MINM Review: Hide and Seek by M.J. Arlidge

With numerous red herrings, an unputdownable and powerful ending, and a twist most will not see coming, Hide and Seek is fast-paced, gritty, and highly entertaining - a terrific addition to your crime and mystery fiction reading list. Hide and Seek is the sixth installment of the recommended Helen Grace series by British author M.J. Arlidge.

Violence: Moderate

Profanity: Mild-to-Moderate

Sexual Content: Mild

Explicit Language: Mild

Animal Cruelty: Mild

Thrilling Action: Moderate-to-High

Red Herrings: Moderate-to-High

Twists and Turns: Moderate

Suspense: Moderate

Plot Development: Moderate

Character Development: Moderate

Pages: 416 (Paperback)

Best for Crime Fiction Readers:

  • Who enjoy British police procedurals.
  • Who enjoy locked-room mysteries. Much of Hide and Seek takes place in the Gothic setting of an old, yet still in use, prison.
  • Who appreciate novels that open with action and suspense that grabs the readers' attention right off the bat.
  • Who appreciate short chapters, many of which are action-packed, that make the pages fly by.
  • Who don't mind reading about some nightmarish happenings in their crime fiction. The methods of harm in this installment, while described mainly after the fact, are not for the faint of heart.
  • Who enjoy reading crime fiction that features a strong, female character. Helen Grace just happens to have an aspect of her life, outside of the police force, that she would prefer to keep private.
  • Please note: For the most entertaining experience, it is recommended that Mr. Arlidge's previous novel, Little Boy Blue, be read just prior to Hide and Seek. Hide and Seek does contain some spoilers for Little Boy Blue. Little Boy Blue, the fifth book in the series, delves into Helen's private life, and ends on an exciting cliff hanger that leads right into the plot of Hide and Seek. 

MINM Overall Rating of Hide and Seek: 5/5

Hide and Seek by M.J. Arlidge book cover image

Publisher's Blurb:

Caught in a wicked game of cat and mouse, Helen Grace finds herself trapped among the hunted in the darkest thriller yet from the international bestselling author of Little Boy Blue and Eeny Meeny.

Framed for a murder she didn’t commit…

As one of HM Prison Holloway’s most high-profile new inmates, Helen Grace has a target on her back and nowhere to hide. She has made a long list of enemies over the course of her career—some are incarcerated within these very walls. When one of Helen’s fellow prisoners is found mutilated and murdered in her own locked cell, it’s clear that the killer is someone on the inside. 

But time is running out for Helen as she races to expose the person who framed her, and the body count in the prison starts to climb. Helen will need to draw on all her investigative skills and instincts to catch the serial killer behind these murders and discover the truth—unless the killer finds her first.