This is a very intriguing mystery/thriller: a crime story told from the perspective of a court artist is unusual and provocative. I found that the way in which the crimes that Georgia witnesses in court relates to her own past, and the secrets that she is hiding, allowed for the story to unfold in interesting ways. Georgia’s character was compelling, as were the Fieldings and other characters connected to them. This audiobook was very engaging, and I appreciate the opportunity to review it.

Georgia Sage is a courtroom artist who has always tried to use her skills to help condemn the guilty. In her own past, she experienced violence, loss and more than a little guilt for things that happened. When events unfold that cause her to be drawn back into her most famous case she comes to realize that things are not always what they seem and she sets out on a quest to try and set the past right.

What worked for me:
- fast paced plot that made me want to keep reading
- a likable main character who I had a lot of empathy for and I wanted good things for her
- a couple of good supporting characters
- a twist near the end that I did not expect
- I'd never thought about the influence a courtroom artist could have. It was very interesting to think about and
I'd never read anything like that.

What didn't work for me:
- The plot was a tad over complicated but it didn't detract from my reading experience.
4.5 stars rounded up

Original twist! Start this novel when you have time to binge-read, as it's an excitingly compulsive page-turner with a well-drawn main character you will be rooting for and several surprises you won't see coming (while you also won't feel like the author is cheating when they're revealed). This was a great read.

Georgia survived childhood trauma and foster care, then changed her name and left her past behind. (Oh, if only it were ever that easy, but no matter how hard one tries to pretend one is normal, suppressed trauma seems to rear its head again as survivors approach age 30, and that seems to hold true in this novel, as well.) Georgia, who has always loved art, built her second life as a courtroom artist, someone who does quick sketches of people on trial in courts where cameras are not allowed. (Do those still exist? Maybe more in the UK than here.) Her best friends are an ex-boyfriend-- a lovely man she sadly cut broke up with because he wanted children -- and a court reporter who often seems more focused on getting the story than on being a good friend to Georgia. Georgia's courtroom art is praised for the way it captures the defendants' guilt or innocence, with Georgia seemingly able to see a person's true essence and convincingly convey it in her art, which is printed in the daily newspaper.

Then things start to go wrong. First Georgia starts hallucinating. Then the quality of her artwork starts to slide. Then it seems like a man she is interviewing might want to kill her. I can't say much more without giving away the Original Twist! that helps set this novel apart, but I recommend you read it to discover it for yourself.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an advance copy of the audio version of this novel, which was as well-done as the story itself.

I really enjoyed this book and narrator, first book of book for me.
I liked the journey of the main character throughout the book and how she deals with her disability trying to figure out what is going on with her and what is real. I would love to hear more of this character.
I will be looking for more stories of this author and narrator.

This is not at all what I thought the book would be based on the description. This book was very slow. It took forever to get going and didn’t really keep my interest. The ending was good but with a TSTL moment that made it that much more difficult to want to keep going. There was potential for this to be better than it was but the typical thriller tropes – “reckless pursuit of justice” – ruined it for me.

The Secrets You Hide by Kate Helm

The narrator is lovely, and did such a wonderful job reading this title. Unfortunately, that is where my enjoyment ends. The prologue and first chapter had me riveted, but then it got boring. I wanted a thriller, and this just felt stale and I found my mind drifting to thinking about other things I should be doing. I decided to force myself to pay attention because I thought the premise sounded so interesting and I was hoping to get hooked, but then around 19% I hear the narrator say: “...a belly impossibly big on her bird like legs.” The narrator mumbled a bit when this line occurred, so I rewound 3 times to make sure I had heard correctly. Essentially, a woman is referred to as a belly. Not a person, not a woman. A belly. It's 2022, enough with the rude comments about larger people.

I love the twist and turns of this book! The narrator made it even better! It started slow but it wasn’t to slow where you lost interest, it ended good also !

It’s not very often that an audiobook performance is as captivating as the actual plot itself, but this is one of those times.

The plot has lots of twists and subplots, while still managing to be engaging. This is an enjoyable read and a very compelling journey. The protagonist manages to have moments of self-awareness and growth as an added bonus.

This is a well thought out work which starts off slow, but provides enough to keep one glued to it.

The main character also manages to take the high road and make some tough decisions that don’t necessarily spare her ego. Twisty psychological thriller unearthing generous amounts of misdeeds and a bit of personal growth added in.

I recommend this book. Emma Powell’s performance made it even more enjoyable.

Much thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an Advanced Review Copy.

Great narration with a voice that really fit the story. Overall, a good listen. There were some slower spots for me, but I was also unable to listen for long periods consecutively, so that may have made a difference. A good story with family mysteries tied up in amateur sleuthing.

For some reason, this one just left me feeling, meh. I had a hard time getting started with it and then keeping it going. Georgia is a court artist, you know, the artist who depicts what is going on in the courtroom because pictures cannot be taken. We are given a picture of the proceedings through her eyes and what she sees, which may be what is real or what she perceives. She feels she knows what is the true about the people on trial and who is testifying. I gave this 3.5 stars because of my difficulty listening to it. Overall it was a good book but just hard for me to get through.

The Secrets You Hide by Kate Helm was a thrilling read! It started out slow, almost too slow, but then took a bunch of turns I didn't see coming (that were believable and not just there for shock value). I was enraptured and couldn't stop reading it! It's hard to talk about specifics without giving anything away - just trust it will not disappoint.

Emma Powell did a great job narrating. The characters she voiced were distinctive and enjoyable to listen to.

I can't wait to listen to another book by Kate Helm.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me with an ALC.

This is an engrossing read. Great narration, compelling plot and just the right amount of surprises. Listened to it in a day and a half. Probably would have been a day but my battery ran down. The author will be on my radar for future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the opportunity to read The Secrets You Hide in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book with a certain mindset on how it may go. Boy was I wrong. I really enjoyed the story. It didn’t go at all how I expected and I liked that. It can be boring if you know what’s going to happen right from the start. There were quite a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming at all. Overall I really liked The Secrets You Hide and look forward to reading more by Kate Helm.

I found I was a bit led astray by the synopsis of the novel.

I found it hard to situate myself in the beginning between the past and present, and the different stories that Georgia / Suzanne is living. It could be because I was listening to an audiobook, but it's something to consider for understanding of the reader.

That narrator was ok, but the narration also added to the confusion of trying to understand what storyline we were reading about.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Kate Helm for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Kate Helm's The Secrets You Hide. There were plenty of twists that I didn't see coming even though I thought I had figured everything out. I loved that there was so much story building and felt there weren't any holes which I've found a lot of mystery/thrillers have. At one point, near the very end of the book, I broke down in tears as a scene was described. Heart-wrenching!! The narrator, Emma Powell, was wonderful at portraying so many different emotions from many different characters. I would definitely recommend this to fellow thriller & mystery lovers!

I just finished "The Secrets You Hide" and let me say...it was a whirlwind, in the best possible way! This was one book I absolutely devoured. Once I started reading I could not put it down! I was immediately engrossed and invested.

The main character, Georgia, is likable and complex. Her own history of trauma paints a picture of how she views the world, which plays heavily into her role as a courtroom artist. Georgia seems to always be striving to right her own {perceived} wrongs of her past by using her skill to try to bring justice to other victims she comes across in the courtroom.

This book had a lot of brilliantly written twists and turns and ended in a way that I was not quite expecting! 10/10 recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book disappointed me so badly. The synopsis sounded very interesting, but the story dragged on and on and just didn't catch my interest. I didn't care about Georgia. I couldn't connect with her. And the "seeing evil" thing just didn't make sense. I didn't like the narrator either. She was monotonous.

All in all, two stars. I don't think I will be seeking out any more books from this author.

I listened to the audio book of "The Secrets You Hide," this week and really enjoyed the narrator! In order to write a spoiler free review, I will give a light synopsis of this plot, as it is truly a book to discover as you go.

This story centers around Georgia, a very talented court reporter, who can spot evil. Why? Possibly because in her childhood she faced evil first hand. As she takes on a work project, that forces her to confront memories of her past, the story unravels. This book needs trigger warners for violence against children and suicide.

While this book started slowly for me, I was never bored. By midway through I was hooked, and actually appreciative of the author's choice for a slow build. While it was hard for me to read about violence against a child, it was not too overwhelming or graphic, except for in one part, which you could easily skim. What I loved about the book was how well developed the characters are, and that the story is about a courtroom artist. It was original and unlike other books I have read. I also appreciated that the ending of the book came together in a believable way that wrapped up the story.

I would like to thank NetGalley, and the author Kate Helm for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Georgia has a gift: she can see evil in people. She is a courtroom artist who helps condemn the criminals. But in one trial, the one that defined her career, her own reckless pursuit of justice due to her brutal past may have helped the guilty go free.
This psychological thriller/family drama contains many twists and sure is intriguing. However, it could not hold my attention, I couldn't relate to the characters. It was a slow build up and was hard to follow at times as it goes in a lot of different directions. I listened to the audio book and the narration was good. Some things were unpredictable, and the final reveal was a real surprise.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#TheSecretsYouHide #KateHelm #EmmaPowell #DreamscapeMedia #NetGalley

Georgia Sage is a gifted courtroom artist with an eye that sees the evil in people.

She also views everything through a dark past that haunts and traumatises her.

While on assignment to sketch Jim Fielding, a local hero, she starts questioning the narrative that made him one, leading her to investigate the story underlying it.

With visions of dead children tormenting her and with a debilitating eye condition that causes delusions, she battles her demons as she tries to unravel the facts behind her story and that of Jim's.

This is a compelling narration by Emma Powell.

I enjoyed listening to this ALC.