Meghan Holloway’s Hiding Place is her second installment in the Hector Lewis trilogy. This return to Raven’s Gap features a familiar cast of characters along with the author’s trademark for vivid scene setting, moral dilemmas, and tightly plotted twists.

 

Faye Anders, the quiet, mysterious innkeeper with a silent son and a penchant for weapons, comes to the forefront in this story when she only had a secondary role in the first book. The complexity of this character kept me engrossed. She is a haunting character with layers of vulnerability and struggle, but also a character who is completely relatable. The thorny, fraught dynamic of motherhood is explored in a unique, uncertain voice through Faye’s perspective. 

 

Hector Lewis’s quest to uncover the truth behind his wife and daughter’s disappearance fifteen years ago seems to have come to a dead end at the close of the previous story. But a hidden key and flash drive spark a journey into the hotly contested boundary lands of Yellowstone National Park. The past and present collide as Hector searches for answers in the clues his wife left him, putting him directly in the path of a man with unlimited resources, relentless ambitions, and no qualms about keeping his secrets buried. 

 

I enjoyed the deeper insight into Winona Lewis’s character in this story, as seen through the lens of two different men. In Hunting Ground, the reader is transported to Yellowstone in the brutal depths of winter. In Hiding Place, we are given a glimpse of the wondrous beauty and chilling dangers of spring in the ecosystem. The change in seasons echoes the growth we see in Hector’s character in this story. He is still ruthless, still morally ambiguous, still a man whose actions are cold and questionable but whose motives are entirely understandable. But the reader also sees him grappling with his loss more in this story and gaining a self awareness about his use and disregard for others. The white wolf Hector sees is an incredibly powerful, symbolic image, perhaps all in his mind or perhaps a real creature of flesh and blood. I appreciate the fact that we are as uncertain as Hector about her existence. Frank, his dauntless standard poodle sidekick, continues to be his constant. 

 

Holloway’s latest novel is a thrill ride, a seamless amalgamation of introspection and high octane action. While the mystery revolving around Faye and her son reaches a breathtaking conclusion, Hector’s story remains open-ended. The epilogue sets the scene for what promises to be an engrossing, highly anticipated grand finale. 

 

Highly recommended for fans of exciting, action-packed crime fiction with a strong focus on characters

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Polis Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review