Happy Saturday everyone! Today I’m sharing my review of Nell Pattison’s latest novel Hide that came out earlier this month.
Many thanks to Avon Books for my advanced e-copy of Hide that I received through Netgalley. I also preordered a Kindle copy.
The Blurb
Seven friends. One killer. You can run, but you can’t hide…
The Boxing Day hike is meant to bring their nature group together.
Emily, the sister who never lets her hearing loss hold her back.
Lauren, the sister who always feels a step behind.
Morna, who doesn’t get on with Lauren.
Ben, whose feelings for Emily border on obsession.
Dan, the quiet newcomer to the group.
Kai, who isn’t just on the hike to enjoy the wildlife.
And Alec, the one who knows all their secrets.
As the sun sets, a gunshot rings out on the nature reserve.
One of the seven is dead. And one of their number killed them…
What Did I Think?
Christmas is meant to be a time for relaxing and spending time with loved ones, not murder!!
This story of seven individuals meeting up for a Boxing Day walk to watch a starling murmuration is chilling not least for the weather conditions. I’ll admit I didn’t know what a murmuration was so I googled it as I read. It is a stunning sight, the synchronised flight of a large amount of birds. I’d love to see it in real life sometime!
The backdrop of the woody nature reserve on a winter’s evening added to the sinister feel to this book. Meeting early afternoon May be in daylight but a winter’s night can draw in very quickly and suddenly there is no natural light to see with. Throw in the snow that starts to fall over the course of the tale and I was chilled to the bone.
I loved the distinct voices across the very eclectic group of individuals. Each suspecting the others in the untimely death of one of their party. But as I read on, I came to understand that the victim possibly wasn’t the most popular of folk.
Loved this standalone book from Pattison. Having read Silent House, I was looking forward to returning to this author’s writing (I really must finish the Paige Northwood series). I had a claustrophobic time spent on a dark snowy nature reserve, constantly looking over the shoulder of the characters before me, wondering who might be next. Christmas may be a time for friends and family but when there’s a killer loose, being alone might not be so bad!
Who Is Nell Pattison?
After studying English at university, Nell Pattison became a teacher and specialised in Deaf education. She has been teaching in the Deaf community for 14 years in both England and Scotland, working with students who use BSL, and began losing her hearing in her twenties. She lives in North Lincolnshire with her husband and son. Nell is the author of novels The Silent House, which was a USA Today bestseller, and Silent Night, featuring British Sign Language interpreter Paige Northwood.
A Knight's Reads 