I have always been a sucker for a good closer room mystery, and this is an excellent approximation of one, even though it is set in the wilderness which is as open as it gets, but for the sense of seclusion. A group of friends sets on a hike, not knowing just how perilous their journey is about to get…

I received an E-ARC copy of ‘Hide’ by Nell Pattison through NetGalley when my request was approved by the publisher Avon Books UK. Thank you to the publisher for my review copy.

This book follows the seven members of a nature group as they meet up on Boxing Day. Lauren works at the nature reserve and has managed to get them all exclusive access for the day.

There is tension in the group due to a drunken revelation when they met up before Christmas, but they still are keen to bring the group back together and have a great day.

The group disperses into different hides to get ready for the spectacular bird watching views they are expecting.

Suddenly a gun shot is heard, and after investigation they find that one of their group has been shot dead.
Suspicions fly, but is it one of the group or has someone else trespassed onto the land?

What follows is the uncovering of many secrets, and a tense and terrifying night whilst they try to work out who is the killer and try to find safety through the increasing bad weather.

The book is told by all the seven members of the group, as the chapters move between them all. I did find that this made it a little slow unravelling the storyline. I didn’t get to fully relate or click with any of the characters as the story concentrated on too many of them rather than a select few. I can see why it was done in this way, to reveal as many secrets as possible and increase the mystery as you try to work out who is the killer.

I like the fact that the author always includes a deaf character in her books, not only does it make the books more unique and inclusive, but you can tell that they come from experiences the author has faced herself or in her knowledge from teaching in the deaf community.

There are many mysteries to reveal in this book, as not only do you need to work out the murderer but also the secrets each one of the members is hiding.

Overall, a mysterious thriller with lots of secrets to reveal.

2.5 stars
Hide follows a group of people who are going bird watching. The problem is though is that one says he knows everyone's secrets, but we have no idea what those secrets are and we get to spend the entire book figuring them out, as well as why a person was murdered.

This is a multi-pov book that switches between all the different characters at the start of each chapter. We get to see what is happening through all the different people which could have been enjoyable, but honestly just made it more drawn out. We should have just had one or two have been the main pov's and then the others just be occasional snippets when necessary.

Overall this book was lackluster. So much of this is drawn out and just so many unnecessary things, no one needed a whole chapter about things that never got addressed again. I have also never read the words murmuration so many times in my life until now and I can do without reading them for a long time now. I did figure out some of the secrets beforehand because of how obvious they were. While others and especially the killer I didn't get until it was revealed (granted this was mostly because I just didn't care anymore by the end).

The one thing I did enjoy about this book is the representation of a deaf character. She does have cochlear implants and that was discussed as well as the difficulties she faced all throughout her childhood and even into adulthood. That was very nice to see as it's not something we get a lot of.

However the ending of this book, and I'm talking the very last page.. What in the world was that? What is this person's problem, because jeez get a grip and get over it already. I just don't get it. Is that the start of a setup to a follow-up book? Cause if not what was the point of it?

While the last chapter ended with a bit of a shock, this book takes a long time to get there. With every character having their POV shown, I found the pacing slow & repetitive. I found the characters to be unlikeable in varying degrees, so didn't feel any sympathy towards any of them. While the synopsis of the book got my attention, the book itself did not hold my interest.

Hide, by Nell Pattison is an atmospheric chiller thriller. It’s short chapters make for easy reading and encourage you to read just that one more chapter, with you not realising you’ve already raced through half the book in no time at all. It’s full of twists, turns and reveals and an ending that will certainly surprise you.

Hide is set on a snowy Boxing Day, when 7 members of a nature group gain exclusive access to a nature reserve in Lincolnshire for their walk. But owing to a pre-Christmas meet up tensions are running high. Members of the group are worried about who knows what about them, after all nearly all of them have secrets to hide. Then during the event they were there to watch, one of the group ends up dead, now they’ll need to hide and figure out what’s going on and who the killer is.

The chapters are written from the first person perspective of the 7 different characters. This is a useful device for building up the tension and allowing for pieces of information to build up about each of the characters, until they reveal something that changes the course of the story. The characters are certainly a mixed group but each of them are well developed that you really get a sense of who is who whilst you follow them through the forrest.

Some of the twists I guessed earlier on, though some really surprised me as they unfolded. Like many others I was certainly surprised by that ending!

This was an enjoyable, easy to read, seasonal chiller thriller. It was entertaining, but one that I don’t think will stick with me for long after.

Wow! This was absolutely fantastic! I loved that we saw chapters from the POV of all the characters, it gives the reader so much to think about and possibilities of who the killer could be. And the author shows the personalities of each character so well, including for one character in particular making you think there’s more than meets the eye to them, which as you see at the end there is! I cannot recommend this enough

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book

I haven't read a thriller in a while and Hide was the perfect one to kick start me back into reading them.

Lauren, Morna, Kai, Ben, Dan, Emily and Alec are all members of a little nature club and have arranged a Boxing Day outing to watch the starling murmuration at the closed nature reserve where Lauren work and Morna volunteers.

One of them knows secrets about the rest of them and threatens to out them all.

There's a single gunshot, one of them is dead, which one? ... who is the killer? .. will the rest make it out alive?

The story is told by each character, which is great as you get a real feel of their personalities with each chapter giving you a little insight to their individual secret.

There are lots of twists and turns and for a good part of the book you don't have a clue who the killer was or why and just when you think that's it there's the final twist, really clever!

Loved it! a can't put down book that you will devour quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC

Iyt’s Boxing Day when a group of seven is people gather on a closed nature reserve to hike and see a murmuration of birds. What’s meant to be a chilled day out after all the Christmas hype descends into chaos and danger. The last time they were all together, one member of the group announced they knew everyone’s secrets and another person is determined to ensure that their secret will never get out.

If you ever need evidence that Boxing Day is meant for polishing off leftovers and eating your weight in Quality Street in your jimjams, then just read “Hide” by Nell Pattison. Seven people skip the classic film reruns to head into nature and it ends in murder.
I liked the setting and the claustrophobic nature of a unknown killer loose in the dark and the snow. I did feel like the novel was longer than it needed to be, as after a while, the stumbling around in the dark became a little repetitive and because of that some of the tension was lost. I didn’t really warm to many of the characters as many of them are a bit officious and the squabbles between them were petty. The motive for murder is believable but the ease in which they found the culprit was a bit too easy for my liking. The book does raise valid and insightful points about how people without hearing are treated. The last chapter is one that will make you pause for thought.

In summary, it’s a book that will keep you entertained over the Christmas period if you like a good thriller, but it might not stay with you long into 2022.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this one. The only thing that made it 3 stars instead of 2 is that I was surprised by the twist. I really struggled with the characters and didn’t actually like any of them. I thought they were all quite annoying, so really struggled to like them or feel sympathy towards them. With a storyline like this one, feeling sympathy for the characters is very important. By the time I reached the half way point, I didn’t really care what happened to any of them. I always find Nell Pattison’s books easy to read, and there’s always something that keeps me intrigued. So I did enjoy this one, but I was also disappointed by it. I liked the chapters from each character, and liked that they all contributed to the main storyline. Overall a good thriller and one that I would recommend, but not my favourite by Nell Pattison.

Psychological thriller. Seven acquaintances (not friends) go on a walk in a nature reserve on Boxing Day to see a starling murmuration . The previous week middle aged Alec got drunk in the pub and told them he had secrets about all of them.
Only six start back to the visitor centre/main road as one of them is found dead . Is one of the group the killer or is it someone else?
All of the group do have secrets including sisters Lauren and Emily who don’t seem to have much sisterly love for each other.
Good story, if a little slow in places. Information comes out in little snippets leaving the reader unsure who has killed Alec and if anyone else is under threat.
I was quite surprised at the ending which is always a good thing for me.
4 Stars ⭐️ Recommended for anyone who likes nature, murder and complicated characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon books for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.

I had a hard time connecting with this book. The premise really made me want to pick it up, but I felt myself not really caring what happened. The ending was predictable and I felt like there could have been better misdirects.

What an ending, the tension and characterisation in the last few paragraphs is brilliant!

The book as a whole is a solid 4 star, I felt it was a little drawn out at times and the tension did not sustain throughout. I’m not sure which bits you could cut but just seemed a little too drawn out. Maybe Ben’s story was unnecessary?

A good read that is full of intrigue, twists and turns. The character of Lauren was well written, as was Kai.

A fast paced thriller set over a few hours, kept my interest and the ending was brilliantly written.

Read this if…you like Agatha Christie type stories where a killer is picking off members of their group, one by one.

A group of seven birdwatchers get more than they bargained for when a post-Christmas excursion to view a starling murmuration turns deadly. When a member of their group is shot and killed during the hike, the loose-knit group of friends realizes they don’t actually know each other all that well. Throw into the mix that the deceased member knew all the nature club’s secrets and it’s obvious this was no accident. The group struggles to make it to safety in the dark while traversing marshland in winter conditions. Can they make it out alive? As the saying goes, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

This one starts out a bit slow, but picks up about a quarter of the way in and doesn’t slow down again. I really liked the group of characters and it was fun trying to figure out their secrets. I liked that one of the narrators was deaf because that notched up the scare factor and taught me some things I didn’t know about the deaf community. The relationships between the group members were layered and complex. I had settled on 4 stars, but then the last twist earned Hide another half star. I ended up loving this one overall and would highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for an atmospheric thriller this winter!

My rating: 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)//5

A big thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Avon UK for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thought I would like this book, my partner is a twitcher and keen wildlife photographer, and I thought the subject matter would be familiar and interesting, it was the best part of the book for me, because I struggled to connect with the characters, and therefore didn't really care what happened to them. The setting for the book was original, and I applaud the writer for that, but I am afraid I struggled to enjoy the book I will however pass it on to my partner who will probably enjoy the setting and hopefully other readers will enjoy it more than me ,I wouldn't put anyone off reading it ,it just wasn't for me.

A small group interested in wildlife and bird watching goes into a reserve that is closed for the weekend. They are supposed to be the only ones there. There is a lot of resentment between many of the members in the group. People do not get along very well, and there are trust issues as well. There is one person everyone seems to dislike. Bang!

Now everyone is afraid for their lives. It is dark, snowy, and there is a dead body. There is a killer amongst the group. Who can you trust?

I have to say I did not warm up to any of the characters in the book. Generally speaking this should be my kind of book, crime and wildlife, but I did not root for a single person in the book, and this is usually not a good thing. I liked it that pretty much anyone could be the culprit. The very ending did surprise me. It is most definitely not a bad book, and the plot is mostly interesting, I did not really warm up to the shooting incident. Maybe I was missing some kind of warmth from the book.

It’s December 26 and a group of seven friends meet at a nature reserve, ready to spot starling murmurations and walk off the excess of the previous day. A hike in the crisp, cold weather, with plenty of warm clothes and a hearty pre-walk lunch… what can be better? But ‘friends’ is a loose term, as there’s plenty of resentment within the group. As tensions run high, some will start to break out a sweat for the wrong reasons. Although this is a chance for you all to reconnect, learn about each other and maybe – if you’re lucky – make a romantic connection, for one member, they have a more permanent way of ensuring things go their way. As everyone finds places to enjoy the spectacle, there’s a gunshot and someone is found dead. One of your supposed close knit group is responsible – but why? And will they stop at just one? A nicely put together festive read with a bite, ideal for a night in. But make sure you know best where to hide…

Nature group meets in a closed park on a Boxing Day. They seem to be friendly with each other but soon becomes obvious that someone is really dangerous. Deadly dangerous. Someone in a group hides a dark secret that affects everyone.

When they regroup in different hides to watch birds, a sound of a gun resonates through the nature reserve and all thoughts of nature are pushed away by the primal instinct to survive.

Game of observation, suspicions and manipulation begins. Game of life and death.

The novel is fast paced, atmospheric and with very well developed characters and with amazing ending. Sometimes the people we think are completely harmless are the ones who end up ruining lives.

Superb reading.

Another incredible book from Nell Pattison. This one definitely had me gripped from beginning to end. Bird watching and tramping around hides isn’t something I’ve done or know much about so it was a delight to discover something new.

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me. I really wanted to love it as the cover and description really drew me in but it just fell so flat for me (especially the ending).

I felt like I couldn’t really get to know the characters at all and the story was from all the varying points of view, which made it a little muddled for me. I ended up skimming large parts of it just to see if it picked up.

A disappointing 2 stars from me.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon books for an eARC in return for an honest review.

hide1

/hīd/

verb

put or keep out of sight; conceal from the view or notice of others.

noun

BRITISH

a camouflaged shelter used to get a close view of wildlife.
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I love the double meaning of the title. Yes, people were hiding from a killer in their group and yes, hides were present. And they were at times hiding in hides. Just brilliant!!!🤯
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Seven friends get together to go bird watching at a reserve that is closed due to Boxing Day. There is a killer amongst the group.
7 povs and I was able to keep up with all of them. They all had secrets and would possibly want to kill to keep them. I was interested in every single character. Fast paced and heart pounding. Great book to read in the cold months.