This had me intrigued and gripped from the start, and my interest didn't wane throughout.

We get the story told in two timelines, from the POV of the victim 22 years ago in the time leading up to his death, and also of DI Fleet who after a tip off is needing to solve a 22 year old cold case, after a anonymous tip off gives the location of the body.

Cold cases I've learnt through fiction are notoriously difficult to solve, so even more so when DI Fleet has his partner, no additional team or resources and there are links of some sort to a power man hoping to get into politics rather soon - so all sorts of interference from higher up.

So a rather tricky case, where there doesn't seem to be much evidence, so its good old fashioned policework, and intuition required to try to solve this.

The boarding school and its children that this centres around really caught my imagination, or perhaps given what occurs, should be my nightmares.

This is well written, and really did hook me in and I was unsure for the majority of the book just who was responsible, and when the realisation comes, it was a case of OMG but also how did I not see that coming as there certainly were the seeds of it sprinkled throughout.

It was the sections from the victim's POV that had me most involved, I really felt for him and his situation, and kept wanting to find out what would happen next.

Kudos to Simon Lelic for yet another fabulous book.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

The first book by this author I believe I've read and my overall feeling throughout has been one of sadness.
Well written with interesting characters and a complex plot that is thoroughly tinged with sadness

Awesome story telling, how can I convey how good this was without giving anything away? Why haven’t I read any of this authors work before?
This is a combination of police procedure, thriller and whodunnit all in one. The perfect amalgamation.
Thank you to Net Galley, Penguin and of course Simon for letting me read this copy in advance of publication.

I really like this book. The plot is a familiar one but it’s well plotted and twisty turny. Really good novel and well worth a read.

I've read a lot of these reunion/ what happened 20 years ago type thrillers and whilst this does have that same basic outline, I loved the spin the author put on this version! The plot kept me engaged throughout and had me reaching for my kindle with every spare second I had. Its got some really good twists that you won't have seen coming and it doesn't allow itsself to go with the more clichéd/ read it a million times type easy outs! I hadn't read the precious book but I have now downloaded it and can't wait to get started. You may think this is just the same story you've read 20 times already, but if you give it a shot then you'll be pleasantly surprised!!

Can be read as a stand alone if you havent read the book before this, all in all a very good book with plenty of twists and turns and it does keep one guessing until the end..

The Hiding Place is a solid police procedural, following DI Robin Fleet and DS Nicky Collins as they investigate the twenty-two year old disappearance of a teenage boy, Ben, whose body has now been found, hidden in the grounds of the expensive boarding school he attended. The clues to what happened to Ben clearly lie at the school, and his long-ago, dysfunctional friendship with three other pupils. The narrative moves between the present-day police investigation and the events, from Ben's perspective, leading up to his death twenty-two years ago.

A boarding school is always a promising setting and this was an enjoyable read. I was some way into it before I remembered that I'd actually read a previous book by the same author (The Search Party) featuring the same police officers, although I couldn't remember much about it. We learn more, here, about Rob Fleet's personal life following the breakdown of his marriage, though we don't learn much about his colleague Nicky.

The truth about the murders (I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to say there's more than one), when revealed, is unexpected and I don't think most readers would guess at it.

Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy and provide an honest review.

My first book by this author, and I really liked it. The story from the past was intriguing, a boarding school scenario involving certain pupils, and the switch to the present with the characters solving the mystery. You think you know the outcome , then no, another twist. I would recommend to others.

I think I have said this several times over the years in my book reviews. It is extremely difficult for an author to come up with something new and gripping in a police murder based book.
The Hiding Place is a very good book and I enjoyed reading it. However, it did not give me the feeling that comes with some books - surprise twists, character depth or that 'can't put it down' feeling.
I didn't really get to grips with Fleet, the primary character or any other characters come to that and I felt the 'Hollywood style' ending was a little over dramatized.
Still a good book nevertheless.

It was always assumed that Ben Draper had run away from his boarding school Beaconsfield. Now 22 years later his body has been discovered in an old crypt on the site of the school's original chapel. DI Rob Fleet and his colleague Nicky Collins are assigned as they head the missing persons/cold case department. Ben was last seen playing hide and seek with three friends. One of those friends, Callum Richardson, is a media star and setting up his own political party so there is a lot of press interest. Rob and Nicky search for anyone who was at the school at the same time as Ben especially Lance and Melissa who were with him and Callum that afternoon. When another body is discovered the detectives realise that whoever killed Ben is still out there and others could be in danger.

Really enjoyed this book from start to finish. Great story with plenty of twists to keep you guessing the whole way through.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin General UK and Simon Lelic for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This is brilliant if you want a seriously twisty and layered crime thriller. It follows the age-old murder of Ben Draper who disappeared from a high and mighty boarding school - his body is found and we get to see how the investigation unfolds, involving some really interesting (high-profile) people. The writing is excellent and the characters are really well-rounded.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

This is my first read by this author and I thought this was a good read. It was well written and I loved the dual timelines and that the book moved from past to present times so effortlessly. I really liked the main character DI Fleet and his DS Nicky Collins. They investigate cold cases and have to find out what happened to a young boy who went missing 22 years before when his body is found in the grounds of his boarding school. I enjoyed following the investigation although I suspected who was behind the murder before the end and was right. The book flowed really well, I really liked the writing style and it came together nicely at the end with all loose ends tied up. I enjoyed the little snippets the author gave of Rob’s personal and home life. There are references to a previous case, and whilst this book can be read on it’s own, I would like to read some of the authors previous books when I can. This read didn’t wow me though, or have me desperate to know what was coming next. I felt it was a little predictable at times and overall still found it a good, enjoyable read.

3.5 stars

When this book became available as an ARC, I had to read it. I really enjoyed Simon Lelic’s The Search Party, and was intrigued to see how some of the returning characters had faired. Although this book features the same investigating officer, Rob Fleet, as before and clearly forms part of a series, I’d like to say from the start, this can easily be read as a standalone without any confusion when it comes to back story etc.

It’s been 22 years since Ben Draper, a 15 year old boy, went missing whilst at his exclusive boarding school. His friends, who were with him at the time, alleged they were playing a simple game of hide and seek; but they never found Ben. It seems very few people really cared at the time, and it didn’t take long for the case to go cold. In the present, an unexpected tip off leads the police to discover Ben’s remains, and the investigation recommences to determine what happened to him and ultimately, who is to blame.

Told through alternating chapters with Ben’s POV leading up to the time of his murder, and third person in the present, this is a well-written and pacey read with lots going on. There are plenty of interesting (not necessarily likable) characters, and whilst the big reveal isn’t mind-blowing, it’s also not a let-down, and isn’t rushed (which is too often the case when it comes to typical PP’s).

Whilst there are still a lot of cliches in this book (Fleet is overweight, divorced, smokes too much, is married to his work … you know the rest), I didn’t find his private life to be as dominating in the first book. Instead, it was a nice bit of background noise, rather than a total distraction, and did help with characterisation.

On the whole, I really did enjoy this and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys police procedural’s and mystery/thrillers.

Four friends,one murder,a game they can't escape.
DI Fleet attemps to solve the mystery of what happened on the day of the game,his up against some of the most powerful people in the country.
The first book by this author for me but after a slow start I really enjoyed this story.
A cold case told over two time lines with great characters ,well written and kept me gripped.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for the ARC.

The story was a good one, but I found the characters a bit one-dimensional and unbelievable, and I didn't like the writing style. I struggled to finish it, and wouldn't really recommend it.

I love a good detective novel and this ticked all the boxes. The story took you down various dead ends before leading you back to who 'did it'. Clever manipulation of characters and kept me gripped.

A well written book with different time lines. It is set in and around a boarding school, the past was 22 years ago and you know the fate of Ben from the beginning because the present was when his body was found in a secret crypt near the school. . I absolutely hate bullies and Richardson was one mean devious boy of the Flashman standard. DI Fleet is leading the investigation with the help of his partner Nicky Collins. I enjoyed the book as a stand alone and I would love to see it as a start to a series.

The body of a missing schoolboy turns up twenty odd years after he disappeared from his boarding school - Beaconsfield.
DI Fleet and DS Collins lead the investigation which immediately throws suspicions on three of his then school friends who were the last people to see him alive. They claim, the missing boy Ben, disappeared during a game of hide and seek but each of them becomes a suspect. The plot moves quickly continually changing course an easy and gripping read. Thank you NetGalley for the early copy.

A tightly plotted thriller, this book switches between the past and the present seamlessly and keeps you turning the pages. A great book for any thriller fans

This excellent book is set across two time zones - the present and 22 years ago, when troubled teenager Ben goes missing from his posh boarding school and no-one seems to know why or how. An anonymous tip-off eventually makes its way to the desk of DI Rob Fleet, who runs the tiny missing persons unit in the local police force. He's out of favour with management and is sent low-priority and difficult cold cases, but a body is discovered at the school and there are connections involving politics and high-profile TV personalities.

I do enjoy Simon Lelic's style of writing - the book is both atmospheric and immersive; you can almost smell the aging wood panelling, see the teachers walking around in their gowns and feel the encompassing creepiness of the mist-shrouded surrounding woodland. The book examines the long-term damage done to children who are effectively farmed out to an unfeeling and remote education system, totally devoid of affection, resulting in the type of people who run our government, institutions and corporations.

Anyway, the book has a small cast of characters, all distinctive, all with secrets and problems. Fleet and his sidekick DS Nicky Collins, who is no pushover, have to track down the few acquaintances that poor Ben made during his brief stay at the school, only to find that their lives have taken drastically different paths. There was a surprise at the end and a very dramatic denouement. I highly recommend "The Hiding Place" to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery or police procedural. Hoping to see this televised at some point - it would make an excellent mini-series.