Hide by Nell Pattison is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Lauren and her younger sister Emily have been separated for 11 years.  Lauren left the foster care system at 18 and ventured out on her own, and has struggled to make ends meet.  Emily has recently reached out, and they are getting to know each other once again.  Emily is deaf, and has developed an app to help the disabled, and she is doing quite well.

On Boxing Day, they are attending the Nature Group walk that Lauren has been a part of for a few years.  Other members of the group include Morna, an older volunteer who doesn't see eye-to-eye with Lauren;  Alec, who is a mid-50's know-it-all; Ben, who asked Lauren out a couple of times but is now obsessed with Emily; Kai, who is trying to fit in, but always seems to be late; and  Dan, who is fairly new to the group.

On a recent get-together, Alec had a few too many drinks, and said things that the group are all thinking about.  No one is real thrilled with the man right now.

Shortly after the group gets situated in various spots along the trail to watch the murmation of starlings, a shot rings out, and one of their members is dead.  Is the shooter one of them, or is there someone else out there stalking them?


My Opinions:   
I loved how the author alternated the chapters by character, thereby allowing the reader to know what each one was thinking.  This worked really well.  I had a love/hate relationship with each character.  All gained depth as the story progressed, but my opinion of each really never changed from my initial thought of them.

The book is about both group and family dynamics.  It is about jealousy, and trust, about secrets, and about fear.  The resentment was often palpable, and although I enjoyed the tension it created, the constant "bitchiness" annoyed me.

The overall plot was great, and the way everyone's secrets were revealed was very good.   Parts were a bit unbelievable, as Ben did a lot of walking around with that head wound, and of course people kept hitting him in the head -- that was a bit much. The ending, although I did not particularly like it, came as no surprise.

I did like how the author incorporated her knowledge of the deaf community into the book.  I learned quite a bit.

This is the author's first stand-alone novel, and the first book of hers that I have read.  I have her Paige Northwood series on my radar now..

Interesting characters and compelling storyline - plus surprise ending. What more could you want? Maybe a perfect double meaning title?

Hide is a suspense thriller., A group of so called friends go for a private bird watching trip at a secluded nature reserve and one of them dies...they all are trying to escape nd find out who amongst them could be a killer..
I could easily figure out the killer but the suspense and character development along with the entire setting was perfectly described. I didn't see the final twist coming so that was a plus.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange of my honest opinion.

Hide by Nell Pattison is a psychological thriller involving seven friends, Emily, Lauren, Morna, Ben, Dan, Kai and Alec who take a nature trail trip on Boxing Day and one of them winds up dead.

This is a thoroughly captivating read told from multiple perspectives. Dripping with atmosphere, there was a real feeling of unease and apprehension and felt the chills from the author's expert writing. With an exceedingly strong plot and comfortable pacing, the mystery was absorbing and compelling. There were abundant twists as the plot unfolded, and some of the characters could not be trusted. Chapter cliffhangers definitely worsened my one more chapter syndrome! Very highly recommended.

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

Sorry but I could not get into this story.
I ended up skimming a bit here and there just to get to the end.
There was not one character I could even remotely like or become engaged with.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
This is the second book I have read by this author and I’m fast becoming a fan. Psychological Thrillers are not my usual go to genre, I’m much more of a cosy crime kinda gal. However, I find that while this author creates tension and atmosphere exceptionally well, I still do not find her too graphic or explicit for my sensibilities.
The majority of this story takes place on one day (Boxing Day), with a few flash backs to previous events that help explain the current situations. I guess some people may feel that this therefore results in a slow paced story but I think it actually helped to build the drama and apprehension.
I’m rather proud of myself as I did guess correctly who the murderer was fairly quickly. There were some twists at the end of the story though that kept me engaged and interested.
This is a fabulously entertaining winter read and I highly recommend.

All I can say is OMG this is brilliant!!! When I got my hands on this book I couldn’t wait to read it, this authors books are so well written. His writing style is beyond words, it’s action packed with so many twists and turns that you wont be disappointed if you pick it up! Hurry up with the next book!!

Firstly I want to say thank you to Netgalley and Avon UK for the gifting of an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

I had some high hopes for this book from the blurb and the front cover. Sadly the story let me down, I feel it was a very slow burn, and I lost interest in the characters and their stories very easily. 

I ended up skimming through a lot of the book, especially when characters did some really non realistic reactions eg separating and investigating gun shots. Like who does that? 

Will I recommend it? 

Sadly no, however this is just my opinion on it but I have seen a lot of glowing reviews based on this book.

Excellent book, one that had me rapidly turning the pages. My first by this author, but keen to read more. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It seemed a great idea- having access to the Nature Reserve for a Boxing Day Hike when it was closed over the holidays. Lauren felt quite proud of herself for organising it. The group meet together although they are a varied lot. She struggles to get on with her sister Emily, who has not let her lack of hearing stand in her way. Morna has always been a bit of a thorn in her side. Ben is besotted with Emily although seems unable to make a move to ask her out. Dan is the strong silent type. Kai is a man with something other than wildlife & Alec is the know-it-all. Up until an evening get together they thought it was just about birds but he says he knows everybody's secrets! The group set off across the reserve looking for the best spot to watch the starling murmuration. They split up to find & a shot rings out. One of the party is dead- but who was it? As it gets dark & the snow falls the party splits up- but will everyone make it home?

The setting of this book was terrific! I could really picture the place & the atmosphere of fear & suspicion. There were many places where I wanted to yell at that characters- "Why would you do that???" I guessed some aspects of the plot but did not see the end coming. I hadn't realised this was written by the author of the excellent Paige Norwood series, apart from having a deaf character it was very different but equally as satisfying. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Christmas is meant to be a time for relaxing and spending time with loved ones, not murder!!

This story of seven individuals meeting up for a Boxing Day walk to watch a starling murmuration is chilling not least for the weather conditions. I’ll admit I didn’t know what a murmuration was so I googled it as I read. It is a stunning sight, the synchronised flight of a large amount of birds. I’d love to see it in real life sometime!

The backdrop of the woody nature reserve on a winter’s evening added to the sinister feel to this book. Meeting early afternoon May be in daylight but a winter’s night can draw in very quickly and suddenly there is no natural light to see with. Throw in the snow that starts to fall over the course of the tale and I was chilled to the bone.

I loved the distinct voices across the very eclectic group of individuals. Each suspecting the others in the untimely death of one of their party. But as I read on, I came to understand that the victim possibly wasn’t the most popular of folk.

Loved this standalone book from Pattison. Having read Silent House, I was looking forward to returning to this author’s writing (I really must finish the Paige Northwood series). I had a claustrophobic time spent on a dark snowy nature reserve, constantly looking over the shoulder of the characters before me, wondering who might be next. Christmas may be a time for friends and family but when there’s a killer loose, being alone might not be so bad!

Very enjoyable read I did figure out the last twist bit it wasn't far from when it was revealed. A good solid mystery read. It was interesting to read from the prospective of a deaf person and the struggles they can have with daily life.

Gripping psychological thriller featuring a group of friends who have arranged a special trip to a nature reserve on Boxing Day. Relishing the prospect of being able to visit when the site is closed to the public, they soon find themselves wishing they weren't so cut off from any hope of help. Narrated from multiple points of view, the interwoven stories combine to ramp up the tension.

I love Nell Pattison's writing and how her stories break down taboos around hearing impairments. A great read.

3.5 ⭐️
I am still fairly new to Pattison’s work, with only having read one other, which was part of the “Silent” series. When I saw this standalone was coming out in December, I jumped at the chance to read it.

A group of 7, with a shared interest in nature, go for walk around a seemingly harmless nature reserve on Boxing Day. Come sunset, one of them has been shot dead, and the rest are running for their lives.

I really enjoy a book with multiple POV and this had oodles. I liked learning a little bit about each character with each chapter - some characters were likeable, and some were downright horrid. But I love hating a character!!

It was incredibly atmospheric and I really did feel like I was stuck in those woods! But at points things did feel repetitive and dragging a little. I suspect this was partly down to the level of detail provided throughout about the nature reserve. On saying that, even if the pace dragged, I loved all the detail and I loved learning the snippets of info throughout about nature.

There were enough cliffhangers for me to want to keep reading, but I guessed the twists fairly easily (an aspect of one of the twists I did find disappointing, mainly because I felt what it regarded could have been so much more), but I like my thrillers dark and savage 😉

However, I do relish learning, and Pattison’s unique way of always having a deaf character in her books to raise awareness has to be admired. I have learnt so much in this subject from reading both her books.

Seven people gather together at the local nature reserve on Boxing Day for their annual group hike. When one of the group members is murdered, gunshots sound across the reserve and weather conditions worsen….are the others at risk? Can they get to safety? And who among them is the killer?

The Hide dives straight into the action, with an unnamed character running for their life from a pursuer in the snow. The tension and uncertainty in the story are immediate and the reader is pulled straight in.

I liked that the story was set in a single location. The woods, the dark and snow, all added to the atmosphere, pace and sense of isolation.

Chapters are told from the alternating perspectives of the seven group members - Lauren a senior staff member at the reserve, her estranged sister Emily trying to rebuild their relationship, Morna a volunteer team member, Ben who is determined to get closer to Emily, Alec a keen birdwatcher and Dan and Kai two newcomers to the group

I found some of the characters to be quite one dimensional. Alec was a little too smug and arrogant to be realistic and Lauren was always described as angry and glaring, with no positive personality traits to connect her with the reader.

Everyone was suspicious though and the hints throughout, allow you to put together the pieces and figure out the secrets the group are hiding.

All in all, I wasn’t taken with the character development and found the ultimate ending to be far-fetched.

I read 20% of Hide and it wasn't the fast paced thriller that I was expecting. I think the set up in the beginning took far too long, and all of the characters' voices sounded the same so it was difficult to distinguish between them if I stopped in the middle of a chapter. I didn't care for any of them because by 20% I hadn't spent enough time with any of them. I like multi-POV stories but this one was too much. I put the book down as I really didn't enjoy my time with it.

It was suppose to be a beautiful hike in the woods the day after Christmas for a small nature loving group of seven. The reserve would be closed to all others but them. They hadn’t seen each other since an awkward night in a bar when one member hinted to having secrets about every one of them. And one of them would kill for it! Soon after their hike begins they split off to watch birds and a gunshot is heard, leaving a member dead. The snow starts falling and they need to get help but which one of them is a murderer.

This story is told by the 7 members of the group but I promise it is not hard to follow. The author gives each character a distinct voice and personality that makes it easy to read. The book had me in suspense and the ending had me wanting more. The description of the scenery made me feel like I was there and I loved reading this curled up in a warm blanket. A perfect winter read!

A group of seven 'friends' go to a nature reserve on boxing day, it is closed but one of them works there so has arranged for them all to go when it is empty. They think their stay is going to be focused on watching the birds but this quickly changes and they realise they won't be doing what they came for. Instead, they will spend the whole time feeling like they are being watched and that someone is trying to kill them...but who!
The group meet up to go bird watching, but it soon becomes clear that they aren't really friends and they all have secrets they are keeping from each other. When they discover one of their group dead and it is clear they have been murdered, they start looking at each other and pointing their finger at one another.
For the whole book, you are wondering who is behind it and why are they doing it. Nell Pattison does well at not giving things away and keeping you guessing throughout. The reason I gave it 3 stars is because I feel like more could have happened, it is a lot of them just walking around in the cold and dark and trying to get out of the reserve. It wasn't as suspenseful as I was hoping. I enjoyed the story but just thought there could have been a bit more thrills along the way. I would try another book from Nell Pattison as it was a fun read.

As fantastic as expected - seven friends set out for a Boxing Day walk - a gun is fired, and only 6 return. As you'd expect from this kind of story, each of the friends has their secret which will hurt others, and secrets are outed during the duration of the walk. The situation becomes chaotic with different characters wanting to take the lead and misdirecting others
Gripping and tense, definitely one to read in one hit

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.