Another great thriller from Nell Pattison. The title is misleading in that it’s set on a nature reserve and bird hides feature heavily in the story - hence the title!

This is a story told from the perspective of seven characters; and when one of their unit is killed by a shot gun they are all suspects.

I liked how the characters all had their flaws and the ending - that was a twist I was expecting right in the last sentence.

As with her other novels it features a deaf protagonist and I like this spin than Pattison uses to raise awareness. Emily is probably my most liked character in the novel as she seems to be the most open and honest.

A great read in the lead up to Christmas even though it was set on Boxing Day.

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 follows a group of hikers during a snowy boxing day hike through a nature reserve. The last time this hiking group met up for drinks in a pub it didn't end well, with an argument breaking out. The tension is there from the very start and only grows when a group member is found murdered.

This story is told through multiple perspectives, which I usually tend to dislike. But this is a well told story and the different points of view definitely kept me guessing until the very end. The start of the book was a real pageturner. The middle section did drag a bit as there was a lot of walking around with no progression. The book definitely picked up for the last third!!

This book was an excellent mystery whodunnit made better by the snowy setting as it's coming up to Christmas! Overall this was a very good read. I gave this book 4 stars.

Thanks to @netgalley and @avonbooksuk for providing me with this copy 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!

This book was a tough one to get in to at first. There quite a few characters and I couldn’t remember who was who at first. There is a lot of suspense in this and each chapter leaves you wanting more. I enjoyed the winter setting, this just got me more in to it with the season we’re in now.

For me I did enjoy it but I wanted so much more from it as well!

Thank you Net Gallery for sending me this copy ahead of its release. ❄️

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.