Hidden Pictures: A Novel

Jason Rekulak

May 2022 · Macmillan Audio · Narrated by Suzy Jackson

About this audiobook

“I loved it." —Stephen King

From Jason Rekulak, Edgar-nominated author of The Impossible Fortress, comes a wildly inventive spin on the classic horror story in Hidden Pictures, a supernatural thriller about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.

Fresh out of rehab, Mallory Quinn 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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

Ratings and reviews

I've never read a supernatural thriller before, and I'm certain I wouldn't have bought this one if I had seen the genre. Luckily I didn't notice and didn't realize until I was already hooked. For those who are not completely opposed to supernatural reads, I encourage you to get this. The story is quite good and the narrator is an excellent pick. If your beliefs or brain can't/ won't allow for this, then you may want to skip.

This audiobook was amazing! So many twists! If you're into supernatural, this will be right up your alley! If not, it's not the book for you, but you're missing out on a real thriller! Also I'd like to add that one review posted claimed it to be "transphobic" at the end, and it most definitely is not. It's very well written and easy to follow and it kept me engaged all the way through. I'm going to look for more by this author because I really loved this one!

I loved this book! it was so good! definitely a great twist and kind of scary! I couldn't listen too late at night without being a little freaked out lol!!

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.