Customer Reviews

The Hidden (Leisure Horror)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rachel Wright collapses one night and is awoken in a hospital with amnesia. She has no memory of her past life. Luckily her neighbour Mike is there for companionship and to help her get through the nightmares that have plagued her new life. Dark dreams in which mirrors are much more than mirrors. A string of ritualistic murders in London is soon connected to Mike and Rachel and ahhh the plot thickens.

This is a very strong debut effort showcasing Ms, Pinborough's talents. There are echoes of King, Lovecraft and Matheson within this novel, but it is very much told in the author's unique voice. The Hidden's terror is built in a very suspenseful manner and is tinged with just enough graphic gore and sensuality to satisfy most bloodthirsty horror fans. The novel never goes over the top though, Pinborough maintains a nice style without any gratuitous sensationalism and using an economy of pages. There are unresolved issues as another reviewer pointed out, but one of the best trademarks of true horror is the questions left unanswered. Character development was a little on the light side, yet there was enough there that I was touched reading scenes that were meant to move the reader. I am fairly discrimitory in my horror reading as there is like in any genre an onslaught of bad writing, but Pinborough definitely doe NOT fall into this category. A very scary first novel and I look forward to follow up releases.

Wow!! Very few books scare me, but this one was hard to put down! Without giving anything away, you will want to keep all the lights on and get rid of all your mirrors!! I highly recommend this if you are a horror fan!!

With this being the first novel by Sarah Pinborough I have only two words, Good Job. The plot is original and gripping. The events flow decently; the motives and the reactions of the characters are true and completely believable. Getting into the mind of both predator and prey, she takes you on a roller coaster ride where evil awaits with bated breath. Hell even the morally depraved and damaged can be redeemed. I loved it! The atmosphere is filled with a sense of hopeless abandon and a stink of rot. I suggest a scalding hot shower to relieve you of said odor.

The characters are a bit too clichéd, have little or no history and too many questions go unanswered. For example, what happened to Elizabeth Ray between 14 and 40? What kind of childhood did Rachel have? Was the wholesome neighbor, Mike, a stalker? If he only met her a few times, how did he know so much about her? How did Murray's wife die? How many people were killed in Ray's house? Oh I could go on, but I won't. I've decided because it is Pinborough's first book, I will overlook the players ... just this once.

The pace in the book is fanatical, almost dangerous. The tension explodes on the first page and climbs steadily and with stealth. Warning: If you are a nail-biter do not, I repeat do not, read this book without first using precautionary measures. Pinborough's style of writing is compassionate, quick-witted, and above all else compelling. The descriptions are graphic and textured, evoking the scenarios with grotesque imagery. Excellent!

Imagine waking up and realizing that nothing seems familiar, the past is en enigma and the future uncertain. What's even stranger is that Rachel starts to smoke and eat red meat, dresses provocatively and goes after any man she wants, a far cry from her own self that she has not clue about despite what people tell her about her own past. Her sudden amnesia and broken mirrors in her house alarm Mike, the man she suddenly starts seeing even though she has rejected him in the past. Not far strange crimes begin to happen; people's homes are invaded by a force that brutally destroys anyone on the premises and broken mirrors are the only thing that starts to establish a pattern. Mike can't help falling in love with a woman who still can't remember her past, but the more they discover what clouds her memories the worse the chaos around them. Strange coincidences and forgotten family secrets starting to surface to light, turns out that somehow Rachel is connected to one of the victims and her future strongly depends on figuring out the past. However, the only person hesitant to dig in is Rachel herself, is she afraid of the answers or is something else afraid of being discovered? With time ticking down and more mutilated bodies surfacing, Mike has to do his best to help and solve the riddle that has dragged his future to the stake as well.

This was a fun read, it had an element of mystery pulsating through the pages and I was eager to read about the past, some characters were more interesting than others; Elizabeth for example was quite mesmerizing even though we knew she has left this realm for the dark side and was no longer alive as the book began, her past is preserved in diaries that fall into the hands of police who are investigating the horrific crimes. Few other characters stand out, Murray and Mike are pretty realistic but the flaw is in the time line. As another reviewer said, one has a hard time figuring out how much time is passing between chapters, and there are unexplained things that happen the author didn't really give reason for; two of the characters that die are barely connected to the tale, I thought it was a distraction and an easy was to max out the body count and connect Rachel to the previously committed crimes. Considering it was Pinborough's first novel it's certainly understandable and there were a few passages that I really enjoyed and found through provoking. I have read on the internet that this is being worked into a script, hopefully to be made into a movie; the story is certainly good enough and executed pretty fairly even if I didn't give it the highest rating. Am I glad I read it? Yes, it's certainly enjoyable and you can see potential in the author's words and ideas.

- Kasia S.

So much going on, so few pages to lash it all together! We have a woman who wakes up with amnesia and a new lease on life, a string of gruesome homicides, and a Detective trying to piece it all together. How does it all fit? Some Demonic ritual? Possession? Or something even more horrifying?

From what I understand, this was Pinborough's first novel, and it is a very good book, though not as polished as her later attempts. This story for some reason reminded me a lot of "Hellbound Heart" by Barker, though the pick at your brain social commentary isn't included in Pinborough's novel. There is a decent amount of gore in this book, however most of it is the aftermath of the actual occurrence so it is not as gory as it could have been. For those of you who read horror novels for the nakedness, there is a touch of that, though it is not explicit.

What makes this book weaker than her following novels is the use of what feel like "cheap" tactics to get the point across. First we have the Diary that pretty much tells the Detective all the background he needs, then we have the psychic/medium who can explain the rest, and we have the Detective's dead wife speaking through the medium to fill us in on everything else that we might have missed. It's like a perfect storm of information to make sure that our mystery solver doesn't miss any details. A second weakness in this book is the lack of time passing, at times it seems that only days have passed, then it is implied that months have gone by. In the end you can't be sure if Mike and Rachel have been dating for two weeks or five months... and you can't be sure if the murders are happening only days apart or months apart. In this book, Pinborough really hasn't come into her own with the multidimensional characters yet. Most of them feel paper thin with little to no motivation for their actions. Still, with these weaknesses, this is a strong first novel and reading this you can see why the publisher signed her on for a few more.

This is a fairly quick read that is entertaining though doesn't push the envelope in any fashion. If you are just looking for a fun night of mindless entertainment this is a great time waster, if you are in the mood to be truly frightened or have your mind expanded, then look elsewhere. There isn't anything new in this novel and there really isn't any deeper meaning behind what is going on in the story. Actually the diary, though it feels like a cheap tactic for the writer to have used, is one of the more interesting parts of the book. Elizabeth comes across as the only multi-dimensional character in this novel through the diary, even though we never really encounter her in the book as her true self.

A note to those of you who have read Pinborough's other novels: most of her books read as very Americanized British horror, often times you forget that they even take place in Great Britain other than the occasional British slang that creeps in. This book is much more British all around, though not to the point where you question what is being said or get lost. (for example: I have NEVER understood the British term "Pull the other one" and no one has been able to explain what it means to me). On the whole this is a decent book that is worth the read if you don't have anything else lying around. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it or track it down, but if you come across it, give it a whirl.

This is the first Novel (that I'm aware of) from a shining new Horror novelist. This book starts off a little confusing (think of the movie "Pulp Fiction" for just a little of the first pages) but quickly focuses the plot as you read. The Characters are brilliantly crafted and are easy to feel compassion for. I look forward to her next novel. :)

I LOVE this book!!! I borrowed it from my sister in-law and just couldnt put it down!! I was completely intised by it. at one point I was so deep into it that someone bumped me and I ended up jumping and throwing the book across the room. This book is the best!! A must have for all mystery/horror buffs!!!!

Read it if you have nothing to do.If you like horror genre then this is a decent book. Has good number of twists and turns and keeps you engaged till the end. I did not like the climax though.Could have been done better. The crime investigation part of the story is quite interesting.

This is the second book I have read by this author (The Taken was the first)and I liked this book even better! Excellent story, I highly highly recommend to all you fellow horror seekers out there,you wont be disappointed! Although you may have trouble sleeping...
Happy Reading!

Unluckily for me, I abhor amnesia plots, most likely a leftover from too many lifetime movies as a child. I was happy to see the book didn't focus on this mental disorder too much, veering off instead to other characters lives and their purpose in this novel. I have to admit it took me awhile to stay focused. The beginning was confusing, not that interesting, and
misled. The middle spiced things up more, with intriguing things events, a few grueling murders, and issues made more clear. I especially loved the diary of Elizabeth; a novel written from her point of view would have been enjoyable indeed. The ending was a
cool wrap up, furthering the tension the middle contained, ending everything on a depressing and unpredictable note.

Overall, this is a delightful horror novel (if that makes sense), one worth checking out and enjoying.