Loved this thriller! Great storyline, character depiction and the writing just flows. Kudos to the author who truly managed to bring the story to life. I enjoyed the book very much and will definitely make sure to read more by this talented writer.

Emotionally exhausting but captivating read. Could not put this down. A lot of tough subject matter, trigger warning for abuse and neglect.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Hideway by Nicole Lundrigan.
This book is different and I wasn't sure where it was going. Gloria is one of those perfect mom's - she's got it all - well that's what people think. But she is the key to a disfunctional family.
She pushes her kids and husband away - she is controlling and self-absorbed. Her husband leaves her, and Gloria is determined to get him back. Her children are terrified of her and she has told them that she can make them "disappear" if she wants.
When one child has "disappeared", Gloria makes herself the center of attention to win her husband back, and it seems for self-pity. Her son takes up with a homeless man, and finds the love he needs while Gloria portrays a frantic mother.
There are two plot lines and at times, my head spun to keep track of what was going on. This is a sad story of how families appear on face value and the dynamics behind closed doors. A good read - but heavy and sad.
3 stars.

Gloria, Rowan's mom hates him. She considers him a thief, a vagrant, but then Carl, a homeless man comes to his rescue. Unfortunately, that doesn't last very long and he must return home. Telley, his father doesn't know or doesn't want to know the horrors Gloria inflicts on her son. Everyone is against him, and he doesn't know where to turn.

I liked the relationship that Rowan and Maisey had. He really seemed to care about her, and he was by far my favorite character. The mother, Gloria, is simply vile. She is manipulative, always getting someone else to do her bidding. She was mean and neglectful to both her children. There was nothing about her I enjoyed. While I found the plot very slow, this book definitely made you feel something for the characters. Whether it was pity for Rowan or hatred for Gloria and Telley, I had strong opinions on them all.

Unfortunately, that is where what I liked about this book ended. I felt the plot was too slow, and even at 35%, I still did not have a good idea of what the plot of the story was supposed to be. I kept waiting for something, anything to happen. I think the story had potential, but the execution just did not work for me. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

This was a heart-wrenching and difficult book to read, not because of the writing but the subject matter--parental neglect and abuse. Thirteen-year-old Rowan and seven-year-old Maisy live with their mother Gloria whose husband Telly has recent left them for another woman. On the surface Gloria seems to be a loving mother but she appears to only have affection for one child at a time and in Maisy's words can make either one of them "disappear" when the other is in her favor. When Rowan is forced to stand in the woods overnight for a minor incident, he meets Carl, a homeless man with mental illness; later forced to stand outside in a storm, Rowan will seek him out for solace. And now we see a dysfunctional family at its worst; Gloria manipulates things in an attempt to win Telly back and Maisy is told an alternate truth about events. As a parent and grandparent, this was painful to read, and my heart broke a little with every selfish move Gloria made to rewrite the story of their lives. I just kept taking deep breaths and reminded myself it was fiction--though I know it exists too often in real life. So if you want an emotional book that will tug at your heartstrings, this is the book for you!

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

This book is really well crafted but just didn’t suck me in, more gothically creepy than psychologically thrilling. 3.5 because it is good just not to my taste.

A dysfunctional family and the lies that go with it...

Gloria and Telly (Theodore) are the parents of Rowan (13) and Maisy (7). Telly and Gloria are estranged - he is living with his "lady friend", Dian. In front of others, Gloria tries to appear to be a stand-up parent and working mother. (Most likely everyone sees through this fascade). At home, Gloria treats her kids (and their dog, Chicken) terribly. Selfish Gloria only wants Telly back and it becomes obvious that she is obsessive about this. Maisy has to lie constantly to everyone to fit Gloria's needs and wants. Gloria forces her into it. Rowan is a bit more forthcoming so he sustains the most punishment. While spending the night in the woods as a punishment, Rowan meets Carl, a vagabond, who is nice to him. Rowan visits Carl regularly. Eventually, the tension in the house and his father's disinterest in Rowan force him to run away and stay with Carl.

Carl and Rowan are friends - yet Carl is off. He talks to others in his head and is extremely paranoid. Eventually Carl and Rowan are forced from their campsite to go to a cottage on a lake. Carl's paranoia ramps up and Rowan becomes scared of him. Then Carl takes Rowan on a canoe ride and the story really shows its colors!!!

A good read - a disturbed family with parents who put themselves first. Almost at all costs... A MUST READ domestic thriller.

Many Thanks to Penguin - Random House Canada and NetGalley !

What if home is the most dangerous place you can be? For fans of Room and readers of Shari Lapena.

Gloria Janes appears to be a doting suburban mother and loving wife. But beyond her canary-yellow door, Gloria controls her husband, Telly, as well as seven-year-old Maisy and her older brother Rowan, through a disorienting cycle of adoration and banishment.

When Telly leaves, Gloria turns on Rowan. He runs away, finding unlikely refuge with a homeless man named Carl, with whom he forms the kind of bond he has never found with his parents. After they are menaced by strangers, Rowan follows Carl to an isolated cottage, where he accidentally sets off a burst of heightened paranoia in Carl, and their adventure takes a dark turn.

Gloria is publicly desperate for the safe return of her son while privately plotting ever wilder ways to lure Telly home for good. Her behavior grows more erratic and her manipulation of Maisy begins to seem dedicated toward an outcome that only she can see. The two storylines drive relentlessly toward a climax that is both shocking and emotionally riveting.

Suspenseful, unsettling, and masterful, Hideaway explores the secrets of a troubled family and illuminates an unlikely hero and a source of unexpected strength.

Gloria is one mother from hell. A very dark woman. She made my skin crawl. I did not see the end coming. It was very well written.

Gloria is not the perfect wife and mother she appears to be. She alternately praises and terrorizes her children and husband. When her husband walks out, Gloria takes out her anger and frustration on son, Rowan. He in turn, does a runner himself and finds a friend in homeless Carl, a man who shows him more love and respect then he’s ever known. Gloria, meanwhile, is on a highly public search for her “missing” son, as she looks for ways to force her husband home and ramps up her manipulation of her little girl. This book is brutal and shocking and as twisted a story as I have ever read. It’s also mesmerizing and compelling, I couldn’t look away