The Hidden

My initial reaction to The Hidden was disappointment. I was hoping for the sequel to Outriders (based on a bookseller mistake), and a horse farm out west sounded really . . . boring.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

The Hidden captured my attention from sentence one. It pulled me in with expert characterization, then added a knock-em-dead plot. Plus there was the intrigue - who was Jacob, really?

I admired the realistic way Kathryn Mackel painted Susan and Melissa as completely antagonistic to each other, yet I came to care about both. And felt the value of both their efforts to help Jacob. Rick's efforts were annoying at times, yet plausible as he tried to discover The Torch.

I did guess Jacob's identity fairly early, though I still had numerous questions. And I never made the connection to his abuse.

While the theology of this supernatural thriller seemed a bit far-fetched, it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the novel in the least. In fact, it made the book much less predictable. And in addition to all the "what if" questions the author must have posed during the creation of this novel, there were some other interesting ideas to ponder. Such as - what do you do when you mistake light for darkness?

In all, this was a very worthwhile read. Don't hesitate to purchase a copy - you'll be wanting to reread it.