Monday, September 14, 2015

Book Review: Hiding Places by Erin Healy

This book brings suspense and mystery
with each turn of the page!
        

Publisher's Description

The Harrison lodge is full of hiding places where young Kate can discover all the secrets no one wants her to know.
Eleven-year-old Kate keeps her knowledge to herself—one sister’s stash of marijuana, the other’s petty cash pilfering, her grandfather’s contraband candy bars. She protects her mother and Gran, too, screening out critical comments from the hotel suggestions box. But suddenly the stakes are raised; her grandfather’s best friend is murdered the day after Kate heard the two men arguing.
At the same time, far from the quiet mountain resort, a homeless man sees a robbery gone wrong . . . a gang member seeks revenge for the death of his son . . . and a boy chooses the worst time to wield spray paint on a store window. In a strange and spiraling sequence of events, their disparate worlds collide at Harrison Lodge.
Kate offers shelter to one of them, unaware of the terrible consequences to the family she loves. But people can hide in all kinds of ways, sometimes even in plain sight . . . and some secrets are just waiting to be exposed.
My Personal Review
Erin Healy writes supernatural suspense novels.
Hiding Places by Erin Healy is a fast paced suspense novel weaving a story of courage, devotion, love and hope. Another astonishing piece of work from this gifted author!
Hiding Places by Erin Healy combines the determination of a father to avenge his son's death, the battle of a struggling homeless man's inner turmoil to find belonging, and the strong willed determination of a young girl to do what families are supposed to do...protect one another.

I absolutely love this newly released book! Actually, that comes as no surprise, since Erin Healy is one of my favorite authors. However, there is good reason why she is on the top of my, "Christian Fiction Favorite Author" list. Her consistency is once again unveiled in her most recent publication of Hiding Places. If she isn't already there, Healy belongs on your "top Christian author" list too. Erin Healy Books always manage to successfully provide the top five things that are imperative in a Christian Fiction novel. Those five things are to: renew hope, entertain, inform, educate, and worship. Erin Healy delivers in every category with her latest book, Hiding Places.
The book begins with a level of apprehension and curiosity that only increases with each turn of the page. The characters are realistic and endearing, especially Great Grandma Pearl, who happens to be my beloved character, not only for her humor, but for her uncanny ability to understand the needs of her family and then respond to those needs in a beautiful way. The main character, Kate, is not without charm and likability as well, as she moves through the pages with simplicity and naivety. That leaves Charlie, Merridew, and Grandy, each with a lesson to teach the reader through their unique passions.

All of the characters represent a different age and unique stage of life. They come from varied levels of experience and the reader is fed some valuable information about gang mentality, life on the streets for a homeless person, struggles of an aging adult, what it's like to live life with regret for past decisions, and finally the gentle reminder of a child's perspective of our world. Hope is presented from several different angles and at various points throughout the book. As the story winds down, there is a feeling of inspiration to lead a life that takes into account how our actions will impact those around us.

Hiding Places by Erin Healy also includes discussion questions at the end of the book to assist the reader in gentle reflections about family and how we relate to one another. This book would be a fun choice for a "Book Club". Utilizing the questions provided would allow for deeper analysis of certain areas of the heart and it has the potential to unearth hidden hurts and thus bring them to the surface where they can be addressed. In conclusion, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good suspense novel, but be forewarned...there is a lot hidden beneath the surface! Enjoy!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson, a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc for this review copy of Hiding Places by Erin Healy provided through the BookLook Bloggers review program. I was not required to write a favorable review, but to simply to read the work in it's entirety. The opinions within this review are strictly my own.