I loved this! It was way too relatable though. I have the same eye condition (another variation anyway) and suffered some of the same issues. My brother has another degenerative eye condition and its much the same. It just felt so real! Like how did you know!?
That wasn't all I loved about the book. It was sad and twisty. I don't want to reveal any other details because of spoilers but definately check this out.

Started out a bit slow and I was concerned. But ended up really enjoying the complex family drama. Parts of this book felt a tad rushed but overall a good read.

Thank you Net Galley for letting me listen to this book. This book was amazing. The narrator had a soothing voice. I would recommend this book to everyone.

I have never read books by Kate Helm. When picking this book, The Secrets You Hide, I decided not to read a book from my usual lists. It was time for a change. I was intrigued by the synopsis. I really like reading books that mix other genres with thrillers.

The Secrets You Hide is about a woman named Georgia/Suzanne who believes she can see evil in the people she draws. That right there was what really made me interested in reading this book. I wanted to know how she knew these people were evil. Did she have a gift or was it just in her head? As a courtroom artist drawing the people on the stand for the local England newspapers and magazines, Georgia has a front row seat to the guilty. She feels it is her duty to properly draw these people and help put them away if they are evil. While in the middle of her latest court job, Georgia is commissioned to do a portrait of the "hero" she drew in her first job as a courtroom artist. Georgia primarily took this job because she is starting to feel burdened by the pictures, she draws in the court room and wants to draw something good. But as she draws this picture her childhood trauma is dredged up as well as a new mystery surrounding the hero. Is he really a hero or a murderer? Who really started the fire that he ran into to save his friends children? Will Georgia survive looking into the mystery?

With all books there are good and bad. And The Secrets You Hide has a mixture of both.

I really liked the medical background the author researched. I learned so much about different eye diseases. Kate Helm was very thorough in her writing, which made reading intriguing. It piqued my interest in the medical field. I definitely did some Googling to get a better idea about how eye diseases impact different people. The ending was really fast paced and had me worrying and excited all at once. I was good with how the book wrapped up.

With that being said, I thought this book was extremely slow. Like a real slow burn. I think the first half of the book was true to real life, but when I am reading books, I want that zing, and thrill. I was able to see how it is to be a courtroom artist, but the case she was following was dull. Then we are given a little background story about Georgia, but that was not fast paced. The pace did not pick up until I was about 60% into the book. I had to keep pushing myself to read. I do not enjoy thrillers where I feel like I have to force myself to read. I really wanted the courtroom cases to be fully developed. Or at least more information on why Georgia felt like she could see the evil. Yes, we are given some idea as to why, but I did not think this part of the book was fully executed.

Overall, the book was all right. I probably would not recommend, but that is just because I felt there were a few missed opportunities. But it is a decent British type thriller. I give it a 2.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were times that I felt like it was going in one direction and then the author did a total 180. The backstory was very interesting along with how it tied into the plot. Overall, a good read that I’d recommend to others.

This was very good; it took me a long stretch to get into it (20%) and I came close to quitting because the beginning is so fractured untethered. Once I realized what the story was actually about I was surprised but excited. Overall, the book is cleaver. I also also surprised with “the truth” it wasn’t a twist but it was surprising. I also loved the unique and original explanation for her symptoms (she sees people who aren’t there), that there wasn’t a crappy confessional, that the bad guy didn’t turn maniacal, and that the ending was… poetic. What a rate treat.

Great narrator as well. Definitely recommend 👍 for folks who read in this genre often.

My only complaint (other than the slow, rambling, confused, and boring beginning, is i has difficulty believing how quickly things progressed, only to slow down. This doesn’t make sense medically.

Love the cover and title too! Everything about this book from top to bottom fits well !

The Secrets You Hide
Kate Helm
This book begins with a big name football player, Sam Carr, on trial for rape. It demonstrates what a courtroom artist does and to our main character thirty-one-year-old Georgia Sage. Georgia believes she can immediately see, feel, sense and sketch the evil in people. She is a courtroom artist and uses her talent to to help convict the accused. Something strange has been happening to Georgia causing her to question her own sanity. She is having visions. She sees people that no one else can see, especially a young boy. She sees a doctor and the diagnosis is devastating. We also learn about Georgia’s childhood and family.
Benjamin is the editor of a new book highlighting the work of illustrators that work in the criminal justice field. He asks Georgia to create a new piece of art work for the book. He wants her to sketch Jim Fielding a man considered a hero; he is the father that saved two members of his family in a fire started by his son, Daniel Fielding. (The Fielding case was the case that brought her to the forefront of her profession.) Jim Fielding tell Georgia she “hijacks other people’s pain.” His comment leads her to revisit her past.
This is a character driven tale. It is all told through Georgia’s point of view. When reading this tale it may seem to go off on tangents but author Kate Helm successfully brings all the puzzle pieces together. There were plenty of twists and turns. This is not an action packed book, it moved along in a slow but steady progression; most of the action comes close to the end. Georgia’s childhood was very sad and tragic; it has left her wounded and tormented. We watch as she struggles with the guilt of surviving when her mother and younger brother did not. I liked Oli the barrister and ex boyfriend of Georgia. This tale has great depth and is very intricate. This is a beautifully written psychological thriller.

This is a thriller that will keep you wondering. The author has woven an intricate tail with this one. Pay attention and hold on!

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did! Kate Helm is definitely now permanently on my book list!
From the very first sentence, this story pulled me in and kept me riveted until the end. Great story, strong characters, brilliant plot. Loved it!

The story seems interesting but I just could not connect with the narration. I tried but it just did not grab me.

Name of Book: The Secrets We Hide
Author: Kate Helm
Audiobook Narrator: Emma Powell
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: September 9, 2022
My Rating: 3.3 Stars ~ This was more than a 3 star read for me but not enough for 4 stars!

Georgia Sage is a courtroom artist and is able to recognize evil in people. This skill help condemn the guilty person. However, she worries that in one career defining case she may have helped the guilty go free.

I am a fan of courtroom drama and a story about the courtroom artist got my attention.
Love the sketches especially in letting us know what is going on when the trial isn’t allowed to be televised.

I did like the story but not the nasty language ~ books are about words – I certainly can think of better words to use! 😏

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this early audio eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 9, 2022.

A solid debut thriller by the author - I found the courtroom drama compelling and really enjoyed when the thriller aspects started to intertwine into the plot. I appreciated getting backstory into the protagonist's childhood to better empathize with her trauma and personality. I don't want to spoil anything so will be keeping it brief!

Emma Powell did a great job narrating as well. I'll be checking out more audiobooks by this narrator too!

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I admit I listened to parts of this with tears streaming down my cheeks, alarming to every one in my vicinity even after I pointed out that I was wearing my headphones. Georgia Sage suffered many losses, some that stole her childhood and life from her but then later losses too, with which I identified so clearly and completely. I can't say more without disclosing too much of the storyline.

This is an amazing mystery story and it unravels perfectly, bringing so many disparate parts together all along the way but not in a deus ex machima way. All the parts came together and explained each other.

Georgia Sage is a brilliant character.

This is a brilliant novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for this audio book.

This crime thriller novel has such an interesting and unique premise/plot. Courtroom artist, Georgia Sage, can see evil in people and she uses her skills to condemn those who commit horrific crimes through her courtroom sketches. She also has a terrifying, secret past that makes her all too familiar with evil.
This audiobook was well narrated and had me wanting to listen just a little longer to find out what was going to happen next!

Thank you @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It definitely has some twists, and there is a surprise medical element to it that makes it extra interesting.
The main character has survivor's guilt from her childhood trauma and it is very clear throughout the story how this has impacted every facet of her life. Her art gives her an almost psychic ability, but not the one that is claimed in the book description, which is purposely misleading. The fact that the story (and her abilities) didn't originally match the expectations set by the blurb irritated me at first, but I came to understand the reasoning and got over it because the characters are pretty believable and the story is touching and interesting.

I was provided the audio version of the book by NetGalley.

A solid thriller that keeps the reader guessing.

Georgia is a courtroom artist, making a living drawing the criminals during their trials. Recognizing the evil in people comes easy to her, she seen first hand the destruction a person can do.

When she is pulled into a case from her trial history, the past and all its secrets emerge... threatening her career, her job and her mental health.

This novel has multiple layers and a cast of characters that came together to tell a fluid and complex story. It's a bit more than a thriller, but also an inside look at what we see and how we judge people. When you look for something long enough you'll eventually find it, and when it's evil you're looking for, be prepared. I was given the opportunity to listen to the audiobook. Narration was done really well. The narrator Emma Powell had a strong voice and did well with inflection and rhythm of speech to move the story at a great pace.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to listen to and provide an honest review of the audiobook.

Georgia Sage has an incredible gift. She sees evil in people. This comes in handy with her job as a courtroom artist.

Get swept up in this legal and compelling drama. Georgia comes from a tragic childhood. Her dad is in prison and her mother and brother were killed. Why did she survive this horrific crime?

Georgia ends up with hallucinations and her eyesight is affected. She finds out she has a debilitating disease which can affect her livelihood.

She ends up confronting her past! What will she find out? Does she really want to know? Grab your favorite drink and read this gripping novel.

The Secrets You Hide by Kate Helm

Georgia Sage has a special gift she sees evil in people. Georgia is a courtroom artist who draws the guilty. The main premise of the story is Georgia has a hard upbringing and from this she is faced with dealing with her past in a case that is currently in trial that she seeks justice that she will pursue. So the way she draws the people in the court can determine how the jury perceives the person on trial in this instance it is a rape trial.

Georgia is a likable character you really feel for her and what she is going through with her job, her health and past. The writing of Kate helm is beautifully done giving the characters real depth. The twists and turns keep the pages moving fast. The book thread the reader into a nice package with the story weaving nicely together.

I recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries and thrillers this one will entertain you. Emma Powell narrated this audio book and brought each character to life especially Georgia Sage. It was nice to see this kind of story with a courtroom artist bringing in a new way to view a crime through the eyes of the artist.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Audio for a free copy of this audio book for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

Part court room drama, part thriller, Helm’s novel places protagonist Georgia Sage in the position of courtroom artist. Georgia believes she can “see” the guilt or innocence of the people she encounters, but memories of her past have her questioning herself. A series of crimes committed in the present make Georgia wonder if choices she made in the past let a terrible evil go free to hunt and kill again and again. This is an intense, tightly woven thriller with an engaging and intelligent protagonist

"Atmospheric!"

Kate Helm's debut, THE SECRETS YOU HIDE, is a spellbinding taut, twisty blending of psychological, legal, and investigative crime thriller told from the perspective of the mysterious Georgia Sage—a courtroom artist with a dark, troubled past.

Georgia Sage has a gift: she can see evil in people. As a courtroom artist, she uses her skills to help condemn those who commit terrible crimes. After all, her brutal past means she knows innocence is even rarer than justice.

Georgia had a tragic childhood. Georgia comes to realize that everyone has their secrets. What happened twenty years ago? She was a tragic survivor. Her mother, and her brother Pip are gone, and her dad is in prison. Why was she saved?

She prides herself in helping put away criminals with her drawings in the courtroom. The courtroom scenes are vividly created, and the creation of Georgia's images are descriptive. Her skill in capturing poses and expressions has the potential to influence opinions and outcomes. Both good and evil.

When Georgia gets pulled into an old trial, she is determined to pursue justice.

However, she starts second-guessing herself with visions and hallucinations. Is she going crazy? Soon she learns she may be going blind with "Best disease."

About BEST Disease: Friedrich Best presented a detailed pedigree of the disease in 1905, Best vitelliform macular dystrophy, or Best disease, is hereditary retinal dystrophy involving the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE and leads to a characteristic bilateral yellow "egg-yolk" appearance of the macula.

Not a good thing for someone whose life needs her eyes to draw and perform her duties as a courtroom artist. The doctor said she had been using adaptive strategies as a workaround, but her site is slowly failing.

I LOVE legal and crime thrillers and courtroom dramas. This one also crosses into psychological as well as medical and literary fiction. The book is very well done, and the writing is superb. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Emma Powell, delivered an outstanding and engaging performance.

I also enjoyed the artistic side of the book with the portraits and the many layers, which serve as a metaphor and parallels with the characters' lives in the novel to be peeled back and unraveled.

The author keeps you glued to the pages, and as a reader, you are dying to find out what happened in Georgia's childhood and why she is haunted, changing her name and life. This part of the story was the most intriguing.

As a side storyline: Jim Fielding. Is he lying? Jim Fielding hero who rescued two kids from a fire in his house but could not save his pregnant wife. A fire his son went to prison for starting. Georgia is revisiting the storyline of Jim Fielding, a case from her past, to paint a portrait for a book commission (she has to revisit one of her first trials) where she was the artist.

Who was guilty, and did the right person go down?

Georgia uses her art to dig deeper into the case as a distraction technique from her life, slowly unraveling in front of her. She is a bit of an enigma and complex with survivors' guilt.

THE SECRETS YOU HIDE appears to be the author's debut crime thriller writing under Kate Helm, a pseudonym for author Kate Harrison. The novel is very deep and thought-provoking and enjoyed listening. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to #DreamscapeMedia and #NetGalley for an ALC (audiobook) to listen to, review, and enjoy and for introducing this talented author.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars ✨✨✨✨💫
Pub Date: Sep 6, 2022
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