This is another great story by Tracie Peterson. Her books are always entertaining and uplifting, and this book is both of those.
The story is set in a rowdy, lawless time in San Francisco. This leads to some heartbreaking threads in the plot. Ms. Peterson handles these in an appropriate manner, but for this reason, I would not recommend this for girls under high school age.

I liked the characters in the book. The main character, Camri, learns to overcome her pride in her many accomplishments and learns to value people in all walks of life. The romance between Camri and Patrick develops rather swiftly, but it still fits well in the storyline. I thought the book ended a little too abruptly with some of the characters’ storylines unresolved, even for the first book in a series. I’m guessing we’ll continue to see those situations resolve as the next books are released. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received an advanced copy of this book for review. I was not required to give a positive review, and this is my honest opinion of the book.

Set in San Francisco in 1905, In Places Hidden has it all: history, mystery, romance, and social justice. Tracie Peterson never fails to entertain while challenging readers to think deeply about their faith. This story has the reader pondering the degree to which he or she is willing to see God and to serve Him in the words of circumstances. She asks us to see the world and set priorities with a Kingdom view, a view that looks past next week, even past a lifetime, into eternity.
In Places Hidden is the first book in Peterson’s Golden Gate Secrets series. The series follows three young women, each coming to San Francisco with a goal in mind. This first book focuses on Camri Coulter who has come to the city to search for her missing brother, attorney Caleb Coulter. She is assisted in her search by new friends, Judith Gladstone and Kenzie Gifford, along with Caleb’s friend, and former client, Patrick Murdoch. The search moves from Caleb’s fashionable neighborhood to poverty-stricken ones to the infamous Barbary Coast. Camri, an advocate for education and women’s rights, comes face to face with her own biases as her eyes are opened to the needs of others, and as her view of what comprises an education broadens.
I highly recommend In Places Hidden, and look forward to reading Judith’s story when the second book in this series is released. I appreciate NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

I did not enjoy this book due to inconsistencies and an unlikeable main character.

IN PLACES HIDDEN by TRACIE PETERSON takes place in San Fransisco in 1905. I particularly enjoy this Author as she writes really good stories filled with biblical truth. Her characters are real and in many ways we can relate to them.
Caleb Coulter is a lawyer who seems to have upset the wrong people by looking into corruption in the city! He has disappeared and no one knows what has happened to him. Is he still alive? Has he been "shanghaied" and forced to work on the ships? His parents are sick with worry and send his sister, Camri, who is devoted to her brother, to San Fransisco to look for him. She meets two young ladies on her travels who become dear friends, even though they are very different in outlook and situation. Judith is looking for her aunt and Kenzie is getting over being jilted at the altar.
The Author touches on matters such as class distinction, discrimination against the Chinese, Jews and Irish, and poverty in general. A lot of things that are hidden are uncovered.
We see Camrianne Coulter, to start with, as a bit of a snob. She is a strong proponent of women's rights and the importance of education, especially for women. She feels women should be self-sufficient. Her friendship with Judith and Kenzie, Patrick and his sister Ophelia, opens her eyes to see how proud and opinionated she has become. She has never really had close friends before, never realizing she needed them, and recognizes that these down to earth people have a very wide practical education which did not come from books! As the story unfolds, we see her turn more and more to the Lord, trusting in Him rather than in her own strength. We also see how the Lord can bring good out of even the most desperate situations and how He answers prayer.
It is an exciting read with a good Christian message..

In Places Hidden by Tracie Peterson is my second book I have read by Peterson. I do enjoy her ability to write a story rich in history with enjoyable characters. Historical romance is my second genre of choice. I know a good historical romance will be filled with likeable characters and a different time period than today.

Peterson's writing was clear and concise. I can see why she has written so many books. While some of her books don't interest me, I was interested in this San Francisco story because it takes place in the beginning of the twentieth century. Her setting in the house and around the town of San Francisco filled my imagination. I had no problem imagining her setting and watching the characters roam through the story.

The romance between Camrianne Coulter and Patrick appeared to be very fast for my taste. They were moving along in the story, trying to solve where the missing brother is and then about eight-five percent into the story, Peterson throws in the sparks for a budding romance. It just didn't fit with the tone of the story up to that moment. It appeared to come out of nowhere. Then they were on the way to the altar.

The plot has been seen before too. I have read a number of stories that have shady parts of town where they take someone illegally away and forced them into slave labor or worse. It is a popular story in historical or contemporary stories. The return of Caleb is also unrealistic too. I think the part should have handled better. It felt cheap.

While these elements bothered me, I really enjoyed the story, and it was enjoyable. I liked spending time with Patrick and Camrianne. I really can't wait to see Judith and Kenzie's story, which I assume will be the next two books in the series. In Places Hidden was a good attempt at a twentieth century historical cozy mystery.

Fans of Peterson's other novels and fans of historical novels or cozy mysteries might enjoy this book.

Overall, In Places Hidden by Tracie Peterson is a captivating twentieth century historical mystery. While the plot may have been done a number of times, I really enjoyed spending time with the characters and the plot.

I received a complimentary copy of In Places Hidden by Tracie Peterson, but the opinions stated are all my own.