Member Reviews

A truly disturbing and chilly tale that will keep you listening all the way to the twisted end. I found that the narration by Kelly Burke was dramatic and thoroughly absorbing which kept the story moving at a good pace. The preface was entertaining and the horror behind the eye was gripping.

Was this review helpful?

4 Stars – Dark, Addictive, and Full of Twists
This thriller had me hooked from the very first line. The narrator delivered a compelling performance, adding real emotional depth to each character and enhancing the intensity of the story. I loved how the backstory was slowly woven in—it added suspense and a layered complexity that made it feel like two separate stories were unfolding, only to collide in a gripping way.

I misread the true connection between Alice and Charlotte, which made the twist even more satisfying. However, I immediately sensed something was off with the hotel manager—his subtle creepiness and control were perfectly executed.

The backstory was especially powerful. It shed light on a disturbing reality that’s often ignored or silenced in society, which gave the plot more emotional weight and depth. Despite the many twists and red herrings, I found myself deeply invested in both Alice and Charlotte, regardless of what the truth turned out to be.

The pacing was fast, the tension constant, and the stakes felt high throughout. My only real critique is the ending—it leaned too far into Hollywood-style dramatics. While it offered a feel-good resolution, it felt slightly unrealistic and took away from the raw, gritty realism that made the rest of the story so impactful.

Overall, this was a thoroughly engaging, high-stakes thriller with strong narration, memorable characters, and an emotional undercurrent that lingers. Perfect for fans of twisty thrillers—especially those who don’t mind a little dramatic flair at the end.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, author, and narrator for the opportunity to experience this intense and thought-provoking read.

Was this review helpful?

"Her Hiding Place" started with a promising premise, but unfortunately, it quickly fell apart. While the initial suspense was there, the plot became increasingly convoluted and riddled with holes. I found myself constantly questioning the characters' illogical actions, making it difficult to stay invested. The writing style, while decent in places, couldn't mask the repetitive nature of the narrative, especially the main character's constant, grating self-reflection. The twists, meant to be shocking, felt forced and ultimately didn't land. Furthermore, the handling of heavy themes like domestic abuse felt exploitative rather than insightful. Overall, "Her Hiding Place" was a disappointing read that left me frustrated and underwhelmed. I wouldn't recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I am a huge fan of audiobooks. This one did not disappoint. The story centers on Charlotte, who takes a job at a luxury resort while concealing her three-year-old daughter hidden away in her room. Stuck on an island with strangers while a storm bears down, you can feel the tension and fear build as the storm closes in. You are drawn in, not knowing who to trust and who to question. Well written, and the narration was spot on.

Was this review helpful?

Her Hiding Place by Shannon Hollinger

Charlotte is broke and when the job came up for a resort..She had to take it.. Even if that means hiding her 3 year old in her room all day.. Alone. They are on the run but something is right at the resort and with the hurricane coming in.. She doesn’t know how to keep them both safe.

I love fast paced psychological thrillers. You can feel the fear Charlotte is living from coming off the pages in waves. You spend the book low key hating that Charlotte is leaving a 3 year old alone all day and barely able to sneak food to her. Expecting her to be silent.. You can appreciate that she is scared but it didn’t sit well with me.

It’s one of those books where you don’t know who you can trust and I lurve those kinds of reads. The writing was really well done. The plot was super clever and I enjoyed the heck out of it.

The narration was perfect as well. It drew me right in.

4 stars

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

Such a twisty and intriguing thriller. I don’t think there was a moment I wasn’t hooked in. The characters were all interesting and I kept making my guesses on what I thought might be going on but I didn’t get any of them right so it was well done. I can’t wait to re read it, it’s so well written.

Was this review helpful?

I usually love an audiobook, but for me this was a long slog and if it hadn’t been arc I’d probably have given up and dnf’d it. It just felt too long and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters - might be my mood just now, as the book is getting 4 and 5 star reviews. Perhaps if I’d read it rather than listened to it I might have enjoyed it more.

Was this review helpful?

This was an interesting mystery. Stuck on an island with strangers as your daughter hides in her room and a hurricane bears down on the island, what do you do? I was able to guess who the bad person was prior to the reveal, but that did not keep me from enjoying the journey.

Kelly Burke did a great job narrating this story. I look forward to listening to more of Kelly's work in the future.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to #netgalley and @bookouture for my ADC!

This is my second book by this author and I enjoyed it just as much as I did her last one.

The story is set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Florida Keys, a destination I cherish from my own holidays. So that was a huge plus point for me. The vivid descriptions of turquoise waters, the humid heat and sun-soaked beaches evoked fond memories of my time there.

However, Hollinger skillfully blends this picturesque paradise with an undercurrent of tension as a potent hurricane threatens the calm.

The story centers on Charlotte, who takes a job at a luxury resort while concealing a dangerous secret: a three-year-old child hidden away in her room. Charlotte sneaks food to the little girl whenever she can, creating a tense atmosphere fraught with danger. As the storm approaches, Charlotte's internal struggle deepens. The relentless ticking of the clock amplifies the tension, forcing her to confront both the impending natural disaster and the very real threat her hidden child represents.

Hollinger creates a palpable sense of urgency as the winds intensify and her co-workers begin to disappear. The reader is drawn into Charlotte’s world, feeling her anxiety with every passing moment. The looming hurricane mirrors the unraveling of her secret, crafting a compelling narrative that kept me on the edge of my seat.

If I had to point out a drawback, it would be the implausibility of keeping a small child hidden in a room alone all day, as the demands of parenting are constant and challenging.

Overall, this was suspenseful, emotional journey that combines a captivating setting with an engaging storyline.

A shoutout to the great narration! She did a fab job making the experience even better!

Was this review helpful?

Reading "Her Hiding Place" was a thrilling experience that felt like an exhilarating roller coaster ride—filled with unexpected twists and turns. While I remained engrossed in the story, some elements struck me as a bit far-fetched. Although I recognize it's a work of fiction, certain aspects felt exaggerated.

I awarded the novel three stars for its bold and poignant exploration of child abuse, a theme that compelled me to keep reading, desperately hoping for a resolution that offered solace and hope. The main heroine's circumstances were extraordinary, yet the way the book illuminated the harsh realities of child abuse was commendable. I find myself wishing that more authors would tackle such critical subjects with the same sensitivity and depth.

The writing itself was skillful, weaving together a tapestry of compelling plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. The central theme was powerful and resonated deeply with me. A big thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this thought-provoking book in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Her Hiding Place is a far, fetched lock down mystery. If you are up for lots of unrealistic events which string together to make these stories work then that’s Ok and you will probably enjoy yet another similar story. I have lost count of how many plots rely on phone masts being down, phones run out of battery, violent storms and islands cut off from main civilisation. Does every author think they have thought of something amazing to enable the story to work away from outside help or involvement. This book has all of the above plus a runaway who has never been discovered and plenty of past events in the characters lives. Too much for me but I stuck with it to see what happened so it was obviously OK as a piece of escapist listening!

Was this review helpful?

I really liked that this thriller had multiple stories going on. Our main character is on the run with a little girl named Alice. She is keeping her hidden in a resort where she is a new housekeeper. At the same time a hurricane is barreling towards them and they need to find a way to get off their little island. I was gifted the audiobook for review, thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio. I think the narrator, Kelly Burke did a good job. Her voice sounded so familiar, but in a good way. I found the overall plot a bit lacking though - I didn't like that we were given tiny breadcrumbs relating to Alice and not seeing the whole picture until almost 90% into the book.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked the sound of this book but unfortunately I struggled with it so much. I couldn’t relate to the main character and it was so unrealistic a three year old being left in a room all day every day. Just was too unbelievable and far fetched for my liking

Was this review helpful?

"Her Hiding Place" by Shannon Hollinger is a thriller. It is set in modern times and on a small island in the Florida Keys.

Charlotte has just taken a job as a live-in housekeeper at a resort on a small island. She has a little girl with her and has to keep her hidden. As a hurricane approaches, a dead body is found. The story is creepy and gets worse.

Charlotte was abused as a girl, and therefore, she is terrified of everyone. This theme and flashbacks were difficult for me to read. I thought it was about a husband and not her parents.

The suspension builds more and more to a very scary finale!

The narrator, Kelly Burke, did a very good job with this story and all the characters.

Characters - 4/5
Writing - 3/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 2/5
Narration - 4/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 27/8 = 3 3/8 rounded to 3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, and Shannon Hollinger for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This book had me torn. On one hand, I was intrigued enough to keep reading and find out how it would all end. On the other, the main character was frustrating—constantly jumping to the wrong conclusions when the truth felt obvious. There was a twist, but it was so far-fetched that it was hard to take seriously. By the end, everything felt a bit silly rather than shocking. It wasn’t a bad read, just not as gripping or believable as I’d hoped.

Was this review helpful?

Did not finish
I’m opting not to rate this one, because I didn’t get far enough into it before quitting.

The idea of a 3 year old being left alone for long periods of time was both far-fetched to me and too uncomfortable for me to even think about. I can handle books about serial killers, but I cannot handle ones about child neglect.

Sorry for not being able to finish this one, I went in blindly without looking at the summary.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 out of 5 stars! Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this audiobook of Her Hiding Place by Shannon Hollinger, narrated by Kelley Burke.

This is my first audiobook by this author! The narrator did a wonderful job on telling the story and got me feeling bad for the main character, Charlotte with her secret. The location where it takes place and the twisted plots got me hooked. There were a lot of characters that got me a little bit confused but picked back up easily. I will warn that it was pretty slow and dragged on certain times but still keep me interested to finish the book.

The end was good but I can't say memorable or super unique. For someone who has been reading and listening to a lot of books, I hate to admit when I'm ok with certain endings.

Overall, this was pretty good and would recommend. Thanks!

Was this review helpful?

Not a bad story which picked up towards the end, i have to say that for the most part this was a bit far-fetched. I don't know of any three-year old that will stay quiet in a locked room for hours on end. Narration wasn't the best but also wasn't the worst. I did enjoy the locked room aspect of the story.

Was this review helpful?

Her Hiding Place by Shannon Hollinger was the first audiobook of 2025 that I got as an early copy edition by @bookoutore and @Netgalley for an honest review. The book revolves around the main character, Charlotte who is running to hide her secrets from the world, including her 3 years old girl, Alice. Being one of its kind locked-room thrillers, starring a group of people terrified of a hurricane, coming their way, the book kept me honestly hooked to the seat and I was listening to it everywhere I could. The twists were almost unpredictable and I was so on the edge of my seat that I completed the book within 2 days of starting it and I am glad that I did. However, two things concerned me, one of which being the unrealistic (at least for me) idea of a 3 years old kid never making a noise or causing a fuss as well as the end of the book. However, this book is now yours to devour. I was intrigued by so many twists and a reliable narration of the book, however, the ending chapters of the book seemed a bit rushed in comparison to the earlier chapters which were too detailed and focused on all the possible bits. Giving it a solid 4, for the suspense and thriller vibe of the book, as for me it was one of its kind. Thankyou shannon, netgalley and bookouture for the early access copy of the audiobook.

Was this review helpful?

Charlotte is on the run with Alice a young girl. She takes refuge in the Florida Keys when she takes a housekeeping job in a soon to open hotel. However, Alice has to be kept hidden and secret. There is also a huge hurricane barrelling it's way towards them. Has Charlotte put the pair of them in greater danger by taking the job.
This book had plenty of twist. There were also lots of characters for you to decide who is the 'bad guy'.
The story also has flashback in it. Trigger warner - Domestic Abuse.
The ending was definitely very creative and one i didn't predict. Definitely worth a read

Was this review helpful?