Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book this was a page turner couldn’t put it down

As a mom, I really thought when I read this book. What would it take for a mother to leave her child? There are so many twists and turns in this one, you are just waiting for the end to find out what is real and what isn't. One thing you do find out is that Constance (the mother) believes she is a selkie. No matter how you spin it she isn't right in the head.

A quick read with well thought out plot and characters. I really enjoyed it.

This was a different read for me but one that I enjoyed which employed both myth and mystery with a beguiling setting. Really enjoyed this one

Really enjoyed this story. Not familiar with the author but needed a new book and I'm so glad I'll choose this. Great story, twists, and ending. Will definitely look into other books from this author!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinions. I hadn't read anything by Melanie Golding in the past and I've heard great things about her books so I was very excited to receive this. I can honestly say this was full of mystery, and lots of twists and turns that I felt my head was spinning! I am usually able to figure out where the story is going but this one surprised me and kept me guessing at every turn! I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The Hidden is a wonderful read that is the perfect mix of Mystery and Supernatural. It spins myths and folk lore into a cutting edge novel. The book explores the bonds of friendship, abuse, and a mother’s love. If you are looking for a thriller with a unique storyline - this is the book for you.
Thanks so much to the publishers who allowed me a sneak peek at this book. It was great!

The Hidden by Melanie Golding delivers surprises and nail-biting suspense that I absolutely love. The main character Ruby is so loveable and easy to connect with as she goes through the highs and lows of the intense situation she’s unknowingly thrust into. The way Melanie Golding wrote this story switching between past and present and different POVs keeps your interest and is very easy to follow which isn’t easy. I was really intrigued by and enjoyed the myth and folklore Constance was a part of and only wish we could have gotten a better look into that part of the story. Overall a very enjoyable and interesting read.

I loved this book.

I loved that it was so different than anything I have read before. I loved the world building - I could totally picture everyone and all of the action. I loved how dark and mysterious it was.

It started off a little slow. However, I didn't mind because although it was background and character building there was still a lot of mystery - I kept thinking "what in the hell is going on?". I was fascinated and drawn in.

As it progressed I actually got a little tense -it was really odd and mysterious.

So why 4 stars and not 5? It was a close call, but I could honestly out it down and pick it back up. In fact, it was easier to read/digest that way.

I do want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

This book was great!

This is an incredibly engaging book which is told through alternating perspectives and through an achronological timeline. It is a mystery that keeps you guessing, with each new perspective adding a new layer of information and building the suspense.

It is difficult to say exactly what was so good about this book without spoiling it, however, Golding did a fantastic job of writing such an interesting story with so many layers. A young girl, found wandering the shore alone, a man found, barely alive, dysfunctional families, and an incredibly well woven story.

I haven't read Golding's other book yet, but this has absolutely convinced me that I should. If you're looking for a mystery to solve along with the characters, a book that you just want to keep reading, then this is it.

It is a nice modern story blending mystery and the folktale. I enjoyed reading the book very much. I was really attracted by the first half of the book, and was trying to find out if Constance’s version of the story was true. I like that it is different from other similar types of folktales that I read before. Other ones I read are usually like that they fell in love, living happily together for a while and then the girl had to be taken back wherever she originally belonged to involuntarily, left the guy heartbroken after; or the guy found out the true identity of the girl (not a human being) and then got scared or was tricked by other characters to leave the girl or to do some harms to the girl.

An amazing read! This story started off very slow but once it gets going it keeps you on edge waiting to see what’s going to happen next. Ruby is a sad and lonely woman who is spying on her neighbor doing Yoga at night. She doesn’t think he knows about her until one night he sees her. She then sees him on a train and they become “friends” he introduces her to his babies mother who also lives with him. Ruby and Constance form a friendship and it’s after this that ruby truly finds out who the man Gregor is. Ms. Golding takes you on a wonderful ride of finding out how deceitful this man truly is and the things that he has done. She weaves into the story the tail of the sElkins and how the woman came to be with Gregor. In the middle of all this is family drama for ruby as she is coming to terms with her mother and their past. This is a book that will have you waiting to see what’s gonna happen next.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3980694784

I really loved this book. It is inspired by a selkie folklore tale '"The Mermaid Wife" so I guess you can call it a supernatural mystery story. After the first 10% of the book, I was completely hooked. I was so involved and excited and also scared even reading during full daylight! I don't read mysteries much but I now understand why the genre has many fans. This one was an amazing one to start this new genre for me.

Apart from the crazy thrilling turn of events, I loved the characters too. I was able to see the reasoning behind Ruby's and Constance's decisions, and feeling the stress of the poor traumatised little Leonie.

Some slightly negative reviews I saw are "multiple POVs". I sometimes get super annoyed of it too when it feels useless but in this one, it just adds to the suspense. Another negative remark I saw was that it wasn't "rational". Me personally, I enjoyed the magical folklore tale, mixed with contemporary mystery story. Loved it.

I am adding "Little Darlings" to my to be read list and recommending it to everyone I know!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for the ARC!

Oh my goodness! What a ride! I could not put this one down! What a wonderful thriller. I have become a fan of Melanie Golding. I can't even put this book into words, twists and turns pulls at your heart strings. Well done. Thank you for the chance to review this book!

Full of mystery, intrigue, twists and turns it had my head spinning! I usually can anticipate where a book is going but this one definitely surprised me and had me guessing at every turn! I throughly enjoyed this book. The author skillfully weaves a psychological thriller with a story of the true meaning of what it means to be a mother and mystical elements. I gratefully received this book as an ARC from Crooked Lane Books!

The Hidden - an impressive, beautifully written book. It's about selkies, and mothers who let go of their little ones to give them a better chance, and complex mother/daughter relationships, and a psychopath in the middle of it all.

I loved the idea that Constance looking for her coat could be portrayed to others as her losing her grasp on reality. I loved that Ruby was open to believing. The characters were so well written, the locations brought to life, the horror and the sadness, and the longing Constance has for the sea - all perfectly done.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. Highly (HIGHLY) recommend it, and will likely be pushing it on people I know as soon as it comes out.

I loved this.

It’s the type of book best read with a hot cup of tea, a cozy throw, and a bit of rain drizzling outside.

The author blends legend and a contemporary mystery beautifully. The writing itself is almost mystical in feel, though the author occasionally adds a touch of edge and pain that slices you to the heart despite her fable-like prose.

The book doesn’t end the way you want it to, but it ends the way it should.

An engaging and entirely satisfying read!

• ARC Provided via Net Galley

What would it take for a loving mother to leave her young child in the middle of a street during one of the coldest days of the year?

A young family lives in a secluded penthouse in London: Gregor is a charming father and Constance a troubled but loving mother to their little toddler. In comes Ruby, a chance encounter, and she becomes almost like a second mother to the child, attracted by Gregor's charm and intrigued by the mysterious Constance. Then Gregor ends up almost dead in his bath and both woman and child are running for their lives. What happened? By coincidence, it is police officer Jo who is assigned to the case, who happens to be Ruby's sister.

Little by little we learn that nothing is as it seems, and all the characters have their troubled pasts and hidden truths. The one thing that stand out is that Constance believes she is a selkie, a creature that can live on land as a human and at sea as a seal. It is up to the reader to believe this or not, as the story can easily be read as a complex mental health issue of Constance, or even that she is part of a cult living on the Hebrides. Either way, the child is in danger and needs saving.

The book reads easily, and the characters and surroundings are well detailed. However, the lead character - Ruby - is very unlikable. She is stubborn, makes all the wrong decisions and she could have avoided both her very complicated family life and the whole situation with Constance if she just would have done the right thing. The selkie folklore contributes nicely into the story, something that I wouldn't have expected and I was intrigued by it.

I've hovered between 3 and 4 stars, but I'll settle with 4, as I must say I that even if there are just too many coincidences to make it fully believable, the plot is original and I genuinely liked it.

A sincere thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I’d like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the digital arc of “The Hidden” by Melanie Golding.

This book intrigued me because not only was it a mystery/thriller, but it also had elements of folklore weaved into the story. This is a multiple POV story following Ruby, DS Joanna Harper, Constance and “The Injured Man.” There is a lot going on in this book. We have Ruby, who entangles herself into the lives of a man, his ex and their child. We have an attempted murder that DS Joanna Harper is investigating. We have Constance, who disappears abandoning her child. We have a terrifying psychopath evading the police. Plus all of it is shrouded in Selkie legend. I had some trouble getting into it because it felt a bit fractured from all the jumping POVs. Also, there were only a couple of chapters with Constance’s perspective which bothered me be because she was the most interesting of the lot. Overall, it gets bonus points for being a unique spin on a typical thriller with the folklore aspect adding an almost magical realism/gothic vibe to it. I did find the male protagonist truly terrifying as well, which made my thriller loving heart happy. 3.5 stars.

I couldn't put this one down! I don't know where to begin with this thriller thrill ride. Twists and turns, surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. Melanie Golding knows how to keep readers engaged.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC.
A small girl is found abandoned in a little seaside town. The police were called, but the mother arrives within 20 minutes and after interviewing her, the police decide to let the pair go.
Lucy has cut contact with her mother and sister, DS Joanna Harper, furious after a fight at Christmas. But on the plus side, she has met an attractive young man, Gregor, who happens to live right opposite her apartment and the two tentatively start a friendship. He lives with Constance and their daughter, Leonie, but says the relationship is over. Constance has severe mental issues and Gregor wants to look after both her and little Leonie (I loved her!).
I don't want to give anything away, so will just say it was hard to put this book down, with a psychopath and quite a few twisty and very tense moments.
Definitely recommended!