Lauren worked at a nature reserve and really enjoyed her job. She had a sister, Emily, who she had only just reconnected with and they were slowly getting to know each other as Emily lived in London. Lauren belonged to a group that did nature walks and Emily joined them on the walks sometimes. Lauren had arranged special permission for them to go on Boxing day for a walk to watch the starling murmuration which was about four pm. It would be the first time the group had been on the reserve in the dark.
Everyone had been looking forward to it until the little upset with Alec the week before when he was a bit drunk and said things he probably shouldn’t have. He hinted he knew secrets about everyone in the group and it made them all feel uneasy.
On the day there was definitely a feeling of unease as the group met at the visitor center before setting off for their hike into the reserve, about four or five miles they were going. When they reach the big bird hide, Morna and Dan decide to go in there while the rest of the group go on. Alec takes the next small hide, Lauren is the next one to find a spot with Kai finding a spot soon after leaving Ben and Emily who find a hide but Ben ducks out with a lame excuse of going to sort out something with Alec and disappearing into the rapidly approaching darkness. Not long after the murmuration starts then sometime after that there is a gunshot and Alec is shot dead!
Ben is found by the hide with a massive bump on his head and protesting his innocence which on the surface isn’t fully accepted. The remaining six break into two groups of three and go different routes back to the visitor center, certain that the killer is in one of the groups. But have they set their sights on the right person to be the killer?
I just loved this story. It was a totally different setting to anything else that I have read. The descriptive writing was brilliant, I felt like I was there and the amount of research required must have been immense but the story was worth it. Highlights the problem encountered by the deaf community if their hearing implements fail.

A great read. I have read/listened to a couple of books by this author and so far they have had a main character who is deaf which is quite unusual but welcome.
Liked the play on the title,set in a nature reserve,a thrilling read,original I thought and wow what a huge twist at the end,it totally floored me.
I loved this book!

This is the first book by Nell Pattison that I've read...and it won't be my last! An interesting version of the classic locked room mystery there are twists and turns aplenty. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can highly recommend it.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a mixed bag for me! There were factors that I enjoyed - the atmospherically creepy setting, the ever-mounting tension, the continual change of perspective between characters… but while I do sometimes enjoy a thriller that’s more of a slow burner, Hide plod along a bit too slowly for my personal preferences. Although I was interested in the overall story, I found that my attention wandered off every now and then because it often felt fairly repetitive. I don’t feel like I got to know the individual characters particularly well and therefore didn’t develop strong feelings toward any of them so I felt quite neutral about their fates!

However, I was kept guessing with some unforeseen twists and there is one final dark revelation that I think wrapped up the story quite well and left it on a slight cliffhanger. Some of the situations that occur toward the end are pretty far-fetched but this didn’t massively bother me and perhaps made for a more entertaining read.

Big thanks to Avon Books UK and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love a locked-room murder mystery as it goes without saying that the murderer - and next victim - is a character you know as there's a limited group of suspects. Set on a closed nature reserve at night during a snow storm, this was the perfect closed "room" setting where the clever title could equally have related to the bird hides just as much as hiding for your life. The small set of characters were cleverly developed so as one of them says: "I feel like I've seen everyone here in a different light this evening, and that has changed my opinion of them all, some for better, others for worse." In fact the antagonist turns out to be a true psychopath which I didn't foresee but really enjoyed. What I didn't buy, however, were the overly convenient connections between the characters. Lots to like with this but it was slightly let down by the middle which consisted of a lot of running around in the dark without much actually happening.

My thanks to Avon Books U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Hide’ by Nell Pattison in exchange for an honest review.

For the past few years Lauren has been meeting up regularly with a small group of nature enthusiasts. On Boxing Day she has arranged for them to visit the Lincolnshire nature reserve where she works for an afternoon walk and wildlife spotting.

Among the group is her sister, Emily, with whom she has a complicated past. After contracting meningitis as a baby, Emily is deaf, though she uses cochlear implants. Then there is Morna, in her 60s and a long time volunteer at the nature reserve. She appears to resent Lauren.

The chaps accompanying them: Alec, Ben, Dan, and Kai each have their own issues which are explored or hinted at in their chapters. Then there is a murder! No details of who in order to avoid spoilers.

Having seven narrative voices did seem rather crowded, though after the murder it drops to six. Once I realised the format, I made a notes for myself on who was who, which helped me until I became familiar with everyone.

This was a classic style of murder mystery/thriller where a small group of people in an isolated situation suddenly are confronted by a murder. Of course, they are miles away from the Visitor’s Centre, their cars, and assistance. I did wonder why a reserve didn’t have proper signage to assist visitors.

With no phone signal there’s a lot of wandering about in the woods holding their phones up and tripping over tree roots. Add to this lots of anxiety as to whether the murderer is one of the remaining group or an outsider, such as a poacher or someone trespassing on the reserve.

Overall, I found ‘Hide’ an entertaining whodunnit with some interesting twists.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This book was ok, but I was not blown away by it. The premise was great, group of people going for a winter walk on a nature reserve. They all have secrets and as the day progresses, the secrets become more pressing. I honestly felt totally confused by how many times they walked round the nature reserve and which was they are actually going. I also felt that the ending was a bit silly. There was an awful lot of "is someone out there" going on. Red herrings galore.
It was a shame as when I started reading I was really enjoying it, but I felt that the author ran out of ideas of what to do with the characters..

This review will be placed with Waterstones

That was a book that we all needed this winter! One of the best of this year!

Night in the forest, snow falling heavily, eight people, and one murder. Who is the killer? and why? Is someone in this inner circle going to kill anyone else? And what the hell is going on? I have a gooseflesh while reading. No kidding!

It is similar to Lucy Foley's book which I adore so this one is turning me on. I love the story when nothing is for sure and the reader needs to solve the crime. Here? The ending was a huge surprise. Even for me. Would never expect something such crazy as this!

It is perfect. In the new year, I wish I had only such excellent book on my tbr list!

This is what I would call a slow burn - it never really ignites fully and sometimes fizzles to the point it almost goes out but, generally, it just stays at a solid gas mark 3 for the most part.

Seven members of a nature group come together for a Boxing Day gathering to watch a murmuration within a nature reserve. Seems like a fairly innocuous and harmless way to spend a day and evening usually spent eating leftovers and vegging in front of the television and it is, until a shot rings out and one of their party is dead.

Each of the remaining six have secrets they don't want made common knowledge and therefore each have a motive for murder. None of the characters have many redeeming features if I'm honest and it wouldn't have made any difference to me who was the victim as I didn't particularly like any of them.

What follows is infighting which results in the group splitting up (never a good idea - have they never watched a horror film!) and suspicions falling on one person, then another, then another ... well, you get the idea. More shots are heard, people are separated further, injuries happen, more separation and more infighting and, all the while, the secrets they want to stay hidden gradually come to light.

What I enjoyed about this book was the sense of claustrophobia and isolation that was well captured and, as seems to be the norm with Nell's books, the inclusion of a character who is deaf added something a bit different.

What I didn't like about it was there was too much time spent describing stuff that didn't really seem to add to the story and this resulted in it dragging - hence the slow burn.

I have read a few of Nell's other books and this does seem to be a pattern with her stories but there have been plenty of people who have absolutely raved about this book so please, please don't judge it from my review alone.

Remember, if we all liked the same things, it would be a very, very boring world indeed!

Thanks go to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Seven friends. One killer. You can run, but you can’t hide…
The winter 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…

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Really enjoyed this book. I really liked how each chapter was given from the perspective of another person in the group. I thought that the character development overall was great and I especially loved that there was a character who had a cochlear implant. I personally wear hearing aids and seeing an accurate representation of what is it like to not be able to fully hear even with help with machines in my ears was something that I truly appreciate. OVerall, really liked this book and would recommend it easily to others.

An enjoyable thriller and a fab audiobook, Hide will give you chills! I could practically feel the ice coming out of the speaker, the scene is set so well. As a fan of walking the dog in pretty places I loved the nature reserve setting, it made it really easy to picture and was the perfect place for this to ensue. I liked hearing from all the different narrators and thought the cast were great; I definitely prefer books in which you get to hear multiple perspectives, especially in a thriller. In this we’d finish one chapter and be left hanging waiting to find out what had happened to that particular character which added to the suspense.
On the flip side I did feel it could have been a bit shorter as there was a lot of the same stuff happening that it went on for a little longer than it needed to. And there were a few plot holes for me too - <spoiler> Why didn’t Dan kill Emily when he first caught her in the woods instead of trying to talk to her? And if he was so hell bent why didn’t he pick her off sooner when it was just him, Morna and Emily? Why did he kill Alec? Still doesn’t make sense to me as when Alec described it it wasn’t instant. Was Kai faking his ankle injury and why did he keep stalling, surely not just for the purpose of avoiding his poacher friends? What was the light everyone kept seeing all about? Did Alec know Lauren’s secret? Why did Lauren run out to help Emily when she heard her scream if she actually wanted her dead? Why didn’t Morna help her grandchildren, her reasoning was ridiculous. And why on Earth is Emily so oblivious to how much Lauren dislikes her?</spoiler> I still have lots of questions about bits and I prefer when everything is properly explained away, BUT I did like the final twist at the end (although I did see it coming.) I would’ve liked to have known more about some of the characters back stories too. We hear a lot about some and not so much about others, especially Lauren who’s very important but who we only hear about second hand.

All in all it was an an enjoyable listen with a different premise to any of the thrillers I’ve come across before, I thought it was quite original. If you’re looking for a good, wintery read (but be prepared to feel cold!) this could be the one for you!

2.5 ⭐️‘S
A bird watching group of seven people go out on an evening hike in a nature reserve. As the group splits up a shot rings out and one member is dead. They all think they know who did it, but why? Are the rest of them in danger? As they try to get to safety through the snowy night, secrets unfold, but overall it just didn’t ring true. Unlike Pattison’s other novels, this one just fell flat.

Hide by Nell Pattison is a winter thriller, perfect to curl up with on a dark evening, ideally in front of a cosy fire. Set among a group of nature lovers who are spending the day after Christmas on a hike , things take a deathly turn when one of the gang is shot. Seven people set out on the hike, six are left and one of them is the killer, but which? The victim was not well liked, a bit of a know it all who liked to lord it over the rest of the group, and was only to happy to remind each of them that he knew their secrets, so it seems like more than one of the others may have had it in for him, making it difficult for them to know who to trust.. Risky business when trusting the wrong person could cost them their life.
I enjoyed the setting of this book and once I got to grips with the characters there were some that I really liked, but I will be honest, I did struggle at first when it came to keeping the characters straight, not because there were too many of them but rather because they all blended in to one another, none of them seemed to have a really distinctive voice. I have to admit that some of the twists were a little too well telegraphed for my liking. Overall this was a competent thriller and a pleasant way to pass a few hours .
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Seven friends decide to go on a winter hike in a nature reserve to observe the starling murmuration. But one of them has something other than starlings on their mind: murder. As night falls and everyone is watching the murmuration in their own hiding spots, a gunshot rings out on the nature reserve. One of them is dead, and none of them are safe.

"I try to break free from the grip, aware of the scream rising up inside me, feeling my body shake with it as I let it out into the night air."

The book blurb describes the group of seven as friends, but they're anything but, really... I mean sure, some of them get along pretty well but there's definitely a lot of tension, unresolved issues and suspicion going on between them. Some of them just downright can't stand each other. I'm not saying that was a bad thing, cause it felt pretty realistisc to me in a group of seven. You can't expect everyone to always be getting along, especially considering some of them haven't even known each other for that long and their personalities/interests (besides bird watching) are very different. It actually added to the story for me and it helped build some of the suspense in the book. And even though there are 7 POV's, it didn't get consufing cause to me all the characters felt very different and some were definitely more likeable than others. Oh and a major plus for adding a deaf character to the mix, it was very interesting and insightful to read her POV!

“I knew something was wrong, something serious, but I didn't expect this. As I pushed open the door to the hide, my nostrils were hit by a coppery smell, with an undertone of shit. I've never seen a dead body before."

I also loved the atmosphere of this book, I could vividly picture the events unfolding in this snowy, dark, vast nature reserve. I will admit however, that some of the decisions that were made felt a bit weird to me, but somehow it kind of works in this chaotic environment (especially considering they feel like they're being watched/hunted). So yeah, maybe if I were in a similar situation I'd make some strange decisions too. But let's hope I never have to find out.

Anyway, I was going to rate 3,5 stars at first, but honestly that final reveal was just *chef's kiss* so I'll add another half star for that! I was pretty impressed and I have to admit I didn't see it coming. his was the perfect mystery/thriller read for a cold December day! Thank you to Avon Books UK, Nell Pattison and Netgalley for providing me with me an e-ARC of this book.

“We all have those moments we wish we could relive and do differently."

Overall rating: ★★★★

Seven ‘friends’ set out on a Boxing Day hike which is meant to bring them closer together after an unfortunate and awkward night out the week before.

All seven seem to have something they are hiding. Something they don’t want anyone to find out. And one of them appears to know all these secrets.

So when one of the seven is murdered on their trip, is anyone able to trust each other? With the group miles away from their cars and the weather quickly worsening the group decide to split up to find a way back and call the police.

However the killer is still out there - so who will make it back? Or will they all get back safely?

Thank you to Nell Pattison and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When one of a party of seven gets killed, it is time to save yourself before anyone else is targeted. I like the fact that the story is told from everyone's perspective. Lots of twists along the way. Difficult to put down.

Hide by Neil Patterson.
Seven friends. One killer. You can run, but you can’t hide…

It’s Boxing Day and your friendship group has planned a hike.

You know tensions are running high.

You’ve heard the rumours flying around.

But this trip is a chance for you to reconnect.

As you head into the reserve, everyone is quiet.

It almost feels like you’ve imagined the rift.

But as the sun sets, you hear a gun shot.

One of your group is dead.

And someone you know killed them…

This was a really good read. Great story and some good characters. Likeable read. 4*.

🔊Song Pairing: Run Boy Run - Woodkid

💭What I thought would happen:

From the title..it’s not called Seek so I’m assuming some people are the prey to a serial killer.

📖What actually happens:

Several POVs over the course of one day and wow to events transpire. Lauren works on a nature reservation. It’s closed for the Christmas holidays so she takes her bird watching buddies out for a hike and to see some super cool fowl.

Each member has a secret and are a lot-a-bit shady. They all think they are clever in keeping their drama under wrap. And one of them or all of them are willing to kill to keep it locked down…

🗯Thoughts:

I did not think there would be so much drama amongst a group of nature lovers who love to sit in the bush and watch birds. Move over Real Housewives

This is one of the slowest burn thrillers I’ve ever read. There’s a point where I was like let’s Agatha Christie this bish and get the murder on the road.

There were parts where I was bored to tears and just wanted to get through then dramatic bits where I wanted to know. Essentially this book was a giant tease and never gave me what I wanted.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: Today

QOTD: What is your current read?!

This was quite a bit of a slow burn. Starting with some good character built before something big happens. I loved the short chapters and that the story keeps you guessing throughout who could have done it. However, I did see most of the twist coming and somehow the story just couldn’t really grip my attention. I did love the end twists and they were fairly quick paced, I did not see them coming! I just wished there was more of the last 50 pages, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Short Chapters
Good character built
Slow burn

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 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