Book: The Hidden Child
Author: Rebecca Griffiths
Pub Day: Feb 24th 2022
About the Book:
Connie splashed through puddles, the rain slapping her face. Everywhere was tarmac and concrete, fog and drizzle, but no sign of her child. ‘Have you seen my daughter? Please, you must’ve seen her?’ Connie’s face crumpled, preparing to cry. But there wasn’t time for tears, she told herself, she had to find her child.
Manchester, England, 1965: In an instant Connie’s life has changed. She only left her daughter Kathy alone for a moment but that was enough for her to vanish without a trace. As Connie desperately searches for her, she has to put the news reports of other missing children to the back of her mind. She is determined to find her safe. She will bring her daughter home.
As local farmer Ronald listens to the news, he is shocked by what he hears. He has spent his life away from the spotlight, quietly tending to his farm. But when a young couple begin acting suspiciously on his land, he knows that trouble is about to reach his door.
And then he sees her. A girl in a bright red coat who looks completely lost. Ronald knows he needs to help keep her safe and find her family. But on the wild and desolate farmland, Ronald has buried his own dark secret. Can he risk it coming to light to save her life?
Inspired by a real-life true crime story, this is an unforgettable and totally gripping mystery thriller perfect for fans of Gregg Olsen, Elly Griffiths and Found.
(Previously titled: The Body on the Moor)
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Hidden Child' by Rebecca Griffiths.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Rebecca Griffiths, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 24th February 2022.
This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Girl At My Door' which I highly recommend. This book was previously titled 'The Body On The Moor'.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Inspired by a real-life true crime story, this is an unforgettable and totally gripping mystery thriller perfect for fans of Gregg Olsen, Elly Griffiths and Found. ' I am a huge fan of Gregg Olsen so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Rebecca and if this is half as good as 'The Girl At My Door' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue and 55 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Yorkshire and Manchester, UK 🇬🇧.
The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually been to Manchester on several occasions so am intrigued to see if I can put names to places I have been.
This book is written third person perspective and the protagonists are Ronald and Connie.The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
'The Hidden Child' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Rebecca discusses/includes animal abuse, child abuse and murder of children.
When I first decided to read this book it was titled 'The Body On The Moor' before it was renamed 'The Hidden Child'. I must admit that even knowing the original title and reading the synopsis that I had no idea it was based on Myra Hindley and Ian Brady. These two are pretty well known for all the wrong reasons. I worked out that they were who the book was based on in the first page when 'Aunt Myra' was mentioned. The way Rebecca has written this book is very clever in the fact that she doesn't only focus on Myra and Ian but also on Connie, Ronald and Thomas as seperate storylines which weave together throughout the book. This book starts with Ronnie and his father and then moves onto Connie's daughter going missing which then leads into what Myra and Ian are getting up to. Although this book is based on fact it is important to remember that it is a fictional story and that many scenarios were created with the intention of making a story of all the events. I think Rebecca has done a fantastic job of doing this and it gives more of an insight into people who may have known Myra and Ian. I did struggle with the time changes and it took me a while to realise that the dates were going back and forth which did cause some confusion until I worked it out. It has a few shocking twists that I did not expect so well done Rebecca!! I also wanted to say congratulations as the fact that you have obviously done your research shines through!! One of my pet hates is authors not researching their topic and having a plot full of errors but you have done a great job!!
The storyline is filled with abuse, murder, violence and crime but there is also family, love and romance involved. Myra and Ian are absolute despicable and vile creatures and what they did to them poor children was just unthinkable and then making it even worse by allowing the parents to suffer by not releasing details of where they buried them is just inhumane. My thoughts will always go out to Keith Bennett's family, the victim who was never found. What these sickos did to these children is a parents worse nightmare. Rebecca has written this book really well and has really shown what their personalities were like and how ruthless and heartless they were. One of the things I did notice is that she didn't focus on them too much and only as much as was necessary to tell the story. I am glad she did this as there are too many books out there that gives these scum the fame they do not deserve. I had mixed feelings towards Connie for a long time but, although I still think it is disgusting how she treated her child and left her in a car, I would not wish what Ian and Myra did to the children on any parents. I absolutely adored Ron and especially Thomas who were such genuine men who just fit themselves into a situation where the longer they were in it the deeper the hole they dug themselves. I'm pleased with how the book ended but I must admit I did feel that it was a bit rushed.
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture. I would have loved to give this book a 5 star as it is captivating and page turning but unfortunately for me I have to give it an honest 4 because the confusion caused by the dates going back and forth and the abrupt ending.
Congratulations Rebecca on a page turning success!!!
A must read for true crime lovers!
Overall a page turning psychological crime thriller based on a true story that will keep you turning the pages until late at night.
Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Thriller, Psychological Fiction and Crime Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Gregg Olsen and anyone interested in true crime.
361 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 4 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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@RebeccaGriffiths @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
Author Bio
Rebecca Griffiths grew up in mid-Wales and went on to gain a first class honours degree in English Literature. After a successful business career in London, Dublin and Scotland she returned to rural mid-Wales where she lives with her husband, a prolific artist, their four black rescue cats, two pet sheep the size of sofas and writes full time.
Social Media
Twitter: @rebeccagriffit7
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B09HSHFJNRcover
Apple: http://ow.ly/328u50GvXbk
Kobo: http://ow.ly/Uk8550GvX7l
Google: http://ow.ly/yZ7J50GvXcW Audible:
US: zpr.io/2GDqY4CgF3SF Listen here: http://ow.ly/koBg50HVoTj
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