A Hidden Past

by Blake Pierce

Nate Harlow is a seemingly average 19-year-old college student who takes on a summer job for extra cash. He expects to be skimming pools for rich families. He never expects to find a dead body.

As a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks, Nate is already a fish out of water. And now he feels compelled to solve a murder.

But behind these gilded mansions lie secrets better left alone.


Or he may be the next one found floating face-down…

“An edge of your seat thriller in a new series that keeps you turning pages! ...So many twists, turns and red herrings… I can't wait to see what happens next.”
—Reader review (Her Last Wish)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A HIDDEN PAST is an exhilarating new psychological thriller by #1 bestseller and USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose bestseller The Perfect Wife (a free download) has received over 20,000 five star reviews.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery.”
—Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A strong, complex story about two FBI agents trying to stop a serial killer. If you want an author to capture your attention and have you guessing, yet trying to put the pieces together, Pierce is your author!”
—Reader review (Her Last Wish)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A typical Blake Pierce twisting, turning, roller coaster ride suspense thriller. Will have you turning the pages to the last sentence of the last chapter!!!”
—Reader review (City of Prey)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Right from the start we have an unusual protagonist that I haven't seen done in this genre before. The action is nonstop… A very atmospheric novel that will keep you turning pages well into the wee hours.”
—Reader review (City of Prey)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Everything that I look for in a book… a great plot, interesting characters, and grabs your interest right away. The book moves along at a breakneck pace and stays that way until the end. Now on go I to book two!”
—Reader review (Girl, Alone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Exciting, heart pounding, edge of your seat book… a must read for mystery and suspense readers!”
—Reader review (Girl, Alone)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Ebooks, Contemporary, Psychological Thriller, Fiction

169 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 4, 2024

About the author

Blake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seven books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); and of the new KERI LOCKE mystery series.

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

Reviews

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading A Hidden Past. There's a good plot and relatable characters, and it has a surprising end. If this is going to become a new series, it's a great start, as I'd love to read how Nate will progress with his life and his dreams. There are a few typos that better proofreading could have corrected but they do not impair the quality of the story. Ms. Pierce's writing style is also different (and I find it much better) from the recent series.
I thank the author for this ARC.

[Klare · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read

[David Mc · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the beginning of the novel, I was a little turned off to the protagonist, Nate Harlow, due to his endless haranguing about “rich people.” However, several things happened all at once that caught my interest; which included learning more about Nate’s troubled background, the appearance of some fascinating characters, and a suspicious “suicide.” From that point on, I was hooked. For that matter, at the point that I thought the novel had come to an end, I realized there was still another 20 or so pages to go in the book…which led to some very unexpected twists and turns. While this is the first book that I’ve read by Blake Pierce, I expect to read more of her novels.

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could've been a great thriller, but it needs more. It's just not plausible that a recovering addict meets a girl and has a 2 minute conversation with her on his first day on the job, then wants to solve her murder. Also, I would not advise the audio version of this book.

[yvonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted this book to be good. It is so slow and repetitive. I seriously thought about dnf. I held on to the end. The ending was decent/. That's thereason for second star. I do not recommend.

[Linda Hamilton · Rating 1 out of 5]

First, the grammar left a lot to be desired, which was very distracting. The plot was thin and derivative. Characters appeared for no reason and the last chapter wrap-up was as expected, even to drunken mom going to AA meetings.

[Alberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Las tramas que me gustan a mí. Trepidante y rebuscadas hasta el final.

[Gelatina Caliente · Rating 1 out of 5]

Suerte que es gratis para el kindle. Es una historia que tiene muchas cosas, pero no siento que se acabe de profundizar sobre ninguna trama.

No me gusta nada la manera en la que está escrito el libro, pese que el protagonista es un chico hay partes del libro que se expresa como en femenino, lo cual lo hace confuso y hace que no te enganches a la historia. Lo mismo pasa con la detective, que se presenta en la historia como una mujer, pero hay partes en que se dice EL detective y se interpreta como un hombre. Aparte que cuando hay diálogos entre más de dos personas, se vuelve muy difícil en alguna parte adivinar quien está hablando.

Creo que en si la historia podía haber sido buena pero se ha quedado en el camino. No hay un claro desenlace con Julian y Clara, y el plot twist final con la señora Winslow no tiene demasiado sentido y es bastante desconcertante tipo, como sabe lo de él y Vivian? como se acerca tanto a Lila? y a la madre?

No me ha gustado nada el libro, ni como se enfoca el protagonista, ni los otros personajes, ni como se va desenvolviendo la historia.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hidden Past - a review by Rosemary Kenny.

They say you can choose your friends, but not your family - and that's certainly true for the victim in Blake Pierce's thriller, A Hidden Past.

Homicide Detective Lena Ramirez's latest murder investigation begins when pool-cleaner Nathan Harlow finds the body of a young woman who's drowned in suspicious circumstances.
Was this simply a tragic accident...or a cover-up for something nefarious?

See if you worked it out before the answers are revealed in the final chapter, by reading this riveting murder-mystery... satisfaction's guaranteed!

[§amantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! Something a bit refreshing from this author. I found this to be different from this author other books, where your main character is a detective of some sort. You're following 19 year old nate, mostly and some detective Lena in this book. I wasn't shocked by the twist kind of knew something was coming in that nature. Over all pretty decent book. I'd give 5 stars but the epilogue for me was lacking in some explanations.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

surprise ending

Just when you think you have it all figured out, you discover that you don’t. I like Blake Pierce‘s books. I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. A Hidden Past is no different. I would’ve been happier without the language, but I’ve come to guess that’s the way people talk nowadays. Unfortunate that writers think they have to do the same. There are a few errors that should’ve been caught by editors, but they aren’t enough to distract from the reading.

[Terri]

OWN- GOODREADS GIVE AWAY BOOK
Nate Harlow is a seemingly average 19-year-old college student who takes on a summer job for extra cash. He expects to be skimming pools for rich families. He never expects to find a dead body.

As a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks, Nate is already a fish out of water. And now he feels compelled to solve a murder.

But behind these gilded mansions lie secrets better left alone.


Or he may be the next one found floating face-down…

[Annette Sullivan · Rating 1 out of 5]

slow and boring boy teenage angst stuff

Ok, so I didn’t read a lot, but with the story covering alcohol abuse, drug use, a life of crime, loose morality, throw in blasphemy and foul language and I’m not sure why anyone would want to finish this book.
Oh did I mention it’s written in the voice of a very mixed up drug using, emotionally and financially abused teenage male.

[Rebecca Augustine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Summer Job as a Pool Cleaner Winds up being more than Routine

When Nate Harlow takes on a job as a Pool Boy at an exclusive gated community in the Los Angeles area, he is simply hoping to earn a few extra dollars to help with college. The last thing that he expects is to find is the body of the daughter of one of his clients, face down in their swimming pool!

[Mel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me!

I couldn't finish reading! This was strange & I felt the subject matter was something not worth my time. This is a far cry from other B.ake Pierce books.
I'm not sure that I will be buying or reading future books by this author!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story isn't bad, but I couldn't identify with the 19 year old drug addict son of an alcoholic who takes a summer job and has sex with a client on his 1st day.
It's a little weird and I must say, I didn't see the end coming.

[Mary Bemis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Book!

I really liked this book. It was full of twists and turns. Just when you think you have it figured out, the author throws in an amazing ending. I highly recommend this book.

[Gene Burch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshing

Some mysteries set you on edge, but others flow with an underlying strength. After the characters are made to evolve and the plot becomes intriguing, that's when the easy word flow begins.

[Lillian Bobbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

I really enjoyed this book. It is a young man that’s the main character and that’s different. Most books are about young ladies. It’s good to look through a man’s eyes for a change.

[Deanna Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved it! Enjoyed it very much…

I was shocked til the end of chapter what??!! I had no idea that Julian’s mom is Edith while she drugged him in a coffee..he’s a good kid I must say…

Looking forward to read more book soon…

[Alfonso]

Un thriller con final feliz t desconcertante.
La traducción deja bastante que desear te confundes y a veces parece que hay saltos con la consiguiente perdida de continuidad, también confunde algunas veces el género de los personajes.

[Debbie Joyner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was different from most of Blake's books. It has a good plot with an exciting ending. I believe a series about Nate Harlow could be very interesting. Thanks for the book!

[Rimona Seay · Rating 5 out of 5]

very nice

It’s a total shocker at the end. But it’s a great story about justice for everyone. I love the clear message about justice and unfairness in society

[William Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid popcorn thriller - quick read and entertaining. Hope it becomes a series!

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

So-so. Almost quit reading it. But did get curious as to where it was going.

[Dan A. Foster · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hidden

What is not hidden is the gratuitous use of f-bombs and a disregard for the names of deity. No thanks.

[patricia sendelbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

The young Nate is carrying a big chip on his shoulder. The characters are more like caricatures of themselves. Surprise ending. The boy doesn't get the girl.

[sandra k smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

very suspenseful

Great read from start to finish, many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and engaged. A brilliant ending.

[Sherrie Gallegos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad story but a lot of grammatical errors. Not what I expected from Blake Pierce.

[Marsha Garber · Rating 2 out of 5]

EASY READ TO KILL SOME TIME

Read this book and enjoy your youth!
The story of a young man, his summer job, his need to solve a murder and his romantic relationships.

ENJOY