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Book Review of The Hiding Place

The Hiding Place
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Twenty-five years ago, the disappearance of four-year-old Justin Manning stunned the small town of Dove Point, Ohio. When his body was discovered buried in a shallow grave in the woods two months later, the repercussions were felt for years...

Janet Manning has been haunted by the murder ever since she lost sight of her little brother in the park. Now with the twenty-fifth anniversary of Justin's death looming, a detective and a newspaper reporter have started asking questions, reopening old wounds and raising new suspicions. Could the man convicted of Justin's murder - who has spent more than two decades in prison - really be innocent?

Janet's childhood friend and high school crush, who was with her in the park that day, has recently returned to Dove Point. He is wrestling with his own conflicted memories of the events surrounding Justin's disappearance. And a strange man appears on Janet's doorstep in the middle of the night, claiming to know the truth.

Sometimes it's easier to believe a lie; but soon, years of deceit will be swept away, and the truth of what really happened to Janet's little brother will be revealed. And the answers that Janet has sought may be found much closer to home than she ever could have imagined.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The plot was fast-paced and the mystery wasn't so convoluted that I couldn't follow it - the story captured my attention right from the beginning. I give this book a definite A+! and have placed David Bell's other two books - Cemetery Girl and Never Come Back on my Wish List.