I enjoyed this twisty tale so much! The huge assemblage of characters didn't put me off as it sometimes can. Joanna Stedman, her husband Mark and their three children, Emily, Ben and Sophie move into what they hope is their forever home in the suburbs of Dublin. But alas, it is also from where three-year-old Lily Murphy went missing after playing hide-and-seek thirty years ago as Joanna later learns from her neighbour, Frances Burke next door.

Told using a dual timeline - the past (1985) when Lily went missing and the present day, Andrea Mara's fluid writing really impressed me. There's a pronounced creepy vibe and an enthralling ending to boot. Very highly recommended.

A special thank you to Bantam Press, Andrea Mara, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Hide and Seek is an unputdownable book and one I would recommend to any thriller lover who is looking for a book to keep them on the edge of their seat.

Joanna and her family have recently moved into their dream home. But whilst playing hide and seek in the garden with her daughter, she learns from a neighbour about the disappearance following a game of hide and seek thirty years earlier of three year old Lily who lived in what is now their house. Joanna feels compelled to find out more about the mystery of Lily’s disappearance - but as Joanna attempts to discover the truth from amongst her new community, it becomes clear that Joanna has plenty of her own secrets.

Told in dual timelines, from Joanna’s perspective and travelling back to the 1980s when Lily went missing, the suspense builds and it is hard to know who to trust as the reader is kept guessing and the revelations keep coming. It is one of those books that as a reader at times you find yourself holding your breath, at other times you think you might have solved the mystery of what happened to Lily, only to have it thrown into doubt.

With short chapters, this is a twisty read that kept me turning the pages - right to its unexpected ending. I can’t wait to see what Andrea Mara writes next!

When Joanna Stedman moves into a house in Rowanbrook, the neighborhood her husband grew up in, she is surprised to learn that they have bought the house of three year old Lily Murphy that went missing in 1985. However Joanna may have more of a connection to this case than just living in the house the Murphy's used to live in. With the help of her new neighbours, Joanna attempts to find out what happened to Lily and what role she played in it.

With dual timelines, perspectives, and a LOT of characters, you will have to give your full attention to this book. I did struggle to keep track of who was who for much of the first half. However the plot keeps you hooked throughout and the ending doesn't disappoint.

This will be a very easy recommendation for me to make to the customers in my bookshop.

Hoping to get to 'All Her Fault' soon.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, honestly think it's her best book yet. From the very start I was completely gripped by the story, and I couldn't put this book down. This is an unputdownable crime thriller thick with suspense and intrigue. Highly recommend, I hope there will be many more!

What an absolute corker of a thriller. This had me hooked and with a twist and false lead at every other turn, it kept me binge reading until the very final reveal. In 2018, Joanna loses her daughter in a game of hide and seek in the garden of her new suburban home. Panic ensues and then turns more sinister as the dark history of the house is revealed - three year old Lily Murphy went missing from the same home during a game of Hide and Seek in 1985. Joanna furiously researches to uncover more. When she sees a photo of Lily, it chills her to the core and her own rocky childhood comes rushing to the forefront. Such a fantastic storyline. Absolutely loved this suspenseful thriller. I literally couldn't put it down. So excited to see what Andrea Mara does next #hideandseek #andreamara #netgalley#buddyread #couldntputthisbookdown

Hide And Seek is a book that surprised me, I thought I knew where this was going after the first couple of chapters but boy I was wrong.
Joanna has just moved into her forever home with her husband and children when we meet her, she holds a housewarming party for the local residents but finds out that her house was where Lily Murphy used to live, she was a three year old blonde haired girl that went missing playing a game of hide and seek and was never found. Joanna uses the party to start delving into everyone’s past memories as Lily is bringing up her own childhood memories and that’s not a good thing to happen so she needs to find out what really happened to Lily.
This was a domestic thriller that wasn’t slow but wasn’t fast paced either, I enjoyed the multiple timelines and thought they worked really well. There were a lot of interesting characters but I did sometimes get confused over who was who but nevertheless it gives plenty of suspects to point the finger at. There are multiple things happening and together with short chapters made this an enjoyable read.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Just when you think Andrea Mara couldn’t possibly top her last book she goes and does it with this new story Hide and Seek. It’s a sublime read from beginning to end full of tension, suspense, unease and endless twists and turns and revelations right until the very last page. Andrea Mara takes the reader on an exhilarating and insanely gripping journey. One which you quickly become fully invested in until it reaches the utter triumph of a conclusion that leaves you reeling in shock but still deeply satisfied. This book really needs to come with a warning that you will not get any work done until you have finished it. Put everything aside as you delve into Joanna’s world as she struggles to uncover just what happened to a little girl who once lived in her new home. Just what happened to Lily on that fateful day so many years ago when a game of Hide and Seek went wrong and so many years later the exact truth behind a little girls disappearance still remains unsolved. Someone out there surely must know the truth?

Right from the opening paragraph there is a creepy, eerie and unsettling feeling that only grows the further the book develops. There isn’t a minute where you can sit back and relax because Andrea keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and gripped, constantly guessing what could have happened? Who does suspicion fall upon? Why is such a character acting this way or why has someone said such a thing? What are the residents hiding? For this quite little neighbourhood that Joanna and her young family have recently moved into has lots to hide and when Joanna discovers the young girl that went missing in the 1980’s used to live in their house, her sense of discomfort and of something not being quite right eats away at her. She feels that guilt clings to her permanently and the reader wants to know why but in order to do so we must journey with her as she questions and seeks answers and justice.

Joanna is married to Mark and they have three children Sophie, Ben and Emily. She is a psychotherapist but her current contract has ended and she is taking some time out to be with the kids and settle into their new home. Given her job Joanna analyses and dissects everything down to their finer detail so it’s no wonder she becomes like a dog without a bone when she discovers the tragic past of her house. Creepily Joanna tells the reader early on that she believes she killed Lily. But how could that have been possible? What was the author playing at? But really I had to sit back and just let the story unfold which it did at a confident pace for Andrea Mara is a very very clever author and is brilliant at taking her readers down the garden path only to think you are reaching the final destination and then bang off you go in another vastly different direction that has you thinking in a completely different mindset as to how you thought the story was going to pan out.

There are lots of characters in the story and there was the potential that the amount could have become overwhelming trying to keep track of who was who and how they connect to the overall plot but this didn’t happen at all. I had feared that I would have had to write a list of people but I didn’t need to and I was eager to see how relevant each person was or if they were just filler in people to throw you off the main scent. The storyline weaves effortlessly back and forth between the present day and the 1980’s. Slowly but surely through Joanna’s persistence and eagle eye for any inconsistencies we edge ever closer to the truth. Rumours, whispers, and stories swirl around her and she never knows who quite to believe. What are people hiding and if they are keeping something close to their chest why are they doing so? It seems life in the neighbourhood is not all hunky dory and apart from Lily’s disappearance that people have good reason to keep schtum about things. Behind closed doors people harbour grudges and harbour resentments. This is a multi-layered story and not as clear cut as one might have thought but given this is the brilliant Andrea Mara writing at the top of her game I would expect nothing else. It’s a superbly crafted story that showcases what a genius the author is. She can get deep inside her characters heads and reveal so much up to a point and then the reader is left to guess what really is going on before everything gets turned on its head and everything you thought to be true gets cast aside and off we go again in search if the truth.

No one is to be taken at face value in this story. Don’t judge the characters on first introduction and what Jenny learns about them. Let the bigger picture build up and watch out for every little thing mentioned no matter how small or insignificant you deem it when you are reading. Yes there are lots of red herrings dropped in and your opinion as to what did happen to Jenny on that fateful day will change umpteen times. As to who you think was behind it all, well you’ll just be confused but in a good way. There were one or two occasions where I briefly stopped and thought oh why is such a thing being referenced for it seems so inconsequential? I was on high alert and never could I exactly pinpoint the eventual outcome. Who could given it was so twisty and brilliant but I was ever so slightly on the right track but as to the finer details I was way off track and delighted this was the case.

No doubt about it, you’ll race to the end of this book with your heart thumping and nails bitten to the quick as this is such a terrific read that slowly and assuredly uncovers the lies and half truths that have entwined themselves around the neighbourhood of Rowanbrook. Hide and Seek is extremely well plotted and considering the amount of characters to keep track of this is no mean feat. The reader is left guessing until the last possible moment. Andrea Mara never disappoints and Hide and Seek is an impressive read which gets a big thumbs up from me. Make sure you buy this incredible read as soon as you possibly can. You won’t be at all disappointed and just want to read more and more from this wildly talented author.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:

✨ An array of interesting characters
✨ Multiple timelines
✨ Missing child mystery
✨ Unpredictable thrillers

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:

I haven't read anything by Mara before, and I sure was missing out! I read this in the space of a day - chapter one presents a completely gob smacking twist, and I was hooked from this point onwards. With mystery, suspense, short chapters (always a winner), a plot brimming with twists and turns, and an array of suspicious characters, this was one of those 'just one more chapter' reads that had me utterly engrossed in the pages.

The alternating timelines were very cleverly written, switching between the 80's and Lily Murphy's disappearance and 2018 with Joanna trying to uncover the mystery and events around Lily. There were almost three different plots happening, with the Joanna/Lila strand of the story adding to the tension, and even though I wouldn't describe this is a super pacy plot in itself, seeing the mystery unravel through different perspectives, and being faced with cliff-hangers on the end of most chapters, I was completely captivated.  

There were a lot of characters in the book, and I did have difficulty remembering who was who at the start, particularly as each had to be remembered in their past and present situation, but I soon got to grips with them and I think the one-sitting read helped too. I suspected everyone at one point or another, but could not have predicted the culprit or the situation around Lily's disappearance.

Can we also just.. that ending?! I will never look at foxgloves the same again. This was such an unpredictable, clever and brilliantly crafted read, that kept me on my toes throughout and I would highly recommend if you're looking for an intense page-turner that will have you gripped from the opening lines.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (5/5)

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫:

Thank you to both the publisher and author for my eARC in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

This was the first book I have read by this author and will look forward to reading her others. This was a slow burn twisty domestic thriller with plenty of drama and a well thought out intriguing plot. There were quite a few characters to keep track of and I was left questioning everyone and whether they were behind the disappearance. I did not guess the ending and thought it was cleverly done and unexpected. The two timelines also flowed seamlessly and worked well together to build up the tension and reveal what happened to the child.

I found it so hard to put this book down - I was hooked from the first page!

Joanna has moved into a new home with her husband and three children in a mature housing estate in suburban Dublin. Her sense of contentment at finding their "forever home" soon subsides when a new neighbour tells her that her home once belonged to the family of Lily Murphy, a three-year-old who went missing in the mid-80s while playing a game of Hide and Seek. Lily was never found and the peaceful suburb was forever changed.

When Joanna sees a photograph of Lily, her own past resurfaces, and in an attempt to uncover the sense of familiarity and the link between her own past and Lily's, Joanna begins to pull at the threads of the close-knit community. What she discovers makes for a twisty, thrilling and riveting read!

I couldn't get enough of this story. It's so well weaved, and despite a large cast of characters, the meticulousness with which it is put together makes it an easy read. It moves back and forth between the 80s and present day effortlessly, and the authentic depiction of the characters and their conversations made for such an engaging experience. It was so convincing!

Honestly, I can't fault it. A brilliant, gripping, compelling read, and one that I recommend you get your hands on immediately. One of my favourite thrillers of the year so far. 4.5 stars.

What a book this was!

I started off a bit complacent, feeling like I has a good idea where the story was going - even though I didn't remember the synopsis! However, everything was very quickly turned on its head.

Very strong characters and a plot with enough points of difference from others in the genre meant I was gripped from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't recommend it highly enough!

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this eARC.

This is such a cleverly written book with characters with real depth.

The story revolves around a young girl, Lily, who went missing when she was only 3 and was never found. Joanna Stedman and her family, have just moved into Lily's old home and Joanna soon becomes determined to find out what happened all those years ago. But Joanna has her own troubled childhood and mutilayered secrets, which threaten to unearth the past and change lives forever.

There are a lot of characters here and I did find myself becoming confused, especially at the start. However, the story is so intricately plotted and there are twists upon twists, which made for a dark, suspenseful read.

I'll be on the look out for Andrea Mara's future books.

Thanks to author, Andrea Mara, publishers Random House UK and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mara knocks it out of the park, yet again!

For those who haven't yet read this (I felt like I was one of the last 😅) the story follows Joanna and her family's move into their new home in an affluent Dublin suburb. Soon after moving in Joanna realises that their house once belonged to a family whose daughter, Lily, disappeared as a young child while playing hide and seek in the woods nearby...

Joanna becomes obsessed with finding out what happened and the ensuing story is tense and gripping, showing how the past is never really left behind and making it an incredibly hard book to put down.

Mara is fast-becoming a go-to writer for these types of books, and deservedly so!

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this title in return for my honest review

Buy this book
Read this book!

Anyone who looks at my Instagram page will know that I absolutely loved this book. Thank you so much for the tour organiser for inviting me to be part of this tour.

In this book, we meet Joanna and her family. Full of their own family history have just moved into a house, that has even more history. A girl that disappeared used to live there. Joanne struggles to get the missing child out of her mind and becomes slightly obsessed with the blurred lines of her own childhood and that of the missing child, Lily

Joanne starts asking questions, but does she ask one question too far

To begin with, I did think there were a lot of characters in this book, but once I had figured out who was who, I allowed myself to be able to come fully absorbed into the book.

The book literally had me hooked. Had this not have been a buddy read, I would have read in one sitting.

The characters were so realistic. I genuinely did not see where the book was going

It is very fast paced, tense, atmospheric and overall a perfect thriller

I added this book to my NetGalley TBR a while ago. I have read another book by the author and enjoyed that, and this one did not disappoint. When Joanna discovers that their new house was home to a little girl who went missing thirty-three years ago, she is obsessed with finding out what happened to little Lily.
This story shows how entwined this community was back in the eighties, where everyone knew everyone, how rumours spread and ruined lives while the truth remains well hidden.
I enjoy Andrea Mara’s writing, her story is detailed, she entwines the lives of her characters remarkably well and delivers a shock of an ending when she ties all the pieces together. I find the book starts slow but as you turn the pages the pace picks up and before you have a moment to catch your breath you are engrossed in a gripping reveal.
Moving into your forever home should be a happy time. Unfortunately, that is not the case for Joanna. Before she has finished unpacking all the boxes she finds out that her new home was once the home of three-year-old Lily Murphy. A beautiful, blonde little girl who went missing thirty-three years ago. A little girl who was never found. While Joanna digs into what happened to Lily, her past returns to haunt her and she is convinced that she knows more about Lily than she cares to admit. The little girl she believes she killed all those years ago looked so much like Lily, her name was Lila. Are Lila and Lily the same child? Did Joanna kill Lily? She must find the truth, she has to know.
Reading this book you are dropped into the tangled lives of the people in this community. You join Joanna on her hunt for the truth and see how rumours destroyed lives. Everyone claims to know their neighbours, but the truth is buried somewhere among the rumours and suspicion. You often wonder if the truth will ever surface.
I found myself on the edge of my seat with Joanna’s anxiety and her fear about being responsible for Lily’s death. She appears to be a good person, but as her lies surface, I found myself curious about what she was hiding. This poor woman had such a bad start in life I understand why she chose to rather lie about her past – I might have done the same. She gained my respect when she decided not to destroy lives with a truth best left unknown.
This was a great way to escape reality and I found myself devouring this book a lot faster than I thought I would. If you are keen on a twisty psychological thriller that slowly untangles a web of half-truths then this is the book for you.

A puzzling and multi-layered psychological thriller, Hide And Seek is a brilliantly suspenseful read that is sure to surprise you over and over again.

From the gripping opening, I was immediately excited by this story and did not want to put it down. It's subtly dark, well-plotted, and there is never a dip in the tense and intriguing atmosphere.

Told over two timelines, the first in the present and the second in 80’s Irish suburbia, Mara brilliantly details the two eras and the contrasting mindsets of the many characters over the years. There are plenty of cliffhangers too, as Joanna often accidentally reveals more to the story before the past has caught up with the reader, constantly changing your mind about who may be to blame.

My only very tiny flaw is that there are A LOT of characters so I did find it difficult to remember who was who at times, so it may be worth getting your notebook out if you want to sleuth along to this one! But even then, I'm sure you won't be able to predict any of what's to come!

This is my third novel by Andrea Mara now and they have all impressed me. I especially love how she incorporates themes of motherhood into her stories, so I'm definitely eager to see what she writes next!

Thanks for an enjoyable read. Loved getting to know Joanna and her journey to finding out the truth about lily.

A family moves into a beautiful home in a desirable suburb. Within days, new owner Joanna learns that, over thirty years earlier, a three year old girl vanished from this house and was never found. It might be this history, it might be because she has a three year old daughter, or maybe because her husband grew up nearby but Joanna becomes obsessed with discovering what happened to little Lily. And as she investigates, she finds links to long held, vaguely remembered secrets from her past.

Hide and Seek, moving seamlessly between the past and present, is a psychological thriller combined with suspenseful mystery. The plot build slowly to an unforgettable conclusion which, I guarantee, you will not see coming! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Andrea Mara for this ARC.

Joanna and her husband have recently moved to a new house, in middle class Dublin. Joanna discovers the former owner, Lily Murphy vanished 3 years ago during a neighbourhood game of Hide and Seek. Joanna is determined to find out more. There are secrets to solve and Joanna is hiding something herself.
I found it hard to put this book down as I just wanted to keep reading and find out the answers. Well plotted with interesting characters all of whom I spent time doubting.
Loved every minute of this book and highly recommend

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this title

The new neighbours came out to play the game of Hide and Seek
Joanne is playing with Sophie
When Joanne is talking to a neighbour called Frances Burke when they started to talk about Lily Murphy who went missing when she was 3 years old
Joanne went on to talk about Lily to everyone
I had an ARC