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The Hidden

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The Hidden

By: Bryan Brown
Narrated by: Bryan Brown
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About this listen

Bryan Brown's distinctive storytelling voice returns in this unflinching, gripping novel from the bestselling author of The Drowning.

The Heads was once a small village on the NSW north coast. Now it's a large village with a lot of action below the surface. A shipment of coke, a crime squad investigation and a drug overdose keeps the local sergeant pretty busy.

Someone is preying on the women of The Heads. And what does the discovery of buried roosters in the forest mean to a young boy traumatised by the death of his mother?

Will Sergeant William Jarrett uncover what is really going on or will it all remain hidden?

©2025 Bryan Brown (P)2025 W. F. Howes ltd. Crime Fiction Village

Critic Reviews

'Tight, tense, this mystery rockets along. All you can do is hang on and hope your favourites survive.' CANDICE FOX

'Stepping into The Hidden is like arriving as a voyeur into a small town gripped by everyday difficulties and some much bigger problems. With the rapid-fire switching between characters, Brown crafts a tale that is both intimate and cinematic – layered with suspense and a quiet intensity that keeps you turning the page. If you appreciate a well-told tale with heart and grit, The Hidden delivers.' VIKKI PETRAITIS
All stars
Most relevant
Nice Aussie story with a bit of everything, nailed the humor for sure. Good book Bryan

Interesting story

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A good, enjoyable plot with realistic characters, as expected from Bryan Brown, but what a disappointing delivery. Bryan sounded tired in parts, old in parts, and disinterested in too many parts. I would recommend reading this book rather than listening to it.

A good story with lacklustre narration.

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The plot is overly simplistic and predictable, offering no real surprises or clever turns to keep it interesting. Much of the narrative had little relevance to the core storyline.
3 storylines. 1 largely unresolved. 2 imostly irrelevant.

Script-direction-like style not for me

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The Hidden by Bryan Brown is definitely a quick, accessible thriller that delivers on its promise of sharp, Australian humor. The pace is excellent, and I genuinely appreciated the witty dialogue and comedic elements sprinkled throughout the suspense—it’s clear why many readers would find this book appealing and highly entertaining. If you're looking for a fast-paced narrative that balances genuine threat with laugh-out-loud moments, this could be a perfect choice. I managed to finish the book because those stronger elements kept me invested enough to see the story through to the end.

​However, the book's intense Australian flavor, particularly the heavy reliance on vernacular and cultural references, was a significant hurdle for me personally. More notably, the sheer volume of profanity felt excessive and, at times, unnecessary, to the point where it pulled me out of the narrative. While I understand this is a deliberate stylistic choice that reflects a certain aspect of Australian culture and dialogue, for me, it felt like a swear word was on every second page. Potential readers should know that if explicit, frequent swearing and a strong, localized Australian sensibility don't bother you, then you will likely love this book. Unfortunately, for this reader, those elements made the novel a struggle

A Quick Read with Great Humor, But Not for Me

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.