Her Hiding Place by Shannon Hollinger
Narrated by Kelly Burke

Charlotte is in dire straights. She's running from someone, she's out of money, and she needs to avoid being seen. Seeing a help wanted for a job at nearby resort on an "almost" island Charlotte takes her chances getting a job there, hoping her precious secret can stay out of sight. Along with Charlotte is three year old Alice and somehow Charlotte will have to find a way to keep Alice quiet and hidden while Charlotte works long days.

Throughout the present day story are scenes from the past. Seeing those disturbing scenes from the perspective of a girl, she is continually being beaten, harmed in a variety of ways, and there is no way out. Is this what Charlotte is running from? It's obvious Charlotte is terrified of getting caught but it seems she also feels like she is a bad person, that's she's done something wrong. Just what it going on?

On top of Charlotte having to work while hiding a three year old from everyone on the island, there is a massive storm coming, turning the "almost" island into an island. This might be fine except a body is found, the person has obviously been murdered, and the killer has to still be on the island. Charlotte already didn't trust a lot of the folks stuck with her on the island but now she isn't sure she can trust anyone.

Kelly Burke narrates this story with the urgency and sense of danger that the story deserves. People can't be trusted, there is a murderer in their midst but is Charlotte trustworthy either? Who is the person being beaten, is that what Charlotte is running from? Nothing seems right from the beginning of the story and then things go downhill from there. There isn't a moment of peace from the time the book starts and that would be the case even without a massive storm heading right for the resort. If you need something to raise your blood pressure, this story will probably do it for you.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

Shannon Hollinger’s Her Hiding Place is an exhilarating thriller that keeps readers on edge from the first page to the last. A gripping combination of intricate plotting, dynamic characters, and suspenseful twists, this novel is a perfect introduction to Hollinger’s talent for storytelling, especially for those unfamiliar with her work.

The story hooks readers immediately, immersing them in a world where secrets and lies intertwine. Hollinger masterfully builds tension, creating a narrative that has you questioning everyone and everything. As the story unfolds, the clues and misdirections keep your mind working overtime, trying to piece together the puzzle before the explosive reveal.

For thriller enthusiasts, Her Hiding Place delivers all the essentials: a fast pace, clever misdirection, and an emotional depth that makes the characters feel real and relatable. Hollinger’s writing style is accessible yet nuanced, ensuring readers are equally invested in the story’s mystery and the people at its heart.

If you’ve never read anything by Shannon Hollinger, this is the ideal place to start. It’s the kind of book that leaves you eager for more, and fans of psychological thrillers will undoubtedly want to explore her other works after finishing this one. Highly recommended!

2.5 rounded up. A woman has just taken a job as a hotel maid on a small island in Florida. She has a secret hiding in her room though, a girl named Alice that she is on the run with. The hotel job seemed like a safe place to hide out, but when a hurricane is headed straight toward the hotel and people are turning up dead, it seems this island is more a nightmare than a sanctuary.

This book was ok for me. The narration was good, writing was good, pace of book was good, but the thriller aspect of the story fell flat. I had the plot twists pretty much all figured out before they were revealed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ALC for review.

3 for the story, 4 for the read (I listened to the audiobook) so 3.5 rounded up.

Premise - an abused woman hides out with her little girl on a remote island, working as a maid. No one can know the little girl is there, so when a hurricane hits the island and all staff must evacuate, things get tricky fast. Then the murders start. Oh, and our heroine - who came to an island on purpose and is facing the possibility of hurricane-related flooding - can't swim.

I expected to like this more than I did, but I still enjoyed it. I liked the unreliable narrator elements, but was able to predict almost all of the twists quite early on, including the one about the abuse. I also think the story would have worked better for me if the narrator was a teenager. As it stands, with her as an adult, her age/Luanne's age kind of felt like a plot hole with the twist. Teenage pregnancy exists, so aging them down would have made the story work a lot better (and I think could have fixed some of the dreary voice stuff too, if Hollinger had added some typical teenage recalcitrance to our main character). Overall, however, the story never lost my attention.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Kelly Burke. Burke did a great job with the read, really capturing the mood of the story, so I can definitely recommend enjoying this story in that format! I think I might have liked the book a bit less if I were reading it directly and not being read to.

Thanks, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.