Mallory Quinn is 21 years old and after a promising start as a star runner in high school, her life came crashing down with injuries that led to drug addition. After staying clean for eighteen months, she is given a chance at employment as a live-in nanny to Teddy, a sweet five year-old. Teddy’s mother Caroline is a doctor who works with addicts and is very understanding of Mallory’s plight. Teddy’s dad Ted has serious concerns about hiring Mallory but gives in. All is going well until Mallory learns of Teddy’s imaginary friend Anya. Teddy's cute drawings start becoming dark and very concerning. The drawings start depicting acts that appear to be scenes from a murder. And they start appearing to be too sophisticated to have been drawn by a child. Mallory learns that there had been an unsolved murder in the guest house cottage she is living in and tries to figure out what the heck is going on. Could Anya be the spirit of the murder victim trying to communicate through Teddy?
The appeal of Hidden Pictures was the continued uncertainty as to what was truly taking place and the effort to uncover the mystery behind the drawings and the strange occurrences. Mallory was a very likeable character who I rooted for as she worked to rebuild her life. Her neighbor, who decides to help her, as well as her sponsor in her recovery, are two strong male characters. While the story does delve in the paranormal, if you’re looking to be scared out of your wits, you won’t be. I found Jason Rekulak’s original book engaging and the twists surprising. And I’d recommend the print version, which includes the creepy drawings.
Many thanks to Flatiron Books / Macmillan Books for the opportunity to read this intriguing book in advance of its publication.
Rated 4 out of 5 stars.
Mystery/Thriller | Horror/Paranormal.
Publication Date: May 10, 2022.
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This book sounds good. Thanks for sharing your very nice review.