Mastodon The Writing Desk: Book Review: The Art of Hiding, by Amanda Prowse

11 September 2017

Book Review: The Art of Hiding, by Amanda Prowse


Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

What would you do if you learned that the life you lived was a lie?  Nina McCarrick lives the perfect life, until her husband, Finn, is killed in a car accident and everything Nina thought she could rely on unravels.


This is a good example of why you should read outside your usual genres. Hooked in by the blurb, I wasn’t expecting such a compelling story that would make me think about all the things we take for granted.
It’s clear from the first page that Nina McCarrick’s life is far from perfect, so it’s good that we don’t have to wait long before the phone call that changes her whole world forever. In turns, I felt incredulous at Nina’s extreme naivety and impressed by her resilience.
I would have been tempted to give this a five star review, as it became one of those books that I looked forward to getting back to but I suspect other readers will have the same issues as me.
I’m no expert but all I had to do was a quick internet search to find she would have been receiving £34.40  ($45) a week until her boys reached the age of sixteen and was entitled to several other state benefits, including housing benefit and jobseekers allowance. This should have at least been mentioned – as well as why no one, including her street-wise sister didn’t ever think of telling Nina to seek advice on her entitlements.
I was also bemused at how she enjoyed free internet access without an Internet service provider – but if you put such niggles down to creative licence, this is still a great read. Any book which makes you think about how you treat your friends and family has to be good. The Art of Hiding becomes a story of one woman’s redemption that I’ll remember for a long time.
Tony Riches 
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About the Author

Amanda Prowse is the  author of sixteen best-selling novels in dozens of languages. A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda is a regular panellist on the Channel 5 show ‘The Wright Stuff’ and numerous daytime ITV programmes. She makes guest appearances on BBC and independent Radio stations. Find out more at Amanda's website www.amandaprowse.com and find her on Facebook and Twitter @MrsAmandaProwse,

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