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literaryfeline's review against another edition
4.0
Hidden (Nicole Jones, #1) by Karen E. Olson
Severn House, 2015
Crime Fiction; 224 pgs
Nicole Jones has spent the last fifteen years establishing a life for herself on Block Island in the Long Island Sound. She has a small group of close friends and a job she likes. She has never quite been able to shake that outsider status, but the locals have come to think of her as one of their own, even despite her keeping mostly to herself. Nicole avoids getting too close to anyone--at least in terms of sharing information about her own past. She has secrets she would rather leave buried, including that she was once a hacker. That's why she changed her name. And why she doesn't have a driver's license or bank account. When someone from her past re-enters her life, Nicole's carefully crafted lies and world begin to unravel. Not only is her own life at risk, but so are the lives of her friends. The home she once felt so secure in, is no longer a safe haven.
To be honest, I would have picked up this book to read based on the author alone, having read and enjoyed her previous books. Karen E. Olson is one of my favorite crime fiction authors. Even without that though, I was drawn to this book based on the description. It isn't often you come across a female hacker as a protagonist, and I do love a mystery involving secrets.
I really liked everything about this novel, from the island setting to the small close-knit community and the people who live there. I ended up reading the book in a day; not because it was one of those fast-paced-every-second-is-a-thrill type novels, but because I just couldn't stay away. The writing drew me in immediately, and I could not help but connect with the characters. The reader gets a good feel for the life Nicole had been leading all those years in hiding and just what is at stake when all of that is threatened. The intensity increases as the story unfolds, each new twist raising the stakes.
The more I learned about Nicole, the more my heart went out for her. She hadn't always made the best choices in her younger years, and she openly admits that. While she likes the new life she's established, she had to sacrifice a big part of who she is. There is one scene in the novel in which Nicole uses a computer again after fifteen years, and Olson captured so well the excitement and trepidation someone in Nicole's shoes might feel. I like to see that kind of depth go into a character. It paints a more realistic picture.
I admit to being a little concerned about the fifteen year gap in Nicole's computer knowledge--a lot has changed technology-wise in that amount of time. I liked the way the author handled that though. She didn't gloss over it, nor did her character, who had the same concerns.
The author did not skimp on the backstories and development of the minor characters. I came to really care about them as well. Especially Nicole's closest friend, Steve. He would do anything for Nicole.
I gobbled up the tattoo artist Brett Kavanaugh series and just loved Karen E. Olson's investigative reporter series featuring Annie Seymour. Both series are quite different from one another, but carry the author's trademark humor. Hidden is a more serious novel, more reflective really. Hidden is both complex in story and character. It is also highly entertaining, as all Olson's novels have been. I am excited that there are two more books slated to come out in this series. I have no idea what will happen in the next book, Shadowed, but I can only hope it will be as good as Hidden.
Review copy provided by publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.
Severn House, 2015
Crime Fiction; 224 pgs
Nicole Jones has spent the last fifteen years establishing a life for herself on Block Island in the Long Island Sound. She has a small group of close friends and a job she likes. She has never quite been able to shake that outsider status, but the locals have come to think of her as one of their own, even despite her keeping mostly to herself. Nicole avoids getting too close to anyone--at least in terms of sharing information about her own past. She has secrets she would rather leave buried, including that she was once a hacker. That's why she changed her name. And why she doesn't have a driver's license or bank account. When someone from her past re-enters her life, Nicole's carefully crafted lies and world begin to unravel. Not only is her own life at risk, but so are the lives of her friends. The home she once felt so secure in, is no longer a safe haven.
To be honest, I would have picked up this book to read based on the author alone, having read and enjoyed her previous books. Karen E. Olson is one of my favorite crime fiction authors. Even without that though, I was drawn to this book based on the description. It isn't often you come across a female hacker as a protagonist, and I do love a mystery involving secrets.
I really liked everything about this novel, from the island setting to the small close-knit community and the people who live there. I ended up reading the book in a day; not because it was one of those fast-paced-every-second-is-a-thrill type novels, but because I just couldn't stay away. The writing drew me in immediately, and I could not help but connect with the characters. The reader gets a good feel for the life Nicole had been leading all those years in hiding and just what is at stake when all of that is threatened. The intensity increases as the story unfolds, each new twist raising the stakes.
The more I learned about Nicole, the more my heart went out for her. She hadn't always made the best choices in her younger years, and she openly admits that. While she likes the new life she's established, she had to sacrifice a big part of who she is. There is one scene in the novel in which Nicole uses a computer again after fifteen years, and Olson captured so well the excitement and trepidation someone in Nicole's shoes might feel. I like to see that kind of depth go into a character. It paints a more realistic picture.
I admit to being a little concerned about the fifteen year gap in Nicole's computer knowledge--a lot has changed technology-wise in that amount of time. I liked the way the author handled that though. She didn't gloss over it, nor did her character, who had the same concerns.
The author did not skimp on the backstories and development of the minor characters. I came to really care about them as well. Especially Nicole's closest friend, Steve. He would do anything for Nicole.
I gobbled up the tattoo artist Brett Kavanaugh series and just loved Karen E. Olson's investigative reporter series featuring Annie Seymour. Both series are quite different from one another, but carry the author's trademark humor. Hidden is a more serious novel, more reflective really. Hidden is both complex in story and character. It is also highly entertaining, as all Olson's novels have been. I am excited that there are two more books slated to come out in this series. I have no idea what will happen in the next book, Shadowed, but I can only hope it will be as good as Hidden.
Review copy provided by publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.
fictionophile's review against another edition
4.0
Starting over. Who among us has not at one time yearned for it – if only fleetingly? And to start over on a small, scenic island in a house by the sea. Idyllic.
The protagonist of “Hidden” has done just that. At first the reader has no idea why she has come here. What is she running from? Why has she changed her name? Nicole Jones has been living on Block Island for fifteen years. Years when the confines of the island have comforted her. A woman with no past. Now with new friends – and a new life as an artist and bike tour guide.
Her contentment is shattered with the arrival of someone from her past. Someone she used to love, someone she lusts after, someone she now fears… Her past is brought to light along with her guilt and her former addiction. Yes addiction. Not to a substance, but to the feeling of power and elation that comes with hacking. She was once one of the best computer hackers around. She has been out of action now for fifteen years, but he is back and he wants her to do it again… She doesn’t want to as she knows if she does her new life will dissolve away as if it never existed. Yet, the lure of getting her hands back on a keyboard is as strong to her as cocaine is to an addict. For fifteen years she has lived without a computer. She has been afraid that if she had one, it would be only too easy to revert to her old ways. Over the years she has literally dreamed of source codes, firewalls and passwords.
One day while painting on a beach below Mohegan Bluffs, her house is broken into and everything in it destroyed. Books with pages torn out, foodstuffs scattered on the floor, clothes shredded, furniture smashed. Her bike – her means of livelihood – stolen.
It is at this point that Nicole realizes that her safe haven on the island is gone. The fast-paced narrative speeds up even more as she goes ‘on the run’. It seems her past – and the FBI – are catching up to her…
Even though the reader knows that Nicole is a criminal, you just can’t help but like her – and feel sorry for her. All she wants now is a ‘normal’ life, living on an island, painting, riding her bike. Contentment. She knows that if she leaves Block Island she will dearly miss the friends she made there… especially Steve.
A contemporary, atmospheric thriller with an engaging protagonist, “Hidden” is a more than promising start to what I hope will be a long series. An engrossing page-turner that I heartily recommend.
“Hidden” was originally written as a stand-alone novel. So glad that the decision was made to turn it into a series debut. To be followed by the novels “Shadowed” and “Betrayed“. Many thanks to Severn House via NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel for enjoyment and review.
This review was originally published on my blog: Fictionophile
The protagonist of “Hidden” has done just that. At first the reader has no idea why she has come here. What is she running from? Why has she changed her name? Nicole Jones has been living on Block Island for fifteen years. Years when the confines of the island have comforted her. A woman with no past. Now with new friends – and a new life as an artist and bike tour guide.
Her contentment is shattered with the arrival of someone from her past. Someone she used to love, someone she lusts after, someone she now fears… Her past is brought to light along with her guilt and her former addiction. Yes addiction. Not to a substance, but to the feeling of power and elation that comes with hacking. She was once one of the best computer hackers around. She has been out of action now for fifteen years, but he is back and he wants her to do it again… She doesn’t want to as she knows if she does her new life will dissolve away as if it never existed. Yet, the lure of getting her hands back on a keyboard is as strong to her as cocaine is to an addict. For fifteen years she has lived without a computer. She has been afraid that if she had one, it would be only too easy to revert to her old ways. Over the years she has literally dreamed of source codes, firewalls and passwords.
One day while painting on a beach below Mohegan Bluffs, her house is broken into and everything in it destroyed. Books with pages torn out, foodstuffs scattered on the floor, clothes shredded, furniture smashed. Her bike – her means of livelihood – stolen.
It is at this point that Nicole realizes that her safe haven on the island is gone. The fast-paced narrative speeds up even more as she goes ‘on the run’. It seems her past – and the FBI – are catching up to her…
Even though the reader knows that Nicole is a criminal, you just can’t help but like her – and feel sorry for her. All she wants now is a ‘normal’ life, living on an island, painting, riding her bike. Contentment. She knows that if she leaves Block Island she will dearly miss the friends she made there… especially Steve.
A contemporary, atmospheric thriller with an engaging protagonist, “Hidden” is a more than promising start to what I hope will be a long series. An engrossing page-turner that I heartily recommend.
“Hidden” was originally written as a stand-alone novel. So glad that the decision was made to turn it into a series debut. To be followed by the novels “Shadowed” and “Betrayed“. Many thanks to Severn House via NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel for enjoyment and review.
This review was originally published on my blog: Fictionophile
laughterhp's review against another edition
3.0
This book was pretty good. I only read it because it’s set on Block Island, which I love. The thriller part was fast paced and interesting. I’ve never read a hacker novel before.
thearomaofbooks's review
Another DNF. The first-person present-tense was just really aggravating me this time. Combined with the slow story pace, I just wasn't feeling it.
vkemp's review
3.0
Nicole Jones lives quietly on Block Island. No one there is surprised she owns no computer and pays for everything with cash. But no one knows who she really is until the bad guys show up and bodies begin to appear. 15 years ago, Nicole was a different person who did some bad things. Now, all she wants is her peaceful life.
tonstantweader's review
3.0
Hidden is the story of what happens when someone from her past shows up. Suddenly, her quiet life is anything but and her friends learn that there is far more to Nicole than what they knew or would have ever suspected. We soon learn she is an infamous hacker who pulled off a massive theft years ago, a theft that went disastrously wrong and she is now hunted not only by her former partner, but a vicious organized crime lord, and the FBI.
Luckily for her, hacking is just like riding a bike. It’s not like the internet changed, that firewalls improved or that new code languages were developed in the last fifteen years. So, within minutes of opening up a laptop for the first time in fifteen years, she’s hidden behind a virtual private network, hacking into neighbor’s wi-fi and breaking into the FBI and huge commercial banks. Meanwhile, she is astonished by YouTube and podcasts.
She’s also fortunate that the local police keep leaving messages with friends that they are looking for her without actually, you know, looking for her. She rides her bike, a borrowed moped and walks around town, stopping for coffee, staying at a local B&B and goes shopping with only the slightest interference from the FBI and none from the locals. You would think, too, that a cordon on the island for an infamous fugitive that draws the FBI would draw roadblocks and security gates at all forms of exit from the island. You would be wrong.
I think you can tell that this book requires you to suspend more than your usual share of disbelief. And yet, in the end, I liked this book and that is sort of confounding, isn’t it? Yes, I wish the book was less sloppy about the details, but I liked the character’s efforts to save herself without relying on others to save her–even though some assistance was offered and accepted, her impulse was to isolate her friends from danger. I loved the strong sense of place and the lovely descriptions of the island. I felt like I was there. I liked the strong friendships she had with people who recognized she had lied to them, but recognized a fundamental truth about her, that at heart she was a good person. I thought it was suspenseful when I was not rolling my eyes about the on-again, off-again jeopardy and some of the plot holes such as the shamefully inept Chief of Police Frank Cooper who could not catch a fugitive leading a marching band past his office or laughing at the idea that someone can take a fifteen year hiatus from something that changes as rapidly as the internet and conquer it so quickly.
Sometimes, it is fun to just ignore the potholes and read straight through, enjoying what is good and shrugging off the ridiculous. I would be less forgiving if the author made any pretension to being a serious novelist, but she does not. She’s not trying to change the world, she just wants to tell a fun story. At that she succeeds.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2016/08/26/hidden-by-karen-e-olson/
Luckily for her, hacking is just like riding a bike. It’s not like the internet changed, that firewalls improved or that new code languages were developed in the last fifteen years. So, within minutes of opening up a laptop for the first time in fifteen years, she’s hidden behind a virtual private network, hacking into neighbor’s wi-fi and breaking into the FBI and huge commercial banks. Meanwhile, she is astonished by YouTube and podcasts.
She’s also fortunate that the local police keep leaving messages with friends that they are looking for her without actually, you know, looking for her. She rides her bike, a borrowed moped and walks around town, stopping for coffee, staying at a local B&B and goes shopping with only the slightest interference from the FBI and none from the locals. You would think, too, that a cordon on the island for an infamous fugitive that draws the FBI would draw roadblocks and security gates at all forms of exit from the island. You would be wrong.
I think you can tell that this book requires you to suspend more than your usual share of disbelief. And yet, in the end, I liked this book and that is sort of confounding, isn’t it? Yes, I wish the book was less sloppy about the details, but I liked the character’s efforts to save herself without relying on others to save her–even though some assistance was offered and accepted, her impulse was to isolate her friends from danger. I loved the strong sense of place and the lovely descriptions of the island. I felt like I was there. I liked the strong friendships she had with people who recognized she had lied to them, but recognized a fundamental truth about her, that at heart she was a good person. I thought it was suspenseful when I was not rolling my eyes about the on-again, off-again jeopardy and some of the plot holes such as the shamefully inept Chief of Police Frank Cooper who could not catch a fugitive leading a marching band past his office or laughing at the idea that someone can take a fifteen year hiatus from something that changes as rapidly as the internet and conquer it so quickly.
Sometimes, it is fun to just ignore the potholes and read straight through, enjoying what is good and shrugging off the ridiculous. I would be less forgiving if the author made any pretension to being a serious novelist, but she does not. She’s not trying to change the world, she just wants to tell a fun story. At that she succeeds.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2016/08/26/hidden-by-karen-e-olson/
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