The Hiding Place

English language

Published June 5, 2021 by Zaffre Publishing.

ISBN:
978-1-83877-196-6
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4 stars (1 review)

Nell Galilee, her husband and twelve year old step-daughter Maude rent a holiday cottage by the sea, needing time and space away from home after Maude became involved in some troubling events. Nell grew up in this small, wind-blown town and has mixed feelings about returning, and it isn't long before she is recognised by a neighbour, seemingly desperate to befriend her. The cottage too has been empty for some time, and from the start Nell feels uncomfortable there. Something isn't quite right about this place . . . Maude, furious about being brought here against her will and her father's attention falling so often elsewhere, soon finds herself beguiled by the house's strange atmosphere. There are peculiar marks in the roof beams above her bedroom, and in another room, a hiding place, concealing a strange, unnerving object. As the house gradually reveals its secrets, Nell becomes increasingly uneasy - …

2 editions

3.5 stars...

4 stars

...as it is a well-written book that kept me reading til the end although I lost interest in the characters quite soon. If you're interested in mother-daughter-conflicts, motherhood, and relationships between women/girls, this is the book for you. If you want a creepy ghost story, you'd probably be better off looking elsewhere. As I'm in the latter category, I wasn't really into it, but the book is not bad.

CW: death/illness, child death, pregnancy, miscarriage, violence, blood, bullying, self harm, loss/grief, violations of privacy/boundaries.

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