Fans pick 98 books like Hidden

By Kendra Elliot,

Here are 98 books that Hidden fans have personally recommended if you like Hidden. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Naked in Death

Jami Gray Author Of Grave Cargo

From my list on a fantastical series of alternate worlds.

Why am I passionate about this?

My life has taken a very interesting path with twists and turns that can be found in many peoples’ journeys, but diving into the pages of a book and getting lost fantastical worlds has helped me navigate my way through the rougher patches. There is something about the possibility of worlds so close to our own but touched by the extraordinary that is so alluring, it’s hard to leave. Thus, my love of series was ignited. That little bit of different that these series offered sparked a love for creating my own worlds where magic existed, families weren’t always limited to DNA, and perseverance led to a happy ending. Enjoy!

Jami's book list on a fantastical series of alternate worlds

Jami Gray Why did Jami love this book?

If you’re looking to binge a great murder mystery series with futuristic elements, JD Robb’s In Death series should be on your list. This is an auto-buy for me.

I fell in love with Eve Dallas, a New York City Lieutenant from page one. I love the creative mix of future elements (it’s set in 2058) and the in-depth character development of film noire stereotype of a cop on the edge of burnout.

As a homicide cop with a decade of experience, she’s no stranger to unraveling a killer’s motive, means, and opportunity, but when an investigation brings her into the orbit of Roarke, a billionaire with a murky past, her innate moral code and gut instincts are pitted against an irresistible attraction.

This is a fantastic entry into a compelling murder mystery series with a captivating cast of characters that never gets old. 

By J.D. Robb,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Naked in Death as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Crime and punishment is Lieutenant Eve Dallas's business. Murder her speciality. Named by the social worker who found her when she was a mere child roaming that city's streets, Eve Dallas is a New York police detective who lives for her job. In over ten years on the force, she's seen it all - and knows her survival depends on her instincts. But she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, a charismatic Irish billionaire - and a suspect in Eve's latest murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it's…


Book cover of Front Page Fatality

T.K. Eldridge Author Of Dead & Buried

From my list on mysteries to get your blood pumping.

Why am I passionate about this?

After spending nearly two decades working in technology and Intelligence—working with law enforcement from all different agenciesI developed an appreciation and understanding of the worst that humans can do to each other. My specialty was domestic counterterrorism and foreign policyand I did everything from developing software for chem/bio work to White House briefings. I have studied profiling and analysis in academic and real world settings – I have two Masters degrees Strategic Intelligence & Criminal Justice from American Military University, both with a minor in Terrorism Studies. While the academic background is great, the real-life experiences are what taught me the most – and find their way into my stories.

T.K.'s book list on mysteries to get your blood pumping

T.K. Eldridge Why did T.K. love this book?

This book has intrigue, drama, romance, good cops, corrupt cops/politicians, and so much more. Believable fight scenes, intricate relationships, mystery, and mayhem are all high points in LynDee Walker’s first book in the Nichelle Clark series. 

Nichelle is a reporter in Richmond, Virginia who covers the crime beat and has great shoes – and some amazing adventures. My enjoyment came from the believable scenarios even when in the middle of some wild times.

There’s good story resolution and a satisfactory outcome that leaves you interested enough in the characters to want to read the next book.

By LynDee Walker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Front Page Fatality as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**Amazon Charts Bestseller**

A SUSPICIOUS ACCIDENT. A DETERMINED REPORTER. AND A RUTHLESS CRIMINAL WHO WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO TIE UP LOOSE ENDS.

"...five stars out of five." —Hot Mystery Reviews

_____________________________

When two rookie cops are killed in a fiery crash near Richmond, Virginia, crime reporter Nichelle Clarke is sent in to investigate.

But as Nichelle digs deeper into the case, she discovers this was no ordinary accident.

People and evidence soon begin to disappear. Someone is one step ahead of her. A master criminal with a deadly secret, covering their tracks with ruthless efficiency.

The killer will stop…


Book cover of Cross Her Heart

T.K. Eldridge Author Of Dead & Buried

From my list on mysteries to get your blood pumping.

Why am I passionate about this?

After spending nearly two decades working in technology and Intelligence—working with law enforcement from all different agenciesI developed an appreciation and understanding of the worst that humans can do to each other. My specialty was domestic counterterrorism and foreign policyand I did everything from developing software for chem/bio work to White House briefings. I have studied profiling and analysis in academic and real world settings – I have two Masters degrees Strategic Intelligence & Criminal Justice from American Military University, both with a minor in Terrorism Studies. While the academic background is great, the real-life experiences are what taught me the most – and find their way into my stories.

T.K.'s book list on mysteries to get your blood pumping

T.K. Eldridge Why did T.K. love this book?

Cross Her Heart starts with a truly gripping opening – and the story doesn’t slow down from there. 

Family, fear, love, duty, and what happens when you’re willing to risk it all to do the right thing are the main components of this story. 

Bree finds herself restructuring her life and learning a lot about herself in the process. The whole story carries you through some rough patches in Bree’s life and ends with a completely satisfactory finish. There are so many threads to follow into the next book because you really want to see what happens to the characters. It ends well and yet you still want more.

By Melinda Leigh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cross Her Heart as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A homicide detective's violent family history repeats itself in #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh's novel of murder, secrets, and retribution.

For more than twenty-five years, Philadelphia homicide detective Bree Taggert has tucked away the nightmarish childhood memories of her parents' murder-suicide...Until her younger sister, Erin, is killed in a crime that echoes that tragic night: innocent witnesses and a stormy marriage that ended in gunfire. There's just one chilling difference. Erin's husband, Justin, has vanished.

Bree knows how explosive the line between love and hate can be, yet the evidence against her troubled brother-in-law…


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Book cover of Blood of the White Bear

Blood of the White Bear By Marcia Calhoun Forecki, Gerald Schnitzer,

Virologist Dr. Rachel Bisette sees visions of a Kachina and remembers the plane crash that killed her parents and the Dine medicine woman who saved her life. Rachel is investigating a new and lethal hantavirus spreading through the Four Corners, and believes the Kachina is calling her to join the…

Book cover of Chaser

T.K. Eldridge Author Of Dead & Buried

From my list on mysteries to get your blood pumping.

Why am I passionate about this?

After spending nearly two decades working in technology and Intelligence—working with law enforcement from all different agenciesI developed an appreciation and understanding of the worst that humans can do to each other. My specialty was domestic counterterrorism and foreign policyand I did everything from developing software for chem/bio work to White House briefings. I have studied profiling and analysis in academic and real world settings – I have two Masters degrees Strategic Intelligence & Criminal Justice from American Military University, both with a minor in Terrorism Studies. While the academic background is great, the real-life experiences are what taught me the most – and find their way into my stories.

T.K.'s book list on mysteries to get your blood pumping

T.K. Eldridge Why did T.K. love this book?

Jinx Ballou is a serious bada$$. Transgender, ex-cop, skilled bounty hunter – she learns to deal with unexpected notoriety and some people that really need their a$$es kicked. 

The story deals with some difficult topics with sensitivity, humor, and grace. 

Once I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down – it kept me captivated from beginning to end. 

I’m already on the third book in the series and have enjoyed every minute of getting to know Jinx and her world.

By Dharma Kelleher,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Chaser as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A shocking murder. A suspect on the run. Can a maligned young bounty hunter finally bring the killer in?

Jinx Ballou’s career hangs by a thread. Outed as transgender and blackballed, the tough-as-nails bounty hunter is determined to prove herself. She convinces a desperate bail agent to hire her, but the fugitive she’s assigned has already eluded some of the best in the business.

Jinx takes the job and uncovers a horrifying truth that calls everything into question. As the danger rises, Jinx pushes her skills, her body, and her luck to the limit to apprehend the fugitive murder suspect…


Book cover of They Never Learn

Elle Mitchell Author Of Another Elizabeth

From my list on dark fiction serial killer.

Why am I passionate about this?

My interest in serial killers began when I was a teen watching horror movies with my mom. I learned all I could about them—even became a horror special-effects makeup artist. Eventually, I had to quit due to my connective tissue disorder (Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome). It put me on a path of writing. I love digging into the darker side of humanity—murder or mental illness. The story of a serial killer who could challenge the reader to see disability in a new light came to me, and I had to write her story, if not just so I could dive into the psyche of another serial killer.

Elle's book list on dark fiction serial killer

Elle Mitchell Why did Elle love this book?

Scarlett Clark is a bi serial killer who kills bad men. Carly Schiller is a queer student who just escaped an abusive father. Their storylines are equally gripping, with moments of unexpected intensity in both lust and fear. Layne Fargo creates a world so grounded in reality that, as a woman, it was painful to read at times—micro-aggressions, normalized inappropriate touching. Fargo doesn’t exaggerate it, she just exposes it as part of the narrative. Better yet, she gives a glimmer of equalization in the form of Scarlett who focuses her urge to kill in a direction that’s easy to root for, to want to read. It was wanting a serial killer to go on with her work that made this book and Scarlett a standout.

By Layne Fargo,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked They Never Learn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the author of the “raw, ingenious, and utterly fearless” (Wendy Walker, USA TODAY bestselling author) Temper comes a dynamic psychological thriller about two women who give bad men exactly what they deserve.

Scarlett Clark is an exceptional English professor. But she’s even better at getting away with murder.

Every year, she searches for the worst man at Gorman University and plots his well-deserved demise. Thanks to her meticulous planning, she’s avoided drawing attention to herself—but as she’s preparing for her biggest kill yet, the school starts probing into the growing body count on campus. Determined to keep her enemies…


Book cover of Survive the Night

T.O. Paine Author Of The Excursion

From my list on secluded and trapped survival thrillers.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up in a snowy, rural mountain town of less than 500 people, I became fascinated with humanity's will to survive the elements at an early age because I often had to do so myself. Add in a mysterious force or an escaped killer wandering through the hills outside a secluded cabin, and you've got my favorite thriller subgenre: Trapped and secluded. It wasn't until my third novel, The Excursion, that I realized my longtime dream of writing a survival thriller influenced by dozens of books and movies. Today, I live in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, but the mountains are close. And so are the secluded cabins.

T.O.'s book list on secluded and trapped survival thrillers

T.O. Paine Why did T.O. love this book?

Riley Sager is one of my favorite authors, and this book is my favorite of all his books.

The secluded location? A speeding car. The main character, Charlie, needs to get home from college and shares a ride with a new acquaintance who may or may not be a serial killer. I loved the tension woven into each chapter, the slow unraveling of Charlie’s past, her suspicious fascination with classic movies, and the relentless, unexpected twists compounding in the end.

This is one of those books that has stuck in my mind and will probably be there forever.

By Riley Sager,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Survive the Night as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

One of New York Times Book Review's "summer reads guaranteed to make your heart thump and your skin crawl"; An Amazon Best of the Month Pick; Named a must-read summer book by The Washington Post, USA Today, Vulture, BuzzFeed, Forbes, Entertainment Weekly, CNN, New York Post, Good Housekeeping, E!, PopSugar, CrimeReads, Thrillist, and BookRiot. 

It’s November 1991. Nirvana's in the tape deck, George H. W. Bush is in the White House, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer.

Josh Baxter, the man…


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Book cover of Medical Hostages

Medical Hostages By Shawn Jennings,

Duke, the leader of a bike gang, is in custody for murder. He plans an escape by feigning illness and hospitalization. But an unexpected turn of events results in two gang members and Duke holding a medical floor of patients hostage. Patients will die if the police don't meet their…

Book cover of Imogen, Obviously

Diane Billas Author Of Does Love Always Win?

From my list on young adult fiction sapphic romance novels.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m passionate about young adult sapphic romance books because this is something I wished I would have read in high school. If I had novels similar to these when I was growing up I might have realized that I identify as queer sooner and it could have helped me understand more about myself. Because of this, I’ve been an avid reader, and writer, of sapphic young adult romances. If it’s sapphic, send it my way. I hope you enjoy these sapphic novels as much as I have!

Diane's book list on young adult fiction sapphic romance novels

Diane Billas Why did Diane love this book?

Imogen, Obviously was such a fantastic read that I really could relate to.

Imogen was a lot like me in high school, a people pleaser who thought she was straight. She considered herself an ally, but then sometimes would have thoughts about girls, but passed them off as wanting to be their friend and looking back, I had the same thing happen to me. I really wished this book was available to me in high school because it would have helped me understand a lot more about myself.

This book has a memorable cast of characters including Imogen’s love interest Tessa and I’m going to be thinking about this book for a long time. 

By Becky Albertalli,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Imogen, Obviously as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

A New York Times and Indie bestseller!

With humor and insight, #1 New York Times bestseller Becky Albertalli explores the nuances of sexuality, identity, and friendship in this timely new novel.

Imogen Scott may be hopelessly heterosexual, but she’s got the World’s Greatest Ally title locked down.

She's never missed a Pride Alliance meeting. She knows more about queer media discourse than her very queer little sister. She even has two queer best friends. There's Gretchen, a fellow high school senior, who helps keep Imogen's biases in check. And then there's Lili—newly out and newly thriving with a cool new…


Book cover of My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student

Andrea Malkin Brenner Author Of How to College: What to Know Before You Go (and When You're There)

From my list on under-prepared first-year college students.

Why am I passionate about this?

Having worked on college campuses for 25 years as a professor, administrator, and first-year experience program designer, I’ve seen first-hand how freshmen are increasingly failing at “adulting” because they are unprepared for the realities of campus life. I take on this needed preparation as co-author of How to College: What to Know Before You Go (and When You’re There) and as the creator of the Talking College™ Card Deck, discussion prompts for college-bound students and their parents/guardians. I share my insider knowledge with college-bound students and their parents at talks and workshops throughout the U.S. My goal is to help both groups thrive as they prepare for the upcoming transition.

Andrea's book list on under-prepared first-year college students

Andrea Malkin Brenner Why did Andrea love this book?

Anthropology professor Rebekah Nathan made the bold decision to do what anthropologists do best: live amongst those of a misunderstood culture. After fifteen years of teaching at a large university, she left her faculty position and went undercover as a freshman. Nathan moved into a dorm, ate off the student meal plan, and enrolled in courses as a full-time student. The book is filled with thoughtful insights about the challenges first-year students face, including academic stressors, looming student debt, and an increasingly disengaged student culture. My Freshman Year exposes a realistic view of the new transactional-cultured university campus, while simultaneously offering a compassionate peek into the daily struggles of new students.

By Rebekah Nathan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked My Freshman Year as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

After more than fifteen years of teaching, Rebekah Nathan, a professor of anthropology at a large state university, realized that she no longer understood the behavior and attitudes of her students. Fewer and fewer participated in class discussion, tackled the assigned reading, or came to discuss problems during office hours. And she realized from conversations with her colleagues that they, too, were perplexed: Why were students today so different and so hard to teach? Were they, in fact, more likely to cheat, ruder, and less motivated? Did they care at all about their education, besides their grades?Nathan decided to put…


Book cover of Rush

Jana Mathews Author Of The Benefits of Friends: Inside the Complicated World of Today's Sororities and Fraternities

From my list on making you wish you joined a sorority or fraternity.

Why am I passionate about this?

In 2011, I was a newly minted college professor who was trying to support my students’ interests (Greek life) in hopes that they would return the favor and support mine (medieval literature). Never in a million years would I have guessed that accepting an invitation to attend a Greek event on campus would snowball into receiving a bid to join a National Panhellenic Conference sorority and serve as its faculty advisor. Somewhere along the way, I realized that my perspective uniquely positioned me to shed new light on the longstanding controversies plaguing these organizations and provide a new lens through which to view their impact not only on campus culture but society at large. 

Jana's book list on making you wish you joined a sorority or fraternity

Jana Mathews Why did Jana love this book?

The ‘sorority girl’ is a stock character in most novels set on American college campuses, and you’ll be hard pressed to find one who isn’t portrayed as beautiful but vapid and one misstep away from the twin horrors of having a bad hair day and witnessing their ex leave a party with their best friend.

Patton’s novel self-consciously leans into the stereotypes of white Greek culture at a big southern university, which makes its critique of that culture and its broader cast of characters both funny in their exaggeration and horrifying in their appeal.

This is exactly the kind of sorority-themed novel you would expect from the genre but also, because of a couple of unexpected twists, the one you never saw coming.

By Lisa Patton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rush as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Bestselling author Lisa Patton digs into exciting new territory with Rush, a story about mothers and daughters, sisterhood, tradition, and doing the right thing, now in trade paperback with a new epilogue!

Experience the phenomenon from a front row seat...

It’s move-in day for college freshmen on the Ole Miss campus. Nobody wants to fit in more than Cali, a bright, small town girl with family secrets too scandalous for the well-to-do to imagine. Sorority rush is weeks away and without a pedigree, Cali doesn’t have much of a chance at membership. Her dorm room alone is as plain as…


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Book cover of Returning to Eden

Returning to Eden By Rebecca Hartt,

Looking for clean romantic suspense with spiritual undertones?

Look no further than the Acts of Valor series by Rebecca Hartt. With thousands of reviews and 4.7-5.0 stars per book, this 6-book series is a must-read for readers searching for memorable, well-told stories by an award-winning author.

A dead man stands…

Book cover of Surprised by Oxford: A Memoir

Shandi Stevenson Author Of Worldchangers

From my list on Christian biographies to meet lifelong friends.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been a voracious reader and was blessed with parents who filled my home with books, who read to me, and who exposed me to both true and fictional stories that expanded my heart and nourished my imagination. I grew up on Christian biographies, along with devouring history and novels. I was shaped, nourished, and strengthened by the stories of real men and women who lived lives that mattered, and who understood that God never puts His children in times, in places, or in circumstances where He cannot enable them to shine brightly, and where they cannot speak truth and compassion into the darkness.

Shandi's book list on Christian biographies to meet lifelong friends

Shandi Stevenson Why did Shandi love this book?

I’ve always wanted to study literature at Oxford University. I never have and almost certainly never will, but Carolyn Weber is the friend I would have made if I had that opportunity, and thanks to this powerful, luminous memoir I still got to “meet” that friend and experience what our long conversations over tea might have been like. 

Weber’s deeply honest story of discovering Christianity while stumbling upon the footsteps of other seekers after truth and beauty at an ancient university made both an old, old town and the ancient truth of the Gospel seem bright and fresh. 

By Carolyn Weber,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Surprised by Oxford as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Carolyn Weber set out to study Romantic literature at Oxford University, she didn't give much thought to God or spiritual matters-but over the course of her studies she encountered the Jesus of the Bible and her world turned upside down. Surprised by Oxford chronicles her conversion experience with wit, humor, and insight into how becoming a Christian changed her.

Carolyn Weber arrives at Oxford a feminist from a loving but broken family, suspicious of men and intellectually hostile to all things religious. As she grapples with her God-shaped void alongside the friends, classmates, and professors she meets, she tackles…


Book cover of Naked in Death
Book cover of Front Page Fatality
Book cover of Cross Her Heart

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