As a true crime junkie (yes, I am a murderino, amongst other podcast obsessives) I knew about the “Moor Murders” before I started listening to this audio book. I find this type of ‘true crime historical fiction’ so thrilling! If you are familiar with ‘history’ (or not – remember, Wikipedia is your friend) it is always intriguing to see how to author fills in the blanks around the true life events. We know what the outcome was, but how did it get to that point?
The location is Manchester, UK in 1965. Children are going missing in the area, and the community is getting more tense and anxious by the day. Yet another little girl disappears and as the story progress we learn more family secrets, with the themes of betrayal, fear, messed up relationships, menace and anxiety. Although there are some role players that evoke a strong sense of dislike in me, it is testament to the depth of character and the world (fictionalized and real life) the author created. Ian Brady and Myra Hindley (the Moor Murderers) are not front and centre as the main characters, but they are on the peripheral constantly and due to that my stomach was in a permanent knot whilst listening to this book.
On that topic, this is a multiple POV story, narrated by Sarah Durham and Richard Burnip who did a fantastic job at bringing the story to life and transporting you right to Manchester. The narration is at a good pace, and thoroughly enjoyable and easy to listen to.
After listening to “The Hidden Child” I did some research on the author, Rebecca Griffiths, and it definitely keen to explore more of her storytelling.
My rating: 4/5
Thank you to #NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audio book, in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date 24 Feb 2022
Bookouture Audio, Bookouture
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
#TheHiddenChild #NetGalley.
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