Guest Review: The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan

Two’s a love story. Three’s a crowd.

In Stockholm’s oldest quarter, Bell Everhurst loves her job working as a nanny for the rich and charming Hanna and Max Mogert, caring for their three children.

But one morning, everything changes. A woman from a clinic Bell has never heard of asks her to pass on the message that Hanna’s husband is awake. But the man isn’t Max.

As the truth about Hanna’s past is revealed, the consequences are devastating. As the family heads off to spend their summer on Sweden’s idyllic islands, will Bell be caught in the crossfire?

Review: I have read very few books by this author, but was attracted by the title and cover of this one, and very much intrigued upon reading the synopsis. It is set in Sweden, a country I have visited once and I looked forward to visiting again in this story that features the stunning archipelagos off the coast, where many people spend their summer.

The story centres upon the Mogert family (Max, Hanna, 9-year-old Linus and 3-year-old twins Tilde and Elise) and their English nanny Bell, who live in Stockholm. Thanks to Bell, all runs smoothly in the busy household. Everything changes, however, when Bell answers a telephone call from a doctor leaving an urgent message for Hanna telling her that her husband, Emil, has woken up. Bell is confused by this information: surely Max is Hanna’s husband and she just saw him a few minutes ago. However, it appears that Hanna is not confused, and this news heralds a whole series of events that threatens to change the lives of Bell and the family forever.

I absolutely loved this book and can highly recommend it. It is one of those books that I really did not want to put down, so involved was I in the drama and mystery of the story. I am not going to go into too much detail since I wouldn’t want to risk spoiling the story for other readers. I will say that the book is beautifully written, drawing the reader into the world of the characters on the page. There are some almost heartbreaking moments, but also some romance. The marvellously well-described settings had me dreaming of a sunny beach holiday. This is definitely a book that would make a perfect summer read.

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