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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
I adore Clark's Cassandra Raines series, so yes - my feelings might have been a little bruised when I learned that Cass was being put on hold for a new series. But you know what? I'll get over it (so long as Cass doesn't vanish like the wind completely...). This one is part police procedural and part thriller. I wasn't wild with the alternating points of view (at first) but the author does a good job of tying it all together in the end and Harriet makes a very intriguing protagonist - what with her mountains of baggage and emotional pain she's still processing. The secondary characters are also interesting, and will likely provide plenty of fodder for Clark in future installments. I had a good idea of where the suspense was going before it got there, but there were still enough twists thrown in to keep me guessing. I'll pre-order the next book in the series.
This was a good book, but it was too descriptive and too many other storylines going on. At times I was bored and just wanted to get on with the story. It did have a good ending.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book did just enough to keep me intrigued. There were moments when I found myself guessing what would happen next, but for the most part, I enjoyed it much like I would enjoy an episode of Law & Order: SVU. And there’s nothing wrong with that—it’s clear why SVU is one of the longest-running TV shows; the good vs. evil dynamic will always capture our attention. But just like an SVU episode, this story suffered from a few predictable flaws. It was formulaic, and I never felt like I had enough space to form my own theories. Instead, I was simply following the expected twists of a police procedural. Still, I might continue with the series to see how the author evolves as a writer.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Hide" by Tracy Clark is a captivating thriller that weaves suspense and emotional depth. The complex characters, intense protagonist's journey, and impeccable pacing kept me on the edge of my seat. Clark's engaging and poetic writing immerses readers in a vivid, haunting world. Highly recommend for thriller lovers—this book lingers long after the last page.
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Detective Harriet Foster has returned to duty some months after her longtime partner killed herself. As if this wasn’t enough to knock a person down, Harriet is still deeply mourning her murdered son Reggie, and the breakup of her marriage. Harriet has isolated herself from her family, relocated to a house on the street where her son died, and uses small rituals to help her get through each day.
Her new captain pairs her with an “old-fashioned” cop, and the two immediately pull a case of a young, re-haired woman brutally murdered. Her new partner is abrasive and insensitive, and the two really are not a good fit together, though he does find some leads in the case.
At the same time, a young man is released from a psychiatric facility, and reunites with his twin sister. Bodie has issues, while Amelia seems like a successful artist; though, as the story progresses, and more young, red-haired women are found murdered, it becomes obvious that there is a lot more going on with this pair. And it’s dark.
Harriet is a great character, and after she’s paired with a different detective in the squad, really begins making a dent in the case. It’s painstaking, methodical work that gets her and her new partner Grace Li close to the murderer. And I liked their dynamic, and Grace’s determination to connect with the closed-off Harriet.
I enjoyed this book, but found the resolution to the case not satisfying, as it did not feel not earned. The murderer experiences a break with reality at the end, and it felt like a too swift and easy wrap-up to what till then had been a compelling story.
I did, however, like that there are no easy fixes for Harriet; she’s still got to find ways to keep moving through her day, despite her terrible grief. I’m interested in continuing the series to see what’s next for this character.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Her new captain pairs her with an “old-fashioned” cop, and the two immediately pull a case of a young, re-haired woman brutally murdered. Her new partner is abrasive and insensitive, and the two really are not a good fit together, though he does find some leads in the case.
At the same time, a young man is released from a psychiatric facility, and reunites with his twin sister. Bodie has issues, while Amelia seems like a successful artist; though, as the story progresses, and more young, red-haired women are found murdered, it becomes obvious that there is a lot more going on with this pair. And it’s dark.
Harriet is a great character, and after she’s paired with a different detective in the squad, really begins making a dent in the case. It’s painstaking, methodical work that gets her and her new partner Grace Li close to the murderer. And I liked their dynamic, and Grace’s determination to connect with the closed-off Harriet.
I enjoyed this book, but found the resolution to the case not satisfying, as it did not feel not earned. The murderer experiences a break with reality at the end, and it felt like a too swift and easy wrap-up to what till then had been a compelling story.
I did, however, like that there are no easy fixes for Harriet; she’s still got to find ways to keep moving through her day, despite her terrible grief. I’m interested in continuing the series to see what’s next for this character.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Hunt and Hide
Review of the Amazon First Reads Kindle eBook (Dec. 1, 2022) released in advance of the official Thomas & Mercer paperback/Kindle/audiobook (Jan. 1, 2023)
I choose Hide for my Amazon First Reads pick for December 2022. It was promoted as the 'Police Procedural' selection for the month and the atmospheric cover art drew my attention over the other offers. I saw that Tracy Clark was also the author of the private detective Cass Raines (4 books 2018-2021) series. The author and all of her books are Chicago centred, so that seemed a good indication of authenticity.
This was a fast-paced read with relatively short chapters (83 of them over 377 pages) which alternated between the POVs of the Chicago Police Dept and those of the suspects. Harriet Foster is the lead character and she is the newly transferred detective in the homicide unit of her precinct. She is back from a personal leave from dealing with the aftermath of a former partner's suicide in her previous precinct which had not been foreseen. She carries that demon and also one caused by the earlier death of her own child due to robbery violence. Possibly as a sort of initiation, she is first partnered with the unit's dinosaur detective, and they clash and disagree on techniques and suspects almost immediately.
Chicago's Riverwalk area seen at night. Image sourced from Attractions of America.
Foster's first case with her new unit is a savage knife murder of a young woman whose body is left by Chicago's Riverwalk area. The brutal slaying indicates a Jack-the-Ripper level of psychopathy. Further killings are to follow making it a serial killer case in which the entire homicide unit eventually takes part. The suspect trail begins with an unconscious man found near the scene with a single blood smear on their clothing. Without the detectives initially being aware of them, there are interspersed chapters of Amelia and Bodie Morgan, an artist sister and her troubled stalker brother, the latter recently released from psychiatric care. It is gradually revealed that the Morgans have a dark family past and also that Bodie's psychiatrist is a woman with a secret history who is seeking a high profile psychopath on which to base her next book in order to 'get back in the limelight.' How far might she go to help 'create' that psychopath?
Both the police and suspect sides of this procedural are well drawn and the variety of suspects kept me guessing throughout. Although it initially seemed that the tortured and angsty cop stereotypes might get overplayed, those aspects did not play a large part and Harriet Foster comes across as a realistic character and each of the other detectives in the unit played a solid role with even the dinosaur cop showing some dedication. I was quite satisfied with this month's Amazon First Read.
Trivia and Links
Hide is the first book of a new Detective Harriet Foster series from author Tracy Clark. The second book in the series, titled [b:Fall|63045698|Fall (Detective Harriet Foster #2)|Tracy Clark|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668083035l/63045698._SY75_.jpg|98911489], is already planned for publication December 5, 2023.
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
Review of the Amazon First Reads Kindle eBook (Dec. 1, 2022) released in advance of the official Thomas & Mercer paperback/Kindle/audiobook (Jan. 1, 2023)
I choose Hide for my Amazon First Reads pick for December 2022. It was promoted as the 'Police Procedural' selection for the month and the atmospheric cover art drew my attention over the other offers. I saw that Tracy Clark was also the author of the private detective Cass Raines (4 books 2018-2021) series. The author and all of her books are Chicago centred, so that seemed a good indication of authenticity.
This was a fast-paced read with relatively short chapters (83 of them over 377 pages) which alternated between the POVs of the Chicago Police Dept and those of the suspects. Harriet Foster is the lead character and she is the newly transferred detective in the homicide unit of her precinct. She is back from a personal leave from dealing with the aftermath of a former partner's suicide in her previous precinct which had not been foreseen. She carries that demon and also one caused by the earlier death of her own child due to robbery violence. Possibly as a sort of initiation, she is first partnered with the unit's dinosaur detective, and they clash and disagree on techniques and suspects almost immediately.
Chicago's Riverwalk area seen at night. Image sourced from Attractions of America.
Foster's first case with her new unit is a savage knife murder of a young woman whose body is left by Chicago's Riverwalk area. The brutal slaying indicates a Jack-the-Ripper level of psychopathy. Further killings are to follow making it a serial killer case in which the entire homicide unit eventually takes part. The suspect trail begins with an unconscious man found near the scene with a single blood smear on their clothing. Without the detectives initially being aware of them, there are interspersed chapters of Amelia and Bodie Morgan, an artist sister and her troubled stalker brother, the latter recently released from psychiatric care. It is gradually revealed that the Morgans have a dark family past and also that Bodie's psychiatrist is a woman with a secret history who is seeking a high profile psychopath on which to base her next book in order to 'get back in the limelight.' How far might she go to help 'create' that psychopath?
Both the police and suspect sides of this procedural are well drawn and the variety of suspects kept me guessing throughout. Although it initially seemed that the tortured and angsty cop stereotypes might get overplayed, those aspects did not play a large part and Harriet Foster comes across as a realistic character and each of the other detectives in the unit played a solid role with even the dinosaur cop showing some dedication. I was quite satisfied with this month's Amazon First Read.
Trivia and Links
Hide is the first book of a new Detective Harriet Foster series from author Tracy Clark. The second book in the series, titled [b:Fall|63045698|Fall (Detective Harriet Foster #2)|Tracy Clark|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668083035l/63045698._SY75_.jpg|98911489], is already planned for publication December 5, 2023.
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).