Hidden Pictures: A Novel

Jason Rekulak

May 2022 · Sold by Flatiron Books

About this ebook

NATIONAL BESTSELLER · OPTIONED FOR NETFLIX BY A PRODUCER OF THE BATMAN

GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER

“I loved it." —Stephen King

From Edgar Award-finalist Jason Rekulak comes a wildly inventive spin on the supernatural thriller, for fans of Stranger Things and Riley Sager, about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.

Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.

Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.

Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.

Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.

Ratings and reviews

Thrilling, mysterious, intense. "A wildly inventive spin on the supernatural thriller, about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets." I really enjoyed this book, I did not see the twist coming! I appreciate a great paranormal story and this is nothing short of that. The characters are well developed and this book is well written, I couldn't put this book down and the illustrations really invite you into the scene.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole read! It kept me on my toes and took twists and turns I definitely never would have expected. The added pictures of the drawings throughout the story were a great touch, it added such a chill factor for me.

A very entertaining read with some twists that were done exceptionally well. I don't know what I was expecting going on, but I was engaged from the start and satisfied with the conclusion!

About the author

Jason Rekulak is the author of The Impossible Fortress, which was translated into 12 languages and was nominated for the Edgar Award. For many years, he was the publisher of Quirk Books, an independent press, where he acquired and edited multiple New York Times bestsellers. He lives in Philadelphia with his family.