Dark Place to Hide starts with a mystery. Criminology expert, Harper Penn, is trying to pluck up the courage to tell his wife, Diane, he’s infertile when he gets a call from the hospital telling him she’s having a miscarriage.
When she goes missing a few days later, the police don’t take her disappearance seriously, assuming she’s run off with someone.
Then Clara, a delightful seven-year-old with a dying mother, who appears to have retreated into a world of fairy tales after an incident, goes missing from the same village.
Could the two be connected? Penn certainly thinks so.
This is a well-written novel told from several viewpoints. Penn’s is written as though he is talking to his wife, which I found unusual but effective. There are plenty of red herrings and you’re never quite sure who to trust, which keeps you on your toes. Certainly it’s a book I’m happy to recommend to readers who enjoy a good mystery.
