I'm so happy to be back in Millers Kill following the ups and downs of Clare and Russ, friends and family. Hid From Our Eyes explores some of Russ's backstory: his lack of direction following his tour in Vietnam, his anger, and his being a person of interest in a mysterious death. This story follows the efforts of three MKPD police chiefs trying to solve three different but similar deaths over the years. The answer is stunning and heartbreaking for those involved. As always, I was left wanting more.

I was just thinking of Julia Spencer-Fleming, wondering if she might write another book and ... there it was! Nearly up to snuff, too. I only wish she'd made more of Clare's baby-care issues and, if the addiction is really an issue, that, too. Both seemed just added in, which cost me a star. Otherwise, a fine job!

I got this as an ARC with the understanding that I would read it and review.

Several years after her last novel, Julia Spencer-Fleming is back with another Clare Ferguson mystery. I have missed this series, and Hid from Our Eyes did not disappoint. Spencer-Fleming has created another compelling story with complex characters and a good whodunnit.

I didn't realize how much I missed Clare and Russ until I read this! It's been 6 years.

What I love the most is how human these two are. As an episcopal priest, Clare has demons and weaknesses which all humans do. I love how Julia lets us know about these.

The book is told in 3 time periods. 1952, 1972 and current day. In all of these periods, a woman's body is found in a party dress, no shoes, no purse on a rural road. The continuity of the police force during this time is a really nice touch. The changes in forensics also is documented showing in how each respective death, they find out a little bit more.

There wasn't a lot of clues as to whodunnit until the end. I found the history in the series to be very compelling.

And I love Margy.

4 stars

There's a movement afoot to disband the Millers Kill Police Department and turn the protection of the small town over to the State Troopers. This is a potential disaster for Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne and his deputies.

But that's not the only problem in this small community. Twenty years earlier, in 1952, a woman's body clothed in a party dress was found on the road by Russ. He became the chief suspect. And twenty years before that, a similar murder occurred.

Thus this book gives the reader the opportunity to experience the police department over several years as the story switches back and forth.

Along with his wife – and her a new mother – Russ sets out to solve this latest case. The experiences of the past keep intruding. However, he is determined to solve these crimes.

This is a great addition to the Russ Van Alstyne/Reverend Clare Fergusson series. It is well written and plotted. One event follows another in a linear and logical fashion. While, I have not read the entire series, I have thoroughly enjoyed the books that I have read.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

I was so, so excited to see this new entry in the Clare Fergusson series. And Spencer-Fleming does not disappoint.

This entry is set up in a different manner from the others: the storylines fluctuate between three timelines. We move back and forth from the present, where Russ is investigating the puzzling murder of a young woman, to the previous police chief who, when Russ was a young man, investigated a similar murder. And a third timeline goes back to an even earlier similar murder with another chief of police. All three timelines are connected by a small collection of characters in different stages of their lives and it works surprisingly well.

The ending of this one shows potential for changes on the horizon--and some old demons that might be re-surfacing. I am already looking forward to the 10th installment so I hope Spencer-Fleming plans to continue this wonderful series!

I was a little nervous jumping into Hid from Our Eyes because I have not read the prior novels in the Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series, but I had absolutely no issues jumping in! That being said, I will definitely be reading the first 8 installments because I am 100% on the hook now!

I really enjoy a well thought out mystery novel and Julia Spencer-Fleming has truly delivered in Hid from Our Eyes! The pacing was perfect and I guarantee you will be as surprised as I was with the well timed twists and turns! I can see why this series has such a strong following and I am officially part of that following now! I am looking forward to reading my way through this entire series!

I have been waiting so long for this book! I adore this series and its complex plotting and characterizations. I will say this isn't my favorite in the series, as I don't love all the jumping back and forth between three different decades, although the confusing murders and the altogether creepy and horrible reason for the them made for a satisfying mystery. And I know I'm connected to the characters in a strong way when I find myself whispering fiercely, "Don't do it, Clare!" or "Come on, Hayley, just say it!" These characters feel like real people, and I'm sad that I'm through reading this already and will likely have an extended wait for the next title.

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After waiting long years for this installment, I was thrilled to be reunited with Clare, Russ, and the rest of Millers Kill. This is a series I recommend frequently to patrons -- not only those who are fond of small-town mysteries, but also those who appreciate finely drawn, compelling characters. Looking forward to seeing this on the shelves in the spring -- I know I'll be encouraging curious folks to go back and start at the beginning. Many thanks for the review copy -- I inhaled it in two days!

I have followed this series from the beginning and have enjoyed following the evolution of Clare and Russ over the years. This story involves a series of crimes going back years with ties to the present. Russ and his usual crew, including his wife Clare, come together to solve these decades old crimes. It has been a long time between books and I hope we don't have to wait as long for the next adventures of Clare and Russ. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Well worth waiting for! Julia Spencer-Fleming does not disappoint with the latest entry in the Fergusson/Van Alstyne series. The story centres on three mysteries, all similar, all at the same time of the year, but decades apart. As well, Russ's job may be in danger as the city looks at closing the local police station. I was left with several questions, which leads me to hope for another book in the future!

Not only is the dead girl in the fancy dress impossible to identify; the medical examiner can't determine a cause of death.
Make that three medical examiners, Every 20 years the body of a girl has been found in the middle of nowhere. This third time, she is Chief Russ Van Alstyne's case.
People who haven't read Julia Spencer-Fleming will have no trouble plunging into this intricate, involving mystery. Readers who have followed the writer's series pairing the chief with Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson will be ecstatic to read the first mystery in the series in six years.

It has been 7 years between this book and the previous one. I was happy to see a new title in this series and to get to catch up with the characters after such a long gap. This book does have a cliff hanger ending and I hope we do not have to wait 7 more years for another book to let us know how it ends

As always, a pleasure to read! Julia Spencer-Fleming consistently writes believable characters, their flaws making them all the more interesting. Although her story lines are less than mundane, they maintain enough believability to keep you engaged. And engaged I was! I finished this in a day.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Outstanding book. After waiting for six years to find out the next chapter of the story of newlyweds and new parents, Rev. Clare Fergusson and Chief Russ Van Alstyne, we have a doozy of a story. Three murders, one in 1952, one in 1972 and one in present day have the same M.O. , the same type of victim and many of the same characters. Intertwined with the murders, we see the lives of new parents coping with work, childcare and social obligations. This book is chock full of wonderful writing and wonderful moments.

Well the wait was worth it, but hopefully the next book will not be as long as we are left on a real cliff hanger. Well done Julia.

Hid from Our Eyes: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (Fergusson/Van Alstyne Mysteries Book 9) by [Spencer-Fleming, Julia]

This is one of my favorite series, and I was so happy to see it return. I thoroughly enjoyed this title.



Review copy provided by publisher.

Clare and Russ are back and their lives are as smooth as ever...which is to say not very. What I like about this series is that Spencer-Fleming doesn't think her characters are perfect--they have flaws and are all-too-human. This book is more Russ's story than Clare's as it flips back and forth in time and deals with the ongoing fight to "Save Our Police" in Millers Kill. I felt that the mystery was much darker than usual, but it was the characters that really engaged me in this outing. Of course, there are plenty of loose ends that need to be tied up in the next book.......

Thanks for NetGalley for providing a digital ARC.

From In the Bleak Midwinter through Hid From Our Eyes, I have loved these characters. This 6 year wait has not been easy, but understood. Spencer-Fleming is as good as ever and I hope at work on the next book. Clare and Russ and all the rest of Miller's Kill are some of the best characters I have read. Great book.

In the town of Miller’s Kill, women are being killed . It begins in the 1950’s when police are called to the scene of a dead woman in a party dress. She has no obvious wounds or cause of death. In the 1970’s the local police chief is called to a scene nearly identical to one he saw twenty years earlier – dead girl in a party dress with no apparent cause of death. Vietnam War vet Russ van Alstyne is the prime suspect. Now, in the present police chief Russ van Alstyne gets a call that makes his blood run cold. History has repeated itself and another dead woman in a party dress has been found. No one can ignore that this crime mirrors the one Russ was accused of in the 70’s. He’s got to find answers, and fast. He turns to his team and Clare Fergusson, the mother of his child, to help find the real killer