Review: The Hiding Place by David Bell

The Hiding Place
New American Library (October 2, 2012)
A Division of The Penguin Group
Mystery – Suspense
Trade Paperback: 400 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451237965

Four year old Justin Manning disappeared twenty five years ago from a neighborhood park where he and his sister were playing. It was the first time they went to the park alone. Their mother thought there would be plenty of adults there to watch them and she had to have an important discussion with her husband. Justin’s body was found two months later in a shallow grave in the woods. But was it really his body?

As the 25th anniversary approaches and the man accused of his murder is granted parole, a detective and a newspaper reporter have started to ask questions. They are opening old wounds and raising new suspicions. Could the man convicted be innocent? Old memories are returning but are they real memories or what has been imagined over the years. Then a strange man appears at Janet’s door in the middle of the night claiming to know the truth. Can Janet handle the truth?

Dollycas’s Thoughts

In his follow up to Cemetery Girl David Bell has delivered another suspenseful and haunting tale.

I immediately become invested in Janet’s life. What really happened that day in the park? Was her brother really dead? How has  it affected her life to this day? How has it affected her daughter Ashleigh and her father?  Did an innocent man spend years in prison? Like Cemetery Girl there are many layers to this story.

The plot twists, the psychological depths, the frightening realization, evolved at an riveting pace. This story also shines a light on how much a police investigation has changed in twenty five years. Circumstantial cases that delivered guilty verdicts then hopefully would not make it through the judicial system today. 

I did figure out the “surprise” ending early but David Bell is an author I will continue to follow and will be waiting to read his next thrilling novel.

Find Out More About David Bell on his website http://davidbellnovels.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”