Joanna Harper, detective from Golding’s first novel, Little Darlings, returns for more. It seems Golding knew Detective Harper was a particularly compelling character and decided to devote more of the detective’s story to the page. Smart move. Harper’s character, already well rounded in Little Darlings, continues to come to life in The Hidden, a new novel from Melanie Golding coming early November.
We got to interview Melanie Golding for the website. Find that interview here!
Synopsis from GoodReads: “One dark December night, in a small seaside town, a little girl is found abandoned. When her mother finally arrives, authorities release the pair, believing it to be an innocent case of a toddler running off.
Gregor, a seemingly single man, is found bludgeoned and left for dead in his apartment, but the discovery of children’s toys raises more questions than answers.
Every night, Ruby gazes into Gregor’s apartment, leading to the discovery of his secret family: his unusually silent daughter and his mentally unstable wife, Constance, who insists that she is descended from the mythological Selkies. She begs Ruby to aid in finding the sealskin that Gregor has hidden from her, making it impossible to return to her people.
DS Joanna Harper’s investigation into Gregor’s assault leads her to CCTV footage of the mother-daughter pair from town. Harper realizes she knows the woman almost as well as she knows herself: it’s her estranged daughter, Ruby. No matter the depth of Ruby’s involvement, she knows she will choose her daughter over her career.”
With a pinch of folktale, Golding grinds the possibility of fantastical elements into the dark, gritty landscape of our real world. Characters do bad things. They make questionable decisions. At its core, it is a thriller. However, in this, her sophomore novel, Golding seems more comfortable flexing her particular writing style. With prose skills like a seasoned literary writer, Golding pinches moments between her fingers and inspects them, pins them to a board and lets them wriggle, dripping every detail into the story.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced, drag-out, punch-in-the-throat thriller, this isn’t for you. There are moments where we linger inside the lives of these characters, getting to know them slowly, like a quiet friend. In this way, it’s certainly a slow burn. Golding has the writing chops to handle the literary slant in her thrillers. And it never felt overwritten. But it’s definitely for a particular type of thriller reader. Don’t expect intense action in every chapter. Do expect a well-rounded story with eerie, dark undertones that delivers on its promise.
Without a doubt, the initial questions (What happened to the unconscious man? Where is this little girl’s mother?) is compelling enough to hold the weight of the novel. What I love about her stories so far in her budding career is that there’s always a question: is there truth to these folktales or is it only in our minds? The story builds momentum, consistently picking up pace, culminating in a downhill run straight into icy waters. I couldn’t put it down and you won’t want to either.
“Melanie Golding is a graduate of the MA in creative writing program at Bath Spa University, with distinction. She has been employed in many occupations including farm hand, factory worker, childminder and music teacher. Throughout all this, because and in spite of it, there was always the writing. In recent years she has won and been shortlisted in several local and national short story competitions. Little Darlings was her first novel, and has been optioned for screen by Free Range Films, the team behind the adaptation of My Cousin Rachel.” – Crooked Lane Books
[…] this seems like your thing, be sure to check outThe Hidden by Melanie Golding! And here’s an interview with the author as […]