BOOK TOUR: Hide And Seek by Andrea Mara

“Close your eyes. Count to ten. And when you open them, your child is gone.”

Set to be published on 4th August, Hide And Seek by Andrea Mara sees the end of a game of hide and seek. Everyone has gone home, but little Lily Murphy hasn’t been found. Her parents search the woods and tell themselves that the worst hasn’t happened – but deep down they know this peaceful Dublin suburb will never be the same again.

Years later, Joanna moves into a new house. It seems perfect in every way, until she learns that this was once Lily Murphy’s home. From that moment onwards, a sense of dread seems to follow her from room to room. As Joanna unravels the secrets at the heart of this close-knit community, her own dark past begins to resurface. Because she thinks she knows what really happened to Lily – and if the truth gets out, it might be her undoing…

Rating:

Today is my stop on the Random Things Tours blog tour for this book. Thank you to the publishers for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

A puzzling and multi-layered psychological thriller, Hide And Seek is a brilliantly suspenseful read that is sure to surprise you over and over again.

From the gripping opening, I was immediately excited by this story and did not want to put it down. It’s subtly dark, well-plotted, and there is never a dip in the tense and intriguing atmosphere.

Told over two timelines, the first in the present and the second in 80’s Irish suburbia, Mara brilliantly details the two eras and the contrasting mindsets of the many characters over the years. There are plenty of cliffhangers too, as Joanna often accidentally reveals more to the story before the past has caught up with the reader, constantly changing your mind about who may be to blame.

My only very tiny flaw is that there are A LOT of characters so I did find it difficult to remember who was who at times, so it may be worth getting your notebook out if you want to sleuth along to this one! But even then, I’m sure you won’t be able to predict any of what’s to come!

This is my third novel by Andrea Mara now and they have all impressed me. I especially love how she incorporates themes of motherhood into her stories, so I’m definitely eager to see what she writes next!

Details:

Hide And Seek by Andrea Mara
Release Date: 4th August 2022
Print Length: 352 pages
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Bantam Press

Synopsis:

CLOSE YOUR EYES

The game of hide and seek is over, everyone has gone home, but little Lily Murphy hasn’t been found. Her parents search the woods and tell themselves that the worst hasn’t happened – but deep down they know this peaceful Dublin suburb will never be the same again.

COUNT TO TEN

Years later, Joanna moves into a new house. It seems perfect in every way, until she learns that this was once Lily Murphy’s home. From that moment onwards, a sense of dread seems to follow her from room to room.

AND WHEN YOU OPEN THEM, YOUR CHILD IS GONE

As Joanna unravels the secrets at the heart of this close-knit community, her own dark past begins to resurface. Because she thinks she knows what really happened to Lily – and if the truth gets out, it might be her undoing…

About The Author:

ANDREA MARA is a Sunday Times and Irish Times top ten bestselling author, and has been shortlisted for a number of awards, including Irish Crime Novel of the Year. She lives in Dublin, Ireland, with her husband and three young children, and also runs multi-award-winning parent and lifestyle blog, OfficeMum.ie. All Her Fault was her first thriller to be published in the UK and internationally and was a Sunday Times bestseller.