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Something to Hide
A tale of happenstance and second chance from the author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
“Nobody in the world knows our secret . . . that I’ve ruined Bev’s life, and she’s ruined mine.”
Petra’s romantic life has always been a car-crash, and even in her sixties she’s still capable of getting it disastrously wrong. But then she falls in love with Jeremy, an old chum, visiting from abroad. The fatal catch? Jeremy is her best friend’s husband.
But just as Petra is beginning to relax into her happy ever after, she finds herself catapulted to West Africa, and to Bev, her best friend, whom she’s been betraying so spectacularly. Meanwhile, on opposite sides of the world, two other women are also struggling with the weight of betrayal: Texan Lorrie is about to embark on the biggest deception of her life, and in China Li-Jing is trying to understand exactly what it is her husband does on his West African business trips . . .
It turns out that no matter where you are in the world, everyone has something to hide. Can Bev—can anyone—be trusted?
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2015
131 people are currently reading
1513 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Moggach
48 books567 followersDeborah Moggach is a British writer, born Deborah Hough on 28 June 1948. She has written fifteen novels to date, including The Ex-Wives, Tulip Fever, and, most recently, These Foolish Things. She has adapted many of her novels as TV dramas and has also written several film scripts, including the BAFTA-nominated screenplay for Pride & Prejudice. She has also written two collections of short stories and a stage play. In February 2005, Moggach was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by her Alma Mater, the University of Bristol . She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, a former Chair of the Society of Authors, and is on the executive committee of PEN.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
January 24, 2023
Some great characters from diverse backgrounds, all of them with something to hide. Each individual personality takes us to a different part of the world, from London, to Texas, Japan to Africa, each with its own unique feel.
From surrogacy to the vile trade of elephant poaching, murder to betrayal, they're all thrown into the mix, but the author manages to link all these lives together really well. Deborah Moggach weaves her magic here with some wonderful portrayals, bringing her subjects very much to life.
From surrogacy to the vile trade of elephant poaching, murder to betrayal, they're all thrown into the mix, but the author manages to link all these lives together really well. Deborah Moggach weaves her magic here with some wonderful portrayals, bringing her subjects very much to life.
October 11, 2017
Before Deborah Moggach’s novel, These Foolish Things, was transformed into The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, I was a regular reader of her perceptive and understated novels which capture real people and the routine dramas that occupy our everyday lives. Whilst her writing never quite falls into the chick-lit genre, she manages to impress with her depiction of a life littered with the milestones of marriage, adultery and motherhood in a sensitive manner and her characters are frequently well out of the twentysomething age bracket. In the space of less than 250 pages Moggach chronicles the lives of six different characters and crosses four continents in her determination to show that just about everyone, somewhere, is withholding their own secret. Despite the financial disparities, myriad domestic circumstances and economic variations, she manages to expose and shed light on the dilemmas and exhilarating highs of living and loving and the lengths that we go to in order to preserve our hopes and dreams.
The linchpin and pivotal character within the story is picture researcher Petra, a woman well into her sixties and eternally disappointed by the men in her life. As she chronicles her echoing loneliness and desire for someone to share the easy familiarity and humour of everyday life with all she needs is to read another smug blog post from her best friend and former flatmate, Bev. As Bev pushes send on another of her zippy emails gushing on about her perfect thirty-five-year marriage to flamboyant Jeremy and their sojourn in west Africa, Petra feels physically sick. However, a reunion and subsequent visits to London by solo traveller, Jeremy, soon blossom into a smouldering passion between he and Petra and sees the pair committing the ultimate betrayal of Bev with a new life together in London planned.. Until one fateful moment sees Petra travelling across the globe to face Bev, with her world turned on its head. As a former litigation lawyer for a large pharmaceuticals firm, Jeremy had recently shunned the corporate life and thrown his lot in with the effort to support the livelihood of the rural Kikanda tribe and Petra and Bev both find themselves questioning the exact nature of his work, leaving them to wonder how much they really knew about Jeremy.
In a very different continent army wife and mother Lorrie Russell is seeking a way to recoup the best part of the families life savings after she is fleeced in a phishing scam with an audacious deception of her husband and her intention to become a surrogate mother without his knowledge. But as Lorrie of Texas finds Chinese businessman, Wang Lei, a tough proposition to warm to, she wonders if her baby will really be loved and why his wife is so uninvolved in the whole process. Likewise his isolated wife, Li-Jing also has her own concerns surrounding the secrecy of her husband’s business trips to Africa, his hard-nosed attitude to finance and the eternal lonelinesss of their marriage. The lives of these six individuals all come to a head in the continent of Africa, where all four women learn more about their shared connections and Moggach ends with several plot twists unfolding to close at an unexpected juncture after a timely series of events.
The intention of Deborah Moggach was clearly based on the theory of a butterfly effect underlying all these disparate lives and showing how we are all connected to each other, but in the space of sub three-hundred pages it was a tall order to expect her to achieve such substance. Despite leaving a mediocre impression, Something to Hide does contain some pithy wisdom and insights on life, love and everything in between, the most incisive of which is from the free-spirited and whimsical Petra as she contemplates chancing her arm on one final fling:
Whilst Something to Hide opened at a jaunty pace and concentrates largely on the Petra/Bev/Jeremy saga, Moggach shows far less attention to her other ménage a trois with surrogate mother and Texan Lorrie Russell for Wang Lei and his wife Li-Jing and this is noticeably the weaker thread. Despite her sensitivity, Moggach’s portrayal of the lives of Lorrie and her family in Texas felt very threadbare and this certainly reduced my interest in their role in the story. All in all, a mixed bag but not without its notable highs and I rather wish that Deborah Moggach has focused on showcasing her array of skills with a full expose of the Petra/Bev/Jeremy situation. For a full length exploration of two very different women linked to the same man which shares more than a passing resemblance to the world of Petra and Bev, I highly recommend the albeit now dated Close Relations, a 1997 novel by Moggach.
The linchpin and pivotal character within the story is picture researcher Petra, a woman well into her sixties and eternally disappointed by the men in her life. As she chronicles her echoing loneliness and desire for someone to share the easy familiarity and humour of everyday life with all she needs is to read another smug blog post from her best friend and former flatmate, Bev. As Bev pushes send on another of her zippy emails gushing on about her perfect thirty-five-year marriage to flamboyant Jeremy and their sojourn in west Africa, Petra feels physically sick. However, a reunion and subsequent visits to London by solo traveller, Jeremy, soon blossom into a smouldering passion between he and Petra and sees the pair committing the ultimate betrayal of Bev with a new life together in London planned.. Until one fateful moment sees Petra travelling across the globe to face Bev, with her world turned on its head. As a former litigation lawyer for a large pharmaceuticals firm, Jeremy had recently shunned the corporate life and thrown his lot in with the effort to support the livelihood of the rural Kikanda tribe and Petra and Bev both find themselves questioning the exact nature of his work, leaving them to wonder how much they really knew about Jeremy.
In a very different continent army wife and mother Lorrie Russell is seeking a way to recoup the best part of the families life savings after she is fleeced in a phishing scam with an audacious deception of her husband and her intention to become a surrogate mother without his knowledge. But as Lorrie of Texas finds Chinese businessman, Wang Lei, a tough proposition to warm to, she wonders if her baby will really be loved and why his wife is so uninvolved in the whole process. Likewise his isolated wife, Li-Jing also has her own concerns surrounding the secrecy of her husband’s business trips to Africa, his hard-nosed attitude to finance and the eternal lonelinesss of their marriage. The lives of these six individuals all come to a head in the continent of Africa, where all four women learn more about their shared connections and Moggach ends with several plot twists unfolding to close at an unexpected juncture after a timely series of events.
The intention of Deborah Moggach was clearly based on the theory of a butterfly effect underlying all these disparate lives and showing how we are all connected to each other, but in the space of sub three-hundred pages it was a tall order to expect her to achieve such substance. Despite leaving a mediocre impression, Something to Hide does contain some pithy wisdom and insights on life, love and everything in between, the most incisive of which is from the free-spirited and whimsical Petra as she contemplates chancing her arm on one final fling:
“His marriage, his work, the country he loves - he’s leaving all of it for me. By contrast, our love affair is my world, it floods every nook and cranny. There’s such an imbalance; sometimes I wonder if our bond is too frail to support this huge sacrifice on his part. Will he start to resent me?”
Whilst Something to Hide opened at a jaunty pace and concentrates largely on the Petra/Bev/Jeremy saga, Moggach shows far less attention to her other ménage a trois with surrogate mother and Texan Lorrie Russell for Wang Lei and his wife Li-Jing and this is noticeably the weaker thread. Despite her sensitivity, Moggach’s portrayal of the lives of Lorrie and her family in Texas felt very threadbare and this certainly reduced my interest in their role in the story. All in all, a mixed bag but not without its notable highs and I rather wish that Deborah Moggach has focused on showcasing her array of skills with a full expose of the Petra/Bev/Jeremy situation. For a full length exploration of two very different women linked to the same man which shares more than a passing resemblance to the world of Petra and Bev, I highly recommend the albeit now dated Close Relations, a 1997 novel by Moggach.
July 16, 2016
2 stars
I was excited to read Something to Hide. On the surface, it sounds intriguing. Four women are keeping secrets from their husbands. What happens when these secrets come out? However, I was disappointed.
I am not going to bother with a plot summary, as the book is uneven and focuses significantly more on one character’s story, Petra, than the other three. By the end, it seems as if the other women’s stories are all but forgotten. The author could have completely eliminated the other three women’s stories, and the focus could have been solely Petra. I also had some issues with Lorrie’s portrayal; her characterization was that of an obese, ignorant American (who at times used British expressions).
I gave the book 2 stars instead of 1 because I found Petra’s story to be compelling enough to finish the book. I would not recommend.
I was excited to read Something to Hide. On the surface, it sounds intriguing. Four women are keeping secrets from their husbands. What happens when these secrets come out? However, I was disappointed.
I am not going to bother with a plot summary, as the book is uneven and focuses significantly more on one character’s story, Petra, than the other three. By the end, it seems as if the other women’s stories are all but forgotten. The author could have completely eliminated the other three women’s stories, and the focus could have been solely Petra. I also had some issues with Lorrie’s portrayal; her characterization was that of an obese, ignorant American (who at times used British expressions).
I gave the book 2 stars instead of 1 because I found Petra’s story to be compelling enough to finish the book. I would not recommend.
August 8, 2015
It is many years since I last read a Deborah Moggach book and I had quite forgotten just how good her reads are. Her characters are real, they jump out of the page at you and you very quickly become entwined in their lives, and this book is no exception.
Our main character here is Petra, a woman probably in her early sixties, divorced and living alone. The one thing she dreads is spending the rest of her years alone. She wants to be loved. But, when she does find that love she is going to end up betraying someone very close to her. The story weaves its way from Pimlico to Africa, and China to Texas as there is a second story unravelling in the background. Texan Lorrie is a woman with a secret that she cannot tell her husband but thinks she may have found a way to solve all her problems and hopefully save her marriage. It is a story stuffed with betrayals, counter betrayals and secrets, told mostly from Petra’s point of view. As her story unravels you keep wondering how the China/Texas side of the read is going to converge – eventually they sort of intertwine as we see how the actions and decisions someone makes can have a dramatic effect on the lives of unknown people on the other side of the world.
There is a wonderful prologue to this read which is quite long in itself and introduces a number of characters. The one thing you will note is that this prologue is very secondary to the main story, which is totally different in the feel and setting. However, the people you meet here will have a profound if subtly told effect on the lives of the main characters.
I loved this read, which is a real curl up on the sofa with a bottle of wine and box of chocolates one, and a story which gets darker and darker the more you get into it. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Our main character here is Petra, a woman probably in her early sixties, divorced and living alone. The one thing she dreads is spending the rest of her years alone. She wants to be loved. But, when she does find that love she is going to end up betraying someone very close to her. The story weaves its way from Pimlico to Africa, and China to Texas as there is a second story unravelling in the background. Texan Lorrie is a woman with a secret that she cannot tell her husband but thinks she may have found a way to solve all her problems and hopefully save her marriage. It is a story stuffed with betrayals, counter betrayals and secrets, told mostly from Petra’s point of view. As her story unravels you keep wondering how the China/Texas side of the read is going to converge – eventually they sort of intertwine as we see how the actions and decisions someone makes can have a dramatic effect on the lives of unknown people on the other side of the world.
There is a wonderful prologue to this read which is quite long in itself and introduces a number of characters. The one thing you will note is that this prologue is very secondary to the main story, which is totally different in the feel and setting. However, the people you meet here will have a profound if subtly told effect on the lives of the main characters.
I loved this read, which is a real curl up on the sofa with a bottle of wine and box of chocolates one, and a story which gets darker and darker the more you get into it. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
February 20, 2016
Marvelous book! (Which I won through a GR giveaway.)
(And really, I need to stop giving 4 and 5 stars to so many books. Problem is, I DNF those I don't like, which would prob. get ratings of 1 or 2.)
Now to this book...
The story of four women and how they interconnect, with one of the four sort of the MC. Each woman has a story, or something to hide, but 60ish Petra is the story's central focus. She's alone and lonely and finds herself in an affair with the husband of her best friend. This is no spoiler, it's established early on. How she deals with this is the main crux of the book.
However, circulating around these lives are lies, betrayals, suspicions and fears, and the book is written so realistically, it's chilling in places. It's like I know these women. I'm old enough myself to have met them, talked to them, or heard them gossiped about behind their backs. My mother knew them, as did my grandmother, and when I was a child they talked about these women, too, always clamming up when I entered the room. The stories are eternal, is what I'm saying. I found the book utterly engrossing, read it in two days, which I only do with a book to which I am thoroughly committed
So five stars and thank you, Deborah Moggach. Great book.
(And really, I need to stop giving 4 and 5 stars to so many books. Problem is, I DNF those I don't like, which would prob. get ratings of 1 or 2.)
Now to this book...
The story of four women and how they interconnect, with one of the four sort of the MC. Each woman has a story, or something to hide, but 60ish Petra is the story's central focus. She's alone and lonely and finds herself in an affair with the husband of her best friend. This is no spoiler, it's established early on. How she deals with this is the main crux of the book.
However, circulating around these lives are lies, betrayals, suspicions and fears, and the book is written so realistically, it's chilling in places. It's like I know these women. I'm old enough myself to have met them, talked to them, or heard them gossiped about behind their backs. My mother knew them, as did my grandmother, and when I was a child they talked about these women, too, always clamming up when I entered the room. The stories are eternal, is what I'm saying. I found the book utterly engrossing, read it in two days, which I only do with a book to which I am thoroughly committed
So five stars and thank you, Deborah Moggach. Great book.
August 9, 2015
I really enjoyed this book and read it very quickly, as I was so keen to find out what happened. I did however guess the storyline at each and every turn, which was slightly disappointing, but the characters were well written, not particularly likeable but very believable; I could relate to them and the story did move at a cracking pace. This could have been a 4 or possibly even a 5 star rated book for me except for the fact that the interwoven story of the American Lorrie was far too hastily (and sloppily?) wrapped up. I thought that the author got so carried away with Petra and Bev that she seemed to have almost forgotten Lorrie and then half heartedly added some crumbs to try and tie it up at the end. Unfortunately Lorrie's ending was just too unbelievable. Passports? Registration of birth and father/husband? Stitches and only one week until hubby returns! Maybe there will be another book coming about Lorrie? There certainly should and could be, as her situation was just as interesting and her story far too good to simply be a gap filler.
July 26, 2015
“Nobody in the world knows our secret... that I’ve ruined Bev's life, and she's ruined mine".
Thoroughly enjoying The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as a movie led me to read the book originally titled These Foolish Things, by Deborah Moggach. The book differs in some details from the movie and is a darker, but more poignant story.
I admire the talent of the writer who can create a set of characters, seemingly with no common bond, then weave them into a cohesive whole. Deborah Moggach has this ability, particularly succeeding for me in that there are no blinding flashes of light, her characters just happen to be in, or of, a place in time where their paths cross.
In Something to Hide, Deborah Moggach draws together the story of four disparate women who live in Pimlico, West Africa, Texas and Beijing.
In Pimlico, 60-something Petra learns the current love of her life is not on business, he is on “monkey” business with a much younger woman. Will there ever be someone who loves her, who wants her because of who she is, not for what they can gain or should she accept it’s time to buy a dog?
In West Africa, Bev lives the good life; her marriage is just one long adventure. Husband Jeremy is a high-powered lawyer but loses his passion for trampling on the underdog and instead puts his considerable energy into a charitable support network for a local tribe. Bev collects every stray dog which comes her way. But is life as good as it seems?
In Texas, Lorries sees an advertisement which promises a better life for her obese kids. This will solve all their problems and as a bonus, she will get her the home of her own she so desperately wants. Except … the ad is a scam and Lorrie loses her family’s life savings.
In Beijing, Li-Jing accompanies her husband to a doctor’s appointment where he is told that due to his low sperm count, they will never have children of their own. Rather than the morose reaction she expected, her husband is quite buoyant and takes her to a home he has built. When she remarks it is a large house for just two people, he replies “We will have a child”.
As we learn more about the lives of Petra, Bev, Lorrie and Li-Jing, even though they don’t necessarily see it, their lives are intertwined. Each character has “something to hide”, so although their paths cross, some of the connections are not made for the character, but rather for the reader. Other connections are up close and personal for both the character and the reader.
Seemingly the story in the prologue of Ernestine, an African woman, who carries her business on her head, does not have anything to do with the other characters, but there is a connection. Immediately clear is the town of Oreya, in West Africa, but I admit, it was while mulling over this review that I put other clues together.
This is a satisfying read and renewed my promise to myself to read other Deborah Moggach novels. I love the way she weaves people into the landscape, her ability to make subtle, but nonetheless meaningful connections. Thanks to Random House, via NetGalley for my ARC.
Thoroughly enjoying The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as a movie led me to read the book originally titled These Foolish Things, by Deborah Moggach. The book differs in some details from the movie and is a darker, but more poignant story.
I admire the talent of the writer who can create a set of characters, seemingly with no common bond, then weave them into a cohesive whole. Deborah Moggach has this ability, particularly succeeding for me in that there are no blinding flashes of light, her characters just happen to be in, or of, a place in time where their paths cross.
In Something to Hide, Deborah Moggach draws together the story of four disparate women who live in Pimlico, West Africa, Texas and Beijing.
In Pimlico, 60-something Petra learns the current love of her life is not on business, he is on “monkey” business with a much younger woman. Will there ever be someone who loves her, who wants her because of who she is, not for what they can gain or should she accept it’s time to buy a dog?
In West Africa, Bev lives the good life; her marriage is just one long adventure. Husband Jeremy is a high-powered lawyer but loses his passion for trampling on the underdog and instead puts his considerable energy into a charitable support network for a local tribe. Bev collects every stray dog which comes her way. But is life as good as it seems?
In Texas, Lorries sees an advertisement which promises a better life for her obese kids. This will solve all their problems and as a bonus, she will get her the home of her own she so desperately wants. Except … the ad is a scam and Lorrie loses her family’s life savings.
In Beijing, Li-Jing accompanies her husband to a doctor’s appointment where he is told that due to his low sperm count, they will never have children of their own. Rather than the morose reaction she expected, her husband is quite buoyant and takes her to a home he has built. When she remarks it is a large house for just two people, he replies “We will have a child”.
As we learn more about the lives of Petra, Bev, Lorrie and Li-Jing, even though they don’t necessarily see it, their lives are intertwined. Each character has “something to hide”, so although their paths cross, some of the connections are not made for the character, but rather for the reader. Other connections are up close and personal for both the character and the reader.
Seemingly the story in the prologue of Ernestine, an African woman, who carries her business on her head, does not have anything to do with the other characters, but there is a connection. Immediately clear is the town of Oreya, in West Africa, but I admit, it was while mulling over this review that I put other clues together.
This is a satisfying read and renewed my promise to myself to read other Deborah Moggach novels. I love the way she weaves people into the landscape, her ability to make subtle, but nonetheless meaningful connections. Thanks to Random House, via NetGalley for my ARC.
July 14, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. Interestingly the first person narrator, Petra, is quite an unpleasant character, full of jealously and bitterness and occasionally, self-delusion. Perhaps what makes her slightly more empathetic is the comparison to her hideous friend Bev, with all her 'sweetie pies' and her casual racism, and her lover, the morally flexible Jeremy, involved in murky expat business dealings.
I suppose my criticism of the novel is that the parallel story of Lorrie and her surrogate pregnancy is underdeveloped and wrapped up too soon. Are we meant to think her husband and children really didn't have any idea about her pregnancy and that everything turned out hunky dory?
I suppose my criticism of the novel is that the parallel story of Lorrie and her surrogate pregnancy is underdeveloped and wrapped up too soon. Are we meant to think her husband and children really didn't have any idea about her pregnancy and that everything turned out hunky dory?
March 19, 2023
I enjoyed this book mostly - there were a couple of things that didn’t add up but it was quite good. I do like this author and would read more by her 😊
June 29, 2015
I'm not a particulary fast reader but I sped through Deborah Moggach's latest novel Something to Hide* in two days, which is pretty spectacular for me. I wasn't even trying to finish it which I think probably shows the ease in which Moggach's writing manages to capture my attention. Obviously as the name of the book suggests the characters are all involved in a series of secrets which all connect to each other in various ways. Some more closely than others.
There's Petra the sixty something year old divorcee who lives in England and has just started a love affair with her best friends' husband of thirty five years; Lorrie, a Texan army wife and mother of two who has just lost their family's life savings through an internet scam and Li Jing, who doesn't know what her husband does for a job outside of their Beijing apartment, she just knows she's relieved to find out that her husband's infertility and not hers is to blame for their lack of a child. Linking all of these stories is the setting of Oreya, West Africa where Petra's lover works and Jing's husband has business connections to the dark business of the ivory trade.
Despite the multiple storylines Something to Hide is an easy and interesting read and one that had me ploughing through it in just a few hours. I enjoy the way Moggach has an eccentric cast of characters who are all far from perfect and Something to Hide is a fascinating exploration of the lengths we go to protect others from our secrets. The only downside to this novel is the split storytelling does take away from developing any emotional connection between the reader and the characters. Although it makes for a quick and enjoyable plot and I was never quite sure which direction the story was going to end up in I also felt like sometimes Moggach only allowed a glossing over some of the characters situations. The story of middle aged philanderer Petra was given the most page time but it would have been great to have a similar insight into Lorrie's story especially as her answer to covering up her losing their life savings is extremely mad-cap.
All in all Something to Hide was a really enjoyable, funny and a bit mad in parts read that I think would be perfect for those looking for a light and easy story to get hooked into.
For more book reviews check out Sundays and Ink http://sundaysandink.blogspot.com.au
There's Petra the sixty something year old divorcee who lives in England and has just started a love affair with her best friends' husband of thirty five years; Lorrie, a Texan army wife and mother of two who has just lost their family's life savings through an internet scam and Li Jing, who doesn't know what her husband does for a job outside of their Beijing apartment, she just knows she's relieved to find out that her husband's infertility and not hers is to blame for their lack of a child. Linking all of these stories is the setting of Oreya, West Africa where Petra's lover works and Jing's husband has business connections to the dark business of the ivory trade.
Despite the multiple storylines Something to Hide is an easy and interesting read and one that had me ploughing through it in just a few hours. I enjoy the way Moggach has an eccentric cast of characters who are all far from perfect and Something to Hide is a fascinating exploration of the lengths we go to protect others from our secrets. The only downside to this novel is the split storytelling does take away from developing any emotional connection between the reader and the characters. Although it makes for a quick and enjoyable plot and I was never quite sure which direction the story was going to end up in I also felt like sometimes Moggach only allowed a glossing over some of the characters situations. The story of middle aged philanderer Petra was given the most page time but it would have been great to have a similar insight into Lorrie's story especially as her answer to covering up her losing their life savings is extremely mad-cap.
All in all Something to Hide was a really enjoyable, funny and a bit mad in parts read that I think would be perfect for those looking for a light and easy story to get hooked into.
For more book reviews check out Sundays and Ink http://sundaysandink.blogspot.com.au
November 2, 2016
The plot was contrived and most of the characters unbelievable but nonetheless this book is a real page-turner.Bev was realistic up to a point ( one only need check Facebook to see how routine it is to embellish the story of one's life!) but I found Petra's endless search for a loving relationship improbable. Most sixty something's of my acquaintance are too exhausted or too disillusioned! And she's doing something high-powered with books, although that seems to fall by the wayside very quickly! The book is very visual, the sunsets, sights and smells of Africa vividly drawn and I was amazed to discover that the author had only ever spent a week there. As for Lorrie, I do hope she put her children on a diet!
February 18, 2016
This book drew my attention in part because of Moggach's previous novel, The Exotic Marigold Hotel. I was anticipating the same sense of humour. While there was some of that lightheartedness, it possessed more intrigue and pathos. I feel that some of the characters could have been developed and focused upon more regularly. The portrayals of Lorrie and Li-Jing are not as satisfying - they left me wanting to know more about their circumstances and predicaments. I guess I felt a bit short-changed when it came to their situations. I felt as though they were left on the periphery by Moggach forced to fend for themselves so to speak. The jury is out on this one for me.
February 9, 2018
This was one strange story of women with big secrets, one downright criminal. As they play out, Petra's secret becomes an absolute nightmare and the focus of the book. I'm not sure why the other women's stories fell to the side, but I think the author missed the boat by not developing their characters. It bothered me, too, that the book was in need of some editing concerning the Lorrie (American) character. The British author doesn't speak "American" and Texans don't "have a nap." However, it kept me entertained as I had to know how everybody ended up, so in that way, it was a good read.
July 19, 2015
Deborah Moggach is the author from The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which has been turned into a top grossing film staring Judi Dench. The book Something to hide is a warm, witty and wise novel about the unexpected twists that later life can bring. It turns out that no matter where you are in the world, everybody has something to hide.
July 28, 2016
Hugely enjoyable summer read.
November 10, 2024
Audiobook recommended by Chris which I enjoyed although again I didn’t like the characters!
A fairly predictable plot with a satisfying ending. Having always thought I’d like to go to Africa on a safari I don’t think I do anymore.
A fairly predictable plot with a satisfying ending. Having always thought I’d like to go to Africa on a safari I don’t think I do anymore.
September 19, 2025
Not bad but I found too much of the book was spent on Petra’s character whose development and storyline is far less compelling than the others. Petra really started to grate on me.
February 4, 2016
From AntonySimpson.com:
In Something To Hide by Deborah Moggach, each of the six main characters, spread across the world, has a secret. Their lives are intricately and cleverly linked by Moggach’s plotting. Moggach writes in the perspective of four of the six main characters:
Petra in London. Poor Petra had been through a difficult divorce. So when she finds love, in an unexpected person, the reader empathises with her, even knowing that he’s married to someone else. Petra’s character is interesting at first, but towards the end of the book she does begin to feel a bit whiny.
Bev & Jeremy in West Africa. Bev’s character is great, multifaceted, very real and a missed opportunity for Moggach whom didn’t write any scenes in her perspective. Moggach didn’t write any scenes from Jeremy’s perspective either, so the reader doesn’t really get to know him directly.
Li-Jing & Wang Lei in China. The reader will really feel for Li-Jing. Wang Lei dragged himself out of poverty with his drive and ambition.
Lei uses this drive and ambition to try to solve the problem he’s presented with at the start of Something To Hide. The reader will wish they learned more about him and it would have been great to have a chapter in his perspective, especially because of his importance in the book.
Lorrie in Texas. Lorrie’s husband is in the army, so she is at home with two kids. That is until she is scammed out of their life savings. She comes up with a cunning plan to earn the money back, but in the meantime can she keep the secret? Especially with the physical changes she goes through as the nine months of pregnancy progress. Lorrie is very likeable and it would have been good to get to know her better.
The pacing of Something To Hide is appropriate, unravelling a plot that is full of twists and turns. What let this book down was the lack of writing in the perspectives of the male characters whom played key roles within the story. The ending of the book is painfully drawn and dragged out.
Overall Something To Hide is a reasonable book. One that the reader will enjoy and be entertained by, but that will leave the reader feeling as if only half of the story was told. It wont stick in the readers memory as a memorable story.
In Something To Hide by Deborah Moggach, each of the six main characters, spread across the world, has a secret. Their lives are intricately and cleverly linked by Moggach’s plotting. Moggach writes in the perspective of four of the six main characters:
Petra in London. Poor Petra had been through a difficult divorce. So when she finds love, in an unexpected person, the reader empathises with her, even knowing that he’s married to someone else. Petra’s character is interesting at first, but towards the end of the book she does begin to feel a bit whiny.
Bev & Jeremy in West Africa. Bev’s character is great, multifaceted, very real and a missed opportunity for Moggach whom didn’t write any scenes in her perspective. Moggach didn’t write any scenes from Jeremy’s perspective either, so the reader doesn’t really get to know him directly.
Li-Jing & Wang Lei in China. The reader will really feel for Li-Jing. Wang Lei dragged himself out of poverty with his drive and ambition.
Lei uses this drive and ambition to try to solve the problem he’s presented with at the start of Something To Hide. The reader will wish they learned more about him and it would have been great to have a chapter in his perspective, especially because of his importance in the book.
Lorrie in Texas. Lorrie’s husband is in the army, so she is at home with two kids. That is until she is scammed out of their life savings. She comes up with a cunning plan to earn the money back, but in the meantime can she keep the secret? Especially with the physical changes she goes through as the nine months of pregnancy progress. Lorrie is very likeable and it would have been good to get to know her better.
The pacing of Something To Hide is appropriate, unravelling a plot that is full of twists and turns. What let this book down was the lack of writing in the perspectives of the male characters whom played key roles within the story. The ending of the book is painfully drawn and dragged out.
Overall Something To Hide is a reasonable book. One that the reader will enjoy and be entertained by, but that will leave the reader feeling as if only half of the story was told. It wont stick in the readers memory as a memorable story.
August 15, 2015
Everybody has Something to Hide by Deborah Moggach
What's in a name?
Deborah Moggach's 'Everybody has Something to Hide' makes an intriguing read, and the tension mounts throughout the book as the coming to light of what is hidden gradually plays out in the lives of the characters.
This is the first Deborah Moggach I have read and it definitely encouraged me to read more of her novels. Her letter to the reader on the first page gave enlightening stories of some of her life experiences that fed into the storylines of the different characters. The prologue gave a cameo of life in Oreya in West Africa, where much of the novel was set, and elements like the 'tro-tro' (taxi) and the phone charging booth in the market place, as well as the woman who carried a beauty parlour on her head, were then met as the novel itself unfolded.
From the blurb, I expected more balance in terms of the several female characters and their different lives on different continents, but Petra emerged as by far the most prominent character. As Moggach says, Petra is 'emotionally pretty fragile' and yet she has a resilience which helps her survive the stresses and emotional strains that she goes through. The other women, Lorrie, Li-Jing though their storylines are smaller, also command empathy from the reader and I found them believable.
I found the question of what each character is hiding was interesting to keep in mind while reading, and made me question whether in fact this is always true to in real life, in one way or another.
In some ways it seems a sad book, as the love relationships and friendships portrayed seem to disintegrate, end or not to have lived up to the ideal, but it is also a hopeful book where characters survive what they go through and I felt there was a future for them.
The final page was heartwarming, perhaps showing that at least for one character, things had worked out exactly as she had hoped. A thought-provoking book that would be good reading group material in my opinion.
What's in a name?
Deborah Moggach's 'Everybody has Something to Hide' makes an intriguing read, and the tension mounts throughout the book as the coming to light of what is hidden gradually plays out in the lives of the characters.
This is the first Deborah Moggach I have read and it definitely encouraged me to read more of her novels. Her letter to the reader on the first page gave enlightening stories of some of her life experiences that fed into the storylines of the different characters. The prologue gave a cameo of life in Oreya in West Africa, where much of the novel was set, and elements like the 'tro-tro' (taxi) and the phone charging booth in the market place, as well as the woman who carried a beauty parlour on her head, were then met as the novel itself unfolded.
From the blurb, I expected more balance in terms of the several female characters and their different lives on different continents, but Petra emerged as by far the most prominent character. As Moggach says, Petra is 'emotionally pretty fragile' and yet she has a resilience which helps her survive the stresses and emotional strains that she goes through. The other women, Lorrie, Li-Jing though their storylines are smaller, also command empathy from the reader and I found them believable.
I found the question of what each character is hiding was interesting to keep in mind while reading, and made me question whether in fact this is always true to in real life, in one way or another.
In some ways it seems a sad book, as the love relationships and friendships portrayed seem to disintegrate, end or not to have lived up to the ideal, but it is also a hopeful book where characters survive what they go through and I felt there was a future for them.
The final page was heartwarming, perhaps showing that at least for one character, things had worked out exactly as she had hoped. A thought-provoking book that would be good reading group material in my opinion.
May 3, 2015
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and really liked it.
What matters in today’s global society? Everything anyone does has an impact, at least in this novel. Everyone has a secret and many things are not what they seem. The story starts in London, Texas and China but converges in Africa, the often forgotten continent and along the way the reader realizes it doesn’t matter where we live, we are all capable of betrayal.
I was hooked from the moment I opened the book, not only because the story for me was close to home and it was easy to identify with Petra and what she was going through, but also because it rings so true. The author presents us with friendship and betrayal, nostalgia, compassion and bewilderment at what the world has become. The characters are portrayed beautifully with all their flaws, hopes and dreams.
It is an exquisitely written story about what matters and how we often don’t recognize the fleeting nature of life. At the end of the book Petra says: “How have we become so old? It seems to have happened while we weren’t looking.��� This book made me look closer. I finished it in a weekend and it was time well spent.
What matters in today’s global society? Everything anyone does has an impact, at least in this novel. Everyone has a secret and many things are not what they seem. The story starts in London, Texas and China but converges in Africa, the often forgotten continent and along the way the reader realizes it doesn’t matter where we live, we are all capable of betrayal.
I was hooked from the moment I opened the book, not only because the story for me was close to home and it was easy to identify with Petra and what she was going through, but also because it rings so true. The author presents us with friendship and betrayal, nostalgia, compassion and bewilderment at what the world has become. The characters are portrayed beautifully with all their flaws, hopes and dreams.
It is an exquisitely written story about what matters and how we often don’t recognize the fleeting nature of life. At the end of the book Petra says: “How have we become so old? It seems to have happened while we weren’t looking.��� This book made me look closer. I finished it in a weekend and it was time well spent.
August 25, 2015
The beginning of this book introduces three characters who seem ordinary people, living everyday lives, facing challenges which we or our family/friends/neighbours are facing every day. What is there about them that could possibly be of interest to me? But Deborah Moggach draws me into their stories until I read late into the night.
The Prologue is set in Africa, the plot revolves around Africa though not always in an obvious way. Don’t read the ‘Dear Reader’ letter from Moggach at the front of the book, save it until you’ve finished reading. That way, you will turn the page, drawn into the story of each woman - Lorrie in the USA, Jing and her husband in China, Petra in London – wondering how they can possibly be connected. Their situations are universal and Moggach demonstrates how globally connected we are these days, globally similar despite our assumptions and generalizations about things we know nothing about. But at the end of the day, it is a book about those universal things: love and lies.
This is a thoughtful book, with dramatic settings. I can certainly see it as a film.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
The Prologue is set in Africa, the plot revolves around Africa though not always in an obvious way. Don’t read the ‘Dear Reader’ letter from Moggach at the front of the book, save it until you’ve finished reading. That way, you will turn the page, drawn into the story of each woman - Lorrie in the USA, Jing and her husband in China, Petra in London – wondering how they can possibly be connected. Their situations are universal and Moggach demonstrates how globally connected we are these days, globally similar despite our assumptions and generalizations about things we know nothing about. But at the end of the day, it is a book about those universal things: love and lies.
This is a thoughtful book, with dramatic settings. I can certainly see it as a film.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
June 9, 2015
I enjoy Deborah’s writing style, so had little doubt that this would be a good read. Somehow she manages to tie up the most far flung destinations and mix up the most unlikely walks of life…successfully. I started off reading about a market in Africa and because this is a preview on my kindle, came back to what I thought was a completely different book at one point!! The hazards of not having a real front cover and bookmark (old school, I know). Each scenario and personality is painted beautifully whether it is the oppressed Japanese wife, the American military family, the best friends separated by a continent but united by their love of the same man. In the mix is surrogacy, elephant poaching, naturally grown slimming aids, murder and deceit. An unlikely combination? Not a bit of it – the story gathers pace as each strand is linked together and the reader is led to find empathy with each of the women portrayed. Good summer read.
July 30, 2016
Deborah Moggach has such an ability to be able to weave separate storylines in and out of each other and still maintain a coherent story. I was a little confused in the beginning at the Prologue wondering why it was there when it seemed to have nothing to do with the storylines when lo and behold, a couple of characters popped up way in the last part of the book as minor characters. She is so good at that.
This time the main locations the story takes us to are London, England; Beijing, China; White Springs, Texas; and Assenonga, West Africa. Now if THAT is not enough to already pique your interest, I do not know what can. Moggach, the magic story weaver, takes us on a journey to have all of the paths of these characters from these locations cross several times, sometimes unknowingly, and sometimes quite vividly.
Love, money and ageing do strange things to people and those they love and nowhere is that more apparent than this delightful novel.
This time the main locations the story takes us to are London, England; Beijing, China; White Springs, Texas; and Assenonga, West Africa. Now if THAT is not enough to already pique your interest, I do not know what can. Moggach, the magic story weaver, takes us on a journey to have all of the paths of these characters from these locations cross several times, sometimes unknowingly, and sometimes quite vividly.
Love, money and ageing do strange things to people and those they love and nowhere is that more apparent than this delightful novel.
July 12, 2015
I have enjoyed many of Deborah Moggach's books in the past and this was no exception.
This begins with two apparently unrelated storylines: Petra, divorced and lonely meets up with the husband of an old best friend and Lorrie, who gets in a financial sticky situation.
From the very beginning it was very readable. At first the two plot lines were quite equitable but as the time went on Petra's became more dominant and I did wonder quite how Lorrie's would fit in. However by the end it was clearer. I do wonder though why the second storyline was not used to make a totally separate novel? But, all in all, a very enjoyable book and up to the usual standard.
Thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy.
This begins with two apparently unrelated storylines: Petra, divorced and lonely meets up with the husband of an old best friend and Lorrie, who gets in a financial sticky situation.
From the very beginning it was very readable. At first the two plot lines were quite equitable but as the time went on Petra's became more dominant and I did wonder quite how Lorrie's would fit in. However by the end it was clearer. I do wonder though why the second storyline was not used to make a totally separate novel? But, all in all, a very enjoyable book and up to the usual standard.
Thanks to Net Galley for the advance copy.
March 8, 2018
Deborah Moggach can be very witty and sly, both characteristics one notices in her writing of Something to Hide. This is about Petra, an Englishwoman in her 60's who falls in love with her best friend's husband. It's also about Lorelei, a mid-western American mother who gets involved in a scam while her husband is away on a tour of duty and how she proposes to recoup her money. Both women's stories intertwine in Africa--the part of the novel that just doesn't ring true and the part I didn't like at all. Deborah Moggach writes better stuff than this.
January 10, 2016
This is a totally readable book. It follows seven characters that as the story moves forward become linked by events, which in some cases are not in their control. Very cleverly written with lots of description of the different places the characters find themselves in. I would recommend this book. Wonderful
July 27, 2016
This wasn't my favourite book of hers but I could appreciate the idea of the different characters' stories and how they interwove eventually. Set in three continents, the novel deals with secrets and how challenging they can make your lives. I liked the fact that the main character, Petra was sixty something!
October 9, 2022
Loved this book, have read a few by the same author. I wasn’t sure at first but was hooked after first few pages. In some ways it was quite heart rending. There was a bit of black comedy thrown in. The parts describing life in Africa were mesmerising . For someone looking for something a little different I recommend this book. If it hasn’t already been done I feel a movie will be in the making.
June 28, 2015
I won this book in a Goodreads giveway. I had never read a book by Deborah Moggach but it will not be my last. I loved this. The characters were richly written and the stories pulled me in. I could not put it down.
April 4, 2016
I had such a great trip with the four threads . China, USA, Africa and England... VERY well written and the characters were so realistic. I haven't been to china, but even those sections felt real. Must look for some of her other books.. VERY contemporary themes, too
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