Hide and Seek by M.J. Arlidge (Helen Grace #6)

In Hide and Seek by M.J. Arlidge, Helen Grace is in prison for a crime she didn’t commit (we know that). Sadly, except for her loyal readers, the only other person who believes Helen is DS Charlie Brooks, who is her loyal teammate and friend. Everybody else was quick to believe Helen’s guilt and forget all about her.

All stories in this series are dark, but I found Hide and Seek to be, so far, darkest of all. I couldn’t believe to imagine life in prison, especially not for someone who used to put others behind bars.Now, as she’s sitting in a cell away from everyone else who wants to kill her, Helen has to not only stay alive until somehow her innocence is proven but also has to find out who killed her neighboring cellmate, especially since every arrow points at her as the guilty one.

Now, as she’s sitting in a cell away from everyone else who wants to kill her, Helen has to not only stay alive until somehow her innocence is proven but also has to find out who killed her neighboring cellmate, especially since every arrow points at her as the guilty one.

Talk about getting the short end of a very pointy stick.

The story was riveting. However, since Helen was split from her team, I missed the usual lighter banter and jokes that they used to crack at the toughest of times. This book literally takes place within the walls of a prison. Not the easiest setting to swallow (at least for me). All the petty, evil and sick stuff that goes on in the prison is sometimes too much to digest.

I really loved the book, but I can’t wait to read the next one where, hopefully (and I say this only for the sake of those who haven’t read the book), Helen is out and back on the streets where she belongs, hunting the next serial killer.

The story is action-packed, and the writing might seem choppy to those who are not used to the author’s style in this series. The chapters are quite short (often even the sentences are short), and there is a fast transition from one scene/point of view to the other.

Some reviewers complained that the story doesn’t make sense because they don’t understand how Helen got to be in prison. Now, this is a series that you definitely need to read from the beginning without skipping even a book. Each new story builds upon the previous one. And book #6, Hide and Seek, absolutely builds upon book #5, Little Boy Blue. How can someone give low ratings to a book  – that is part of a series – because they don’t understand how the main character got where she is – is beyond me. / rant over.

I can’t wait to read Love Me Not, the latest book in the Helen Grace series since it has already been published.