Kate Bennett is a psychologist working in Dublin. Hidden is mystery thriller concerning secrets that are hidden for various reasons. Very slowly those secrets are exposed throughout this novel as the reader learns how people cope with past traumas in a variety of ways. Kate even takes on a new patient called Grainne, a very troubled teenager, although it is not until Chapter 7 - which is 20% into the story before you meet her.
Hidden is a good book that has plenty of clues thrown in along the way. You work through the 27 chapters and then have everything confirmed in the epilogue. Hidden is a book about how people think and cope with life. This is not a workplace drama as Kate has her own problems and history to deal with, Grainne is yet another challenge to her.
Hidden is an interesting read because it gets you to spot problems and understand people. You are entertained becuase each new character gives you doubts about their honesty and motives. The pace of the story is steady and covers a lot of ground. It has all the hallmarks of a good television drama. The delight is how you process the clues and imagine what lies behind the secrets. It does not matter how you interpret the clues, it is the fact that those clues fire your imagination.
I enjoyed reading Hidden and thought it was a good book that I will vote 4 stars. I feel that readers who enjoy the hugely successful Kathy Reichs forensic pathologist series of books, should also enjoy Hidden. For a debut novel, Derick has done very well and I look forward to his next book.
Hidden is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2012.