AUTHOR: Tracie Peterson
DATE: 2018
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
STARS: ****
On her way to San Francisco to find her brother, Caleb, who went missing three months ago, Camriann Coulter meets Judith and Kenzie, who both have their own mysteries to solve in the booming West Coast city. The women decide to help each other, including rooming together and working at Kenzie's cousin's chocolate factory.
Camri's search for her brother, an attorney, leads her deep into the political corruption of the city--and into the acquaintance of Patrick Murdock, a handsome Irishman who was saved from a false murder charge by Caleb. Patrick challenges all of Camri's privileged beliefs, but he knows more about what happened to her brother than anyone else. Together, they move closer to the truth behind Caleb's disappearance. But as the stakes rise and threats loom, will Patrick be able to protect Camri from the dangers he knows lie in the hidden places of the city?
Camri makes an interesting heroine. Her whole aim in travelling to San Francisco is to find her missing brother, a task she hopes will be quick and easy so she can return to her life in Chicago. An educated, outspoken proponent of higher learning and the women’s suffrage movement, she tends to speak before thinking and often regrets what she’s said. Her heart is kind, though, and she soon realizes how “uneducated” people often know much more than she does about real life.
Enter Patrick, a friend of Camri’s missing brother, Caleb, who knows more than he admits. Patrick helps educated Camri about life for poor immigrants, and his sister Ophelia brings the point home in a most poignant way.
This story is more than a romance. I learned much about the seamier side of early San Francisco and the power of corrupt people. As Camri and Patrick’s faith grew stronger in the face of much pain and danger, they encouraged my own trust in God. I enjoyed In Places Hidden, and award it four stars.
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.