WONDERFUL THRILLER SUSPENCE WITH A LITTLE FANTASY THROWN IN!

This was a unique and intriguing blend of suspense, police procedural, and Celtic folklore. I greatly enjoyed her previous novel, LITTLE DARLINGS, which first featured main character DS Joanna Harper.

On a December afternoon, a toddler is discovered alone outside a shop, while at the same time across town a man is attacked and left for dead in his bathtub. Joanna has quite a complex puzzle to put together to figure out how these two are connected. The truth is more bizarre than she could ever imagine.

THE HIDDEN was a well-written book with compelling and realistic characters. I enjoyed the addition of the selkie legend too. It's a slow burn, but dark and mesmerizing at the same time. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book. Opinions are my own. ( )

i really, really liked this. the writing is crisp and the tension is high from early on. we learn pretty early on who "the bad guy" is so this isn't about that, and i'd clocked him almost immediately. but there is so much here about family, community, morality, mental health, relationships, motherhood. i loved the way she wove folklore throughout (it probably helps that i'm more familiar and partial to the selkie story) and probably my favorite part of all is not really knowing if constance is really a selkie or just thinks she is. i just love the way that was handled. i would definitely read her again. ( )

Selkies, human/seal hybrid creatures, are Celtic folklore’s answer to the ubiquitous mermaid myth. Melanie Golding’s latest novel implies that such beings not only exist but remain secretly among us today. Her fairly predictable mystery hints at this preternatural presence but refrains from fully committing to it. The two narrators represent the opposing perspectives—a slow conversion versus a rational interpretation of the plot’s inexplicable events. We first meet Ruby as she frantically appears on the scene to claim a child found alone on a boardwalk. Nearby, Joanna is the detective sergeant assigned to a case of a seriously injured John Doe. Flashbacks provide the backstory of how and why Ruby ends up on that boardwalk and a slow reveal explains how she is connected to the man’s assault. Alternating voices and multiple timelines create a tone that is purposefully murky, and the relationship between the two women adds some welcome complexity. Main themes include the limitations of maternal obligation and the rewards and pitfalls that accompany blind faith. Some plausibility issues and contrived circumstances may prove to be irksome to readers who have a low tolerance for ambiguity. The Hidden is not particularly unique as a thriller, but its folkloric element elevates what otherwise might be a dismissible work.

Thanks to the author and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review. ( )

Gregor is a man with a secret family. He keeps his child and wife locked in their apartment while he conducts "business". His neighbor Ruby, who lives opposite, watches him with interest and is thrilled when he flirts with her. Later, under false pretenses, he takes her in confidence convincing her to help him keep his secret as she makes friends with his wife and begins caring daily for their daughter. Gregor's wife, Constance, is convinced she is descended from the mythological Selkies and wants nothing more than to escape to the sea. She seems terrified of Gregor and makes plans later to escape with Ruby, leaving her daughter in Ruby's care.
Sergeant Detective Joanna Harper is called to investigate the violent almost drowning of a man living in Ruby's apartment building and when she suspects Ruby knows something about the assault, she has to decide how much her career really means to her. Descriptions of the geography were interesting, as was the whole "Selkies" thing. The character interaction was well developed and I enjoyed getting to know Ruby and Joanna. Overall though, I found the book disappointing. ( )