The Hiding Place is essentially a family drama within a haunted house setting. It’s a slow burn story, the everyday ups and downs of family life gradually taking a sinister turn as inexplicable things start happening in the house, and there are mysterious and ominous interactions with various neighbours. One of the main themes of the book is motherhood, the difficulties of being a step parent, and the desire to have a child of your own. The setting is creepy and unsettling as strange signs and objects are discovered in the house and its disturbing history is slowly revealed. At times the attempt to build tension falls a little flat as the narrative switches between different character perspectives frequently and it can be confusing. Overall I enjoyed it but I felt that the portrayal of the mother/daughter relationships work better than the ghostly elements of the story.