Even when things seem completely hopeless, I must remember that God is still able to deliver.”
This Christian historical fiction had it all! It’s full or romance, mystery, intrigue, drama, and heartbreak. I’ll admit that I didn’t like Camriann that much at first. But, as the story progressed I really enjoyed her growth as a character. I thought her friendship with Judith and Kenzie was sweet and I loved the way they supported each other. I liked Patrick and his sister from the beginning. I loved his character growth as he learned to truly have faith in God. I really enjoyed that this book deals with a part of history that I haven’t read much about. It really deals with the issue of having faith, even when things seem hopeless. I’m definitely going to have to read more of Tracie Peterson’s work, especially the rest of this series.

Tracie's books are always a wonderful read. She can hold your attention like no other author can. This book is a must read full of mystery and romance!!!

In Places Hidden begins a wonderful new series from my favorite author, Tracie Peterson. This series gives the stories of three girls who become friends by accident as they all head to California in search of something or someone. In this book, Camri is searching for her missing brother and finds herself wrapped in a web of deceit and government corruption. Camri is proud of her achievements in education and women's rights, so much so she feels the need to champion this cause at every turn. It's going to take the love of a dying girl and her big Irish brother to teach Camri to open her eyes to the real world. I enjoyed this book very much and can't wait to read book 2. There are some scenes that viewer discretion is advised as part of the story deals with a brothel and human trafficking.

I received this book from Netgalley. A review was not required. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Camri travels to San Francisco to search for her missing brother Caleb, she discovers several mysteries. What did his disappearance do with his Defence of Patrick, a young Irishman accused of murder? Can she trust Henry Ambrewster, Caleb's employer? What do Caleb's servants, the Wongs know? Luckily, she has some friends to share her troubles with, but she also has to cope with her feelings for Patrick, who comes from a much lower social class. She also has a strong Christian Faith which stands by her.

This is a fast-paced and enjoyable Christian mystery, set in San Francisco in the early 1900s, a city rife with corruption and murders. Capri is likeable, although she can be a bit dogmatic and 'preachy,' however, she struggles with this herself. Patrick is also a likeable hero, but there is little about his being Catholic which would have been a big divide with Camri's being Protestant. Camri's friends are lovely characters. The historical research seems well-done, although I don't know much about San Francisco's history. I did find the use of the Irish vernacular a bit jarring and wondered whether it was true to life.

I received this free ebook from Bethany House in return for an honest review.

In Places Hidden
Tracie Peterson

In Places Hidden is a delightful period novel set in San Francisco. It took me a few chapters to get into the book and in all honesty I almost stopped reading the book. There were so many characters to keep up with and learn about that I struggled a bit to keep up and get into the novel. I am glad that I kept reading as it definitely got interesting. The characters were well-developed and likable. Peterson was able to weave a story and build a story that was interesting, fast-paced, and enjoyable to read. I enjoyed the novel.

Camri Coulter is in San Francisco in 1905 to find her missing brother. Her family hasn't heard from him in months and so her parents encourage her to take the trip from Chicago to see if she can discover what has happened to him. Along the way she meets two women, Kenzie and Judith, who have come to San Francisco with stories of their own. They've decided to work together as they seek their answers. Camri runs into difficulty trying to find her brother and in a town filled with corruption she doesn't know who to trust. She's hoping she can trust Patrick Murdock whom her lawyer brother helped defend against false murder charges. But as the lies (and murders) begin to mount, she doesn't know if she can trust anyone.

I saw a great deal of myself in Camri. She values education and truly believes it is essential for people to better their lives. What she learns as she makes new friends in Kenzie, Judith, and Patrick is that not everyone has the opportunities she's had and not everyone wants the life she does. While I cringed at a lot of the thoughtless things she said at the beginning of the book, she took her humbling in stride and really began to see the people behind her cause. I thought Patrick was a good character, but I would have liked to see him fleshed out a bit more. We were told what he thought and felt it, but I wanted to feel those things as well. I also thought Kenzie and Judith were good supporting characters and I look forward to continuing their stories in the next books.

I thought Tracie Peterson did a good job of highlighting some of the issues of the time such as racism, classism, and government corruption. How unfortunate that we continue to deal with these same issues today. It was also a good reminder that we too can carry around a good deal of pride that we don't recognize until we open our eyes to what's going on around us.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It didn't shy away from some of the harder things that fluffier books often avoid. While I thought the ending was a bit rushed and too convenient in some ways, I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction and who have liked Tracie Peterson's other books.

With her brother missing for over three months, Camriann Coulter travels to his home in San Francisco to spearhead the search for him. Along her trip out there, she meets who other women who also need to be in San Francisco for a time and she brings them along to her brother’s empty house. Judith and Kenzie place minor characters in this #1 series story, though an uncle sets the three women up with a job in the chocolate factory, giving them each an income to afford their stay in San Francisco.
Camry sets out to find her brother. She makes fast friends with the Murdock siblings (Patrick and Ophelia) and she also ferrets out the threads that other contacts like the Wongs and her brother’s boss, can provide.
The book is set in a corrupt time period of San Francisco history with shanghaied sailors and women trapped in prostitution. As a women’s rights activist, Camry is disturbed by what is going on in the city and eventually resolves to put her efforts into reforming the city.

This was just an okay book for me. Camri was not very likeable and a bit snobby. She did see her faults which is a plus. The story did not ring true and was very predictable. Hopefully, the next in the series will be better.

This is book one in the Golden Gate Secrets series, what a great place to start. I love the writing style of Tracie Peterson and this one does not disappoint. I look forward to reading more from those in this book.

Camriann Coulter, Camri, is a determined, well educated woman. When she must leave all she knows behind to help find her brother she realizes many things about herself.

Patrick Murdock is the handsome, irishman who may know something about Camri's missing brother.

I love the sparks between Camera and Patrick. The other characters in this story each have much to offer to the story lines to come. I look forward to catching up and see what lies ahead.

This book is full of mystery, friendship, romance and more. Even though part of this story is solved there is more to solve in the next book or two.

In Places Hidden
by Tracie Peterson
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers
Christian
Pub Date 06 Mar 2018
I am reviewing a copy of In Places Hidden through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:
Camriann Coulter is on her way to San Francisco to find her brother Caleb who went missing three months prior, on the way there she meets Judith and Kenzie who have their own mysteries to solve, in this fast growing west coast city. The three women decide it would be a good idea to help one another, which includes sharing a room together and working at the chocolate factory Kenzie's cousin owns.



Camri is led to deep into the political corruption of the city while she searches for her brother. And into the acquaintance of Patrick Murdock, a handsome Irishman who was saved from being falsely accused of murder by Camri's brother Caleb. Patrick challenges all of Camri's privileged belief but even so he is the one that can tell her what happened to Caleb. Working together they move closer to the truth behind Caleb's disappearance. As threats look, will Patrick be able to protect Camri?


I give In Places Hidden Five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

In Places Hidden Is a very Tracy Peterson book, which means it was well done. This book was set in the 1900's early in San Fran. Wow was it a time back then - it was Woo hoo - you have got to read it to know it. The author does her homework for these historical stories. It is about corruption, power, pride, prejudice , ignorance and GOD's divine intervention with it all. Now wouldn't you want him to be. Camri sure is one - she is one of the three main women of the book. To know the other two you are to have to see for yourself.

In Places Hidden by Tracie Peterson is the first novel in the Golden Gate Secrets series. Camriann “Camri” Coulter has journeyed to San Francisco in late November of 1905 to locate her missing brother, Caleb. On the journey she meets Judith Gladstone and Kenzie Gifford. Each woman has their own quest that has brought them to San Francisco. The three women decide to pool their resources and help one other. They move into Caleb’s house and Kenzie helps them obtain jobs at her cousin’s candy factory. Caleb has been missing for over three months. Camri begins her search by speaking with Caleb’s boss, Mr. Henry Ambrewster. It seems Caleb took Patrick Murdock, a local contractor being tried for murder, as a client and got a not guilty verdict which angered some bigwigs in the city. What lengths would these high-powered individuals go to silence Caleb? Camri teams up with Patrick to discover her brother’s whereabouts and uncover the corrupt people responsible.

In Places Hidden is well-written and it has some interesting characters. Kenzie’s candy maker cousin, George Lake is a quirky individual with exacting standards (he is very twitchy). Camri is an intelligent woman who believes in education and suffrage (she likes to pontificate on the value of education especially). I was happy to see her alter some of her opinions and behavior by the end of the book. I had a little trouble getting into the story, but once I did, I was curious to see how matters would play out. I did feel we were given too much backstory on each of the ladies. Since each woman (Judith, Camri and Kenzie) will have their own book, we did not need so much detail on Judith and Kenzie in this installment. It made for a tedious beginning. The Christian elements are strong throughout the book especially having faith in God to get a person through the troublesome times in life. I felt the romance between Camri and Patrick proceeded at a little too quickly. Since In Places Hidden is part of a series, I felt the author could have let their romance progress at a slower speed (which would have been in keeping with the time period). I will be curious to see how Judith and Kenzie’s stories unfold. In Places Hidden is a light, historical romance with touch of intrigue that will appeal to Tracie Peterson’s fans.

Confession: I recently binge-watched all of Full House on Hulu. So as soon as I saw that In Places Hidden was set in San Francisco (and Camri stayed in her brother Caleb’s house), I immediately thought of the Tanners’ house as a suitable stand-in! #fangirl #justbeingreal

I started reading Tracie Peterson’s novels in high school. She consistently writes quality fiction, in which I know:

the content will be clean
the plot will be good
God will be honored, and
I will more than likely get a happy ending (which I want in 99% of my books)!

So I naturally jumped at the chance to review In Places Hidden, and was not disappointed. I recommend it for any Christian-fiction fan, but especially for fans of Gilbert Morris and Lynn Morris’s Cheney Duvall, M.D., series. The book especially reminds me of book 6, In the Twilight, In the Evening, which was also set in San Francisco. Be prepared to consider a San Fran getaway later this year!

I enjoyed the characters and learning more about each of their stories. It did take a little bit to easily keep them straight, but that process was quicker than other novels I’ve read of late! Learning about the Chinese and Irish experiences during the early 1900s was also insightful; Peterson obviously did her research, as per usual. 🙂

A satisfying read; I’m excited for book 2 to come out!

I love Tracie Peterson's novels. I have patiently (not so much) been waiting for the first book in this series to come out.

This series is set in San Francisco. Camri's attorney brother has stopped writing to her. The last letter she received was three months ago. She sets out on the journey of a life time.

On her journey west she meets two other young ladies who are also traveling to San Francisco. The three band together to find Caleb. They find the city is full of corruption and are unsure whom to trust. It seems everyone they speak with has something to hide.

They join forces with a handsome Irishman, Patrick, who is a friend and former client of Caleb's. God uses Camri and Patrick's relationship to do a little refining in their lives.

Camri has a good heart, even if some of her ideas about education and the woman's suffrage movement are a little skewed. I loved watching the subtle changes to her way of thinking as God spoke to her heart.

Patrick's transformation was no less sweet to watch. He'd had more than his fair share of rough times. It was touching to watch him come to  the realization that he needed to surrender his heart to God.

A truly beautiful and suspenseful story.

This read had me mesmerized, and quickly page-turning, and I had to have answers. Now I’m looking for the next book in this series, and hope those who are so evil get there just due.
What a wild, sinful, and immoral city San Francisco was, and although this is a fictional book, it does have a lot of historical fact.
Can you image back in the early 1900’s receiving, or not hearing from your brother who is about two thousand miles away, and not knowing where he is, or if he is even alive. This is why Camri Coulter is in the West, and she meets two women while traveling there, in rather dire circumstances, and takes them under her wing and offers them shelter.
So many life lessons here, and you will be quickly caught up in this story, with evil so prominent you will have to wonder who is going to come out alive at the end. So many people hurt, and why? Greed.
Don’t miss this one!

I received this book through the Publisher Bethany House reviewer program, and was not required to give a positive review.

This novel by Tracie Peterson had me intrigued from the time I got through all the acknowledgements and copyright pages until I got to the very end. She takes on the early 1900s in San Francisco and the political corruption as well as shanghai-ing of men to work on ships bringing in goods to the US.

Camri came to California to find her brother who hasn't been heard from for four months. Along the way, she meets his boss, a man he once defended for murder, and everyone she meets has no clue where her brother is.

Kenzie and Judith have both come to San Francisco searching for something unfulfilled in their lives. By introducing Kenzie and Judith, Tracie has given herself a setup for future novels to make this a series. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

There are things that don't make a lot of sense to me in this book, but they do not detract from the book in the least. Of all the scenarios I could have imagined for Camri's brother to be found, the one Tracie used was the furthest from my mind. So much of the book I could tell, but it would spoil it for those who haven't read it yet, and even though I don't mind spoilers, others do, so I won't spoil it.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a rescued shanghai

My thanks to Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book.

In Places Hidden is the first book iin a new series set in San Francisco in 1905. Camri heads West to San Franscisco to find her missing brother, Caleb. Her companions are two single girls who ended up working in a candy factory to make ends meet. While Camri investigates Caleb's disappearance, she meets Patrick who her brother had successfully defended against a murder charge. Patrickand Camri join forces, and go on a journey of murder, kidnapping, theft, and more. I am usually a big fan of Tracie Peterson, but this book fell flat with a slow pace. I expect the subsequent books will be better since we have been introduced to many characters.

I do generally enjoy Tracie Peterson's novels. She generally has a great balance of mystery, intrigue and romance. Unfortunately, "In Places Hidden" didn't fully hold my attention. I wanted it to be good and to enjoy the storyline, but there was something missing. I couldn't quite connect with Camri, the main character and I kept feeling like certain aspects of the story were implausible, especially the fact that her other two friends weren't working on their own mysteries at all. I also feel I must mention that there is a subplot that involves a brothel, the women working there and certain aspects of the job as a bouncer, in case there are any mom's deciding whether their children should read this. It is handled well, but nonetheless, it is there, so proceed with caution.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

"In Hidden Places" is a Christian romance set in 1905 in San Francisco. The story follows three women--Camri, Judith, and Kenzie--but this book mainly focused on Camri's search for her missing brother.

The characters were well-developed, complex people who grew throughout the story. Camri was brought up in a progressive household that promoted education and women's rights. Now Camri gets to know people with different priorities or who are dealing with things like racial prejudice, where education isn't primarily what's needed or wanted.

Her brother has angered the corrupt, powerful men of the city, but it's not clear if he's alive somewhere or dead or even who is behind his disappearance. His friends help Camri in her search for her brother. In the end, it's clear that God has been working behind the scenes to bring about good from what was intended for evil.

The historical and setting details were naturally woven into the story. This is the type of story that feels like it really could have happened. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this enjoyable story.