Hidden Book Review

Title: Hidden
Author: Catherine McKenzie
ISBN: 1443411906
Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Release Date: June 18th 2013

What is your definition of an affair?  Is an emotional relationship or friendship outside of your marriage considered cheating?  Do you think knowledge is power?  Or are bad things better left unsaid?  All of these questions come to mind while reading the latest novel from Catherine McKenzie, Hidden.  The storyy is told from three different perspectives.  Jeff, the husband, Claire, his wife, and Tish, his secret “friend”.  The journey begins when Jeff is killed in a car accident.  Claire is dealing with the loss of a husband and Tish is dealing with a secret relationship that she can’t explain or share.  She attends the funeral as the company representative.  The biggest question is how did this happen?  How far did it go?  Are secrets best left with the dead? Or is knowing the truth an effective way to rip the bandaid off the emotional harm a death causes.

What a compelling read.  Its complicated, confusing, and like a gossip circle, you can’t wait to find out what happens.  Such a good read.

Questions to the Catherine McKenzie:

Where do you get the ideas for your books?  Do you incorporate small stories from your daily life or friends?  (I think an Author is a celebrity, and if a best friend wrote a book, I  would dissect it with every funny thing we did and said looking for for pieces of myself).

I certainly don’t see myself as a celebrity! But yes, I get that if I did put my friends in books, that could feel weird for them. So I definitely try to stay away from that. The only exceptions are occasional ‘walk on’ characters in my books who are based on quirky people I’ve met who as just too funny to pass up. As to where I get the ideas for my books, it’s hard to point to one source. I try to keep connected to what’s going on out there and ideas pop into my head.

I hear that 2 of your books have the movie rights sold.  How does that feel?  Do you get any say in how it turns out?  How did you react to hearing that news?

It is surreal. And nope, no say whatsoever – which is fine. I think if you sell the movie rights to your book you have to be willing to let go. But it was cool news for sure. Even cooler if a film actually gets made.

What does a typical work day look like for you?  Office?  Couch? Notebook wherever you go?  Laptop?

Be sure to check out Catherine McKenzie’s other books, Forgotten and Arranged.

You would like this book if you liked…………….

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson