A PLACE FOR HIDING

A PLACE OF HIDING opens with Deborah and Simon St. James bidding goodnight to their guests, Helen Clyde and Thomas Lynley. A few minutes later, the doorbell rings. Deborah is shocked to discover Cherokee River, the brother of her friend and American roommate China River, on her doorstep. With no prompting he tells the couple that he has come to ask for help. His sister has been arrested for murder and is in a musty jail on the isolated island of Guernsey, which is situated in the English Channel. He prefaces his story by taking all responsibility for her trouble. His explanation is long and complicated but very convincing. Thus, by the time he''s finished, Deborah feels duty-bound to drop everything and help them. Simon is not as eager to get involved and he''s not about to let Deborah go off with a charismatic and handsome young man, about whom he knows nothing. The stakes grow exponentially once the threesome land on Guernsey and each damning puzzle piece starts to fit into place. China River has been charged with the grizzly murder of Guy Brouard, the richest and most influential man on the island. He and his sister immigrated to the Channel Island, where he chose a very pubic life and spread his money around. Ruth Brouard, on the other hand, preferred to live a quiet and more private life. Their wealth and lifestyles separated them from most of the population, but they felt a spiritual connection to this island''s populace because they too were victims of the Holocaust. One of the island''s war heroes owned an extraordinary collection of memorabilia. He, his son and Brouard were planning a World War II museum to honor those who were at the mercy of the Nazis during occupation. Simon tries to convince Le Gallez, the investigator in charge of the murder, that many islanders, even some who were part of the plans for the memorial, are much more likely to have killed Brouard than China River. However, not a shred of evidence emerges against them. But Simon is relentless, determined to find anyone who might have a motive for wanting Brouard dead. Still, the inspector has no interest in looking beyond his current prisoner; for him, the case has been solved. How and why China River became the prime suspect is the matrix for this multilayered, well-plotted and highly suspenseful novel. A PLACE OF HIDING is a complex and absorbing tale populated with interesting and chameleon-like characters. At first, fa