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Completed (I think) with appropriate deletions and highlighting but I am puzzled by a couple of things. I have names and a relationship for the first 2 hiders but cannot see how they fit with the theme which I assume to be the novel.
I also have three letters at the start of 35d that are not a real word, although they are often used as a common abbreviation for a word. Are abbreviations allowed in this context?
I enjoyed this one a lot. Not as pretty as last week but much more challenging.

Smithsax, I'm a bit puzzled about your 35 D comment. I didn't make any changes that would alter that answer from its given letter count.

I've no idea how the first two hiders fit with the theme.

Smithsax, I agree that the first two hiders have nothing to do with anything. For 23 and 35, after the deletions have been made, "all enties crossing the amended entries are real words..." so for 35 you need to take into account all 4 remaining letters.

Smithsax
As the empty cell was not barred I presumed you could read it as a four letter word - but you may be right.

Malone
Letter count does change if you leave an empty cell?

Thanks, Crates - I don't think I was fully awake earlier! I knew my 4-letter answer was fine as 'all entries crossing the amended entries are real words in the final grid'.

Smithsax, I don't think the theme of the puzzle is the novel. The theme is the puzzle's title. I'm not at all bothered by the apparent thematic irrelevance of the first two hiders. The setter has brought together a number of disparate and semi-related elements under the umbrella title, Hide-and-Seek. The deletion of two letters is all part of that, not to be seen as a weakness. As far as I'm concerned the result is a thoroughly enjoyable puzzle full of engaging twists and turns an interesting discoveries. Contrived? Yes, but that's the whole point.

OK - so I have the correct solution then. Happy to read 35d as a 4 letter real word with a space in it.
I was puzzed about how the first 2 hiders were linked and spent some time trying to link hiders to seekers - without success obviously.
I also wondered if the first 2 hiders were famous for hiding like the "third" one. No joy there either.
I actually spent more time with Google after completing the puzzle than while doing it.
There are at least 12 real given names "hidden" in the grid but only 2 are linked by "is the" and "of" to the relationship. I guess it is not important as the first two hiders do not need highlighting.

Having been away I was late starting this one and was a little bemused by some of the clues - now resolved having read the posts in this thread. The Robert was a bit unexpected - I was looking for another person like the first two and I wasted time looking for the relevance of the first two hiders. All in all though a good puzzle and I shall be purchasing the book.

Loved this puzzle, absolutely ingenious. At first the preamble seemed incomprehensible, but once the surnames were found it all fell into place. All new to me, apart from the final highlighting.
Can anyone explain the "Scone's" in 8d?

Tate is a Scot's word for a pinch (small portion). Scone is in Scotland so it's just an indicator that you are looking for a Scot's word.

In reverse gives Etat.