I’ve raved before about the D.I. Helen Grace series, but that’s not going to stop me doing it again. When last we saw Helen Grace, at the end of Little Boy Blue, her career was on a knife edge. In the sixth D. I. Helen Grace novel (and yes, these books do really need to be read in order), Helen tackles perhaps her toughest challenge yet with her usual break neck pace and unhesitating assurance.
The full cast of characters is present; her unswervingly loyal colleague, Charlie; the dissembling Chief Superintendent Gardam; Helen Grace’s nephew, Robert. All play their part in a heart-stopping crime thriller that will keep you reading long past the time when you should be in bed.
I do sometimes think that working beside Helen Grace must be a pain. I’ve never come across anyone who is so sure that they are right and who will do everything they can to prove their point.
In Hide and Seek, Arlidge takes a prison setting and creates a thriller that has you guessing right up until the killer is revealed. Someone is killing and mutilating prisoners in a horrific way and suspicion points in many directions. Though somewhat hampered by her surroundings, Helen is determined to seek out the perpetrator and bring them to justice. As ever, it’s not plain sailing, and at every juncture Helen is obstructed by both prisoners and guards and her efforts are not helped by her nemesis, Emily Garanita, now freelancing for the nationals and desperate enough to go to extreme lengths to secure her story. Helen is, she knows, the key to her success, and she will pursue her to get to the top.
I really don’t want to say more, for fear of spoiling the plot. But if you are a fan of the Helen Grace series, you will not feel disappointed. This is a page turner par excellence. A rip roaring rollercoaster read with all the twists and turns of the Kingda Ka.
If you have not yet read the series – what are you waiting for? If you have read the first five, you’re in for a treat with Hide and Seek. Go, order it now!
Hide and Seek is published by Penguin on 8 Sep 2016
My thanks to the publisher for an advance copy – this has not influenced my review.
Live and Deadly 