Aimee Ibrahim's husband is murdered soon after they're
married, and the police are too busy trying to contain an
Egyptian revolution to put time or money into the
investigation. As Aimee seeks justice for her murdered
husband, she learns that the man she married had secrets
that could destroy her and those she loves. Her search to
find the truth reveals a surprising connection with the
mother she never knew, and it shows her just how far she's
willing go to get justice.
THE HIDDEN by Jo Chumas takes place in Egypt in the 1940's,
a period of civil unrest as the threat of Germany looms just
on the horizon. There are some really stellar parts in THE
HIDDEN. Aimee finds a diary written by her mother, Hezba,
and the diary excerpts are compelling and emotionally
charged. Hezba's story is why I kept reading. Her struggle
and her actions are riveting. The entries are written more
as first person narrative rather than being faithful to the
form of a diary entry, but the story is extraordinary. I was
actually furious in some parts due to Hezba's circumstances.
The present story doesn't carry the same emotional weight
for me. Part of that is because Aimee is a pawn. She's being
pushed and pulled around by forces outside herself, and I
never felt the same determination in her to take charge of
her life as I did in her mother. Hezba made her choices,
some of them quite damning and in defiance of her caged
life, but they were hers. Aimee's choices all feel like
they're made for her.
The other reason this present story isn't as compelling lies
in motivation. The reason behind characters actions are
often unclear and simply unbelievable. There isn't enough
character development for me to believe that Aimee, a girl
raised in a convent by French nuns in the 20's and 30's
would ever consider dancing in a brothel. Men are
unreasonably abusive, violent, and lustful, but instead of
feeling like a natural part of character, it feels like
hardships being heaped on the protagonist so the reader will
feel bad for her. All of this circles back around to Aimee
being a pawn. I don't want to pity the main character, I
want to root for her or him because despite the hardships
they deserve to get what they want because they work for it,
and I found that I couldn't root for Aimee.
THE HIDDEN by Jo Chumas is the 2013 Winner of Amazon
Breakthrough Novel Award in Mystery & Thriller which does
say that lots of people really enjoyed this novel. I love
Hezba's story, but hers in only part of this much larger
political thriller. The history is fascinating, and the time
period provides plenty of conflict, as the world is perched
on the edge of war. THE HIDDEN wasn't for me, but readers
who love political intrigue, larger-than-life characters,
and life-and-death action will enjoy the twisting plot and
the gorgeous and gritty settings in THE HIDDEN.
A university professor is brutally murdered in Egypt's Sinai
desert in 1940, leaving behind his new bride, the beautiful
young Aimee Ibrahim. As Aimee tries to unravel the web of
lies and secrets surrounding her husband's death, she
unwittingly becomes a pawn in a revolutionary plot against
Egypt's king. With the discovery of a twenty-year-old diary,
the mystery only deepens. As Aimee gets ever closer to the
truth, she discovers startling parallels between her own
life and that of the mother she never knew. Unfolding in the
city's brothels, hashish cafes, and jasmine-scented colonial
mansions, The Hidden is a gritty, sensual tale of
revolution, betrayal, and the lengths we will go to for love
- and truth.
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