THE HIDING PLACE by AMANDA MASON

 THE HIDING PLACE

by

AMANDA MASON

THE BLURB:

The front door rattled gently on its hinges and something- the wind, surely- nudged against it. She placed a hand against the door, listening as Elder House seemed to shift and settle around her...

Nell Galilee, her husband and step-daughter Maude rent a holiday cottage by the sea. The cottage has been empty for some time, and from the start Nell feels uncomfortable there. Something just isn't quite right about the place...

Twelve-year-old Maude soon finds herself beguiled by the house's strange atmosphere. There are peculiar marks on the roof beams above her bed, and in another room, a hiding place, concealing a strange, unnerving object.

As the house gradually reveals its secrets, Nell becomes increasingly uneasy and Maude spellbound. But these women- and the women that surround them- also have things to hide, and soon events will come to a terrible head...

THE REALITY:

This turned out to be my Christmas read, and the title struck a chord in my memory- Katherine Webb also wrote a novel (although it wasn't supernatural; just clever) called something very similar (The Hiding Places, research further back in my blog reveals). This book was a big, unwieldy tome, and I can certainly understand feedback for my similarly sized first novel, which dictated that I should spread my 320,000 words into a serial, as the book simply wasn't easy to just drop into a handbag and go.

The novel didn't dictate exactly where the story was set, but I kind of worked out that it was Whitby, which I hope to visit for Whitby Goth Weekend. I did love the atmospheric cliffside location of the unsettling rented home, and the author conveyed the mystery and unease surrounding this property pretty well. I also loved the historical explanations attached to the holiday let, and was especially taken by the description of a beautiful tiered garden in a neighbour's property.

Character-wise, this book was a good study in mother/ daughter relationships, including those that occur with step-mothers and step-daughters, and the difficulties a “blended” family has. I felt especially sorry for (spoiler alert!) Evie, who was a disappointment to her mother because she was gay, and didn't quite manage to pick (another spoiler alert!) Carolyn out as the chief protagonist until she actually “performed,” right near the end. Although she did come across as a tad weird and unsavoury. I also understood Maude, who clearly feels like a fifth wheel as a twelve-year-old, yet kind of got her step-mother, Nell's point of view as well, so full marks to the author for good, explorative writing.

But the thing I loved most about the book was the supernatural/ witchcraft aspect, and how it crossed over with art and design, with the weird markings on the ceiling, Nell's profession and Gina's shop. The finding of the hiding place and its significance was interesting and a tad spooky, as were the odd goings-on. Although I found the ending a tad ambiguous, I kind of understand the bargain Nell makes with the supernatural- although with bargains like that, I can't help but feel that there would be a high price to pay. It's slightly uneasy and unsettling. A tale that seems to jump around a bit (although paragraphs clearly define whose point of view we're being subjected to) but is certainly very readable and worth a go.