which leads to Ruby becoming friends with his daughter and his wife Constance. But, Ruby soon realizes that there is something strange going on with this family, and she will do whatever it takes to help Constance and her little girl. This book was a strange conglomeration of mystery and fantasy, and I'm not sure that it worked. I found some of the characters to be frustrating, and I still have questions about some parts of the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital copy. All opinions are my own.

I really loved Melanie Golding’s previous book, Little Darlings, so I was thrilled to be approved by @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for an arc of her latest novel in exchange for an honest review. The Hidden is a thriller that incorporates Celtic folklore and makes for a unique reading experience.

Ruby, a lonely woman notices the handsome neighbor, Gregor who lives in the apartment across from her. She devises a meeting and when she enters his home she meets Constance, the woman that lives with him. Constance informs Ruby that she is really a Selkie and her coat has been hidden and that Ruby is the only one that can help her find it. Gregor claims that Constance is mentally ill. What follows is an enticing fairy tale like mystery combined with a police procedural that is inventive and compelling.

I really enjoyed this book. Golding’s take on the suspense novel is creative and quite unlike anything else I’ve read. That she is able to combine so many disparate aspects successfully in one novel is impressive. The suspense is compelling and I had a hard time putting it down. If I have any complaint, and it is a minor one, it’s that it took a while for the alternating time periods to come together. If you want a fun thriller that is distinctive and different from all the others definitely pick this one up.