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A story full of mystery and suspense, with a little romance thrown in also. The author did a real good job of creating a mystery that made you suspect all kinds of people, until the very end. It is not one of those stories I would recommend you read alone at night if you plan to sleep well afterwards. This was easily read as a stand alone, but many of the people from the town of Hideaway, Missouri that you will meet would be people you already know if you read these stories in the order they were written.

The Cooper family has lots of secrets and lots of emotional problems. The story begins with Clarissa Cooper, who is 12, vanishing near her home. Noelle Cooper, when she discovers the news, races back to her hometown to help in the search. Noelle is a cousin to Clarissa, and will find herself untangling a "web of secrets that has haunted her family for generations". Nathan Trask has known Noelle for years and grew up with her there in Hideaway. He will do his best to protect Noelle from danger and help her remember the faith she once had in the Lord. Together they will try to unravel the mystery behind all that is going on. Be prepared to be enjoy this intriguing, very suspenseful story that will keep you guessing until the very end. ( )

Noelle Cooper races back to her hometown in an effort to search for her young cousin, Clarissa Cooper, who has vanished from her home. Nathan Trask, her childhood friend, will do anythign to protect Noelle. Noelle has found herseld in a web of secrets that has haunted her for years; so she may need Nathan to turn to for help and much more

Written by a team of doctors who work the emergency unit in the Ozarks near Branson, Missouri. Their books are all written around ficticious towns but refer to real places in the area. Very interesting reading. ( )

Plot Summary: What happens, When & Where, Central Characters, Major Conflicts
We return to the small Ozark community of Hideaway, after Noelle's old friend Nathan fetches her from Springfield after her young cousin Carissa disappears. Nathan thinks Noelle's gift--an intuitive sense that somehow lets her know things she couldn't know otherwise (like that Carissa was in danger)--will be able to help them find the girl. And they eventually do but after a harrowing experience getting her out of the cave she was hidden in they discover that they can't trust anybody. Carissa is sure the kidnapper is someone she knows and there are some mighty strange things going on with her family.


Style Characterisics: Pacing, clarity, structure, narrative devices, etc.
A nice suspenseful plot and a whole host of potential suspects which kept me guessing. The characterization was a bit shallow--like Noelle has this gift and struggles with it but that could have been explored further. Other issues like the OCD disorder that Justin and some of the other characters had were explored only briefly.

How Good is it?
Good for an escape from reality into a suspenseful pageturner ( )