Different from the preceding five books in the series and even faster-paced. DI Helen Grace is in prison, awaiting trial. Unsurprisingly, as a copper she receives brute treatment from her fellow inmates. And then one of them is killed and the prisoners don’t know who to fear – Grace, who is accused of murder; a fellow prisoner; or a prison guard. Hide and Seek by MJ Arlidge is a relentless page-turner.

The action switches viewpoint as Helen tries to identify the killer and prevent him killing again. Her friend DC Charlie Brooks is on the outside, trying to prove Helen’s innocence and find the real murderer, the prison governor can’t cope, and the killer is planning the next attack. Meanwhile the aggressive journalist Emilia Garanita is somehow getting photos from within the prison. While Helen is struggling to survive from one day to the next, the prison guards are under-staffed and under-pressure.

Helen uses a few old prisoner tricks to unlock her cell door and move around the prison, I don’t know how realistic this is but it certainly moved the story along. How often do murders happen in a prison wing at night when the prisoners are locked in their cells?

This is a series to read from the beginning if you are to get the most out of Helen Grace’s ongoing story. Read my reviews of the first five books:-
Eeny Meeny #1
Pop Goes the Weasel #2
The Doll’s House #3
Liar Liar #4
Little Boy Blue #5

If you like this, try:-
‘The Nationalist’ by Campbell Hart
‘The Pure in Heart’ by Susan Hill
‘The Black Tower’ by PD James

‘Hide and Seek’ by MJ Arlidge, #6 HelenGrace [UK: Penguin] Buy at Amazon

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HIDE AND SEEK by @mjarlidge #crimefiction #books via @SandraDanby http://wp.me/p5gEM4-2mH