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Hidden
Once a woman of wealth and privilege, Kate Whitehead now lives an ordinary life in an ordinary San Diego neighborhood as Tricia Campbell. Two years ago she escaped her powerful and abusive husband and became a different person. She disappeared for her own safety—and that of her unborn child.
Tricia has found a measure of happiness with paramedic Scott McCall, although he knows nothing of her background, and they live as a family with her son. Then a newspaper article threatens her newfound life: her husband, Thomas, has been charged with her “murder.” Tricia must make a difficult choice—protect herself and let an innocent man go to jail, or do the right thing and save a man who could destroy everything.
Tricia has found a measure of happiness with paramedic Scott McCall, although he knows nothing of her background, and they live as a family with her son. Then a newspaper article threatens her newfound life: her husband, Thomas, has been charged with her “murder.” Tricia must make a difficult choice—protect herself and let an innocent man go to jail, or do the right thing and save a man who could destroy everything.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 2005
9 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Tara Taylor Quinn
378 books1,458 followersTara Taylor Quinn began her love affair with Harlequin when she was fourteen years old and picked up a free promotional copy of a Harlequin Romance in a hometown grocery store. The relationship was solidified the year she was suspended from her high school typing class for hiding a Harlequin Romance behind the keys of her electric typewriter. Unaware that her instructor loomed close by, Ms. Quinn read blissfully on with one finger resting on the automatic repeating period key. She finished the book in the principal’s office. Forced to leave her romances in her locker after that, Ms. Quinn’s typing skills improved - a fact for which she is eternally grateful.
With over 80 original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is a winner of the 2008 National Reader's Choice Award, four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. Ms. Quinn writes for Harlequin and MIRA Books. Reviewer, Cindy Penn, wordweaving.com says, “Amazing character development is the hallmark of author Tara Taylor Quinn’s work. Indeed, Taylor’s profound observations of human nature and intimate understanding of values and priorities lends extraordinary psychological depth to all her work.”
Tara Taylor Quinn was born and raised in Ohio. Though she wrote her first story at the age of seven, her professional writing career began ten years later when she was hired as a stringer with the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Wright State University and graduated from Harding College in Arkansas with a degree in English and Journalism. She published several magazine articles before turning to writing as a full-time occupation.
Ms. Quinn is a Past President of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of that association. She has a wide range of experience as a public speaker and workshop presenter for writers groups around the country.
When she’s not home with her owners, Jerry Lee and Taylor Marie, or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little small town antique shops all across the country..
With over 80 original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is a winner of the 2008 National Reader's Choice Award, four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. Ms. Quinn writes for Harlequin and MIRA Books. Reviewer, Cindy Penn, wordweaving.com says, “Amazing character development is the hallmark of author Tara Taylor Quinn’s work. Indeed, Taylor’s profound observations of human nature and intimate understanding of values and priorities lends extraordinary psychological depth to all her work.”
Tara Taylor Quinn was born and raised in Ohio. Though she wrote her first story at the age of seven, her professional writing career began ten years later when she was hired as a stringer with the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Wright State University and graduated from Harding College in Arkansas with a degree in English and Journalism. She published several magazine articles before turning to writing as a full-time occupation.
Ms. Quinn is a Past President of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of that association. She has a wide range of experience as a public speaker and workshop presenter for writers groups around the country.
When she’s not home with her owners, Jerry Lee and Taylor Marie, or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little small town antique shops all across the country..
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 21, 2020
This was my least favorite of the books I've read in my binge of TTQ but romantic suspense is a tough sell for me. In this one, Kate runs away from her abusive ex husband to San Diego with their 18 month old son and changes their identities. She lives with a guy named Scott who is an EMT and a seemingly very sweet guy, but their relationship confused me. At times it was like they were super serious but at other times they were talking about how they were no strings attached. I think they are trying to figure out their relationship too but I wasn't clear what the intention was for us as the reader. Long story short, she decides to go back and get justice for her abusive husband once her best friend (who started dating her husband) shows up dead. She doesn't want him accused of killing her (Kate) but also doesn't want him to get away with abusing and potentially killing other women. Once she goes back to SF the plot goes really fast but there were definitely slower points in the beginning. There were some times you didn't know who to trust and I liked that but overall this book was somewhat forgettable to me.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
We find out that Scott was having her followed but it was just to protect her. Her husband thought he was infertile so he killed the chick when she found out she was pregnant assuming she was cheating. He also hurt Kate when she came back and he was sentenced to jail time and was killed in jail.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
We find out that Scott was having her followed but it was just to protect her. Her husband thought he was infertile so he killed the chick when she found out she was pregnant assuming she was cheating. He also hurt Kate when she came back and he was sentenced to jail time and was killed in jail.
July 12, 2025
*** MINOR SPOILERS ***
This book is a standalone. This book is less a romance than the story of a woman who was abused who has to make a difficult decision about facing her abuser.
The two main characters, Scott and Tricia, have been in a relationship for two years and have been keeping secrets from each other. The coincidence of that was a bit unlikely. At the beginning of the story, Scott reveals to Tricia that he comes from a wealthy family and that, when he was younger, he fell in love with a woman. After she accepts his marriage proposal, they raced exuberantly down a California highway and got in an accident and his new fiancé died. Scott was driving. Afterward, intense guilt and shame caused him to give up his wealthy lifestyle and became a firefighter/paramedic because, after the accident, he felt helpless and never wanted to feel the same way again. He also closed himself off from having a similar relationship.
Tricia has a secret as well, but it takes longer for the full story to come out. She, too, does not want to have a close relationship again. The beginning of the book had a melancholy feel to it as both the two lead characters have a sense of sadness about them. They also are both trying not to let the other into their heart. Things change when someone from Tricia’s former life, Leah, goes missing.
Tricia had grown up with an abusive father. She had been married to a state senator, Thomas, who was also abusive. I think the book successfully conveys the downtrodden, fearful attitude of an abused person and the difficulties they have standing up for themselves. It made for sad reading and, for me, I wanted her to fight back but you could see that it was very hard for her to do so. In the end, while I do not think it was overdone, almost all the book represented this frightened, cowering attitude and I would have liked to have seen a little growth during the two years that she was with Scott after leaving Thomas.
There were a couple of things towards the end that did not seem likely but I do not want to give spoilers. The ending itself was a bit rushed.
The story mostly alternates between Scott and Tricia’s POV, but there are scenes from Thomas’ point of view. It is clear when the POV changes. The pace of the story is good, and the dialogue is realistic.
I do not plan to continue reading this author.
This book is a standalone. This book is less a romance than the story of a woman who was abused who has to make a difficult decision about facing her abuser.
The two main characters, Scott and Tricia, have been in a relationship for two years and have been keeping secrets from each other. The coincidence of that was a bit unlikely. At the beginning of the story, Scott reveals to Tricia that he comes from a wealthy family and that, when he was younger, he fell in love with a woman. After she accepts his marriage proposal, they raced exuberantly down a California highway and got in an accident and his new fiancé died. Scott was driving. Afterward, intense guilt and shame caused him to give up his wealthy lifestyle and became a firefighter/paramedic because, after the accident, he felt helpless and never wanted to feel the same way again. He also closed himself off from having a similar relationship.
Tricia has a secret as well, but it takes longer for the full story to come out. She, too, does not want to have a close relationship again. The beginning of the book had a melancholy feel to it as both the two lead characters have a sense of sadness about them. They also are both trying not to let the other into their heart. Things change when someone from Tricia’s former life, Leah, goes missing.
Tricia had grown up with an abusive father. She had been married to a state senator, Thomas, who was also abusive. I think the book successfully conveys the downtrodden, fearful attitude of an abused person and the difficulties they have standing up for themselves. It made for sad reading and, for me, I wanted her to fight back but you could see that it was very hard for her to do so. In the end, while I do not think it was overdone, almost all the book represented this frightened, cowering attitude and I would have liked to have seen a little growth during the two years that she was with Scott after leaving Thomas.
There were a couple of things towards the end that did not seem likely but I do not want to give spoilers. The ending itself was a bit rushed.
The story mostly alternates between Scott and Tricia’s POV, but there are scenes from Thomas’ point of view. It is clear when the POV changes. The pace of the story is good, and the dialogue is realistic.
I do not plan to continue reading this author.
April 13, 2022
great book which recounts the reality of domestic violence.
Read your newspapers, watch the news and know that all to frequently a family member is living in fear of another family member and cannot envision a way out . That way out all too often ends with a murder and a body bag. If you suspect domestic violence, call the authorities.
Read your newspapers, watch the news and know that all to frequently a family member is living in fear of another family member and cannot envision a way out . That way out all too often ends with a murder and a body bag. If you suspect domestic violence, call the authorities.
October 16, 2019
Leuk boek. Onverwachte en minder onverwachte gebeurtenissen in het verhaal.
November 16, 2020
Great book!
This book was hard to put down. I lost a great deal of sleep and read it over 2 days. In highly recommend it.
This book was hard to put down. I lost a great deal of sleep and read it over 2 days. In highly recommend it.
January 14, 2016
Excellent! Ms Quinn says she percolated this story for years and it definitely shows in how well put together it is. A pregnant Kate escaped her abusive husband - a state senator - and is living in a different city under an assumed name. When she learns in the news that her childhood friend had been dating her husband and is now also missing, she decides to go back both to help convict her husband of her friend's death, but to also clear him from the charge of killing her.
While in hiding, she was living with Scott - gosh such a great man! and the only father her baby knows - who was keeping his own secrets. Finally they tell each other their histories, but Kate has to go back without Scott. How the trial resolves and what happens between Scott and Kate, kept me glued to the book.
I do wonder at how foolish the friend was to take up with Kate's husband, but she didn't know about the abuse (not sure how she didn't figure it out) and the man was a master at appearing good and kind. Very creepy.
While in hiding, she was living with Scott - gosh such a great man! and the only father her baby knows - who was keeping his own secrets. Finally they tell each other their histories, but Kate has to go back without Scott. How the trial resolves and what happens between Scott and Kate, kept me glued to the book.
I do wonder at how foolish the friend was to take up with Kate's husband, but she didn't know about the abuse (not sure how she didn't figure it out) and the man was a master at appearing good and kind. Very creepy.
April 9, 2016
Hidden is the ninth stand-alone novel by American author, Tara Taylor Quinn. Tricia Campbell and her eighteen-month-old son, Taylor have been living for a year with Scott McCall, a dedicated fire-fighter/emergency worker in San Diego. But she is in hiding: she works at a dry-cleaners, she has changed her appearance, her name (Kate Whitehead), and her work (Kate was a well-known dress designer) as much as she can to avoid being found.
By whom eventually becomes apparent, as she has run away from San Francisco and her influential husband, Californian Senator Thomas Whitehead. The why is (very) gradually revealed. Then her childhood friend, Leah Montgomery goes missing, and the headlines have Kate terrified. She soon realises she will have to return to San Francisco and face up to her husband, if she is to get justice for her friend and protect her son. The beginning drags a bit, but once Kate returns to SF, the story rushes into an exciting climax.
By whom eventually becomes apparent, as she has run away from San Francisco and her influential husband, Californian Senator Thomas Whitehead. The why is (very) gradually revealed. Then her childhood friend, Leah Montgomery goes missing, and the headlines have Kate terrified. She soon realises she will have to return to San Francisco and face up to her husband, if she is to get justice for her friend and protect her son. The beginning drags a bit, but once Kate returns to SF, the story rushes into an exciting climax.
June 23, 2014
Tricia becomes a woman that can do anything. She was once an abused wife and she got away from her husband and changed her name.
I like how this book goes and this is a subject that happens everyday. Not all wives run away and some end up killed. You can tell that Tricia has really grown up and can take what comes to her because of the decisions that she has made.
I like how this book goes and this is a subject that happens everyday. Not all wives run away and some end up killed. You can tell that Tricia has really grown up and can take what comes to her because of the decisions that she has made.
May 4, 2010
Quick read, escapism at its best. Widely improbable, but delicious none the less.
February 12, 2013
4.5 stars. Murder, mayhem, mystery, romance, intrigue. Hard one to put down.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews