Hidden Nature

I always look forward to May when I know that Nora Roberts' newest standalone novel will hit the shelves, knowing that I am in for another treat. HIDDEN NATURE is this year's addition to her lengthy portfolio, and it is every bit as good as expected.

I've said before that I believe Ms. Roberts' writing has gotten stronger and her stories more compelling now that she spends less focus on the romantic elements and more on character development and the mystery at the heart of each story. This is especially true with HIDDEN NATURE, which contains some of the most chilling villains she has ever included in a story under her name. These villains are more akin to what you find in her In Death series, and the story is better for it.

Another show more element that is new to her stories is the idea of found family. Again, this is a story element that is the crux of the In Death series and something her previous stories under her name tended to ignore. Her stories have always centered around blood family, but HIDDEN NATURE gives us our first example of two characters for whom blood family means nothing but bad memories. While it also contains a strong nuclear family unit, Ms. Roberts makes a point of allowing the two characters the chance to acknowledge their found family and how better their lives are because of them. In an oeuvre where family is everything, it is a welcome change and an acknowledgement that not everyone is blessed with loving blood family connections.

As if that isn't enough to make HIDDEN NATURE Ms. Roberts' best novel yet, she centers her latest story around a character who has a job that most readers will have never heard of but is a real career path. Sloan Cooper is a Natural Resources police officer. As part of the Department of Natural Resources for the state of Maryland, Sloan has a gun and a badge, handcuffs, a baton, and all the other accoutrement of a "regular" police officer, but her primary focus is on crimes to nature - poaching, hunting out of season, the use of illegal bait, fishing or hunting without a license, stealing from campers, etc.

However, the most surprising thing about this job is that she has no real jurisdiction when it comes to crime. If she happens to witness a crime occurring during her time off and has her badge and weapons with her, she can arrest the perpetrator. Sloan has all the benefits of being a cop, with the bonus of focusing her attention on conservation issues. It is such a unique and relatively unknown career path that I found those scenes where she was on duty to be highlights of the story.

Ms. Roberts always has strong women as her main characters, and Sloan Cooper is no different. Yet, her job gives her an extra level of bad-assery, especially as we meet Sloan during a truly awful day on the job. Her story arc is one of the most rewarding because we get to know her at her lowest point. When you add her story to the new type of criminal and a welcome focus on found family more than blood ties, HIDDEN NATURE really is the best novel she has published to date and makes for the perfect summer read. show less

I forget how much I enjoy Nora Robert books! Sloan is recovering from a gun shot wound that almost killed her. She goes back home to her family to finish healing and decides to finally buy her first home. It needs a lot of work but she comes from a family of contractors and the house next door has a new contractor and his brother living there. She's also pulled into a missing woman case that is just the tip of the iceberg of multiple missing persons that have one thing in common. Definitely held my interest!

It’s Nora Roberts – what more do you need to know? Full of the usual wit and banter, excitement and action, strong connections and seemingly impossible situations and complicated people.

Hidden Nature is the latest standalone from Roberts, the story of Maryland Natural Resources police officer Sloan Cooper and former finance whiz now all-purpose contractor Nash Littlefield. Sloan is at a turning point in her life, although not of her own choosing. Nearly fatally shot in a convenience store having just finished up an operation with her partner, Joel, she is forced to slow down, take it easy, don’t test her limits, rest. None of which Sloan ever allows herself to do. When finally able to begin limited walks in the woods again she show more catches a glimpse of, and is seen by, new neighbor Nash. Nash and his brother Theo have “escaped” from big city life of finance and the law to start a construction business.

On the surface Sloan and Nash couldn’t seem more different: she’s from a loud, loving family with a wide circle of friends. She’s moved away from her hometown but knows her support system – sister Drea, parents, extended family, friends – is always there. Nash and Theo are pretty much on their own. Their parents are wealthy, proper, stilted, cold, often cruel. Full of rules and expectations and if they aren’t meant then you suffer the consequences. Neither of them was happy or fulfilled always trying to please unpleasable parents and they’ve had enough of trying.

Both Sloan and Nash have unhappy relationship history and aren’t looking to start anything new, especially when Sloan’s sister and Nash’s brother get together, but there is something there. Genuine friendship, respect – and heat.

And don’t forget the danger. Sloan takes a transfer closer to home, buys a house, sees more of Nash – and starts investigating cases that seem unconnected.

Hidden Nature is fast paced and compelling. Characters with depth that hold your interest, action and danger and suspense. And if you have also read Roberts’ J. D. Robb series, Sloan has just a bit of Eve Dallas in her: the fierce independence, the wariness to surrender her heart, the blunt, direct, choppy way of talking. I received an advance copy of Hidden Nature from NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. show less

After being shot in a convenience store, Natural Resources Police Officer, Sloan Cooper takes time to recooperate at her parents's home in the town of Heron's Rest. Having been brought back to life after dying on the operating table, she fits the victim profile of a pair of local serial killers. Nash Littlefield left behind a career in finance and a lot of baggage involving his parents to become a contractor and start his own business. When his brother, Theo joins him, and they buy a run down house to refurbish, Nash knows he has made the right decision.

The main strengths of Hidden Nature are the development of characters and settings, particularly the detailed description of Sloan's persistence in getting her life back after the show more shooting. Even though the romance is very slow burn, the angst is very low and the chemistry is somewhat weak. Also, once it's clear where the plot is heading, the pace slows, making the novel drag a bit. Though not even close to this author's best work, overall, Hidden Nature is still an entertaining read show less

Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts is not what I expected. I was looking forward to reading a gripping suspense story with a touch of romance. Hidden Nature had a good start, but it went downhill from there. Chapter after chapter is devoted to Sloan’s recovery (how many steps she walked, what she ate, her nightmares, etc.). There is a chapter where we get to meet the bad guys and hear about their latest kill. Then the story dives into the romance category. The rest of the story was flatter than a failed souffle. The pacing was so slow that I saw snails waving as they zoomed by me. I also felt that the book was too long (441 pages). I kept hoping the tension would be recaptured, but it was not. I was turned off by all the foul language show more which was unnecessary, and I never warmed up to Sloan. I loved Mop, the Cooper family dog who was fond of snow. I have been reading Ms. Roberts’ books since her first release when I was a tween, and Hidden Nature felt like it was written by someone else. While Hidden Nature was not for me, I will continue to read Nora Roberts’ new novels in the hope that she will regain her mojo. show less

Nora Roberts is a very prolific author with well over 200 books written. She predominately writes romances under her name and police procedurals under her J.D. Robb pen name. Many of her books are part of a series. Every spring she publishes a standalone suspense novel. Even though her books are hit and miss with me, her yearly suspense novels are always one of my favorite books of the year. This year's book - Hidden Nature will definitely make my top 20 books of 2025 list.

Sloan Cooper always knew that she wanted to be a Natural Resources police officer. Her parents were supportive but disappointed that she didn't stay in the family business of providing events and rentals for visitors to their beautiful Maryland lake. As the book show more begins, Sloan and her partner are returning after taking down three men who were preying on hikers. They stopped at a convenience store and Sloan unknowingly walked into the store in the middle of a robbery. She was shot and in very serious condition. Her heart stopped when she got to the hospital and she was shocked back to life. When she finally got out of the hospital, she had a long recovery ahead so she moved out of her apartment and back into her parent's home.
She was bored being out of action and intrigued by a recent news article about a woman who disappeared on a trip to the grocery store. What was strange to Sloan is that her car was left in the parking lot of the busy store. She began to do some research to find out if there were similar abductions in her area and finds cases spread across three states. The only problem is that they were different location, different ages and there didn't seem to be any commonality between them. When she gets a promotion in her area, she decides to buy a fixer upper house. The local handyman has just moved from his job as in NYC to the area to fix up his own house and when she starts to work with him on ideas for her house there are sparks between them despite the fact that neither of them wants a relationship with anyone! The further she goes with her investigation, the more her own life is in jeopardy. Will she solve the cases before the 'bad guys' take her out?

I found it interesting that there were a lot of chapters from the point of view of the killers where the readers learn about their lives and the reasons for this killing spree. Neither of them had any remorse and felt like they were doing a favor for the people they killed.

This book was a real page turner for me and I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. Nora Roberts once again brings her readers a suspenseful story with some of the cruelest killers I've read in a long time. There's also a slow burn romance with a guy who seems perfect for Sloane, family care and love and a lot about decorating and re-doing houses. This was a book that I will remember long after I finished reading it. show less

HIDDEN NATURE was another excellent romantic suspense novel from Nora Roberts. Sloan Cooper is a Natural Resources police officer who is shot when she enters a convenience store where a robbery is happening. Her heart stops and she's clinically dead for some minutes while her chest is being operated on. Faced with a long, difficult rehabilitation, Sloan returns to her parents' home in Heron's Rest.

Also landing in Heron's Rest is Nash Littlefield. After a career in finance that he was good at but which made him unhappy, Nash has purchased a fixer-upper in Heron's Rest and is planning to open business as a handyman. He's joined by his younger brother Theo who is a lawyer due to parental pressure but wants to work with Nash.

Sloan is busy show more with her physical therapy, but it doesn't meet her need for mental stimulation. When she learns that a young newlywed has disappeared outside the local grocery store leaving her car and family behind, Sloan decides to look into the case. She soon learns that there have been other similar cases in the larger area. The victims don't seem to have anything in common as they vary in age, occupation, and sex. However, Sloan learns that they were all revived after being clinically dead.

We learn that the villains are religious fanatics determined to return those who have been revived to their destined afterlife. The scenes from the villains' point of view were really creepy.

I liked the romance. I also liked the way family was central to the story. The contrast between Sloan's family and Nash and Theo's family was striking. I liked reading about the way both Nash and Sloan were rehabbing their two homes while growing their relationship.

This was an engaging story. show less