Hidden

Book: Hidden
Author: Catherine McKenzie

While walking home from work one evening, Jeff Manning is struck by a car and killed. Two women fall to pieces at the news: his wife, Claire, and his co-worker Tish. Reeling from her loss, Claire must comfort her grieving son as well as contend with funeral arrangements, well-meaning family members, and the arrival of Jeff’s estranged brother, who was her ex-boyfriend. Tish volunteers to attend the funeral on her company’s behalf, but only she knows the true risk of inserting herself into the wreckage of Jeff’s life.

Told through the three voices of Jeff, Tish, and Claire, Hidden explores the complexity of relationships, the repercussions of our personal choices, and the responsibilities we have to the ones we love.-Goodreads
Review: What leads a person to be unfaithful? McKenzie does a good job showing how strains on Jeff and Claire's relationship result in Jeff's "friendship" with Tish. Readers looking for a dramatic reason for Jeff and Tish's behavior will be disappointed because neither of them had 'big' reasons for straying. Tish, especially, seems to live a charmed life and has no reason to be unhappy. But just because someone has it all doesn't mean they are fulfilled. I think this is exactly why this is so realistic and it's uncomfortable to read at times because the characters are so selfish. The "mystery" of the book is whether Jeff and Tish graduated from an emotional affair to a physical affair. While I thought the ending was fairly obvious, I did like the way it was addressed. 

While the overall story was good and the multiple narratives were necessary to see the characters motivations, reading the narratives was challenging. Specifically, the 'voices' of Tish and Claire were almost identical. It was very frustrating. 

Grade: 3/5