Big thanks to Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Her Hiding Place is just enough of a pleasant read to want to decipher to the final sentence.
A locked room mystery with thriller tendencies.
Charlotte arrives at an island resort to start a new job.
Included in her work as a housekeeper she is given accomodation in the attic.
With her, is her three year old daughter Alice who she needs to keep hidden.
Why, we don’t know as yet….
Then a hurricane is imminent and a body is found.
A netting of lies, secrets and murder is thrown in and someone is about to be unmasked……
I mostly enjoyed this but found one thing that continuously annoyed me.
If you can overcome this flaw, overall, it was a pretty good read.
The multiple twists, some I figured out and others were out of the blue.
Across the board or should I say book, I was entertained.

An unpredictable thriller with an atmospheric setting. A remote resort in an isolated island and then the storm makes it intense with mysterious murders. Charlotte, with her little daughter Alice, is hiding from someone dangerous. She takes a job as a maid in the secluded resort, where she hides her daughter from everyone, but she is so wrong. Twisted secrets, murders, shocking plot twists, and fast-paced mystery throughout make this book a gripping edge of your seat thriller. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, and that jaw-dropping revelation at the end is superb. I loved the author's previous books, and this one is equally good.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the eARC.

I’m going – unusually – to get straight to one of my key points about Shannon Hollinger’s latest novel, Her Hiding Place. I felt that there were several key components to not like about it.

It’s not the best book to read if you enjoy a tight plot, that’s for sure. This one relies on holes that are big enough to drive a truck through. I’m guessing for a start that Shannon doesn’t have a three-year-old child, because if she did or ever had had, she’d know that the idea of trusting one to remain silent if left alone in an attic for such a few minutes, never mind whole days is nothing short of laughable. And I couldn’t believe the solution to the plot either: unless I’ve missed something, it needed someone else to know that the main character, Charlotte, was going to take a job before she herself did, and that’s impossible with the way that the storyline is written.

Then there are the characters, which don’t really make up for the plot weaknesses. Perhaps if I had known a bit more of Charlotte’s background earlier, and realised just what she was running from, I could have related to her earlier than I did. We are told, gradually, as the book progresses but for me, the real truth came too late. It meant that I initially couldn’t understand her well enough to make any sort of connection, and that’s a problem in a psychological thriller. Meanwhile, all of the secondary characters are portrayed so simply as to be one-dimensional: the impossibly good-looking xxx, the shifty Harvey, the tyrannical boss Evelyn and the bitchy co-worker Brooke.

So why, given the above seemingly major gripes, have I still given the book four stars (and no, it’s not a misprint)? And why am I sharing this review as part of a promotional tour?

Well, I’ve thought long and hard about the various minor reasons but the main one is really very simple. Once I’d picked the book up, I couldn’t put the damn thing down again.

It’s the tension, and the atmosphere, that make it. In the beginning, we might rationally struggle to believe that Charlotte is smuggling a little girl into the isolated Florida Keys resort where she’s taken a job as a maid, but look past that and see someone who is desperate enough to try to do it and the story immediately becomes fearful and tense. These emotions only heighten when we hear that a hurricane is heading straight for the resort. And when the hurricane hits earlier than expected, and the resort is left cut off from the mainland, we’re left not only with a classic locked-room mystery, but the added fear of wondering who, if anyone, will survive. It’s wonderful.

The added dimension of Charlotte’s own personal fears is also fantastic. Her not knowing which, if any of her colleagues she could trust but needing, desperately to trust someone leapt off the pages so powerfully that I could feel my head aching for her.

The result is a book that it’s best not to pick up and read a few chapters of before going to sleep. Or before starting work. Because the chances are you’ll still be turning the pages a good two hours later, and gasp out loud when you finally look at your watch. And wonder what excuse you can possibly make for arriving at work late and in an almost zombie-like state.

I’d stopped caring about any of the book’s obvious faults long before reaching the end. I just knew that I loved it. And that’s fine, because love doesn’t have to be rational. Which is wonderful, because if it did, there’s no way that I, or indeed almost all other men alive, could still be married.

My thanks to Bookouture for including me on the blog tour for Her Hiding Place, which was published on 31 January 2025. Thanks also to Netgalley for the digital ARC. I have reviewed the book voluntarily and honestly, and will publish my review on Goodreads, Amazon and my social media pages.

Her hiding place by Shannon Hollinger grabs ahold of you right from the start with a thrilling, heart pounding scene and then doesn't let go. The story follows Charlotte who is feeling from some sort of abusive relationship and ends up working as a housekeeper on a resort on a remote island. The story switched back and forth between present day where Charlotte is taking refuge at this resort and recalling the past where the abuse and an incident took place. The past glimpses count down every time you get a glimpse back, getting you closer and closer to the event as you read. All this would be hard enough, but the resort isn't all it seems to be and Charlotte is hiding secrets of her own, one of them being a little girl named Charlotte who the rest of the staff don't and can't know about. But when a hurricane threatens the island, chaos ensues and you don't know what will happen next.

Special thanks to Shannon Hollinger and Bookouture for patterning with NetGalley. I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I absolutely love reviewing books for @bookouture, theyve introduced me so to many fantastic psychological thriller authors. Her Hiding Place is the third book I've read from Hollinger and my favourite to date. Everything about is was perfect and had everything I look for in a great thriller.

The pace is fast and doesn't let up; if anything it just accelerated. The settings immediately gave off locked room vibe, with the hurricane adding to the sense of imminent isolation and being trapped.

An engrossing and addictive read with a fantastic plot and unpredictable characters

Charlotte arrives on an island looking for work. She is clearly running from someone. She gets a job that includes housing, which works for her. She smuggles Alice in with her. When a hurricane is set to strike the island, she needs to find a way to get her and Alice to safety, without her coworkers finding out.

This book really surprised me. There were so many twists and right when I thought I had it all figured out, I was proven wrong.

Thank you Bookouture for my ARC of this book.

I was hooked on this book from the very beginning It takes place on island and a major hurricane is about to hit. It goes back and forth from the present to the past and is clearly titled on the pages to let you know.
Charlotte is on the run with her 3 year old daughter , Alice. She gets a job at a resort but keeps her daughter a secret so she can keep her job. They are given a room in the attic , where Alice has to play quietly while Charlotte is working.
We know they are from an abusive relationship but from who exactly we aren't sure.
Charlotte becomes friends with 2 of her co workers and finally confides in one of them.
I enjoyed the story and getting to know the characters. I didn't trust one of them and I was right on that one. Was a couple of twists towards the end which I didn't see.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the book to review.

The story follows one woman, hiding a secret, as she starts work as a housekeeper at a key west estate. From the start, you get breadcrumbs about her past that lead you to the answers she’s withholding. I felt her dialogue a little predictable and expected. To believe the storyline, you have to accept that this is just a book and not based on reality. Lots of important aspects we skipped over while small irrelevant details were over described. I also did not like the audio narrator- her tone, cadence, etc did not match what the character was saying.

I love books like this where I think the story line is going to go one way and then it completely veers off in another direction.
A hurricane is coming but Charlotte can’t leave the island because of Alice.
I assumed a lot about Charlotte and I was only correct about a few things.
I felt sorry for Harvey. Molly seems like a good person if not a little misguided.
I would have hightailed it off the island at first warning but I don’t have an anchor like Charlotte did.

This was such an intense read, right away I found myself hooked and unable to put it down, great twists too.

Love this amazing author. She never disappoints. This book was wonderful. I just could not put it down. If you haven't read this author's books yet, start with this one.

This book was fantastic. I really like the way Shannon writes. I love a book that keeps you guessing and this was the case with this one. Another plus for me is that I love short chapters. Highly recommend.

Charlotte has just accepted a job as a housekeeper in a luxury hotel on a remote island in the Florida Keys but, hidden in her room, away from all the other staff, is three year old Alice. Charlotte will do whatever she can to keep her safe, because they are on the run and if anyone finds out everything will be taken away from her, including Alice, and all that she's done in her past will have been for nothing. When one of the other staff members is found dead, Charlotte fears it's a warning to her and, going back to check on Alice she discovers she's gone, desperate to find her but with a storm raging outside, she wonders if they'll escape before her secret is revealed.

Her Hiding Place is a fast paced thriller where Hollinger gives us an in-depth backstory to Charlotte's past and, peeling back the layers of this story, we discover why she is on the run and desperate to protect Alice, whatever the cost. This is a nailbiting tale with plenty of twists and Charlotte soon begins to realise who she can and can't trust and she soon lets her guard down, but is she putting her faith in the right people? Hollinger kept me on the edge of my seat throughout with a story that was full of intrigue and tension filled drama. It's the first I've read by this author but it certainly won't be the last.

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Trust no one!

This is a cleverly written story that builds as it goes. Assume nothing.

Charlotte is on the run, looking for a safe haven for herself and 3-year-old Alice and she thinks she has found it in a job at a resort in the Florida Keys that provides accommodation and food, but things don't seem quite right on the island and as they prepare for an upcoming hurricane, she finds herself second guessing her instincts when it comes to the people she has let get close to her.

This book will have you questioning everyone, are they friend or foe, and who will actually live to get off the island.

Her Hiding Place by Shannon Hollinger is my seventh book by Hollinger and each title has is own way of keeping me hooked and eager to turn the pages.
This was a great thrilling read that had me until its surprising ending.
The author really knows how to draw you in. The characters are realistic. The plot had twists and turns coming out of nowhere. It was all I could do to turn the pages as fast as I was reading them. This was one heck of a book.

Her Hiding Place by Shannon Hollinger

Dark, twisted, compelling, and immersive story that looks at what one woman is willing to do to keep a child safe.

What I liked:
* That even though I read ahead I was still in the dark and had surprises aplenty
* Charlotte: survivor, strong, resilient, protective, hopeful, willing to do what ti takes to keep Alice and herself safe
* Molly: friendly, outgoing, positive, supportive, runaway
* The closed-door murder mystery played out on a pseudo-island during a hurricane
* The flashbacks – although I was not clued in till much later who they really referred to
* The twists, turns, and not knowing who if anyone was someone Charlotte could or should trust
* That I became invested in the outcome
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* The way all the puzzle pieces finally came together as I wasn’t quite sure of everything till the very end
* Hopefully thinking about what happens after the last page of the story…

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about what makes parets, siblings or anyone a twisted abusive person who takes pleasure in harming another person
* Thinking about what ti would take to make a break for it if in an abusive situation

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – this is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

I really enioyed this locked room physcological thriller. Its told in a dual timeline the past is telling us about why Charlotte and Alice is on the run and in hiding. This book was a bit of a slowburn until it got to about 60% and that was when it really started. There were quite a few twists that i didnt expect.
Thank you for giving me an ARC.

This is a great psychological thriller.
Charlotte arrives at a posh resort to start her new job as a housekeeper, but is shocked to see she is surrounded by water. As she can’t swim she is hoping the job and accommodation will help her out of an awful situation and she will be safe here.
When she’s told which room she can have she goes back to her car and wraps up three year old Alice and sneaks her into the room.
While Charlotte is working she leaves Alice locked in the room, telling her to be very quiet. I found it a bit hard to believe that a three year would remain quiet at first but as the story progresses, you understand what Alice has been through.
We get flashbacks to Charlotte’s life before and also find out about her close friend.
When a hurricane hits the resort, Charlotte wants to get Alice to safety but is worried how to do this whilst keeping her secret. But when someone is found dead, Charlotte knows she needs to fight to keep her and Alice alive but with her fear of water, this proves difficult.
This is a gripping thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.

Her Hiding Place by Shannon Hollinger is an intense and gripping psychological thriller. Charlotte has taken a job at a luxury resort hotel on an island in the Florida Keys. As a maid she must prepare the resort for the opening by cleaning, dusting, and making beds. But her most important job is to keep Alice, the three-year-old little girl hidden in their room, an absolute secret. Out running an abusive past, Charlotte is always looking over her shoulder, feeling like someone is watching her. With a hurricane threatening to endanger their lives and her secrets, Charlotte must find a way to keep Alice hidden now more than ever. But when the bodies start to be found, Charlotte fears her past has caught up to her.
This book was full of unease and creeping dread. The storyline is fast-paced and I felt like the characters are all very well written. Hollinger brilliantly weaves tension and suspense along with the almost claustrophobic dread of being trapped on an island with a killer. If you are looking for a well-written psychological suspense novel, look no further!
Thank you to NetGalley, Shannon Hollinger, and Bookouture for this ARC. Expected release day is January 31st 2025.

If you enjoy twisty, electrifying, and suspenseful stories that keep you guessing, then "Her Hiding Place" by Shannon Hollinger is an ideal choice. The story presents a startling locked-room mystery set in an isolated resort in the Florida Keys. As a hurricane looms and bodies begin to pile up, a desperate faces the daunting task of safeguarding her daughter.

"Her Hiding Place," introduces readers to Charlotte, the unreliable narrator of this thrilling tale. The details provided allow the reader to determine that Charlotte escaped an abusive life. Despite this, the past constantly haunts her. As the story progresses, the reader discovers that she is hiding from someone, prompting her to go on the run with three-year-old Alice. To ensure their safety, she secures a housekeeping job at a remote resort in the Florida Keys. However, while staying at the resort, she learns her past is not the only thing that poses a threat. The impending hurricane forecasted to hit the Keys, and a killer threaten her plans to keep Alice safe.

The story that unfolded was well-paced. The suspense builds steadily as the reader attempts to find answers to the many clues spread throughout the narrative. The flashbacks into the past added a layer of intrigue, while Charlotte's attempts to hide Alice in plain sight heightened the mystery. The murders, coupled with the threat of the hurricane, intensified the suspense and thrills. This one kept me guessing the entire time. One will find themselves suspending belief regarding the hiding of Alice. How can a three-year-old remain quiet and undetected while being alone for most of the day?

The epilogue provided a satisfying conclusion. Overall, it was an exciting read that I highly recommend to those seeking a good thriller.