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ReviewStella Duffy delivers a chilling portrait of family and devotion

Duffy’s 15th novel is short on sensationalism as she explores the secrets of Laurie, raised in a cult and still keeping a secret from that time.

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Duffy’s 15th novel is short on sensationalism as she explores the secrets of Laurie, raised in a cult and still keeping a secret from that time.
James Kidd

The Hidden Room
by Stella Duffy
Virago

The hidden room that gives Stella Duffy’s 15th novel its title is both real and metaphorical. Laurie, Duffy’s protagonist, discovers a secret space in the attic of the house she shares with wife Martha and their three children. It’s also a psychological manifestation of an unsettling past.

This private “place” is really a time: Laurie was raised in “a community”, a euphemism for a cult. She has shared some of those experiences with Martha, but keeps one part of it secret: her intense relationship with the magnetic Samuel, and the tragedy that results. One day, Laurie collects her mercurial daughter Hope from a dance class and discovers the teacher is none other than Samuel. Duffy, an award-winning crime writer, resists sensationalism, however, to deliver a genuinely chilling portrait of love, family and devotion.
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