Hide and Seek by Richard Parker is a fast paced and gritty thriller. From that very first page I was drawn in to the story and read it in just over a day.

I really enjoyed the plot line of the book and liked how it gathered pace. The characters worked well together and I would definitely recommend this book.

In reality I would give it 4.5 stars and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

What it's about
The sun is out. Your little boy is smiling. The next time you look… he’s gone.

When Lana and Todd win a trip to Blue Crest Adventure Park, their four-year-old Cooper is ecstatic, but when Lana goes to meet them, Todd is out cold, and Cooper is missing.

No one stopped the man with the sleeping boy. The cameras don’t show where he went. Then Lana finds her family picture on an online map detailing bloody murder sites. This is no random attack.

Whoever took Cooper is playing a twisted game, and if Lana wants to find him, she must participate. Can she uncover her tormentor’s identity before it’s too late?

My thoughts
Loved it, can see why some people call it a heart pounding suspense, once you start reading it ,you won't want to stop, it's has everything a good suspense Thriller has to have. With that said I would love to say thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read it .

The prologue is guaranteed to get your heart going especially if you are a parent, I just kept thinking afterward what would I do in that situation. It's a scary thought that on a normal average day something bad like that could happen. This story plays on our fears perfectly and on lots of occasions left me feeling on edge as if I could feel the characters fears jumping out of the page at me.

It has some pretty tense moments along with a few shocks and surprises along the way which kept the story moving in a pretty fast paced way for a good portion of the book. I don't want to give anything away regarding the plot but the direction of the story does alter. When this happens it slightly loses a little of the tension that had been brewing and flowing within the story. However the change of pace at least gave me chance to catch my breath and think about everything that had happened. I actually enjoyed how it almost changed into a cat and mouse game that made things very interesting. I couldn't wait to see how things would play out once this happened.

The story will have you constantly asking questions such as why is this happening or who is behind it. The questions that have frustrated Lana and Todd for a while right from when their nightmare situation began. To start with I tried guessing what would happen next but I just couldn't predict anything so I stopped trying and got swept away on this thrilling ride of a story.

Hide and Seek has thrills, shocks and a very intriguing story!

With thanks to Bookouture & Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

After reading Scare Me and Follow You by Richard Parker I couldn't wait to see what Richard had in store for us readers with his latest novel Hide and Seek. Boy can can this guy write a story. I love the fact that they are always dark and twisty and he doesn't disappoint with this utterly gripping page-turner. Where I found myself gripped from the opening….and what an opening it is!

Imagine witnessing a masked man trying to attempt to kidnap your child. This is every parent's worse nightmare. But this is exactly what happens when Lana takes her eyes off her son Cooper for a split second. Holy smoke what a nail biting start. The author then takes us on a rollercoaster ride where we follow the story of what is yet to happen.With alternating chapters between Todd and Lana. When they win a trip to Blue Crest Adventure Park, their four-year-old Cooper is ecstatic, but when Lana goes to meet them, Todd is out cold, and Cooper is missing.

OMG what an electrifying and the edge of your seat read. This is one fast paced action packed book.

You can feel the obsession and emotion with Lana being a parent myself I could totally relate to her. I think I would be the same if either one of my boys went missing.

I have to say if you expecting some gruesome scenes like in follow me…..(which I was) then think again. This book is oh so different and written in a totally different way.

Hide and Seek is full of tension and suspense and is nicely tied up at the end with a brilliant ending. When I highly recommend giving it 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Bookouture for a copy in exchange for a honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. A page turner from page one to finish. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Richard's future books

Do you know what I like when it comes to thrillers? Stories that keep surprising and thrilling! And, Hide and Seek has both a surprising and thrilling storyline. Also, the blurb doesn't give away too much of the story. Frankly, I was a bit surprised at first when I started the book, it was action from page one and I had thought it would start with the trip to Blue Crest Adventure Park, but no, it started off with an event that surprised me. Yeah, I was surprised from page one. Now, since this is a thriller will I not reveal too much of the storyline. You have to read it for yourself to find out what happened before the trip and what takes place after Lana and Todd's young son Cooper is taken.

Not long ago did I read Be My Killer by Richard Parker and that was more horrifying than this one, basically Be My Killer flirted with the horror genre with some really gruesome killings. This one felt more like a thriller. Nothing bad with that, I liked this book, and if you prefer less gruesome deaths will this one probably suit you better than Be My Killer. What they have in common is an interesting plot, great writing, and characters you're interested to read about. I tell you, this book is a pretty awesome thriller and I was curious all the way through. I mean who could you trust? Really trust? And, who is behind the kidnapping of Cooper, and why? I found myself really liking Lana who is going through a mother's worst nightmare, with a missing child and then having to play a twisted game with the kidnapper.

Hide and Seek is an excellent thriller and now I can't wait to find out what Richard Parker will write next. Hopefully, there will be a new book out soon...

This was a good story that had it been exceuted better would have been a 5 star read. On the plus side, it's fast paced, hooks you in from the start and is a fairly quick read. There was just too much that happened that seemed implausible or far fetched. Perhaps I'm just picky after reading a huge amount books. I'm sure others will love it and would recommend you read it.

No Where To Run, No Where To Hide…….
Count To Ten And Come Find Me….
Richard Parker what did you do to me, from the very first page I was gripped in a vice of digital reading, an explosive opening scene, every parents worst nightmare an attempted child abduction. My eyes couldn’t have got any bigger trying to absorb the scene, my mind racing along with plotline, gobbling every nugget of thrill and terror trying to satiate my hunger for the story.
After the attempted abduction of Connor it takes its toll on the family, Todd and Lana have been dealing with it in different ways. Lana becomes obsessive over finding Connors abductor, going as far as using an app to locate scenes of crimes and exploring them looking for clues to finding Mr. Whisper.
Lana and Todd win a holiday Blue Crest Adventure Park, a nice place to get away to try and get there life back on track and become a proper family again………disaster strikes Connor is abducted.  Todd believes he is to blame for Connors abduction due to shady dealings, but Lana has an online friend who is pointing her in the direction of Mr. Whisper, but what does her friend know about Mr. Whisper, who is right and will they get Connor back in time………….
I couldn’t fault Hide and Seek, it was a shocking, stomach lurching, heart-wrenching emotional plotline which shows the lengths a parent would go to save there child. There was no way I wanted this book to end, I tried to slow my reading down to steer away from the end but my brain refused I had to dig in and hold on for the ride of my life.
I can’t thank Bookouture, Richard Parker and NetGalley enough for the opportunity to read and review Hide and Seek for an honest opinion.
All that’s left to say is Hide and Seek is a well deserved 5 Star read which I wouldn’t  hesitate to shout about from the rooftops, so…. head to Amazon and get Hide and Seek you wont regret it.

This review is written with thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my copy of Hide And Seek.
When Lana and Todd, and their son, Cooper, win a holiday to a theme park, they believe it will be the opportunity they need to get away from their problems and enjoy themselves. Todd takes Cooper on a ride, but when Lana goes to meet them, neither father nor son emerge, and nobody saw where they went. Then Lana sees a picture of her family uploaded to an app which lists nearby murder sites. Someone is out for their blood, and Lana must find out who, and catch them before it is too late.
At the beginning of Hide And Seek, the reader has no time to settle into the novel or be gently eased into the horrors that are to come. From the very first page, we are confronted with a terrifying situation, and taken with Lana’s family on a journey that nobody would want to be faced with in real life. The tension makes Hide And Seek fascinating, and the plot is very cleverly constructed to ensure that as readers we are kept on the edge of our seats. I wanted to know what had happened to Todd and Cooper, and this kept me reading until the end.
As Lana visits the sites suggested by the app, the reader is transported to a range of settings, including the theme park itself, a school and a psychiatric hospital. This makes Hide And Seek very atmospheric and increases the tension, allowing me to be drawn in to the developments of the plot.
I have never been in the same position as Lana (and wouldn’t want to be), but I felt that at times, some of her actions were not true to her situation. I found this quite frustrating, which prevented me from connecting with Lana and being fully sympathetic towards her.
There are a few red herrings in Hide And Seek. Although these did increase the tension, I found them distracting from the main plot, and at times, this could be quite confusing.
Hide And Seek is a thrilling read, but overall I felt that my difficulty relating to the characters prevented the novel from reaching its full potential for me.

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Hide And Seek’ by Richard Parker in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
While Lana and Todd’s son Cooper is playing in the backyard a man tries to pull him over the fence. Lana manages to keep hold of Cooper and the man murmurs ‘Tomorrow’. Cooper says the man’s name is Mr Whisper, but who is he? And will Mr Whisper carry out his threat and grab Cooper another time?
‘Hide And Seek’ encapsulates what every parent dreads. It’s a chilling and fast-moving thriller which had me gripped from the beginning. As the story progressed I was kept on the edge of my seat until the climax which had a scary and unexpected twist. A novel well worth reading!

I've just finished reading Hide and seek and it was a great read, it was a shame that work got in the way as its the sort of book that when you get to the end of a chapter you just want to keep reading to see what will happen next, a story of every parent's nightmare, your child being taken and what you will do to save them, but it also has an interesting back story that works well, all in all its very cleverly written and I look forward to reading more from Richard Parker

WOW! What an opening, heart thumping and hooked instantly, absolutely LOVED this book, off to source his other books.

Great read i was gripped from the beginning, good story with plenty of excitement and edge of your seat drama. would definitely recommend this if you like a good thriller with plenty of twists.

I loved the cover of this book and the description was great so I couldn't wait to get started!  For me, the book started off really strong and I was hooked after the first few pages, the writing style was spot on for the topic and I couldn't wait to see what would happen to Cooper, Lana and Todd but sadly after about half of the book I felt that it kind of lost its way and became a bit too far fetched for me, I can see why the different aspects were added in but for me it detracted from the main plot and extra focus could have been around the kidnapping. It did redeem itself towards the end and I was able to give the book 4 stars, just a tad disappointed as this could easily have been a 5 star book but it didn't live up to the promise

This is the definition of an action packed fast paced thriller. From the very first paragraph the reader is flung head first into the action with a chilling abduction attempt, a heinous villain and an ominous parting shot.

Lana Cross is Cooper’s mum and when a man tries to kidnap Cooper from the family’s back garden it is only the quick reaction of Lana that foils the man’s attempt. That man is Mr Whisper and his parting shot is the very chilling “tomorrow”.

Understandably, after this incident Lana finds it hard to settle and never stops worrying about Cooper. Todd, her husband, has his own preoccupations, which he is keeping secret from his wife.

The Crosses move away from their home and into an anonymous city apartment in a bid to hide away from Mr Whisper and his threat of returning. Though months pass without incident, Lana is obsessed with the idea that Mr Whisper may be out there watching Cooper and she downloads an app to her phone that pinpoints the geographic locations and details of crime and especially murder scenes. This, she thinks, will help her to find out where Mr Whisper might be, because she has convinced herself that Cooper will only be safe if she can track the kidnapper down.

Then Lana and Todd have a stroke of good fortune; their first in a long time. They win a holiday to an adventure park and Todd, in particular, sees this as a way to loosen the grip of Lana’s fear and start to enjoy life as a family again.

You can see what’s coming next, can’t you? Yes, you got it. Todd and Cooper go off together on one of the rides but Todd is attacked and knocked unconscious, Cooper is kidnapped, and Lana is left distraught with all her worst fears realised.

The police are of course involved, but for different reasons neither Lana nor Todd think that they will be able to do enough to find Cooper and what then ensues is a divergent storyline where each parent follows their own trajectory in an attempt to locate and rescue Cooper.

When Lana finds her own murder on the app she knows she is dealing with a twisted and sadistic mind and she follows the trail that is laid for her without recourse to Todd or the Police.

Todd, meanwhile, is not as badly concussed as the doctors feared and believing that he knows what is behind Cooper’s abduction, he sets out to track down the guilty party.

For me, this is where it started to go a bit awry. All the right elements are there – this is a fast paced thriller, loaded with suspense. There is lots of action and there is no doubt that Richard Parker has created a villain quite worthy of a thriller. But I didn’t like the way that Lana and Todd pursued separate courses of action; I thought the holiday was a bit too convenient and though the backstory and the killers motive is well tied together at the end of the book, altogether the whole thing just did not quite gel for me in the way I hoped it would.

I think with a better edit, this could have been a killer book. However, it is a solid and perfectly decent read and I know that others have really raved about the book, so perhaps this one is a case of “it’s not the writer, it’s me”.

I don't think I've been this stressed out over a book since Room. Holy mother of nerves. I was a mess keeping up with Lana and keeping everything on my body crossed for her as she sought out her way of healing. I can't get over the way this book made me feel. It was raw and it happens! Ugh. You'll find me alternating between my children's schools for the next couple of weeks so they're never out of my sight.

The sun is out. Your little boy is smiling. The next time you look… he’s gone
That tagine grabbed my attention and demanded I read this book! Luckily via Netgalley I got it.
I felt the fear and panic of Lana the mother felt all through the book. The worst has happened and where does she begin to try and find her son? The story is brilliant. Lots of mind boggling twists that keep you guessing throughout and never knowing throughout if Lana will ever get her son back. Great ending which shocked and finished an excellent read.

Actually 4.5 stars.
I read this author's previous book earlier this year and, whilst I had a few niggles with it, there was nothing major that would prevent me trying him again. Having read and enjoyed this, his latest offering, I am glad I gave him another chance.
One day, young Cooper is playing in his garden when a stranger tries to abduct him. Mother Lana fights with all her might and manages to stop Cooper being taken. The police were called but the culprit is never caught. Fast forward a little while and this incident is, obviously, still affecting the family. Lana has become obsessed with reading about other abductions, desperate to see if Cooper's incident is linked to any other and she becomes a bit addicted to a certain website where you can visit famous sites and get information on what happened there. Sort of like a twisted macabre travel guide.
Then one day, they set off on a well deserved holiday to an Adventure Park. Lana's worst nightmares come true when husband Todd is found unconscious and Cooper is missing. Has the stranger come back to try again or has he just wandered off? With little evidence to go on, Lana turns to the website for help and what she finds there chills her to the bone. Can she follow the clues and pick up the pieces of the puzzle and find Cooper before it's too late?
I have one majorish niggle with this story and that is that Lana especially is so careful about protecting Cooper that she willingly accepts the fact that they have won a holiday. Maybe she was too obsessed with close to home stuff that she discounted the potential risk there but I know that my spidey senses would have been flashing big time if that happened to me. Anyway, it's a major plot point (and not a spoiler as it happens very early in the book) to get them to the park so I took it on face value and, hey, everyone drops the ball sometimes however careful they try to be in life.
We have the obligatory secrets between husband and wife here with Todd keeping his own secrets from Lana and I thought the two storylines complemented each other quite well. Each trying to protect the other in not disclosing and poor little Cooper getting caught in the crossfire.
Characterisation was on the whole good and they all fitted well in the parts they had to play. It was easy to empathise with Lana and Todd as they both, separately and together, tried to battle for Cooper's return and the bad guys were deliciously evil and very creepy. There were also the, I'll call them, grey characters that, for their own reasons are keeping their own secrets and lies which were all revealed and exposed at just the right times to keep the story ticking along, my attention well and truly held firm. Lana did sometimes get a bit caught up in the noise and couldn't see the wood from the trees but she can well be forgiven given the turmoil and heartache she was going through.
All in all a good solid suspense psychological thriller that had me spellbound mostly throughout and racing to get to the end which left me pretty satisfied. I am so glad I gave it a chance.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I enjoyed this but if I'm honest I thought it was very similar to other novels,I guess this happens with this genre.

The sun is out. Your little boy is smiling. The next time you look… he’s gone.

Hide and Seek grabbed me right from the start - intense, dark, and creepy! Richard Parker knows how to capture the reader's attention with a jaw dropping first chapter. This is every parent's worst nightmare - attempted abduction of your child right in front of your eyes. But the story doesn't end there - it's only the beginning!

Hide and Seek was a fast-paced and well-written thriller that I couldn't put down. This was my first Richard Parker novel and it definitely won't be my last! This story will absolutely keep your heart pounding. It's time to buckle up for a wild, suspenseful, and nail biting roller coaster ride that really packs a punch! Highly Recommend!

*I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.