"Hidden", by Catherine McKenzie

This is not the type of story I fancy but since I loved all the books written by Catherine McKenzie so far I had to give this one a go… In a nut shell this is a story of an accidental death that leads to secrets revealed and second thoughts. It is also a story that explores issues of trust, loss and betrayal of two families.

How well do you really know your spouse?

The story moves along and develops via three points of views and said in alternate chapters: by Claire, the dead man’s wife, by Jeff the dead man himself who strangely enough was killed on page 8 and by Trish, who may or may not be Jeff’s mistress. The language is vivid and lyrical and the writing reflects the complexity of the modern marriage. Each player tells about each other, reveals their inner thoughts and especially wants our sympathies. We see their struggle to weigh desire against obligation and what is right versus what is wrong. By the end we wonder: did Jeff and Trish have an emotional affair? By then, it is up to us to decide….

“Hidden” is a complex and emotional story but is short of being fantastic and is not especially unique. I fast became bored and contemplated abandoned it many times, it was simply not a story I enjoyed or even liked the direction it was going to. Although I laboured through many pages to keep up with it I did managed to see the end.

This was not my Catherine McKenzie favourite although it may be yours.