On a wild Cornish headland, Catherine Carlyon takes a decision that will change her life forever. She is facing the bleak prospect of years in prison after being sucked into a fraud by a man she thought loved her. Catherine has found a possible way out – to disappear. But disappearing comes at a price. She must abandon her family and everything she holds dear. The greatest challenge of her life is looming, an epic adventure in the North Atlantic which will take her to her limits and beyond…
Praise for Hidden Depths: 'A conventional middle-aged woman has a passionate affair, becomes embroiled in fraud and makes the desperate decision to risk all in the hope of disappearing. J.H.Mann has lovingly evoked the Cornish landscape, from the wild Atlantic coast to the bleak and threatening moors, as the setting for a gripping thriller. I loved it’ – Debi Alper, author of the Nirvana series of thrillers.
‘The real essence of the challenge of open water swimming has been woven into a finely crafted suspense novel’ – Mark Richards, long distance swimmer, one of the few people to have successfully completed the 28-mile swim between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves's Shetland and Vera Stanhope mysteries and novels by Lucy Foley and Alice Feeney.
Set on the coastline of Cornwall and the stunning Isles of Scilly, “Hidden Depths” is a financial crime thriller which the author JH Mann, has succeeded in creating an evocative, atmospheric story with an intriguing premise.
The depths of deceit, lies and guilt that Catherine kept hidden was astonishing. I can only imagine how it would play on your conscience, especially in front of your family and to find yourself getting deeper and deeper involved, must have been frightening. I can’t say I took to any of the characters themselves, they were naturally selfish and arrogant but they played their parts to the letter and came across as the villains they were.
I liked how the author incorporated ocean swimming as the backdrop for the story and how pivotal it was to the main character’s defence system. Being a non swimmer myself, I envied Catherine the luxury of the freedom of the sea and understood the feeling of the cold fresh water soothing the soul, from wading in freezing Scottish lochs myself.
The last few chapters were tense and fast paced with an ending that leaves it to the reader to decipher and with an interesting and intriguing plot line, this book made for an entertaining read.
Caught in a web of lies Catherine is forced to go to measures she never thought possible. This story keeps you on the edge of your seat. It has a lot of mystery and while you know who the bad people are, you don’t know how far they will go. The countdown on the chapters added extra suspense as you waited to see what the final outcome would be. The title is perfect for the book and the reader will recognize it several times during the story. A good weekend read!
On a wild Cornish headland, Catherine Carlyon takes a decision that will change her life forever. She is facing the bleak prospect of years in prison after being sucked into a fraud by a man she thought loved her. Catherine has found a possible way out – to disappear. But disappearing comes at a price. She must abandon her family and everything she holds dear. The greatest challenge of her life is looming, an epic adventure in the North Atlantic which will take her to her limits and beyond…Praise for Hidden 'A conventional middle-aged woman has a passionate affair, becomes embroiled in fraud and makes the desperate decision to risk all in the hope of disappearing. J.H.Mann has lovingly evoked the Cornish landscape, from the wild Atlantic coast to the bleak and threatening moors, as the setting for a gripping thriller. I loved it’ – Debi Alper, author of the Nirvana series of thrillers. ‘The real essence of the challenge of open water swimming has been woven into a finely crafted suspense novel’ – Mark Richards, long distance swimmer, one of the few people to have successfully completed the 28-mile swim between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves's Shetland and Vera Stanhope mysteries and novels by Lucy Foley and Alice Feeney. Dive into Hidden Depths today!
My Review
Meet Catherine, she is having a bad time of it, her husband has been laid off and is struggling to find another job. Sinking further into booze responsibility falls to Catherine to cover the bills, keep them afloat as he sinks deeper into a funk/booze. Her son is a typical teen and Catherine is going through the motions, until she makes a decision that brings some fun into her life, passion, challenges her morals/values and finds her sinking deeper and deeper to a dark place where danger looms on every corner.
A passionate affair, challenges to her moral code, decisions that change/challenger her as a person and falling deeper and deeper into a web of lies, deceit, criminality and even threats to her life. The book does a great job of taking a normal housewife, upstanding, good strong morals and then one choice, one affair just upends EVERYTHING and takes you on a wild rollercoaster showing how easily one could fall.
Making the main character someone you can relate to is always a good shout because it makes everything more believable therefore more shocking when it all gets so dark. The tension keeps throughout the book, knowing all she has to loose and every decision takes her another step into chaos and risks.
The mundanity of the good housewife/trusted employee just adds to how shocking it is when she does the things she does and the choices she makes. Read almost in one sitting as I just wanted to see what was coming next. Everyone has different takes on how they enjoy their books being wrapped up and it will be interesting to see how everyone take this, 3.5/5 for me.
Hidden Depths by JH Mann is a gripping and suspenseful novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey with the protagonist, Catherine Carlyon. Facing the daunting reality of imminent imprisonment due to being deceived by someone she trusted, Catherine makes a life-altering decision to disappear.
The novel is set in the stunning backdrop of a wild Cornish headland, adding an element of mystique and intrigue to the story. As Catherine embarks on her daring escape plan, the reader is taken on a rollercoaster ride filled with unexpected twists and turns.
Mann skillfully weaves together themes of love, betrayal, and redemption as Catherine grapples with the consequences of her actions. The character development is rich, making Catherine a relatable and sympathetic protagonist.
One of the standout aspects of Hidden Depths is the vivid and evocative descriptions of the North Atlantic setting, which adds an atmospheric depth to the narrative. The challenges and obstacles that Catherine faces during her journey serve as a metaphor for her inner struggles and transformation.
Overall, Hidden Depths is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that delves into the complexities of human nature and resilience. JH Mann has crafted a compelling story that is well deserving of the five stars I am giving it!
I loved the start, middle and end of this thrilling book set in Cornwall. In this book we follow Cathryn who ,after beginning an affair with a work colleague, gets wrapped up in commiting a big fraud in her work place and things after that start to go downhill pretty quickly.
Cathryn falls for Derek and is unfortunately infatuated with him so much so that she seems to go along with his magnificent, fraudulent scheme at work. The whole way through this book it kept me on edge not knowing when all of her troubles were going to start crumbling around her and how much one mistake can cause such drastic consequences.
One of the big twists in this book I did guess simply because the character herself started to question it and I felt like there wasn't many options to choose between.
There were some really haunting scenes throughout this book including the forest scene where Cathryn is hoping to find Derek at the millhouse. That really freaked me out and was making me second guess everything going on!
Overall, this was a really tense and suspenseful novel which also, I thought, had a really fantastic ending making the reader almost make it their own. I would definitely recommend this novel and will be looking out for his next book coming out soon.
What I liked most about this book are the author’s descriptions of the Cornish landscape, which set the scene beautifully in this story of lies, deceit and secret affairs. Open water enthusiast Cathy loves to swim in the Atlantic, but when she joins in with a scheme to defraud her employers, the sea itself may be her only means to escape jail, and even death. The story is seen from the heroine’s point of view and takes us from initial difficulties with her home life and her husband’s descent into drunkenness after losing his job, to a romantic entanglement with a man who needs help. Unfortunately, the help he needs requires Cathy to create false accounts at their work, a decision which soon catches the eye of two other workers who also want a slice of the financial pie.
For me, the initially gripping plot slackened too much after the early excitements, moving along at times too slowly to keep me riveted, and it was an effort not to skip forward to see what happened next. The whole chase-through-the-woods scenario dragged on for ages, allowing cracks to show in an otherwise solid story. The ending too (though expected) didn’t quite ring true, leaving too many unanswered questions.
A (mostly) gripping tale that will delight lovers of thrilling exploits and dark deeds.
First of all my question is “Will there be a sequel” to this brilliant debut novel. I want to know what happens to Catherine following on from the end of the book.
This is a novel where you fell for the main character and the decisions she makes , for good or bad, all the way through. Her persona is really relatable and there will be many readers who will be able to understand some of what she did , and how in her naivety she was pulled into a world of fraud by manipulating individuals. All her life she has been manipulated in one way or another and is this now her chance to break free ?
The author obviously has a knowledge and love of long distance swimming along with the stunning scenery of Cornwall, both of which add a clever dimension to the narrative and have you yearning for a visit to the South of England and a swim in the sea that will help you clear your mind and recharge your batteries in whatever way they need charging.
This is a book that I struggled to put down once I had started it and when I reached the end I found myself thinking up many different scenarios as to what happens next . You never know, if we are to be treated to a sequel one of my endings may have been correct.
I was really interested in this book as I mean first just look at the gorgeous cover of this one folks! The premise of the story is our MC, Catherine is in major trouble and is trying to disappear. I love a good thrilling read and this was a good one. The beginning of the story introduces us to Cathy and her significant other Robert. Robert has just been laid off from work. And Cathy is trying to figure out how they will make it on one salary. There is a lot of problems with Robert who has fallen to the drink. Cathy begins a sorted affair as she isn't having a terrific home life. However something really unexpected happens with Cathy and she is on the run, so to speak! The author did a great job of making the readers want to read more of the book as they go along. I really like this author's way of writing and plan on reading the next book he is coming out with as well. I liked how the story is realistic in the way that all people have problems, no matter who they are or where they live:)
This book gave me major gone girl vibes and I was here for it, I love a good thriller that has you on the edge of your seat every time you turn a page and boy when I say this one had me bracing for what was coming next ever time I got to a new chapter i'm not kidding. Mann does a spectacular job of building tension right from the start with how he describes what is going on in the main characters life and the decisions that have lead her there.
Catherine is a character that I didn't know how to feel about but by the end I was rooting for. The more you learn about what caused her to want to disappear the more you connect with her as a character. Packed with twists and turns you wont see coming if you like thrillers set in the cornish headland and a plot that feels realistic then this is for you.
You know that all those scams and frauds are happening out there, right? And they are usually targeting middle-aged or at least slightly older women mostly? Most are romance-based, but there is a corporate one *with* a touch of fake love. Yeah, so this book is all about that. Ok, not about scams and frauds per se, but the MC is a woman who fell victim to one of those, and who has now is facing the tough choices of how to move on with this – how to save herself and what to do about the life she built – and then this thriller book was born – and this is a story of her life post-fraud. Lies, suspense, more lies, deceit, more deceit, more suspense, tough decisions, fast-paced and heart-pounding: this is what this book is. Great, well-written characters and a storyline that does not disappoint.
J.H. Mann won't be the first writer to strike literary gold with a debut novel set in Cornwall. Daphne du Maurier's enduring success started with 'The Loving Spirit' in 1931, and within a decade of publishing 'Mistress Of Mellyn' in 1960 Victoria Holt was selling a million paperbacks a year. And there are certainly glittering literary prizes ahead for J.H. Mann. An apprenticeship in journalism must surely have helped him find the right tropes for a gothic thriller. He also cleverly uses the backdrop of the rugged Cornish cliffs and mist-shrouded moors to notch up the tension as one ordinary woman, Cathy, is forced to use her own wits to survive. I loved this novel. It is a story to get the heart racing. It is clever, compelling, stylish and emotionally astute.
This is a first book from this author that I have read, it won’t be the last. Well, wow, that’s was a breathtaking, tense, gripping rollercoaster ride. I was so invested in Catherine, I just wanted her to be happy. Sometimes people do really stupid things that can totally ruin their lives, they are that desperate, will try anything. I completely understand the reasons, but I just couldn’t do these things myself. There were a few slimy characters which I wish went down the drain, they were horrid. I haven’t read a book with this story line before, it was original, definitely tested the muscles where I was so tense. This is a brilliant book, it had a mixture of genres in it but mainly thriller. I can’t wait for the next book from this author.
Hidden Depths marks my introduction to J H Mann's writing, and what an exhilarating journey it turned out to be!
Catherine, faced with the consequences of her past decisions, contemplates disappearing despite the sacrifices it entails, including leaving her family behind. Will she make the right choice?
Jason's vivid portrayal of Cornwall illustrates a deep familiarity with the region, while the robust characterisation shines through. Being a long-distance swimmer themselves, he adeptly conveys the characters' emotions.
The captivating narrative held me spellbound, and I'm confident it will do the same for you!
I couldn’t binge through this fast enough, what an epic read! I was instantly hooked, I had to know what would happen regarding both Cathy and Derek and their fraudulent escapades.
Despite her criminal ways, I really did feel for Cathy, lazy husband, awful boss and the dodgiest of dodgy work colleagues.
The swimming scenes blew me away, I could hear the waves and visualise Cathy as she made her stops and felt her foreboding as she realised distances. The ending was perfect, leaving it in the minds of the reader.
I cannot wait to read more by the author! This needs to be on your TBR.
Cathryn and her coworker get caught up in a fraud within their company. It started out as a simple affair which somewhere along the line blows up. It’s a suspenseful story with several twists. I can’t say I really liked any of the characters. Just what were they thinking?! I’m still thinking about the ending and almost wish there was a bit more.
Hidden Depths is a suspenseful novel where we see the protagonist Catherine Carlyon facing the reality of imment prison due to committing fraud. With spiralling consequences due to her decisions and mistakes we see her struggle with her slipping morels and her decision to stay out of prison by disappearing for good. This story shows how deceit, lies and guilt pan out the deeper you get involved in something. I wasn't keen on the characters within the story as they all were selfish and arrogant in there own ways. Hidden Depths was a slow starter for me but once it picked up the pace it was an entertaining read especially the last few chapters that were really tense.
This had me hooked from the first page and I had no idea how it was going to develop and eventually end. I really liked how the chapters were quite short as it meant I could read a chapter in any spare moments and not forget where I was in the book. I found myself liking the main character Catherine Carlton. I thought she was brave and inventive in her determination to get herself out of the situation she found herself in. This is a really interesting read and not like anything I’ve read before.
What a story! Made me nervous for most of the book. I was in finance so this really hit home. All the office drama also came back to haunt me. Makes me glad I am out of all that.