*CONTAINS SPOILERS OF PREQUEL*
Hide and Seek follows on from Little Boy Blue in M. J. Arlidge’s series of the DI Helen Grace novels. If you’ve yet to read Little Boy Blue (why?), please stop reading now otherwise SPOILERS.
I posted a review of Little Boy Blue three weeks ago, hopefully giving you enough time to read and get sucked in to everything DI Helen Grace.
Anyway, 30 minutes after finishing Little Boy Blue, I found myself full of caffeine and adrenaline and sat on edge waiting to find out what was going to happen to my new favourite character.
35 minutes before Waterstones’ closing time on a Sunday (petition for book stores to be 24 hours), I finished Little Boy Blue and was immediately on the phone putting Hide and Seek on hold. 25 minutes later, I found myself £60 poorer (it’s impossible to go into a book store and only buy one book) but a thriller richer.
Hide and Seek is the 6th instalment to the DI Helen Grace series, and as mentioned in my previous review, Arlidge has sold all past and future novels to me. Give. Me. The. LOT.
The plot:
The ending of Little Boy Blue concluded with Helen Grace being locked up for the murders committed by her nephew, Robert Stonehill (definite O.M.G moment).
So in Hide and Seek, we see Grace behind bars in Holloway Prison (coincidently the same prison where her sister spent time previously), when her cell neighbour is found murdered. I sort of wish Arlidge would give Grace a break and just let her rest but that’d be a pretty mundane book.
The story with Robert continues as DS Brooks, loyal as ever, tries to uncover the truth.
“I now need to get my hands on the rest of the series. I must own them all.”
Some thrillers are very predictable but M. J. Arlidge is one of those authors who knows what we’re thinking and does the exact opposite to throw us off. I had predictions from the start, but was honestly flabbergasted (the only word to describe my emotions, ladies and gentlemen) when I found out who and why.
This book isn’t as dramatic as Little Boy Blue, which kudos to Arlidge, would be very hard to follow, but still keeps you invested and is a one sitting kind of book. My nails definitely suffered with all the nail-biting going on here. Thank you, Mr. Arlidge.
I now need to get my hands on the rest of the series. I must own them all.
Indefinitely Bookmark That. Be like me and go and get it from your nearest Waterstones now (10/10 would recommend only taking the money needed to buy this book though, you’ve been warned).
Hide and Seek, M. J. Arlidge, RRP £7.99 (paperback); Waterstones
