Ruth is a stay at home mother, slowly recovering after suffering from post-partum psychosis after the birth of her daughter. Ruth was convinced her sister was buried in the walls, heard voices, and saw people who weren't there, so when she hears a scream late one night and sees shadowy figures climbing out of an old grate, her husband is convinced she's becoming ill again. 

The more obsessed Ruth gets with finding out the truth, the sicker her friends and family think she is. But what if it's not Ruth who needs help?

I enjoyed this book, and liked the writing style very much. The storyline was a timely one, and mostly well paced. Where it fell apart a bit for me was the characters - aside from Ruth, the characterisation was threadbare, and the villains very thinly veiled - I like a bit more of a surprise and a lot more of a pay off for such a long build up - as it was, I'd guessed who was responsible for what long before it was clunkily  revealed. 

I did like the book and it kept me entertained so I would be interested in reading further novels from this author. 

NB: I was provided with a free ARC copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this book thank you. Vibrant, believable, characters and an absorbing plot. I will ensure I look out for this author in the future!

I hate leaving bad reviews but this book wasn’t for me. It was long and rambling. There were 3 stories going on plus the usual husband who thinks his wife is mad. It was a little unbelievable. And then it finished abruptly. All that work reading it and then just an epilogue.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan/Mantle and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As readers of crime fiction we are used to unreliable narrators, but what about the potentially unreliable observer, or hearer of something dark and insidious? The question at the heart of this book: whether Ruth, a new mother recovering from postpartum psychosis really hears a scream from the local petrol station one night, or, is she just imagining it? The police don't believe her, but should we? In the wicked tale that Rebecca Whitney weaves we are plunged down the rabbit-hole of 'truth' and distortions in human subjectivity that may or may not have an organic cause. What follows is a dark, compelling mystery, with the added impetus of a fresh approach to the increasingly prevalent trope in contemporary fiction of the dark-side of motherhood. With its theme du jour of postpartum psychosis, Rebecca Whitney has written a thought-provoking, original novel about the social construction of motherhood refracted through the lens of a modern-day psychological thriller. With its pitch-perfect plotting and perfectly-calibrated prose, Whitney has written a winner of a story. It will keep you guessing, with one question at the forefront of your mind: who do you believe?


#TheHiddenGirls #NetGalley

2.5 stars

It took a while for this book to get to the part of the hidden girls,and I have to be honest,by that point,I'd have happily enjoyed the story to continue on as Ruth battling her illness.
It was an easy read,if a little predictable,but I'd definitely pick up other books by same author.
The ending left me a bit flat. No actual drama,just an epilogue.

This book is great! Really exciting and keeps you guessing all the way through. Just when I was sure I knew what was going on, something would happen to make me doubt myself again. I liked so many of the characters and really felt for them, especially Ruth. There's a bit near the end where she is trying to make someone listen to her and you don't know if they will and she is so desperate. I really felt for her and was willing them to give her the chance. You'll have to read it to find out if they do.

I would have liked the end to last a bit longer and to know more about what actually happened once things became clearer and I found the endless contractions in the first few chapters quite irritating. It was a bit like reading an essay that had exceeded the word count - everything that could be shortened had been - but this seemed to lessen greatly after a few chapters.

I will most definitely be looking out for other work from this author and recommending this book to friends and family.

The Hidden Girls is wonderful!

The plot idea is fantastic, knew I had to read as soon as I saw the blurb! Ruth has been suffering with postpartum psychosis so when she sees women coming from below the ground and bundled into a van it’s just her mind playing tricks again right?

Frieda was my favourite character, I could feel her warmth coming through the pages!

My one issue with The Hidden Girls is quite large. We have this well written, crazy plot driven book leading up to a main event ... but it never comes. We get an epilogue instead which frankly isn’t good enough.

It was disappointing to have the book end in this way. If the book had a fleshed out ending (it needs it!) then this would be a clear 5/5. Unfortunately I’m going to give this a 2.5/5.

#TheHiddenGirls #NetGalley
Fresh and engrossing.
Ruth, a new mother recovering from postpartum psychosis, every day is difficult and, after months spent hearing voices in the walls and trusting no one, she’s no longer confident in her own judgement. Neither, it seems, is anyone else.So, when she hears a scream from the local petrol station one night, she initially decides it must be her mind playing tricks again.
Us Ruth telling the truth? If yes then who's that scream is? How can Ruth make everyone believe? Read this book, it's fresh and engrossing.
Characters are deeply created and are successful in building tension.
Narration of the story is flawless.
Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me an advance copy of this book.