Hid from Our Eyes: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery

Julia Spencer-Fleming

Apr 2020 · Fergusson/Van Alstyne Mysteries Book 9 · Sold by Minotaur Books

About this eBook

THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER

New York Times bestseller Julia Spencer-Fleming returns to her beloved Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series with new crimes that span decades in Hid from Our Eyes.

"New parents Clare Fergusson and police chief Russ Van Alstyne tackle three copycat murders and one testy baby in this riveting addition to an acclaimed series" —People magazine

1952. Millers Kill Police Chief Harry McNeil is called to a crime scene where a woman in a party dress has been murdered with no obvious cause of death.

1972. Millers Kill Police Chief Jack Liddle is called to a murder scene of a woman that's very similar to one he worked as a trooper in the 50s. The only difference is this time, they have a suspect. Young Vietnam War veteran Russ van Alstyne found the body while riding his motorcycle and is quickly pegged as the prime focus of the investigation.

Present-day. Millers Kill Police Chief Russ van Alstyne gets a 911 call that a young woman has been found dead in a party dress, the same MO as the crime he was accused of in the 70s. The pressure is on for Russ to solve the murder before he's removed from the case.

Russ will enlist the help of his police squad and Reverend Clare Fergusson, who is already juggling the tasks of being a new mother to her and Russ's baby and running St. Alban's Church, to finally solve these crimes.

Readers have waited years for this newest book and Julia Spencer-Fleming delivers with the exquisite skill and craftsmanship that have made her such a success.

Ratings and reviews

I received a free electronic copy of this excellent novel from Netgalley, Julia Spencer-Fleming, and Monitor Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am happy to see this return to the story of Clare Fergusson, Episcopalian priest, and Russ Van Alstyne, Chief of Police of Millers Kill, a very small town in the scarcely populated county of Washington in New York state. We have three distinct timelines - August 1952, August 1972, and August of the present-day. These time frames all have several things in common - the yearly circus/carnival of the county, the various generations of several prominent local families, autumn folding color over the lovely Adirondack mountains - and the deaths of lovely young women found in new party frocks laying in the middle of McEachron Hill Road without shoes, purse, stockings or obvious cause of death. The current chief of police, Russell Van Alstyne, was 20, just returning from a second tour in Vietnam and considered a potential perpetrator of the second murder in 1972. The murders are all very similar but there are 70 years between first and last so maybe copycat but probably not one single perpetrator. There are only one or two people who even remember the 1952 death, which at the time was not considered murder but rather an unexplained death. Hid from Our Eyes is an exciting who-done-it, with interesting protagonists and a compelling pace. If you are new to this author, she has some excellent books already out there, and just as timely today as they were when newly released.

Hid from Our Eyes, the long awaited 9th novel in the addictive Claire Ferguson series, far exceeds my expectations. I cannot tell you how excited I was to find that Hid from Our Eyes was listed with Edelweiss and to be approved for an ARC. I think the third book had been published when I discovered Claire Fergusson; I immediately fell in love with the series and have avidly awaited each release since then. With the build-up of anticipation from the delay, I wasn’t sure that any book could meet those expectations. I should have had faith in the magic that Julia Spenser-Fleming creates with each book. This newest book goes beyond anything I could have hoped for. As Claire deals with the exhaustion and complications of being a working mother with a young infant, Russ faces an unpleasant part of his past in a current investigation. I don’t think Claire has ever had an easy life and she has definitely made some bad decisions along the way but I love her and Russ! Juggling new motherhood with a demanding job is hard enough combined with the guilt of drinking before she knew she was pregnant; concern for her police chief husband added to the stress is just about too much for her to handle. The whole police department faces a tough time as the community decides their fate and one office has an even bigger cloud hanging overhead. A long-time favorite has left the town but is back undercover. Speaking of poor decisions, he still thinks his choice was the right one but he has trouble living with it. This series would make a great TV drama.

Julia Fletcher-Fleming is back with her ninth book in the Clare Ferguson / Russ Van Alstyne mystery series. The time setting alternates between the month of August in 1952, 1972 and “present day” which I estimate to be 2004. The Washington County Fair is just beginning, the carnival is setting up in each of the three time frames and the dead body of a pretty young woman is found on the same rural road near Miller’s Kill. In all three cases her underwear, shoes, stockings and purse are missing. The police were unable to determine cause of death in 1952 or 1972 and Russ Van Alstyne and the Miller’s Kill Police Department are facing the same dilemma with the third victim. They are hoping that more advanced forensic testing in the present day will assist them in solving the most recent mysterious death and perhaps make connections with the 1952 and 1972 deaths. Russ and his police department are short staffed and facing a November town referendum that will determine whether Miller’s Kill will continue to have a local police force or if the State Police will assume all protection responsibilities for the community. Nevertheless, the need to investigate and determine the woman’s cause of death and learn if or how the three deaths over 54 years are connected. The final solution is cleverly developed and the guilty parties and the reason for the murders was a surprise to me. It was wonderful to discover that Russ has overcome his misgivings about fatherhood during Clare’s pregnancy and is a loving father to their infant son, Ethan. Clare is a caring mother and is overwhelmed with her pastoral responsibilities and lack of sleep as she is awakened during the night to nurse Ethan. Her demons continue to pursue her. In spite of the stress, she is able to assist Russ in discovering whodunit. I have read the first eight books in the series two times because I love the characters, the great plots and the author’s wonderful writing style. I am thrilled to have been selected to read and review the Advance Reader’s Edition of Hid From Our Eyes and loved this book as much as the others. Now I can’t wait for the tenth book to be published.

About the author

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING is the New York Times bestselling author of One Was A Soldier, and an Agatha, Anthony, Dilys, Barry, Macavity, and Gumshoe Award winner. She studied acting and history at Ithaca College and received her J.D. at the University of Maine School of Law. Her books have been shortlisted for the Edgar, Nero Wolfe, and Romantic Times RC awards. Julia lives in a 190-year-old farmhouse in southern Maine.