The winter hike is meant to bring their nature group together. Emily, the sister who never lets her hearing loss hold her back. Lauren, who always feels a step behind. Morna, who doesn't get on with Lauren. Ben, who's 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.

The story is told from multiple perspectives. With some really good twists and a great ending. It's evident from the beginning that everyone has something to hide. The pace is steady and the plotline is addictive. The characters formed a bond through their love of bird watching. We are slowly drip fed information for each character. This is a creepy and atmospheric read that held my attention throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #NellPattison for my AC of #Hide in exchange for an honest review.

Seven people who belong to a nature group take a walk into the wood to see starlings and not all of them come back. Not telling which one - or ones- but everyone has their say. Some of the voices are stronger than others, some are whiney, some are funny but each is happily unique. If I have a quibble, however, it's that there are too many of them. I liked the inclusive nature of the story as well as the twists. The short chapters keep you going (so easy to read just one more!). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A page turner.

I loved the premise of this book and was really excited to read it. Unfortunately it didn't grip me at all and i struggled to finish it.

As an ecologist and bird-watcher this book had a setting that I just loved. Eerie remote wilderness… yes please. Bird nerd info… give me more. However, I really disliked many of the characters and found they lacked substance. Also, the pacing was so slow. I found myself skimming entire chapters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for allowing me to review the arc.

An isolated setting and a killer on the loose. If you enjoy thrillers with a group of suspects, multiple POV chapters, and a quick pace- this is for you! For fans of Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware, and Agatha Christie.

It's the day after Christmas and the seven members of a nature club agree to meet at a local private reserve to go birdwatching. Among the group are estranged sisters Lauren and Emily, reserve volunteer Morna, middle-aged birding geek Alec, lovelorn Ben, stoic Dan, and young Kai. There is tension right from the start in this group. No one is truly friends with another and everyone harbors secrets. When one of their number winds up dead, everyone is a suspect. Trapped in the reserve with snow falling and an unknown killer, the group argues over whether to hide out or try to hike back to the visitor centre.

I liked the fast pace and the different characters' POV. The snowy setting gave the story an added layer of suspense. Definitely a solid thriller and the addition of a deaf character was interesting. Apparently this is a hallmark of this author's work. I look forward to reading another book by her in the future.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review
Hide was perhaps not the exciting thrill ride I was hoping for but it did provide some exciting twists and turns. A who done it mystery with numerous characters, all of whom have their own share of secrets and histories. The book is told via multiple POVs as the characters meet up to traverse a wildlife reserve. After one is killed, everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted. Honestly I found parts of the book dry and just hard to stay focused on as the characters ran through the woods from one another. The end did have its moments of shock but also left things feeling kind of inconclusive and bland. I struggled with the intensity of the story because it just wasn’t there. Some things were too easy to piece together and others just lacked oomph when they were revealed. Even odder was learning the remaining characters “stay” friends and still occasionally meet up after all is said and done. All along none of them really seemed to care about anyone other than themselves.

An atmospheric chiller thriller, Hide is a well-developed and unpredictable read that will leave you feeling suspicious of everyone.

I love a thriller set in the snow, especially a locked-room thriller that is heightened by the sense of claustrophobia. Hide certainly uses its setting well and I could really picture the surroundings and feel the pressure of the high walls around this enclosure, which is exactly what I want from a book like this.

Told through seven points of view, showing the story from every perspective, this really allows you to get to know each character. Sometimes it can be confusing having so many narratives, but I instantly understood the different personalities and had no trouble remembering who was who.

I especially appreciated that one of the main characters was deaf as we don’t often see characters with disabilities in thrillers, and Pattison brilliantly describes what the experience would be like from their point of view.

Although I thought I had this story sussed out early on, only one of my predictions was close to being correct and a final twist really turns everything on its head. But while I did really enjoy this book, I never felt gripped by it which is the only thing that prevented me from loving it more. Still, I really liked Pattison’s writing and characters so I can’t read to more by her.

I really enjoyed this, a well-written pacy thriller with multiple narrators and a great ending. One single setting, on a nature reserve, the group of seven gathers to walk out across the reserve and watch the starling murmuration on Boxing Day, then one of the group is shot. I liked mystery aspect as we tried to work out who dunnit and the different points of view meant that we were drip fed little bits of information about each character. One character had hearing loss and I felt this was very well dealt with and really added to the tension of the story, being chased through dark snowy woods when you can't hear your pursuer! I also felt that the birdwatching details were accurate, which really helps with the story flow. The weather conditions were a character in their own right but it was the tension and the pace that made this a great read, plus that brilliant ending! Definitely recommend.

Unpopular opinion alert!

Many people enjoyed this book but I did not really like it much. I was tempted by the cover and the idea of people tromping through the snow but the story was pretty flat for me. On Boxing Day seven people/friends plan a walk in a nature reserve to observe the starling murmuration -
this is when hundreds of thousands or millions of starlings dart around in the sky like some weirdly choreographed dance.

The seven are - Lauren who works at the reserve; Emily, her sister, with whom she has only recently become reacquainted after 10 years; Morna, an older woman who volunteers at the reserve; Alec a fussy little man who considers himself superior to everyone and knows some of their secrets; Ben, a seemingly sweet and shy young man who fancies Emily; Dan, a new group member who is still grieving the death of his wife and unborn child and Kai, who has some secrets of his own. They set out from the visitor centre and split up among the various hides around the reserve to wait for the starling action.

It is not long before things start to go wrong. A sharp report like a gunshot is heard and a couple of the group find one of their number dead from a shotgun blast in one of the hides. After that it gets a bit silly, I think. There is a massive debate about which way to go - back to the visitor centre or trying to reach the fence and head across country to the road to try and flag down a passing vehicle. So the group splits up into two - big mistake.

From then on it’s one silly decision after another as various people head off on their own and others try and find them and directions are changed and more shots are heard and it’s just pandemonium. You learn a bit about the various secrets as the plot progresses and you soon find most of the people really unlikeable. There was no real plot apart from all the running around in the dark and snow with people suspecting first one person then another. I found it all quite silly and unrealistic - even the ending. But I know a lot of people enjoyed it more than I did so I suggest you check out their reviews too. Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

2.5 stars rounded up.

⭐️ 4 ⭐️

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The story is told from seven points of view, with each character giving their own version of events. I thought I might struggle to keep up with who was who, fortunately each character has their own individual personality (although none are particularly likeable) so this was never a problem.

Nell Pattison has managed to create a fabulous, eerie, claustrophobic sense of atmosphere. The snowy setting adds to the feeling of being trapped and the tension builds throughout.

I did find that the story became quite repetitive, especially towards the middle of the book, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Although I did guess some of the twists, I didn’t foresee the final reveal.

A fantastic winter read!

This was an interesting story, slightly different o the usual thrillers. It didn’t grab me as much as I hoped it would and I times I found my attention drifting. I was hoping for a thrilling read but, this just didn’t hit the spot for me. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Giving me serious The Guest List and One By One vibes, Hide by Nell Pattison is a classic "specific group of people in an isolated location and someone just got killed and omg is one of us a killer??" story. I'm a big fan of this trope so I enjoyed this read a lot!

A hodge podge group of birdwatchers meets up on Boxing Day in a closed reserve to watch a starling murmuration (is some kinda bird event idk). It's late afternoon, it's starting to snow, the reserve is large and isolated, the group splits up and then BOOM someone gets shot.

We get first person chapters from all of the characters and this is used quite effectively to hint at all their secrets and agendas while still keeping you guessing. The setting is atmospheric as both night and snow falls, not to mention there is a deaf character with cochlear implants, so how she copes with a "killer on the loose in the forest" situation adds a whole other dimension.

I was definitely hooked on this story the whole way through and didn't want to put it down. The thing with this type of story is that no matter how enthralling it is, it really all comes down to the climax and resolution. If the big whodunnit is uneventful, the experience of the whole book is tainted. I don't know that I was super shocked by the climax bit the real twist comes right at the very end in the falling action. I like it when this happens so much that I tend to be underwhelmed when it doesn't! I think the ending will possibly inspire mixed feelings as it kind of leaves you with an unresolved feeling, but having said that, I think it was exactly the ending the book needed.

Overall I had a blast with this one and would definitely check out the author's other work!

This is my second book by this author and while I do enjoy her writing, I find her books fail to grip me.

This was a well crafted locked room mystery with all the right ingredients for the perfect crime!

7 friends (and I use that term lightly) decide to go bird watching on Boxing Day when the natural reserve where Lauren works is closed. But Lauren has the keys and permission to enter it so that her friends can observe the murmuration of starlings.

When they all meet up at the main building before the hike, the tension is palpable due to an episode the night before where Alec, one of the friends, in a rant, proclaims that he knows everyone's secrets.

Can you guess which of the 7 in the party will turn up dead? Exactly.

Mix in some harsh snowy weather, no phone connection with the outside world, an argument between two sisters and the stupid decision to split up the group to find the quickest way to contact authorities, and the mi game is on.

With suspicion running high between all the members of the group this was an enjoyable read, albeit rather predictable.

The atmosphere was what I loved most. Whenever I get snow, woods and a murderer on the loose, I can’t seem to resist! 🤭

If I had to complain about something it would be that all the characters were rather unpleasant and that the center of the book was a little repetitive. Other than that this was an enjoyable read.

I really liked the premise for this book, particularly as a wintery read!

The story takes place at a deserted nature reserve where 7 birdwatching friends are meeting on Boxing Day to watch a starling murmuration. Closed to visitors, they expect to be alone on there, but when one of the group gets hurt they have to question whether they are actually alone, or was it someone in their group?

The story unfolds by giving each members perspective and we find out that this group are barely friends and there is a fair amount of tension going on between them all. We are also told a few flashbacks that reveal what has gone on between the characters in past meetings, revealing why these tensions have come about.

For a story that is set predominantly outside, the claustrophobic tension in this book is done very well.
Sadly I didn't warm to any of the characters with a few of them coming across quite childish with their behaviour. I also think it was a little too drawn out and repetitive through the middle of the book.
I listened to the audiobook which had great narration, but cut off the last few chapters. Luckily I also had the ARC so could catch up on the ending!

4.8 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2021/12/07/nowhere-to-hide-by-nell-pattison-review/

They say that everyone has the potential to kill under the right circumstances.

Emily, mid-20’s. Lauren’s little sister has suffered from hearing loss since birth. But she never lets it hold her back. Now she works at a tech startup making cochlear implants. After growing up in a children’s home, she and her sister ran in different directions and did not speak for most of twenty years.

Lauren, late-20’s. Has recently reconnected with her sister after decades apart, though neither are entirely comfortable with it. Works at a nature reserve in the country, where the group will be meeting up. She considers herself the de facto leader of their little group.

Ben, early-30’s. Works at a law firm. Pursued Lauren for years before becoming infatuated with her little sister. Shy, quiet, he’s not too sure how to get her attention, but thinks this meeting might be the perfect time.

Kai, mid-20’s. Perpetually late. Feels intimidated as the only black member in a group of outdoorsy white people. Originally had little interest in birds, but recently thinks he’s found his calling.

Dan, late-30’s. The newest member of the group. No one seems to know what to make of him since Lauren invited him in. Recently lost his wife Rachel to a tragedy and doesn’t know what to do with his life.

Morna, late-60’s. Has a daughter. A volunteer at the reserve, she likes to have everything orderly and likes to see everyone get along. But she doesn’t get on with Lauren. At all.

Alec, mid-50’s. He is the undisputed leader of the group. With all the best equipment and years of experience, he’s the natural choice. Plus he knows all their secrets. While he may have ruffled some feathers at their last meeting, he knows that their group will just get over it in order to best witness the murmuration. they’ll just have to follow his lead.

Seven friends. Seven people with secrets to hide. Seven potential killers. An out of the way nature reserve in Lincolnshire plays host to their Christmas holiday. When night falls, the starling murmuration will begin in earnest. But as the sun sets, a gunshot shatters the peace and sets the flock aflight. As night falls, one of their number lies dead. And one of their friends has killed them.

—

So… “friends” is a bit of a stretch. Plus they’re all kinda awful. Especially to one another.

Nowhere to Hide is told from the perspective of seven different members of the same group of birders. Each is told in first-person. I’m fine with books being told entirely in 1st person, so long as there’s one of them. Two is a stretch, but in some instances it works out. Three or more… it just doesn’t work. I can’t keep track of who is whom and everyone’s POV eventually blend into one. ALL SEVEN POVs in Nowhere to Hide are told in first-person.

It should be insanity.

But it works.

All seven of them have personalities different enough to differentiate them for one another, so I rarely (if ever) got confused about who was who. Right from the start I assigned personas and voices to each of the group, which made it much easier to keep them separate. Alec had an English accent that any colonial overlord would be jealous of. Emily and Ben I assigned based on internet personalities. Kai inherited Kedar Williams-Stirling’s voice. Lauren reminded me of someone I work with, so she got that voice. Morna was granted Liza Tarbuck’s accent. Wasn’t sure what to make of Dan at first, to the point that I assigned him a generic American accent.

It’s a little hard to explain why this worked so well for me. It just did. I’ve seen some mixed reactions on this one, which initially surprised me. But I liked it. A nice mystery with just the right amount of thrill. An idyllic setting for this type of murder-mystery as well; on an otherwise abandoned nature reserve, the day after Christmas. It’s a good setting—or a bad one, if you will.

However good I found the story and its characters, the conclusion was a bit of a letdown. Just when I thought that everyone was perfectly human and had believable motives and intentions, it was revealed that someone (no spoilers!) was some kinda demented evil villain with logic to match. The ending and epilogue brings everything back around, however. Otherwise it was a wild ride. In addition to sussing out who the murderer is (and it IS one of them), the reader is also assigned the task of discovering all their secrets. And I’m happy to say that when everything wound down, I had everything pegged correctly!

Well… mostly correctly.

TL;DR

I’d definitely recommend Nowhere to Hide but would understand if you’re a bit leery. Seven first-person POVs is a lot to take in, and just because it worked out for me, it might not work for you. Honestly I think that this would be a good one to try as an audiobook, as I’ve heard there’s a full cast. But if you want to try it in some standard format, just remember: Take your time, there’s no rush—the story’s not going anywhere. Just because one of them’s a murderer doesn’t mean you can’t relate with everyone just a bit (except Alec—no one should relate to Alec). Nowhere to Hide is a work of fiction, one that should be read for fun. So if you’re not having fun, maybe consider stopping it. And most important of all: everyone can kill under the right circumstances—so trust no one.

I love the love /hate... more hate relationship between the sisters.
The fact that this friend group knows virtually nothing of each other makes the suspense even higher.
The twist at the end is like a hammer to a nail to drive home the feeling of the book.

Another great book by this author. The books are sometimes slow to read but always good!

#youcanthide #netgalley

I loved the setting: seven people go into the woods on a birdwatching hike. One is killed. Who did it? My kind of book.
I liked the short chapters and the different points of view.
The pace could have been faster.

7 friends. 1 is a victim. 1 is a killer. The others must run….

This spine-tingling new thriller by Nell Pattison is a MUST read. Seven friends decide to meet up at the nature reserve for a Boxing Day hike. The plan is to watch the Starling murmuration but the tension among the friends increases and before the murmuration can be viewed, one of them ends up dead.

Pattison uses the atmosphere and setting to her advantage. The isolated nature reserve is closed to the public and the weather is foreboding, and this only adds to the terror when the friends sense that someone is out there in the woods with them. The novel opens with a deaf woman running through the woods at night, having lost her cochlear implant. The author successfully hooked me into this story because I could feel Emily’s fear and my heart was pounding before I even got to chapter 1! Imagine knowing that someone is after you, but you can’t hear them! It’s a locked room mystery in the sense that it’s only the 7 hikers and readers know that the victim and killer must be one of them. I loved the chance to try and solve the mystery before one of the hikers solved it. This is a murder mystery, but Pattison does such a phenomenal job crafting her characters that I got more wrapped up in the relationships between the friends than focusing on who it was. This allowed me to focus on the ‘why’ rather than the ‘who.’

There are many locked room mysteries out there, but this one rises above the rest because it focuses on the deaf community and because of the unique setting. Pattison was able to place me in the action and allow me to feel the tension and that’s an ability I admire.

The author began losing her hearing in her 20s and now teaches the deaf. The authenticity she brings to the narrative makes it successful. She deals with a crime within the deaf community with sensitivity.

Publishes December 9, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Nell Pattison, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The narrators in the audiobook worked perfectly for the overall tone of this story, so I would recommend it as a good background/multitasking listen if that's your thing.

Hide is gripping in a way that keeps you sucked in till the very end. The characters are exactly what you'd expect when there are secrets to be uncovered and an unidentified killer amongst them.

I would recommend this very easy read to someone looking for a wintery/isolated thriller with morally grey characters. It doesn't require you to work very hard to solve the mystery, but it also throws quite a few red herrings your way, so if spotting the killer is not your strong suit then look out!

I will say that while I was able to quickly identify the bad guy, that ending threw me for a loop. I absolutely did NOT see that coming!

A great winter read. Lots of excitement and I really liked how the author's brilliant descriptive power conjures up the scenes so well that you can really immerse yourself in the action. At times I felt that some character's over deliberated on the storyline and it felt as though this dragged the storyline a bit. But otherwise a great read with some brilliant twists and turns intertwining the different characters lives in a well written thriller.