September 1965. Seven year old Kathy goes missing. Her devastated mother Connie is comforted by her best friend Myra Hindley...
The Hidden Child is a fictional novel based on the infamous Moors Murders in the 1960s.
Connie is not a great mum to poor Kathy. However, her love for her daughter is brought into sharp focus when she goes missing. She is both comforted and ridiculed by childhood best friend Myra and her creepy boyfriend Ian. Knowing about the Moors Murders gives us the benefit of hindsight and ramps up the tension.
A second plotline of farmers Ronald and Tommy was also completely enthralling. Ronnie has secrets in his past and has lived in fear of discovery. Now Ronnie faces a more immediate danger as he is threatened by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in a sinister way as well as overtly.
The connections between the two plots become apparent a third of the way through the book. I was gripped by this plot, waiting anxiously for the truth about Myra and Ian to come out whilst fearing for the safety of the other characters.
The writing doesn't pull any punches and seamlessly moves between fact and fiction. I felt that the 1960s were brought to life and the author has done great research into the era, the location and the killers.
The Hidden Child is a brilliant read for fans of true and fictional crime novels. Loved it!

The Hidden Child was a new type of book to me - a fiction novel based on true events. I personally had no knowledge of the true historical murders and events, so it felt very much just like any other thriller/mystery. However as the book went on, and knowing it was based on true events, something ends up feeling a little off. I felt myself becoming confused on separating reality from fiction. However the writing is really amazing, and I definitely got very pulled into the storyline. The characters felt very raw, and very realistic. I enjoyed this one overall, and would surely read more by Rebecca Griffiths in the future.

I really enjoyed this read! I had no idea that it was based on real murders when I picked it up but I think the author did a great job putting together fiction with just a bit of true crime context. The characters were all well written and interesting, I especially enjoyed reading Thomas and Ronald's POV chapters as their storylines were my favourite. One thing I didn't enjoy too much was the way the dialogue was written. It made sense with the setting that the characters would have strong accents but I personally don't enjoy when accents are written in the way they were done in this novel.

4/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this copy to review.

I have only just come across this author and wow what a talent ! This is the second book I’ve read by her and the way that she weaves true crime with fiction is genius! Based on the Brady & Hindley murders the storyline based around them was riveting!
Highly recommended

What a brutal opening!!!! Totally and utterly brutal!!!! Loved it!!! Rebecca Griffiths is a #newauthortome and that opening chapter really got my attention to this author’s intent to shock her readers. I had high hopes for The Hidden Child after being hit around the literary chops like that! And boy did it deliver!

This book would be my nightmare, losing my child fills me with dread. Let alone having the real life backdrop of The pennines belt and Saddleworth Moors in tbe 60s. Geez! As a teenager, I was fascinated by the Moors Murders and how two individuals could be so brutal and lacking in any parental inkling. But Griffiths showed me how (potentially) this notorious pairing came across to those around them. It almost felt like she knew them personally.

I was kept on my toes as the story jumped between Connie’s heartbreaking predicament and Ronnie’s relatively solitary life with his brother. Each chapter carefully playing out how both households were turned upside down by one seven year old girl.

The Hidden Child is a chilling story that could very much be true. I personally think Griffiths captured the evil personas of Brady and Hindley. I was glued to my kindle, gripped to see how this nearly-true story would play out. I’ve already downloaded Griffiths’ previous take on a true crime scenario and I for one am really looking forward to see what she takes on next! This is one unique concept which I really like!

This is inspired by a true story, and involves two of the most evil Britons, the ‘Moors Murderers’ Ian Brady and Mira Hindley. They were a bit before my time, but I remember their names being used in an almost ‘bogeyman’ way to make kids behave. Throughout there was a sense of foreboding which made this a tense read for me. That isn’t a criticism. For an author to maintain that level for a whole book is genius! I need a thesaurus for an original way to describe compelling. Perhaps gripping, transfixing, or entrancing. They all work. I felt I was doing this brilliant book a disservice by putting it down to do things like sleep. Or walk the dogs. I’m now on carpet cleaning duties for a month.

Oh, how Connie’s life changed forever on that day in 1965. I can’t begin to imagine what any parent goes through when a child is missing, but the author does an amazing job of converting some of what she would be feeling. This book contains the spectrum of humanity: kind strangers who will do anything to help, to the most evil and depraved society had to offer. This did make many characters at the very least disagreeable and occasionally loathsome. The descriptions of the Moors, where I spent some time in my younger days, were bleak, beautiful, and completely accurate.

Overall, I felt this well written story would stay with me for a while after reading. Would I recommend this book? Most definitely! I gave The Hidden Child, by Rebecca Griffiths, five stars, and I look forward to reading more of her work very soon.

Manchester, England in 1965 - several young children & teenagers have gone missing in the north of England, & no-one has any idea what happened to them. Connie is a young single mum who dislikes having a daughter, Kathy, who is dependent on her, getting in the way of her having fun. When Connie goes to the local pub with her boyfriend, they leave Kathy in the backseat of the car with the promise of a bottle of pop & crisps later. When they finally leave a couple of hours later, Kathy has disappeared. Has she come to the same fate as the other missing children? Local farmer, Ronald, lives with his older brother on their family farm, & he dislikes the couple who keep trespassing on his land, especially when he hears them firing a gun. One day, a young child wanders into his yard, the farm is too far away from anywhere for her to have walked all the way. How did she get there?

This a fictional look at some aspects of the Moors Murders, & the evil couple that carried them out - Ian Brady & Myra Hindley. I wasn't born for over a decade after the murders had been committed, but I remember them still being discussed, & the loathing in people's voices when they spoke of Brady & Hindley. In the infamous photographs of them, they both look dead behind the eyes. I think the author did a good job in portraying the couple, but the more fictionalised aspects regarding the links between Ronald & the young girl who wanders onto the farm are far too conveniently tied together. It just felt unlikely overall. 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 on sites that do not allow half star ratings).

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bookouture, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This was a fabulous atmospheric read set in 1965 around Saddleworth Moors and Manchester England.

Based on the horrific true story of the Moors Murders carried about by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in the 1960’s, these serial killers were responsible for the horrifying death of 5 young children.

I was only loosely familiar with the story of Ian and Myra it wasn’t until after I finished the book that I actually googled who they were. The author expertly wove into their horrifying tale a fictional storyline that was impossible to put down.

Moving out of her parent’s home into one of the poorer estates Connie was determined to prove to her mother she could handle life on her own, and that included bringing up her nine-year-old daughter Kathy without anyone’s help.

Yet Connie was far from the doting mother. Referring to her daughter as maggot she treated her as nothing but an inconvenience to her life that could be better spent hanging out with her friend Myra or drinking at the pub with her boyfriend.

It was one of these afternoons at the pub when Connie left her daughter sitting in the car outside for hours on end while she hung out with her friends that would change her life forever. Even snide comments made by Ian and Myra about how easy it would be to snatch a child from a car like that didn’t deter Connie.

As Connie and her boyfriend staggered outside in the early evening, the reality of what she had done soon started to set in. Kathy wasn’t in the car, in fact she was nowhere to be seen.

We then switch to Blackfell Farm where we meet Ronald, the reclusive farmer who is content to wander the moors tending to his sheep and living a quiet solitary life with his brother. His peace is soon disturbed by the presence of strangers hanging out close to his farm, drinking and brandishing a gun Ronald comes face to face with the terrifying Ian and Myra.

Ronald is left with the terrifying prospect that these two not only know where he lives but they use the prospect of threatening him on a regular basis as a form of sport. Hiding his own dark secrets, Ronald can’t bring himself to call the police in case those secrets are exposed.

Ronald and Connie’s chapters, while leading separate lives, flow perfectly together in a truly mesmerizing story of heartache, grief and fear.

The characters are full of depth and whilst we very quickly come to understand the depravity of Ian and Myra, they are not the main focus, instead it is Connie, a now grieving mother looking frantically for her daughter, and Ronald, a man who has given up so much in life over harboured guilt he carries around from a life in the past.

I did not like Connie at all, I mean, how can a mom. leave her child in the car while she is having fun in a bar?
Is going to be ok for Kathy? This is a true-crime story.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.

I wasn't expecting much from this novel but I was pleasantly surprised.

Its a historical crime novel that's based on true crime.

The story flows well and has suspense and thrills at the turn of the page.

The author does well adding some fact into the story. It kept me wanting to find out more about the actual crime and what happens in the book.

Highly recommended

Connie has been in a downward spiral most of her life and she's been taking her young daughter, Kathy, with her. Connie is not a good mom. Poor Kathy isn't even sure what her name really is because Connie usually calls her "maggot." Everything changes when Connie leaves Kathy in the car while she goes into a bar with her boyfriend and returns, hours later, to find Kathy is gone. Connie realizes what's really important, but will that be enough to set her on a straighter path and find her daughter?

My initial thoughts on finishing the novel were that all the characters are a little too interwoven to be believable and that it took a few chapters to really get into the book because of all the different subplots, but overall I did enjoy the story.

Here's my beef - the story is set in Manchester, England. It's a city of 2.7 million people now. I'm not sure about the population in 1965, but suffice it to say it was not small. The story seems to confirm that this is not a small town and the characters do not know everyone when they are out searching for Kathy. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that all the main characters are just too connected. It requires some suspension of disbelief.

What I did really appreciate was the depth of some of the characters and how true to their nature they remained. Connie, in her despair, was still the hot mess she was before Kathy's disappearance. She had a lot of issues and they were not going away just because she now realized what an awful mom she had been. All of the characters that I got to know well were wonderfully flawed, rich characters.

On the other hand, I was confused by Myra and her boyfriend. I needed to know a lot more about them. The author only gives the occasional glimpse of them and there is too much contradiction between the two of them. I needed a lot more there than was given.

I'm rating this one 3.5 stars rounding up.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advance reader copy. This is my unbiased, honest review.

Thoroughly absorbing. Completely addictive. A wonderful read. Pure escapism. Loved this book so much. Really really good.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow-what a cleverly written book blending the horrific true crimes of Hindley and Brady two of the evilest people to ever lived. And every mother's worst nightmare is her child disappearing.

A thrilling mystery and a definite recommended read.

That rarity in the book world. A story that spins fact and fiction really well.
Rebecca Griffiths has taken the Moors Murders of the early sixties and spun a great story around actual events.
It’s written with tact but has a grittiness to it that makes it stand out as a breath thriller whilst remaining sympathetic to the families of the victims of the real crimes.
A stunning read.

Enjoyed the story but overall the novel was too British for me. Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Hidden Child' by Rebecca Griffiths.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Rebecca Griffiths, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 24th February 2022.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Girl At My Door' which I highly recommend. This book was previously titled 'The Body On The Moor'.


I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Inspired by a real-life true crime story, this is an unforgettable and totally gripping mystery thriller perfect for fans of Gregg Olsen, Elly Griffiths and Found. ' I am a huge fan of Gregg Olsen so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Rebecca and if this is half as good as 'The Girl At My Door' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue and 55 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Yorkshire and Manchester, UK 🇬🇧.
The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually been to Manchester on several occasions so am intrigued to see if I can put names to places I have been.

This book is written third person perspective and the protagonists are Ronald and Connie.The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

'The Hidden Child' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Rebecca discusses/includes animal abuse, child abuse and murder of children.

When I first decided to read this book it was titled 'The Body On The Moor' before it was renamed 'The Hidden Child'. I must admit that even knowing the original title and reading the synopsis that I had no idea it was based on Myra Hindley and Ian Brady. These two are pretty well known for all the wrong reasons. I worked out that they were who the book was based on in the first page when 'Aunt Myra' was mentioned. The way Rebecca has written this book is very clever in the fact that she doesn't only focus on Myra and Ian but also on Connie, Ronald and Thomas as seperate storylines which weave together throughout the book. This book starts with Ronnie and his father and then moves onto Connie's daughter going missing which then leads into what Myra and Ian are getting up to. Although this book is based on fact it is important to remember that it is a fictional story and that many scenarios were created with the intention of making a story of all the events. I think Rebecca has done a fantastic job of doing this and it gives more of an insight into people who may have known Myra and Ian. I did struggle with the time changes and it took me a while to realise that the dates were going back and forth which did cause some confusion until I worked it out. The storyline is filled with abuse, murder, violence and crime but there is also family, love and romance involved. Myra and Ian are absolute despicable and vile creatures and what they did to them poor children was just unthinkable and then making it even worse by allowing the parents to suffer by not releasing details of where they buried them is just inhumane. My thoughts will always go out to Keith Bennett's family, the victim who was never found. What these sickos did to these children is a parents worse nightmare. Rebecca has written this book really well and has really shown what their personalities were like and how ruthless and heartless they were. One of the things I did notice is that she didn't focus on them too much and only as much as was necessary to tell the story. I am glad she did this as there are too many books out there that gives these scum the fame they do not deserve. I had mixed feelings towards Connie for a long time but, although I still think it is disgusting how she treated her child and left her in a car, I would not wish what Ian and Myra did to the children on any parents. I absolutely adored Ron and especially Thomas who were such genuine men who just fit themselves into a situation where the longer they were in it the deeper the hole they dug themselves. I'm pleased with how the book ended but I must admit I did feel that it was a bit rushed.

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

Congratulations Rebecca on a page turning success!!!

A must read for true crime lovers!

Overall a page turning psychological crime thriller based on a true story that will keep you turning the pages until late at night.

Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Thriller, Psychological Fiction and Crime Fiction amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Gregg Olsen and anyone interested in true crime.


361 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 4 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Connie knows she would never win an award for mother of the year, but she becomes incredibly frantic when she discovers her daughter Kathy missing. This intense read by Rebecca Griffiths is loosely based on the true historical case of the Moor Murders. Having not heard of these murders prior to reading this book, I was quite riveted to this story.

These murders in that case were committed by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. Connie and Myra had been friends since childhood. There are other players in this chilling story, and one is Ronald Cappelman. His role in this book is rather interesting. As the story is developed, it is told from both Connie’s and Ronald’s points of view. It’s very interesting to see how these characters connect in this story. 

With regard to Connie, it becomes evident why she felt she failed as a mother and how she feels that she has received her punishment by Kathy having gone missing. It was rather interesting to see whether or not she gives up on ever finding her little girl again. Then with Ronald, his story comes along on a different vein all together, especially considering that he has a farm and he is keeping a secret that makes him less than welcoming to anyone setting foot on on that farm. 

This thrilling book is considered to be true crime which is in all reality a genre that I generally avoid. I did take a moment to research the Moors murders and it made it easier to see how the facts of those murders were woven in with this fictional tale. Ms. Griffiths did an exceptional job writing a compelling story that captured my attention from the very first page. The intrigue of the case as well as how the characters connected all led to a satisfying conclusion. 

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

It's 1965 and in Manchester, England, Connie's daughter, disappears from outside a pub and the lives of a number of families are impacted. The Hidden Child is inspired by the true story of the Moors Murders and though it is rather grim reading in parts, it's also exceptionally compelling. The author's vivid writing brilliantly depicts 1960s Manchester and the characterisation of Connie especially is tremendous. A great melding of fiction and fact.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

The hidden child by Rebecca Griffiths.
Connie splashed through puddles, the rain slapping her face. Everywhere was tarmac and concrete, fog and drizzle, but no sign of her child. ‘Have you seen my daughter? Please, you must’ve seen her?’ Connie’s face crumpled, preparing to cry. But there wasn’t time for tears, she told herself, she had to find her child.
Manchester, England, 1965: In an instant Connie’s life has changed. She only left her daughter Kathy alone for a moment but that was enough for her to vanish without a trace. As Connie desperately searches for her, she has to put the news reports of other missing children to the back of her mind. She is determined to find her safe. She will bring her daughter home.
As local farmer Ronald listens to the news, he is shocked by what he hears. He has spent his life away from the spotlight, quietly tending to his farm. But when a young couple begin acting suspiciously on his land, he knows that trouble is about to reach his door.And then he sees her. A girl in a bright red coat who looks completely lost. Ronald knows he needs to help keep her safe and find her family. But on the wild and desolate farmland, Ronald has buried his own dark secret. Can he risk it coming to light to save her life?
I really enjoyed book. Great story and some characters. Twisty and tense. 5*.

Manchester, England, 1965: in an instant, Connie's life has changed. She only left her daughter Kathy alone for a moment but that was enough for her to vanish without a trace. As Connie desperately searches for her, she has to put the newspaper reports of other missing children to the back of her mind. She is determined to find her safe. She will bring her daughter home.

This story merges fact with fiction. It's based around the time that Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, The Moors Murders, were taking young children. This is a cleverly crafted, complex and intriguing read. You could actually feel the evil dripping off the pages. None of the characters are likeable, but they are believable. The author has put a lot of time into researching the Moors and the surrounding area. The storyline can be harrowing in places. The pace is steady throughout. My only complaint is that it seemed to end abruptly, everything felt rushed. Apart from that, I loved it.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #RebeccaGriffiths for my ARC of #TheStolenChild in exchange for an honest review.