When Lou sees an ad for a long-abandoned mining town up for sale, it doesn’t take her long to convince her sister and their oldest friends to go in on the idyllic property buried in the bush – a place where the four families can hide away on weekends, get back to nature and unstick the kids from their screens.
But things start to go wrong before they even arrive for their first camping trip – a rogue deer sends a trailer off the road, a neighbour complains about the fence line and squatters have set up camp down by the river. Soon none of that will matter, though, because by the end of the first night someone will be dead.
At first it seems that hiding a body is easier than keeping other sorts of secrets: a lost job, an illegal crop, an outrageous affair, a little embezzlement. But what’s buried has a way of coming to the surface, and even in the bush, it’s hard to remain unseen.
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The Hiding Place by Kate Mildenhall was a very enjoyable read. The book follows a group of family and long time friends as they buy a property in the bush. The group are city dwellers and each have different ideas of how they would like the property to look and how they will enjoy it. Each character is so different to the next, but have a shared history and genuinely seem to care for each other, that however does not mean they don’t have their own secrets and lies. The group spend a weekend at their new property. Things begin to go awry from the start when they realise that another family is camping on the land and immediately fall into a dispute with a neighbour over a boundary fence, with disastrous consequences. As the book progresses you learn more about each character and what they are capable of. I thought this was a really well written book, that kept me interested from the first to the last page. I would most certainly recommend this book. Kelly, VIC, 5 stars
The story begins as 4 families arrive at their Aussie dream. They have purchased Willow Creek, it’s a stunning hidden paradise with an old pub, a creek for swimming, interesting neighbours, surrounded by eucalypts and acacias. A magic retreat for their kids to play and for friendships to be tested and destroyed. There are rules, can they be followed ? The group’s shared history and past and present relationships, are cleverly woven into an enthralling story with an ever expanding collection of secrets. You will love these families, the characters so real ….. you probably have friends just like them. Friendship, love, truth, betrayal, loyalty, competitiveness, deception, poor decisions, confront them all, both individually and as a collective. “Your sins will find you out” A quiet teenager sees it all Ann and Gayle, VIC, 5 stars
Superb! This book had me gripping the edge of my seat from start to finish. Definitely reminds me a bit of the white lotus in the best ways. A brilliant page turner Julia, WA, 5 stars
I couldn’t put this book down. It is a page turner that kept me up at night as I had to find out the ending. The characters are so well drawn, I felt I knew them. Moody, relatable teenage Stella. We all know a Stella, or perhaps we were a Stella. Defiant and angry one minute, unsure of herself and needing a mother’s love the next. The adults, friends, and family want something different from the holiday—the locals, who are sullenly resentful of the people invading their peaceful existence. When the weather changes from sunshine to rain, tensions rise and long-buried arguments flare up. An accident that will affect them all happens in an instant, and lives are changed forever. The final pages of this book are memorable. Disturbing and unexpected. I had to go back and read them twice. This story will haunt my dreams for a while. A fantastic read with a brilliant denouement. Lyn, SA, 5 stars
This was a fantastically crafted thriller, full of twists and turns and thought provoking questions. What I especially loved about this one is that even at the start of the novel, things are not alright. Everything is fragile but still managing to function, and it doesn’t take much to bring everything crashing down, her sister and long time friend’s decide to buy property in a mining town. A place the four families can hide away on camping trips, get back to nature and unstick the kids from their screens. With a great mix of drama between the group nothing is what it seems and at the end of the first night someone will end up dead. Soon things start to unravel and many hidden secrets cannot stay buried and have a way of coming to the surface. Evelyn, NSW, 5 stars
Best friends, lies, deception and secrets, the perfect combination in this page turner by Kate Mildenhall! I loved the short sharp chapters alternating between the characters. The setting was great, the writing style exceptional, the characters likeable even with all the secrets. I really couldn’t fault it and can’t wait to go camping again! Kate, TAS, 5 stars
I just loved this book so much I read it in two sessions. It was very well written and held my attention. I would highly recommend it. Kathleen, NSW, 5 stars
The Hiding Place by Kate Mildenhall is a fictional work set in regional Australia including a great introduction by the locals which sets the surmised scene. A group of city dwellers have banded together and purchased a small, abandoned mining town set along a river and includes disused mineshafts. The group, mainly organised by Lou, but with decisions made after democratic discussions, consists of eight adults and seven children, with various kin or coupled relationships between the adults. The story unfolds layer by layer and soon becomes a rollercoaster, of which the reader is not sure is under control. This keeps the pages turning and the reading lamp on longer each night. Each chapter has either one of the adults or Stella, a 16yr old daughter of Lou, as the POV. This helps to maintain story clarity as events continue to evolve or consequences become muddied. But it also gives insight into the characters, their strengths and weaknesses plus secrets they hold. Their thought processes may be relatable or shock the reader. An intriguing read with multi-dimensional characters and surprises around each corner. A story which would be interesting to discuss with other readers; perfect for a Book Club title. Merilyn, WA, 5 stars
Love, love, loved this! Another entertaining read by Kate Mildenhall. Read it in one go, I was so absorbed. Every character is different but believable and I was guessing the outcome from page one. Can’t wait for the next book from this Aussie author. Jenny, VIC, 5 stars
The Hiding Place by author Kate Mildenhall was a stellar read that stands out for so many reasons. We are introduced to Lou who comes across an ad selling an old mining town. She quickly persuades her sister and their oldest and closest friends who all throw in some money to buy and go into a deeply hidden property in the bush. It provides a perfect escape for 4 families who can use it as a weekend getaway. When something goes wrong it sets off a whole series of things that go wrong on their first ever camping trip – first a rogue deer sends the trailer off the road, a difficult neighbour has “issues” with the fence line and they soon discover they have squatters down by the river. So many hidden secrets come to the surface – after all how hard can it be to hide a dead body? Other secrets are then unraveled at quite a fast pace – someone has lost their job, an illegal crop is stumbled upon, an affair and embezzlement – none of which anyone saw coming. Everyone soon discovers that what is hidden can soon become seen and everyone has something to hide. Who can they really trust? Catherine, NSW, 5 stars
This book was riveting. Based in rural Australia, I found it relatable and easy to imagine as I live in a similar setting. It held my attention and kept me hooked the entire time Jessica, QLD, 4 stars
A thriller with interesting twists that keep you wanting to find out more. Set over a long weekend on a scenic Australian bush property with a dilapidated old pub and a scenic river. The chapters are told by the main characters of a group of friends that have pooled their resources to purchase this idyllic getaway. I really enjoyed this book as I got to know the characters and the tensions and dramas built . A unique plot in a picturesque bush setting. Karin, VIC, 4 stars
The Hiding Place is a tense, fast-paced thriller that tells the story of four families who buy a bush retreat with an old mining town on it, hoping for a simpler, screen-free holiday. From the start, everything goes wrong – a car accident, a boundary fence dispute with a neighbour, and squatters camping on the block. Everyone arrives at the property with buried resentments, fragile marriages, and private agendas. By the end of the first night, someone is dead—and in the endless bush, a body can be hidden easily enough. Or can it? Told through multiple perspectives, the story unravels a web of secrets and the extent to which people will lie to protect themselves. It was hard to feel sympathy for some of the characters and the decisions they make – in fact, I felt myself cringing and hoping for karmic justice. Well written, for fans of Robin Harding or Hayley Scrivenor. Amanda, SA, 4 stars
The characters in this story could be members of your own family. They are every day people, with every day struggles and secrets. This is one camping trip that will expose all the dirty secrets. Dianne, WA, 4 stars
Great book – relatable characters, very modern day Australia, and took me back to camping as a kid (good memories). I loved the town as a background character as well – great ending. But most of all I loved the twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting – for a book with a lot of characters, I really got a good sense of them all while also being surprised by their actions. I would happily recommend this book to others. Christopher Daniels, NSW, 4 stars
As the new owners of an abandoned property in the bush, gather for their first weekend at Willow Creek, they cannot imagine what the next two days will bring. This is a group of friends with a long history together, and with a variety of ideas of what the property will bring to their lives. It is a slow building thriller with a rather confronting twist on the first night of the weekend, and by the time they reach Sunday afternoon most of their secrets are about to be revealed in a very public way. The characters are all interesting, and tension builds between them as the weekend progresses and secrets are both shared, hidden, and discovered. Fifteen year old Stella has her own ulterior motive for the weekend, and quietly moves among the adults observing their antics, as well as befriending Aiden, a young hunter whose parents are camped by the creek. I’m sure many people have considered purchasing a holiday property with friends and family, but once you read The Hiding Place that idea may remain and idea. The story kept me engaged right to the end and I would highly recommend this book. Catherine, QLD, 4 stars
I’m sure most of us have had that “what if” thought about buying shares with family and/or friends in properties for getaway experiences. I’m not too sure I would do that now, seeing everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, plus more. I was concerned at first that there were too many characters and points of view, but it did work out for me. I would have liked a bit more character background, as they sometimes felt one dimensional. Loved the Aussie setting and occasional ockerisms. Phil was my favourite character through all his experiences, and Josie’s little “side trip” was so well written that I almost felt myself “tripping” with her. I thought the progression of the story worked really well, and starting and ending with the General Store and local gossip were great “bookends.” Extra points for the topical mushroom references. If I’d had the time to read it in one sitting instead of three, I would have devoured it. It would make a great movie or 6 part series. Marcia, QLD, 4 stars
A group of friends and family live the dream of buying a block of land for weekend getaways but the dream is short lived with troubles with the neighbours and secrets within their own group tearing them apart. A slow burn mystery with relatable characters and a twist you don’t see coming! I enjoyed this immensely Rachel, QLD, 4 stars
Their ideal life on the new ‘away from it all’ property with friends and relations is their dream come true. But it quickly becomes a tangled web and this tangled web develops further during their first weekend together, in fact during the first night with an ‘accidental’ murder! Then over the weekend add an unfaithful couple; a man who feels strongly about proving himself – mainly to himself; a 20 something young man dressed in cams and touting a rifle and to top it off, a teenager with a camera. What could possibly go wrong!! There’s plenty of twists and turns through this spiders web of perfect living! The characters are all so very different and the plot is well constructed around them. I liked the layback life of the couple who live in the van beside the creek (with their cam dressed son), but their life will have an impact on all the newbies when they find out the reason that the older couple and their son live where they live. Without knowing it they give the others a good life lesson. None of these people are the same after this first weekend away. Chris, VIC, 4 stars
Wow! A stunning read from Kate Mildenhall. This is an unflinching revelation of human nature – foibles, secrets and hypocrisy. It’s fast paced and easy to read, but if you’re vegetarian, you may need to skim through certain passages. Judith French, NSW, 4 stars
Kate Mildenhall’s The Hiding Place is a compelling novel about friendship, parenting, and community. A group of friends—Lou and Marnie (lesbian mums with teen Stella and son Benji), Phil and Flick (and sons Rueben and Leo), Single mum Ness (with her mum Avril and kids Kai, Winnie, Eden), and academics Josie and Tom—buy Willow Creek, a 4-hectare plot with an old pub, overrun with blackberries and deer, envisioning a phone-free retreat. Conflict arises early over a boundary fence upsetting neighbour Jacob. Ness’s chaotic arrival, jackknifing her trailer, is seen by Jacob. Add squatters Dave, Libby, and their son who are camping by the river, complicates matters. An accident involving Lou and Ness entangles Tom, while Josie’s secretly planted research findings and an unauthorised deer cull stirs tension, revealing secrets among the group. Mildenhall’s shifting character perspectives per chapter keep the story engaging, exploring modern parenting fears, sibling relationships and fragile friendships. Though some plot points feel unresolved, the novel captures human connection’s messiness. Recommended for: Fans of character-driven dramas about family and friendship. Meg, QLD, 4 stars
The Hiding Place is an Australian thriller set over a single weekend that is a bit quirky and a fun read. A group of friends and relatives buy a block of land together to use as their dream escape for the adults and kids. There are a lot of characters, but it is easy to stay on top of the story which is told from multiple viewpoints. The characters are a bit flawed as you would expect and they do some crazy things over the course of the weekend but are somehow still relatable. I totally recommend this as a good read. Jodi, QLD, 4 stars
A slow-paced but enjoyable family & friend drama told through multiple points of view, with almost everyone having something to hide. Slowly all the secrets are uncovered. While I didn’t emotionally connect with the characters, I did to the rural land on which it was set. Megan, NSW, 3 stars
I really wanted to like this novel more than I did. I like the writing style, I enjoy books where the story is told from multiple perspectives but I just ended up feeling that there were too many issues. Each character had at least one secret, some more than one and these secrets became worse and worse as the novel progressed. I think this novel is an enjoyable read, just be ready for constant revelations or characters making bad situations worse. Linda, NSW, 3 stars
Kate Mildenhall’s thriller ‘The Hiding Place’ Kate Mildenhall’s name in large font reflects her growing success as a writer, which Hayley Scrivenor’s endorsement emphasises. This fast-moving, complex story takes place over a long weekend and deals with themes of broken trust and death. Quotations at the front suggest duplicity, before we learn bones are being uncovered. In the introductory snippet, uninvolved locals comment on the happenings, a stylistic choice repeated at the conclusion. Short chapters named for characters help readers know the many people (perhaps too many) involved and delineate their convoluted relationships. It would work if earlier books introduced backstories. Readers are immersed in the characters’ lives and foresee challenges, but may underestimate their complexity as tension mounts. In the detailed, sensory depiction of the isolated bush setting, the author creates much to play with. Interactions among an elderly grumpy neighbour, three generations of family and friends, and a group of squatters are intriguing. Stella brings matters to a climax and the unravelling is emotionally and skilfully drawn. The language is relaxed and descriptive passages sensitive. ‘The Hiding Place’ will appeal to those who enjoy discerning complex relationships and plot twists. Dornell, QLD, 3 stars
A busy story with many threads that are hard to believe and keep track of. A rabbit warren of a story. Jody, QLD, 2 stars
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