I was drawn to this book by the cover and the blurb and was not disappointed.

DI Fleet and his partner Nicky are working on a case set 22 years ago, of a boy who went missing from boarding school. The past and present day strands of the story are easy to follow and intriguing in their own right, blending together at the end to a brilliant conclusion.

I want to go back and read more DI Fleet stories if this one is anything to go by.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Excellent book! a good thriller with twists and turns. The story unfolds in the present and 22 years ago, with easy to follow strands it keeps you turning the pages until the end. You can't put it down.

The body of missing schoolboy Ben Draper is discovered in an old chapel crypt 22 years after he went missing in the grounds of Beaconsfield boarding school.
DI Rob Fleet leads the missing persons unit at the local force with partner Nicki. They discover that Ben was bullied and controlled at the school. Everyone disliked him even the teachers and as far as the school is concerned, they don’t want his death plastered over social media. As it will lead to the school’s reputation and the school is linked to a certain politician.
The story goes back and forth in time, showing the last few weeks of Bens life when he was involved in a group of other teenagers which includes now a local politician in his school days. His father was also the major donator at the school. And what lead to his death.
This is a great tense thriller. But also, a sad one of the lives of kids in boarding schools. How isolated the feel and what they must go through with bulling etc. also, how hard is to try and fit in attending one of these schools. I also think that Rob fleet and Nicky make a great team. 4 stars from me.

This is part of a series but the only book I have read, I wanted to read this because the premise sounded dark and terrifying. For the most part I did enjoy reading this. Lelic sets the characters well and I was not at a disadvantage for not having read the others and I enjoyed getting to read about well developed characters. The plot is intense at times but is also lacklustre at others and my interest waned the more of this I read. Overall, I did enjoy this.

This is the 1st Book that I have read by the author and i really enjoyed this book and the story if you love twisted thriller books you like this, I won't ruin this review with any spoilers
with thank to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for this honest review

Very enjoyable mystery/thriller.

When a body is found on school grounds long after the person went missing, suspicion is cast on past pupils.

The story is told in two timelines and keeps you gripped from the start, I really wanted to find out what happened and ended up really feeling for the victim.

Simon Lelic never disappoints. This book is absolutely a winner. I was completely captivated by the plot and couldn’t wait to find out what happened. I absolutely could identify with most of the characters and really just found myself being absorbed in the story. Highly recommend!

Compelling and simmering tension. Firstly the story is set in a boarding school, the past was over 20 years ago, we know what happened to Ben from the beginning because the present was when his body was found in a secret crypt near the school. - DI Fleetand his partner Nicky Collins are called upon to investigate.

I really enjoyed this excellent story that keeps you guessing throughout. Switching between the events that lead up to the death of Ben, a loner at an upmarket boarding school and those of today, when Ben’s body is found in the school crypt some twenty two years later. Leading the hunt for his killer is DI Rob Fleet, an excellent character who always wants to do the right thing, even if it antagonises those above him. His comfortable relationship with his DS, Nicky and that of ex-wife Holly show his kindness and compassion while at the same time being a gritty, determined police officer who won’t rest until he has answers. A clever but somewhat sad story that weaves the various characters and their flaws until the full truth is finally realised. I hope to read more of DI Fleet in future.

Thanks net galley and Simon Lelic allowing me to read this incredible book.
I really could not put it down and really enjoyed it.
Robin Fleet and Nicky police, were called to go to a very exclusive school where a body had been found in a deserted crypt.
No one knew how long the body had laid there, but it was many years and why..
Mr.Harris the headmaster of the school was not a great help, and it was up to these great missing persons police to find out who the body was and why he was killed.
The detective work was excellent and now must read another great detective story like this,
Excellent here’s to the next one.

Detective Fleet is on a cold case following the discovery of a body that is missing boy Ben from over 20y ago. The story is split between Ben and Fleet’s point of view, giving insight into what happened back then and now.

I don’t usually read this genre but I really enjoyed it. Every chapter unravelled more clues, it was fast paced, with chapters ending in a way that left you needing to read more.

The body is found at a private school and during the investigation more bodies turn up. This amps up the feeling of danger and urgency. With all the twists and turns I didn’t see the ending coming but it is was brilliant. I love how it linked back to the hiding place.

I read an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

A really enjoyable thriller, filled with characters to both love and hate. Set across two time zones, the author moves seamlessly across both, and keeps the reader engaged throughout. You share the frustration of the detectives, and the sadness of the school children. Overall, a highly recommended book.

A second novel featuring DI Fleet is even better than the first. An apparent game of hide and seek at a boarding school ends in tragedy, and 22 years later a body is found. DI Fleet is trying to solve the original murder plus a current one which seems horribly linked. A taut and engrossing start but with characters we really care about. Highly recommended.

This just wasn't for me I'm afraid. The story tells of the unloved, bullied teenage Ben Draper who was murdered, his body remained hidden in the old School Chapel basement not found until 22 years later.
The duel timeline tells us how Ben ended up with this sad ending along with detectives Fleet and Nicky in the current day who are determined to find some justice for Ben.
The plot sounded interesting and I quite enjoyed Ben's timeline however sad it was but I found in the current day it felt very slow and lacked excitement. It took me 2 weeks to get through as I felt I was plodding along with the story rather than how I usually devour a book in a day or 2. #NetGalley #TheHidingPlace
2.5 stars rounded up to 3

Right from the beginning I was hooked and found myself trying to read quicker just to find out what happens. Loved it!

Menacing, Atmospheric Whodunnit…
What happened in the game? It was, after all, just a game. Wasn’t it? D.I. Fleet is a man determined to find the truth. With a setting which succeeds in being wholly sinister, menacing and hugely atmospheric and a clever storyline told effectively across dual timelines, a seriously satisfying whodunnit littered with twists, turns, misdirection and red herrings, ultimately drawing the reader to a dramatic, sharp and entirely perfect denouement.

Set n 1997 and 2019. In 1997 A group of teenagers claimed they were playing a game of hide and seek resulting in one of them going missing presumed to have run away. A cryptic clue is sent to the police 22 years later and D.I. Robin Fleet and D.S. Nicola Collins are sent to Beaconsfield College Co-Educational Boarding School to investigate skeletal remains found in a hidden crypt that had been below an old chapel destroyed by fire.
Fast paced with lots of twists and secrets. D.I. Fleet and D.S. Collins work together investigating cold cases with little support from their department.
A creepy murder mystery.

Twenty two years after Ben Draper disappeared during a game of hide and seek his remains are found in an abandoned crypt in the grounds of his boarding school. The book is set across two timelines, the present and 22 years ago when Ben goes missing. This was a fast paced story that kept my attention throughout.

4+ stars

Two timelines, one in 1997 centres around troubled ‘misfit’ Ben Draper, a square peg in a round hole at Beaconsfield, an expensive and prestigious boarding school. A group of three take Ben under their wing but why? In the present day a tip off followed a few weeks later by a cryptic message leads to a body being found in an abandoned chapel crypt. Is this the body of Ben Draper missing since 1997 after a game of ‘hide and seek’ and the crypt his hiding place? The headmaster Philip Harris seems more concerned about the schools reputation than the body. However, it soon becomes apparent that the powers that be are more concerned about the impact on ex-pupils who have made it into the public eye, specifically Callum Richardson, one of the 1997 ‘seekers’. Could this investigation lead to a huge celebrity scandal and potential political dynamite? DI Robin Fleet and DS Nikki Collins (from The Search Party ) investigate but with hands firmly tied by superintendent Roger Burton who is no friend to Fleet.

I really enjoy the way Simon Lelic writes so my expectations are high from the start and most definitely not disappointed. The premise is excellent, it’s meaty and thought-provoking, tackling several themes from loneliness to diverse troubled backgrounds, cliques and the seeking of refuges and we even dip our toes into murky political waters. The characterisation is very good, Fleet and Collins are an interesting duo and I enjoy some of the personal sections that allow us to see them more clearly is individuals. Ben’s personality comes across loud and clear as does his background, he has no safe hiding place and though his behaviour makes him difficult to like you genuinely feel sorry for him. There’s a good cross section of other characters, some are intense, some are troubled, some are predatory and cruelly manipulative and the headteacher doesn’t emerge very well either!! One big ‘character’ looms overall, the school, with its impressive facade but its reality, the game-playing, the elitism and above all the atmosphere the author creates around it including suspense and a distinct air of creepiness. What becomes clear to Fleet and Nikki is there is an ever-growing suspect pool.

The pace is quick from start to finish, the plot depends and thickens and takes on a disturbing tone, there is intrigue, many secrets and lies with plenty of shocks and twists and turns. You constantly question who is the puppeteer and the marionettes in this increasingly dangerous game. What indeed is the game at play? Politics? Conspiracy? Power, or the illusion of it? Reputation? Guilt? It all escalates extremely well to a dramatic conclusion (overly so??), however, it is good and almost movie worthy. I like the ultimate ending which feels right.

If you like a good mystery thriller then this is for you.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General Group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

A stuffy boarding school and headmaster, a boy found dead amidst the basement ruins of the chapel uncovering a 20 year mystery. It’s all set up for a riveting story with several suspects and many secrets. At times the pace is a bit slow but worth the read.