What I Hid From You by Heleen Kist
A DEATH
AN ACCIDENT
A STUPID MISTAKE
Traumatised by the death of a patient in her chair, Glaswegian dentist Radha Bakshi succumbs to an addiction to Valium she can’t acknowledge – even to herself.
The pills take the edge off trying to be a consummate professional, a perfect daughter, a devoted wife and a not-too-embarrassing mother to her teenage son.
When increased scrutiny of her work forces her to find a new source of supply, she stumbles into the menacing clutches of blackmailing drug dealers.
A mistake that could cost her everything.
About the author
Heleen Kist is a Dutch, formerly globetrotting career woman who fell in love with a Scotsman and his country, and now writes about its (sometimes scary) people from her garden office in Glasgow. What I Hid From You is her third novel.
She was chosen as an up-and-coming new author at the international crime festival Bloody Scotland 2018. Her debut, ‘In Servitude’ won the silver medal for Best European Fiction at the Independent Publishers Book Awards in the USA and was shortlisted for The Selfies awarded at London Book Fair. Her feminist thriller ‘Stay Mad, Sweetheart’ was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and won third place in the inaugural Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year award 2020
Review
I know that I bang on about loving Scottish crime fiction and those set in Glasgow but when it is literally set on the streets where I live AND it is a brilliant read you know I am going to rave about it! I had high hopes for this book as I loved Heleen’s previous ones and it truly did not disappoint as it grabbed my attention right from the start and I devoured it in one day! It also has a very unique premise - Radha is an established dentist, who owns her practice with her husband but one horrible event sends her life spinning out of control. A patient dies in her dental chair and Radha can no longer cope with the pressure this has placed on her and turns to valium to help her get through it all. However, she isn't getting them from her doctor, she has been forging prescriptions and when she can no longer do this she turns to the internet with disastrous consequences for her and her family!
I am here to tell you that Heleen nailed the ‘location’ in this book. Pollokshields, located in the southside of Glasgow, rings true and proud. Yes I know I am biased since I live in the area but the images in the book are clear and so well defined that I could even probably pinpoint which section of street that Radha lives on! It was the small details that I loved seeing being included like the piece of tablet you get given in Ollies and that the Spanish restaurant Malaga has a new sign! But it was the multicultural aspect of the area that Heleen nailed and this was actually the main reason I moved here. Who doesn't want to live in an area where you can buy naan bread as big as your head and then a few doors up get a posh bottle of wine. Side note I used to run that wine shop! I love the fact that there is a mosque, temple, churches and gurdwara all within walking distance.
I adored this book! Radha is now lodged firmly in my mind and I would love to read more about her and her family. Radha was a strong character, she was loyal, intelligent, loving and just got in over her head. It's something that can happen to anyone. Pressure and addiction can alter personalities very easily and unfortunately, this is just what happened to Radha. Trauma needs to be unpacked and treated straight away and I think Heleen got this point across with empathy and kindness. Mental health issues is something that always needs to be addressed and novels like this, whilst is primarily entertainment can also help people.
All the supporting characters were as equally well developed - can I say I wanted to slap that guitar/bike out her husband's hand and tell him to open his eyes. Also, I loved Radha’s papaji! I want to meet him for walks in Maxwell Park. I would love to learn more about this earlier life.
‘What I Hid From You’ shows that Heleen is at the top of her game! The writing was crisp and sharp, the characters were well developed and the narrative was so plausible it was scary. It was but thought-provoking book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
