Abby Jones, a young nanny from a small town outside Boston, is the last person with infant Jacob Rotterdam when he becomes seriously ill. Within hours, tragically, he dies, and Abby is charged with his murder.
Heather Baxter, her defense attorney, knows the case is not as clear cut as the Assistant District Attorney claims, and with enormous media attention on the trial, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
When Heather digs deeper, the shadows of her own past, and her mother’s unsolved murder 25 years earlier, in the same small town, begin to unravel with deadly consequences, placing both Heather, and her young client in danger.
Will Heather find the link between Abby and what happened to her mother all those years before? And will Abby walk free?
As soon as I started reading this I knew at least some of the inspiration must have come from the Louise Woodward case which many years ago was the first court case I ever watched live. Turns out I was right but there was a lot more going on than just that, as Louise Phillips presents a twisty and utterly gripping tale of small town secrets, loss, obsession and power.
Main protagonist Heather has suffered a lot of loss, both her baby sister then later her mother – her mother’s murder was never solved, and coming back to her home town to defend a young woman who everyone believes is guilty will test her to her limits.
Aside from the beautifully placed twists and turns that defines any excellent psychological thriller the emotional layers are very resonant in The Hiding Game- the relationships are dark and emotional and there is a strong and very authentic look at grief in many forms as you travel the road with Heather and others.
I was utterly glued to the pages, beautifully written, often unexpected, always compelling right up until the final heart wrenching reveal.
Loved it. Proper storytelling here – the kind of layered drama I’m fond of where character is key and there are no easy answers.
Recommended.
You can purchase The Hiding Game (Hatchette Ireland) Here.
Happy Reading!
