What a book! Read it in two sittings because I had to know what happened next! Lauren & Emily are sisters who have met again after eleven years after Lauren turned eighteen & left the care home they lived in. Lauren works at a nature reserve & a group of people including Emily, meet on Boxing Day to go & see the murmurations. Each of the group is carrying a personal secret close to their chest & this outing brings everything to the surface.
Great writing, great tension & great story. Recommended read.

This was a terrific thriller. Seven characters, one victim in a closed setting. What set this book apart was the physical setting—a nature reserve closed off from the rest of the world by a snowstorm. The suspense was intense and I couldn’t put the book down!

A solid thriller, it kept me interested and guessing throughout.
I didn't really connect with any of the characters, but I did enjoy the inclusion of a character with a disability as a main. It's something I would like to see more often.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy to read and review.

Entertaining read. It was different than a lot of the thrillers I've been reading lately, which was nice. The entire book takes place in the span of one night on a nature reserve in rural England. On this night, there is a murder at the reserve and the characters find themselves running from a killer, through the woods, in the middle of a snowstorm. The narration is through seven POVs. As a reader, you don't trust any of the characters, so you're constantly guessing who is telling the truth and who has ulterior motives. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a murder mystery/thriller.

Seven members of a nature walking group meet on boxing day with plans to watch the starling murmuration. One of the group is found dead and the other six members are the only suspects. They all have their own secrets to hide that the victim may have known about. They’ve got to try and get out of the nature reserve, get help and stay alive.

This is a claustrophobic thriller which slowly reveals more about each character. It’s quite similar in style to Lucy Foley’s novels, in that a dead body is found in a remote/enclosed location with a limited number of suspects and the narration moves between members of the group. It kept me guessing for a while, whilst I worked out some of the secrets I hadn’t guessed the killer. There is a final dark reveal that I found intriguing. Overall it was an enjoyable read.

This was so much fun!

Hide follows a mismatched group of friends as they spend the evening trekking to watch the murmurations. With Emily and Lauren as estranged sisters, newly reacquainted, also having back stories along with POV from the other characters, Pattison weaves a web of suspense, deceit, and thrills.

I was gripped and read it in a few sittings as I wanted to know what had happened. So many twists that I didn't see coming which I love.

Highly recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the opportunity to read and review.

An engaging read with an interesting cast of very flawed characters!

It’s been awhile since I’ve picked up a book that had me hooked right from the start. I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of this book and had a hard time putting it down. We are introduced to a group of 7 characters that form an unlikely bond through bird watching. What an unusual hobby to include in a thriller, but Pattison makes it work. We learn quickly that each character has a bit of a secret to hide, and I found myself burning through the first few chapters so I could learn more about each one and try to figure out what the heck was going on.

The group sets out on an evening excursion in a large nature reserve with no cell service to be found. Before long, one of them is dead and the remaining group members are left to wonder if the killer is among them, or if they are prey for an unknown predator. The goal becomes reaching safety and cell service, which is no easy task.

While some of the characters make frustrating decisions, and some are downright unlikable, it all weaves together to make a narrative with a decent amount of suspense. I think Pattison does a great job of foreshadowing the twists without making them too obvious. I appreciated the resolution, although I can’t say it was a huge shock for me.

My only gripe: in the second half of the book there are few events that are far-fetched and don’t make sense with what we have learned about the characters and the setting in the first-half of the book. I’ve learned to overlook this type of inconsistency in the thriller genre as I see it often. Not everyone can be Agatha Christie and I’ve learned to stop expecting that.

If you go into this book wanting a quick and entertaining read, you will not be disappointed. I’m thinking those with negative reviews were expecting a literary masterpiece. Take it at face value and enjoy the ride.

Thanks to Avon books, Nell Pattison, and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 2.5 upgraded to 3

This was a very tough read as I felt the story just dragged on and on and on. It was a promising start with some great character development but it quickly became a very tedious read. I found myself skim reading a lot waiting for something interesting to happen. The ending was disappointing with a couple of major inconsistencies.

Rated 2.5 solely on the basis of good character development and interesting interactions and relationships between characters. Lost 2.5 stars due to the plot and delivery of same.

I read this book with the hope that I would get that "isolated" feeling I love when a book makes all their characters isolated in a situation with a "who done it" theme.

From that point of view, this book delivers. But wow! the writing was so slow. It took forever to describe a situation or character. It made the book so slow that there was no longer an interest on my part to figure out the whole thing.

It has the potential to be a perfect way to spend a winters day - in the presence of like-minded companions, with a nature reserve closed to the public, you’re free to wander, watch the wildlife, and enjoy the experience.
Until the gunshot is heard.
Told from the point of view of each of the seven characters, we learn more about each person’s past, their secrets, and how they’ve come to be part of this loose group of nature watchers.
The ability of the author to use the natural enviroment as a place of beauty and also danger is put to good effect in this book. The snap of branches, the snowstorm, and the wildlife makes it easy to form a picture and follow the action from there. The each character a chapter is well done, with the tone of each (annoying superior Alec, for example) making it clear who is placed where in the order of things.
I’d definitely look for more of Nell Pattison’s books based on this one.
With thanks to Netgalley, Nell Pattison, and Avon Books UK for a copy for review.

This is the first book I have read by this author, but I will definitely be reading more!! I was hooked from the start, and I loved the writing style

The twists. Do I have whiplash? I think I might have whiplash... When I saw that Nell Pattison wrote another book, I was PUMPED. This book can be devoured in one sitting and deserves that type of attention.

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…

When I read the blurb for this book I was immediately intrigued and had to get reading. I love a good thriller/mystery novel that keeps you guessing and I also love ones that are character driven, which Hide certainly is.

Written from the perspective of 7 different characters Pattison has created a page turner that keeps you on your toes and guessing right up until the end, is it her? Him? Them? Anyone?

I really enjoyed it and the only reason why I didn’t give it 5/5 was because I thought it was a little drawn out and repetitive at times (eg the same event told from different perspectives but maybe not offering anything new that was crucial to the main plot line) but definitely a fun read that I would recommend.

#bookreviewsbymrsc #hide #nellpattison

Hide By Nell Pattison

It is always great to find new Authors to add too my shelf and Nell Pattison is one such author that I will add, Hide is a claustrophobic, whodunnit of the highest order.

we follow 8 characters with the setting of the nature reserve being one of those 8 and this is what stood out for Me and made the book really work.

Seven birdwatchers enter the reserve for a Boxing Day walk to watch the starling murmuration all 7 have secrets and when one killed the fear and paranoia and the struggle to survive the night is at the heart of this story.

Pattison tells the story by giving over a chapter to each of the seven as we get events from there POV and as the night draws in and the snow storm begins to fall the reserve takes on a character of its own giving the reader a real sense of panic and fear as our characters start to give in to that fear and the prospect of being hunted whilst trapped in acres of dense snowy marshland.

The writing is good and all the main cast has their own unique voice as we the reader try to work out whodunit.

Emily who is deaf and has a hearing aid in the form of a Cochlear is so well writing that this only adds to the tension, when ever I found Myself with this one character My heart was going ten to the dozen as she stumbles and runs through the said reserve.

The book is really held together by the writing and is very believable as each characters fear and own paranoia really ramps up the tension I also never worked out the killer or how it was done so I tip my hat to Nell Pattison.

The book is also elevated by the very last few pages of the book which I never saw coming some may not like this but I found it just clever and great writing.

This is a tight and thrilling whodunit and I loved it.

Well worth your time and hard-earned cash.

I would like to thank Netgally the Author and Avon Books UK for the ARC of Hide in return for an honest review.

First book I've read by this author and I did enjoy it.
Emily,Lauren. Morna,Ben,Dan,Kai and Alex all meet on boxing day to birdwatch but 6 of them have a secret and one of them knows their secrets.
A gun shot sounds out whose been shot and who do they need to be afraid of?
We learn everyone's secrets as the story goes on and I expected a happy ending but it left me surprised.
If your looking for a good but not to heavy read I would recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon books for the ARC

I really really really enjoyed this book. I probably would have picked it up in a book shop as the cover was eye catching and bought it. This is a first Nell Pattison book for me but won’t be my last!

I love reading books where the characters have a chapter on their own, and this book was written from the perspective of each character. It was well written and each character had their own voice. It also made me want to read faster to get back to that character.

Each character has their own hidden secrets which could point any of them to the murderer; and a reason to “shut up” the victim.

I predicted some of the outcomes.

I thought the setting was a great place to have a ‘who done it’ and you literally felt you were walking around the reserve with the characters and wanted to run for it, I’d have definitely been tripped over some of those tree stumps in the snow.

I really enjoyed the book and devoured it in two evenings. I will definitely read more of Nell’s books.

Thank you Net Galley for an advance copy and the publisher

I always enjoy to read claustrophobic, whodunnit, trapped in one location and who’s gonna be the last one standing theme!

Seven people gathered for Boxing Day Hike as members of birdwatching group finding themselves into wilderness to watch the moves of starlings during Christmas time! I know what you’re thinking! Why don’t they find something more interesting to spend their special holiday instead of following behind the birds and freezing their spines in the middle of nowhere! Get a better life or better hobbies folks!

They are not friends as they’re advertised on the blurb. Laureen and Emily are estranged sisters, already dealing with their own resentment and past issues, raisins by foster parents. Lauren gets jealous of her sister’s sudden success by finding an app for hearing impairment. She hates her fancy car, her cozy London apartment when she works her arse off to make ends meet.

Ben seems like friendly and sweet mother’s boy with Joe Goldberg vibes who already asked Laureen out on a date and rejected. And now he’s chasing Emily like a child follows the ice cream truck. And he’s still too shy to ask her out, too. Poor weird boy!

Morna competes with Lauren for the same job position, thinking that’s her responsibility to lead the group. The beef between them gets escalated at each second. Cat fight alert!

Kai seems like having ulterior motives to join their hiking group. He shows different kind of interest to those birds, making suspicious phone calls.

Dan, a widower, still suffering from trauma to lose his wife and his unborn child, newcomer of the group.

And Alec who already got attention of entire group because of an incident at bar. He screamed at their faces he knew their dirty little secrets! What could he know? He’s just ordinary cocky man suffers from superiority complex , making long talks as if he’s narrator of most boring National Geography documentaries, annoying the hell of the group members.

Those mandatory friends find themselves in the middle of wilderness and one of them pulled the trigger. One down, six left! Killer on the loose! All of them give person of interest vibes! Whodunnit? What’s his/ her secret motives?

What are those secrets seven of them carry?
Well, this book started a little slow for me! Instead of Emily, none of the characters were likable. All of them were irritating and a little unrealistic one dimensional types.

In the middle of the story, the pacing fastened and mysterious hunt- prey fight picked my interest for!

I was planning to give three stars but the conclusion was good enough to earn half more stars! It’s good to see the least likable character for me was perpetrator.

I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 bird watching, 7 perfect strangers, creepy stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon UK for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

So, this is a review I don’t really want to do. I found the book…okay.

I really like the author and have devoured her other books. In those books, I loved the mix of mystery and deaf culture. In this book, the author has moved a bit away from her usual books to give us a suspense thriller. While I applaud authors stretching out and trying something new, I found that this one didn’t work so well for me.

The book is very slow paced. Like…glacial. In addition, every character is a point of view character. While that can work for some books, in this one, it just served to confuse me – especially since the characterization was such that I kept having to refer to chapter headings to remember who I was reading when.

I did love that the author gave us a deaf character. Putting this character into a situation fraught with danger in combination with her deafness was intense. I did love this character.

Our reveal wasn’t much of a surprise – only the reason behind everything was surprising. And a shock reveal wasn’t much of a shock at all.

The last quarter of the book finally moves and feels very satisfying. It just…takes a bit to get there.

I wholeheartedly recommend the author’s other books, but this one is just an okay from me.

*ARC via Net Galley

This was such a great read, it has everything you could want from a thriller. It is captivating and engaging but also tense and dramatic with plenty of twists that you could never even imagine. I loved the idea of the story line and it really brought the story to life. Lots of characters but who is the one hiding the secret? It's a well thought out plot line with red herrings galore but the story is so good and the ending I didn't believe. I feel like I want to re-read this story again in case I missed anything the first time.

I liked this book! The plot and concept themselves were really fun, I really liked the setting of the woods and I also found the dynamics of the characters really interesting. I had issues with the pacing, though, it was a bit all over the place for me. The beginning was really long and uneventful, and yet I think that the first murder was a little too early into the story. It would have been more suspenseful if the atmosphere had been built up before. I also found that the middle part was a little uneventful. The ending was pretty good, especially since the very last reveal was really fun. Overall an entertaining read.