Hid from Our Eyes: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (Fergusson/Van Alstyne Mysteries, #9)

by Julia Spencer-Fleming

How do you find a killer who leaves no trace?

New York Times bestseller Julia Spencer-Fleming returns to her gripping Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series with a compelling case that spans decades.

'Thrilling, chilling and the suspense is killing' Val McDermid

Two murders, twenty years apart, with eerie similarities: a woman in a party dress murdered with no obvious cause of death. The last known suspect? Russ Van Alstyne, never convicted but never completely cleared either.

Now, decades later, a third young woman is found under similar circumstances. It's a new case that opens old wounds for Russ, now a police chief himself.

With three crimes spanning generations, and Russ himself under suspicion, the pressure is on for him to solve the murder or risk losing everything he loves.

PRAISE FOR JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING:

'Julia Spencer-Fleming is one of mystery fiction's treasures' JOHN CONNELLY

'A superb murder mystery' LOUISE PENNY

'A powerful psychological thriller and a pulse-pounding action adventure that shows us once again why Julia Spencer-Fleming is one of our finest writers of suspense' JOSEPH FINDER

• ISBN10: 0312606850
• ISBN13: 9780312606855
• Publish Date: 7 April 2020
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 30 July 2024
• Imprint: Minotaur Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Hid from Our Eyes is the 9th mystery in the Clare Fergusson & Russ Van Alstyne series by Julia Spencer-Fleming. Released 7th April 2020 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 352 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

Although it's been 6+ years since the 8th book in the series, it wasn't a problem for me to keep the characters or their relationships straight. The author provides the necessary backstory in the narrative, so new readers won't need a dramatis personae list to keep them sorted either. It would work moderately well as a standalone. What might be slightly more problematic is the three interwoven timelines: 1952, 1972, and the modern day. The characters are overlapping, and one of the chief suspects from the murder in 1972 is a young Russ Van Alstyne, now chief of police. The delineation isn't always clear since some of the same characters appear in more than one timeline. The similarities in the (very) cold case murders and the modern day are well done and the writing in general is very capable and engaging.

Much of the book is concerned with the Reverend Clare, husband Russ, their infant son, and their day to day struggle to manage professional and family life. Clare is a recovering alcoholic and that is an important theme in the book also. The author has a deft touch with suspense and characterization and overall the book is quite good. There are some dark themes which are potentially triggering (substance abuse, fetal alchohol syndrome, depression, trauma). The language is rough(ish) with multiple usage of damn, hell, and similar and a couple of "f-bombs" used in context.

Four stars. Well written and engaging. Likely moreso for prior fans of the series who have built up a relationship with the characters.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes