Hide & Seek

by James Patterson

Maggie Bradford is on trial for murder - in the celebrity trial of the decade.
As one of the world's best-loved singer-songwriters, she seems to have it all.
So how could she have murdered not just one, but two of her husbands?

Will Shephard was Maggie's second husband.
A magnificent athlete and film star, he was just as famous.
But Will had dark, dangerous secrets that none of his fans could have imagined... that his own wife could never dreamed of.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Detective

429 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 28, 1995

About the author

Official US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[Diane (IF U'RE PRIVATE, PLEASE SKIP ME!!!) Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay!
It was a mind provoking book -- engaging at times but i'm still disappointed with the plotline..(paperback!)

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stand alone thriller published 1995.

4 stars.

When I started this book the last thing I though would happen was that I would give it 4 stars but believe me it’s worth every one of them.
Over the years I’ve not been one of JP’s greatest admirers so this really took me by surprise.
It’s a typical JP format, short chapters, lots of pace and tension. But what was unusual was that the book started out strong and just kept going.
My normal experience with most JP books I have read in the past is that it doesn’t take long before credulity it thrown out and sentimentality takes over but not so here.

This is the story of Maggie Bradford, thrice married, singing super star and mother of two. We join the story as Maggie sits in her prison cell awaiting her trial for the murder of her third husband. For the police the death of Maggies latest husband is just a step too step far. Three husbands and three deaths. Can coincidence be stretched that far? The police think not.
So here we have Maggie in prison writing her version of all that has happened to her since the death of her first husband and what a tale it turns out to be.

Once again I have to say how much I enjoyed this and have no hesitation recommending it as a thrilling read.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie was hiding in the crawl space under her house, holding her baby girl close. The cold was seeping in; the terror was all-encompassing. She tried to keep Jennie quiet while listening to her husband, Phillip, yelling, shouting, ranting above their heads. He was going to kill them, Maggie knew, but he had to find them first…

Maggie Bradford was a singer songwriter, a well-loved and adored star. Her beloved Jennie and her and Patrick’s son, Allie were who she lived for. They even called themselves JAM – Jennie, Allie, Maggie. But currently, Maggie was in jail awaiting trial for murder. She knew she was innocent, but how to convince everyone else she didn’t murder Will Shephard – husband, athlete, actor, liar, psychopath…

Hide and Seek by James Patterson is an incredibly chilling thriller which completely threw me at the end. The twist was one I did not see coming! And what a twist it was!! I have owned this book for a long time – August 2011 in fact. I’m so glad I’ve finally read it as the gritty but snappy chapters kept me reading well into the night. Although a long published edition – 1997 – it’s definitely worth the read. Highly recommended.

[fleurette · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not my kind of thing. Most of the story is the biography of Maggie Bradford, the singer, starting from her miserable first marriage, then her later years. This part has first person narration which I generally don't like in my books and I don't like it here too. Another huge part of the book is the biography of Will Shephard, the famous football player and the second husband of Maggie. This part is even harder to read since Will has a very disturbing character and personality.

Maggie is accused of killing Will (the same way she killed her first husband). But for more than 75% of the book we mostly read the biographies of Maggie and Will. The last one forth of the story focuses of the trial and this part I finally found interesting. I totally admit to skipping through some biographical parts but this final suspense (centred around the questions: what really happened? did Maggie kill Will?) is what I quite enjoy. In fact I like it enough to consider rising my notes up to 3 stars. I wish the whole book is like that, I wish the actual suspense part is much more developed. Here we've got interesting but still a biography of miserable life of fictional singer mostly presented by herself. The suspense is unfortunately only a minor part of the book.

Also, the story reminds me a lot of Public Secrets by Nora Roberts. If you liked Hide and Seek, Public Secrets may be your thing.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent stand alone novel by James Patterson.
Short chapters, fast paced, full of action, sound familiar?

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I've not seen the name of the author, after the first dozens of pages I've put all my money on Jeffrey Archer. But, as much as I've read more, the gap between Mr. Patterson and the Englishman has became more than obvious: less brightness, less flair, lack of drama at the end of the chapters. However, the novel looks a decent one, until the final, a seventeen century one: no ADN in identification of "Will", no gynecologist for Jennie, no evidence of the second shot, almost seven weeks trial for little more than nothing. So, three stars are surely more than enough...

[Sully (sully.reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hide and Seek is my first novel by American author, James Patterson. This novel made quite an impression to me but it isn't the type of book that hooked me till its end. I can still say that It is a page-turner because you could imagine the drama and mystery it entails the readers but it only ends at that.

The novel tells the story of a famous singer Maggie Bradford who once killed her husband in order to protect herself from scurrilous attacks and at the second part of the story, being accused of murdering his second husband, Will Shepard. Due to Maggie Bradford's history of killing her first husband to get out of the abusive ways, it began to fuel speculation and accusations when she had again killed her second husband. And during those tormenting moments she had entered the world of go Hide and Seek.

*Sorry for the spoiler*
Although I tried to appreciate the verdict of Maggie Bradford. I don't think she deserves it. It is a good idea that the author intended to highlight domestic violence but then the victim was charged guilty because she just kept choosing the wrong type of husband? What a wisecrack sense of justice! Meeeh -___-

Moreover, James Patterson focused more on the background of the characters instead of the seemingly awesome plot. It could have been better though. It could have.

[Kaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was one of my least favorite Patterson novels. There is nothing wrong with it except that I didn't care about any of the characters. Most of the story is told from Maggie's point of view. As a young wife she killed her abusive husband to protect her child. She goes on to a fabulous song-writing and singing career. But the story is told in flashbacks from her sitting in jail awaiting trial for killing her current husband after she is already a success. She comes off snarky and smug instead of frightened about the outcome of her trial. The ending was so predictable. Not up to Patterson's usual writing.

[Chiara Cilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sconvolgente e seducente!

STREPITOSO! Non mi viene in mente nessun'altro termine con cui cominciare questa recensione. Questo Thriller con la lettera maiuscola mi ha avvinghiata sin dalle primissime pagine e non mi ha più mollata. La scrittura di James Patterson mi ha ammaliata e i capitoli brevi e incisivi mi hanno resa letteralmente famelica. Ogni volta mi ripetevo «Solo un altro capitolo» per poi continuare e continuare, in preda a una smania crescente.

Una brama alimentata da Will Shepherd.
Lui, il secondo marito.
Lui, il protagonista assoluto di questa storia.
Lui, la Follia.

Così come Tyrion Lannister era ossessionato dal voler conoscere il motivo per cui suo cugino schiacciava gli insetti con tale ferocia, così io, pagina dopo pagina, volevo capire questo ragazzo. Avevo bisogno di capirlo. Will è una sirena e anch'io, come Maggie, mi sono ritrovata intrappolata nella tela che con maestria lui ha iniziato a tessere fin dalla sua prima comparsa. Che astuto manipolatore! Che sinistro attore! Will Shepherd è questo e molto, MOLTO di più. È un incantatore dalla mente profondamente disturbata che anela disperatamente a essere amato e compreso davvero. Ed è assolutamente divino nella sua pazzia.

Non voglio dirvi altro o continuare a delirare come una fangirl per il villain di questa storia, che va assaporata rigo dopo rigo. Posso solo dire che Il secondo marito è un crescendo di adrenalina e ansia che vi farà andare in fibrillazione. Un Must Read, assolutissimamente. Lotterete con Maggie per la vostra vita, soccomberete al fascino oscuro di Will... e rimarrete a bocca aperta nell'incredibile e inquietante finale!



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[Rhonda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terribly flat dialogue and unrealistic situations. Characters were cardboard. Heroine was unlikable and stupid.

Patterson should refrain from trying to write a female main character. At 6% in our heroine gives this description of herself, "I glanced at my own reflection in the cab's window. Very long, blond hair, mostly with a mind of its own, but my best physical attribute, I thought. Freckles that no amount of makeup would ever cover. Nose a little out of proportion. Brown eyes that had, I knew, regained at least some of their half-forgotten sparkle. A small mouth, thickish lips - made, as Phillip joked in the happy days, for fellatio."

I finished this only because I committed myself to read it for a group reading activity. Being tortured on the rack would have been easier. Hide and Seek has since been deleted from my Kindle - permanently and the hardcovers I had picked up previously at the $1 per book library sale are sitting by the door in a box - ready to be donated back to the library for some other fool to pick up.

The author seems to have a low opinion of women and is, in my opinion, a total ass! Nuff said.....

[Mrjackthepoodle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not my cup of tea. I feel that however it is a nice break from Alex Cross this was just not a break I needed. Maggie Bradford was a dull character to me, however maybe I just feel that way because I cannot relate to her situation.
I felt that Patterson focused way to much on Maggie's life and how she lived and not enough of her marriage to Will Shepard and the developing collapse of their marriage. I just felt that is was a long and drawn out book that never really captured my attention.
Finally I just felt that the ending was not really clever nor realistic. And to me, with her first husband's shooting, abuse was clear and it was obviously in self defense, her second by heart attack, and then another shot after he beats her up. I for one find it hard to believe a woman in that situation would be ever considered a murderer.
This book I can see being good for some people, however this is one book that I can actually say I feel as though I wasted my time reading it.

P.S. This is my first post ever! I hope to post lots more reviews!

[Melodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hide &Seek is one of Patterson's stand alones. A famous singer finds herself in jail, charged in the murder of her husband. Two thirds of the book is Maggie Bradford telling the reader how she came to be sitting in jail. Interspersed is the murdered husband and his background and profoundly disturbing personality.
While not one of my favorites, it's still a page turner with a few surprises for this jaded reader.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was OK. It's main problem was that the first 2/3 of it was just a woman telling us all about her life, love life in particular, over the past 10 or so years. This was pretty boring as I don't read James Patterson to hear a woman describe how beautiful her wedding was and how each new guy in her life made her feel so special (actually I don't read Patterson at all, I only listen to him on audio books). The redeeming aspects of the book are that the premise of the story is the main character is a pop star on trial for murdering her husband. She has also killed a former husband earlier in life, but that was pretty cut and dry self defense. The end of the book is more classic Patterson with some good action, mystery, and twists. The book reads like Nicholas Sparks wrote the first half, while the woman is recapping her life, then Patterson takes over for the trial and ensuing action. Not one of his better/more exciting books all the way through, but the end will probably make you forget how boring the beginning was.

[Taznina Zaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

একটা থ্রিলারের জন্য থ্রি স্টার রেটিং কমই হয়ে যায়, বিশেষ করে সেই বইটা যদি হয় জেমস প্যাটারসনের। কিন্তু আমার কাছে বইটা ভয়াবহ বোরিং লেগেছে, একই কাহিনীর পুনরাবৃত্তিতে হতাশ হয়েছি। কাহিনী নতুন করে বলার কিছু নাই, সিডনি শেলডনের বইয়ে অসংখ্যবার এই কাহিনী পড়াঃ একটা সাধারণ মেয়ের তারকাখ্যাতি পাওয়া এবং এমন একটা অপরাধে অভিযুক্ত হওয়া যেটা সে করেনি। এই অতি পরিচিত প্লটটাকেও সুন্দর করে উপস্থাপন করা যেতো কিন্তু করা হয়নি। ম্যাগির একটার পর একটা প্রেম, বিয়ে, খুন আর ট্রায়ালের গল্প পড়তে পড়তে অধৈর্য হয়ে ভাবছিলাম এই বই শেষ হবে কখন? মোদ্দা কথায়, বিরক্তিকর আর ক্লান্তিকর অভিজ্ঞতা।

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Bradford, a sweet, young, blonde star that trouble seems to find or is it follow? Maggie is forced to kill her first husband to save her daughter but why does death follow her. Two more husbands - both dead. Is she the black widow or is something more sister here at play? A fantastic read! Kudos to Patterson for yet another mind blower!

[Kelsey Fischer · Rating 1 out of 5]

My friend and I decided to read this because we’d never actually read James Patterson and we needed to justify our shit talking about him. But wow, I didn’t actually expect for this to be as bad as it was.

The writing reads like a rushed first draft, words are in quotations for no apparent reason, and small bizarre things often happen that don’t make much sense to the plot or characters. Not to mention there’s a lot of rape and violence against women. Our heroine doubts herself for no compelling reason. The twist at the end is worth an eye roll for its unbelievability. Skip it.

[Dollie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I’m just having a bad book reading spell. I’d read Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider and I even read When the Wind Blows. I have Cat & Mouse and Jack & Jill so I borrowed Hide & Seek from the Library. I was really disappointed in this story. Did she do it? Didn’t she do it? If she didn’t do it, who did? Way too much of that in this book. I like mysteries, but they need more of a story than this tale of womanly woe. I didn’t like Maggie at all and thought Will was a psychotic wimp. I think Maggie’s daughter Jennie was about the only character I did like. Maggie should be a stronger female character, but instead she’s a wimp. If you must read it, hopefully you’ll borrow it from a friend or the library.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was actually busy with another book, but we went on a motorbike weekend and the other book was too heavy to carry, so i grabbed this one. :)

it was a quick read and oh my word - suspenseful ... very hard to put down.

although i enjoyed it, it's not really my cup of tea. i prefer historical fiction, but like to try something different every now and again. well, at least i can say i've read a james patterson now. :)

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn into the story from the beginning. James Patterson makes you feel right along with the MC in this book. It is like you are pulled into her tragic life. The ending was a complete surprise and totally unexpected. Another hit from Mr. Patterson.

[Maddy Gold · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars. 1 star because this is, in fact, a book. There are words on the page. The extra ½ star is because I was mildly interested in how or why Maggie killed all those husbands and there was some intrigue at the end.

Let’s start with the positives:
1. The font was big, so it was a fast read.
2. The chapters are short, which compels you to keep reading.

The negatives, in no particular order:
1. The juvenile writing. This book feels like a horny teenager wrote it. The sentences are crammed with so many adjectives that it feels clunky to read and the writing style trivializes the horrific things Will Shepherd does to women. It’s hard to feel tension when there is no buildup. I’m not saying I want a play-by-play of Will assaulting the women, because I don’t, but those scenes are very tell, and not show.

2. It’s not just the scenes with Will, the whole book is tell, not show. We are led to believe that Maggie is a huge singing star, but we don’t feel that reality. On page 277, we learn “I’d sold close to twenty million albums; I’d won eleven Grammy Awards.” At the beginning of the book, she’s a nobody, and then, about 12 chapters in, she’s a somebody, but we don’t get to go on that journey with her. I know it isn’t the point of the book, but it would have been nice to ground us in her reality a little more.

3. SPOILER: Will’s desire to hurt women comes up when he feels that he isn’t the best in the world. I’m sure that people like this exist, but the writing is so sub-par, that each one of these interactions makes me mad rather than scared, horrified, thrilled(?). Egomania can be the motivation, but Will is such a two-dimensional villain that I didn’t find it a compelling enough reason to care. Example: he’s been having an affair with the leading lady in a movie he’s also starring in, and at the end of the shoot she tells him that it’s over, it was just a fling. This man’s ego is so fragile, he decides to bleed her almost to death because he isn’t the best sex she’s ever had.

“I go back to California, you become Mr. Maggie Bradford, just like you were.”
Will blinked. The words stung. “And what we had out here?” he asked Suzanne.
“We had some fine times, didn’t we? You’re good, Will. One of the best.”
…”Oh sweetheart. I’ve had the best! Actors, other athletes, ski bums. But you are very good. No worry there”
He could feel ancient demons…Jesus he hated to lose. He couldn’t bear failure. (233-234).

4. Will Shepherd goes to live with his aunts in England after his father’s death. When we meet them, it isn’t specified if these aunts are sisters with each other (and his mother), or if they are lesbians, or what the living arrangement is. I say this because the vagueness can only lead me to assume that…SPOILER: Will has sex with his biological aunt. We finally get clarification in Chapter 96. This aunt is introduced in Chapter 6. One sentence in chapter 6 would have been helpful to contextualize the scenario and his warped relationship with women.

5. Maggie Bradford is so self-conscious about her height. She is described as 5 ft 8 in tall at one point and she goes out of her way to mention what a freak she is at least six times. “I was dressed in my usual outfit: a loose white peasant’s blouse, long skirt, flat shoes, so I wouldn’t be a millimeter taller than I was” (273). A giant of a woman! An abomination!

6. This passage:

“He was there with his wife, an ordinary-looking woman who wore huge, oval-rimmed glasses and no makeup. I remember wondering why so attractive a man would marry this woman, but when we got a chance to talk, I liked her a lot. The Nizhinskis told me they were both fans. Hoopty-doo” (328).

a. Maggie demeans this woman because she doesn’t wear makeup and therefore doesn’t conform to the stereotype of womanhood that society demands. But Maggie herself shuns fancy parties and showiness in favor of raw emotion and realism in her music. So why the judgement, hmm?

b. The phrase “hoopty-doo.” Has anyone ever said this out loud? She also says things like “hooo boy” (50, 398) and “Hooo boy, hoo boy, hooo boy” (65).

7. The descriptions of a side character, Norma Breen. “And it was Bailford who came up to her as she hefted her slightly overweight body out of her car” (314).

Hefted. This other woman carries an “extra twenty pounds” so “a lot of men were overlooking her” (345). So she’s maybe a size 8 or 10? A freak! An abomination!

8. Toward the end, SPOILER: when Will comes back to the house and Maggie finds him in Jennie’s room, Maggie chases him into the front yard with the gun he bought. He attacks her and beats her so hard she breaks multiple ribs (or so she says). She passes out and the gun goes off. Next thing we know, she’s waking up in her bed, bruised and battered, and a cop tells her she’s under arrest for murder. Now, one would think, the fact that she’s beaten within an inch of her life matters, but it doesn’t. It never comes up again. The only explanation I can think of is that Patterson forgot that Maggie had some recourse for self-defense in favor of introducing a twist in the third act.

9. While no women explicitly “breast boobily,” I submit that Will “dicks cockily."

10. Will describing himself as the “werewolf of insert location” every time he went looking for a woman to assault.

If you liked this book, then more power to you, but I won’t be taking any more James Patterson novels out of the Little Free Library in my neighborhood.

[Scott A. Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very good early Patterson. Solid mystery if slightly disjointed. An enjoyable read, nonetheless. He truly put Maggie through the wringer and wrote a true madman of a villain.

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

ocr:
p78: "...Don't,leave me in such terrible suspense."

p265: She is not as sweet as her voice, as alluring as her melodies, as compassionate ate as her lyrics.

p340: Hardy-bar, he laughed at his Hootie joke.

Man, I was excited for the courtroom scenes (because I've never read one from Mr Patterson as far as I can remember) but boy, it was smack at the rear end of the book.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie Bradford is a famous singer and songwriter. Many of her songs are based on the pain and heartbreak she feels because she killed her abusive husband before he killed her and their daughter Jennie. Years later, Maggie falls for famous soccer player Will Fletcher. As readers, we know Will is a psychopath who has killed before. Maggie shoots him outside her home after finding him with Jennie.
Now she must undergo trial for killing her second husband.

I'm pretty sure I read this book when it came out 20 years ago. The title is familiar but the story is not. Patterson throws in some major twists near the end of the book. I didn't suspect the ending.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie Bradford has had it tough when it comes to romance. She had to kill her abusive husband, and later she loses an older and rich lover to a heart attack while the two of them are sailing. The worse of it comes when she meets soccer star Will Shepherd who is a double image of David Beckham.

Besides being well known from the field, the Golden Arrow is also quite the ladies man. He has no trouble finding romance. Unfortunately for most of the ladies he ends up seeing, things don't usually turn out well. In fact, as time goes by, their experiences get progressively worse ... and gorier.

Will tries to put all that aside when he and Maggie start to see each other. She has recovered from the loss of her lover, and has used her personal history to write a number of wonderful songs that, along with her voice, catapult her into superstardom. In some ways, they are made for each other, and the tabloids just eat the world's newest glam couple right up.

Their marriage leads to the expected rocky road and a murder trial that ends up being totally off track in a way that only Patterson can create. Will and Maggie both star in the narrative, with Maggie being presented in first-person and Will in third person. Ironically, the reader fully knows what is going on in their heads, but he is still totally caught off guard by what really happens in the end.

This is not necessarily one of his best, but Patterson did put together another nice read with this one.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The first day that I started reading this book, I read for 2 hours because it just grabbed me right away. I love that it has nice short chapters, because it made me read faster. And I love the way it is written, with not too much description of everything. It has just enough for you to picture what is going on. It was written in a way that just kept you going from chapter to chapter to find out what was next. I couldn't put the book down, I read this book in 7 sittings that were each around an hour to an hour and a half long, and I normally read slowly. It was the fastest I've ever read a book. It was great! :)

[Oana · Rating 4 out of 5]

O carte tipica James Paterson, usor de parcurs,cu capitole scurte, actiune intensa si suspans.
Desi nu sunt capodopere literare, imi plac foarte mult cartile autorului, si aceasta nu a fost o exceptie. De-a v-ati ascunselea nu abundă in descrieri si detalii inutile, ci reuseste sa tina cititorul in alerta, deznodamantul fiind socant si neasteptat.
Maggie Bradford, o cunoscuta cântăreața de muzica country este acuzata de uciderea, soțului sau, faimosul jucător de fotbal Will Sheperd. Din pacate aceata nu beneficiază de prezumția de nevinovăție, deoarece trecutul sau ascunde, o alta crima, comisa asupra fostului sot, in legitima aparare.
Este Maggie o victima a destinului sau o criminala cu sange rece?

[Himel Rahman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoiler!
It's not for the first time that I am quite disappointed with so-called New York Times Best Seller book. All I could think, while reading, was, "what is this?"
I wish I didn't read it, really.
Will kills his brother, his twin, and disguises himself as his brother. Well? What a twist, damn!
Maggie shoots Will in his leg and Will becomes dumb and can't talk.
Maggie's attorney is a secret member of a secret bar, so the judge spares Maggie from the charge of murdering her husband, Will.
I won't suggest

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very suspenseful novel about childhood trauma, domestic abuse & sexual violence. The two narrators are Maggie Bradford and Will Sherman, both of whom had emotionally difficult childhoods that have left them scarred in different ways which shape their lives. They both make it big, she in the music industry & he as an elite athlete. They both have a murder in their past. Intentional, self-defense? You will know. Maggie seeks love through connections, Will discards people, predominantly women, at will (no pun intended). There lives are told until they intersect with each other. By that time, I'm screaming in my head "No Maggie, don't be seduced by this horrible, sadistic, egotistical man!", but then there would have not been the action that propels the story from the beginning. Nice twist towards the end. One big question mark for me, I may have to re-read a section to see if I can resolve it or was there really a goof.

[Shah Si Pencinta Buku · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maggie bangkit setelah keluar dari penjara akibat membunuh suaminya. Bangkit menjadi seorang 'Superstar' yang lagu dan suaranya berkumandang di mana-mana. Lagunya menarik Will Shepherd untuk mendekati dan memilikinya. Namun bahagia untuk Maggie tidak berkekalan.

Trauma seperti yang dialami Maggie mengambil masa yang lama untuk dipulihkan. Namun bersama orang tersayang, pesakit mampu pulih secara perlahan-lahan. Namun, trauma ini juga boleh kembali andai ada sesuatu trauma terjadi yang boleh mencetus kembali perasan lama.

SH merasa kasihan dengan hidup Maggie yang penuh dengan trauma hingga sukar untuk mempercayai orang lain. Trauma membuatkannya cuba menjauhkan diri daripada berhubungan dengan insan lain.

Mental illness dan juga trauma perlu dibantu dan dirawat agar tidak mengganggu fungsi harian hidup. Dalam naskah ini bukan sahaja Maggie yang bermasalah tapi juga Will. Dia mampu menjadi seorang yang tidak berperasaan apabila melakukan kesalahan.

[Michael Obiora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Within a few pages I could clearly see why James Patterson has sold a ridiculous amount of books. His style of storytelling is very simple (absolutely nothing wrong with that), and the action moves fluidly.
Hide and Seek is only the second book written by James Patterson that I’ve read but I can definitely get a sense of a writer sticking to a formula that works (and why the hell not?). Some of Patterson’s works have been adapted for the silver screen, and perhaps after striking gold with his Alex Cross novels he found a blueprint that works, and has consistently found a way to give his readers what they want. To me that is a skill, and if I was in the same position as a writer I’d do the same thing. For some reason authors don’t seem to have the same freedom as musicians, or film makers (screenwriters, directors) when it comes to telling stories. And by freedom I mean that there seems to be a type of snobbery in the literary world. An author seems to get criticised for writing anything with a semblance of mass appeal to it. In a way, maybe I was put off because James Patterson has sold trillions of his books. I’m not completely sure, but maybe. And this could be because I know that the statistics for reading - especially among a certain age and demographic - aren’t good. Therefore maybe leading me to be suspicious of a book that has been read so widely. This is an attitude that I’m trying to move away from, and reading Hide and Seek is one of my steps. Ultimately I think it’s important for people to read, it shouldn’t be seen as a pastime reserved for the intelligent. And people shouldn’t look down at others for reading something for the “popcorn” aisle. So what? It’s entertainment, and each to their own. Who is anybody to judge?

The lead character in this story is Maggie Bradford, a world famous singer who is accused of killing two of her husbands. I found her likeable (although I don’t think I could marry her!) I felt that Patterson did a good job of presenting us with a female protagonist without it seeming contrived. I would say this for me was the most skillful thing about this story. My favourite character was Maggie’s second husband, Will Shepherd. He is a former Premiership superstar striker who becomes a Hollywood film star when his football career is cut short. We see him descend further and further into madness, and as an actor he’d be a complex character to portray.
Could I have cared more for the characters? Perhaps. But it wasn’t a chore for me to get to the end, and this end had a good twist. The short chapters may put off others but this actually made me want to read on. Maybe I am biased on this point because short chapters are a trait of mine as writer. Hey, if it’s good enough for the multi-million selling Patterson...

Hide and Seek was first published in 1988 but it doesn’t read as too dated to me. I’ve got one more James Patterson book on my shelf to get through, but after that I very much doubt I’ll be reading more from this writer to learn anything new. However, if a non reader came up to me and asked where they should start fiction-wise, I’d happily hand this book over to them as I don’t think they’d struggle to finish it.