Siri L. Mitchell

Wow! Don’t start this one in the evening if you want to get any sleep at all! I couldn’t put this one down until I was finished. The tension, suspense and intrigue in this incredible book will grab your attention off the top and not let go until the end. Georgie is a physicist, a career that would certainly leave me in the dust, even though I did well in high school physics. Her brain works in clear lines with everything having an answer that must be found. With this in mind, she show more doggedly pursues the truth after her husband, Sean, is killed in a hit and run. Too many things just don’t add up. Her tenacity in this search for what is right puts both she and her son in danger.

Espionage, treason, Russian spies and murder are just some of the excitement in this page-turner set in the Washington, D.C. area. The author has done a fabulous job of taking us behind the scenes in political circles, in Iraq and Bosnia. Who really is telling the truth and who can she trust with their safety?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, finding myself trying to figure out what horrible thing could possibly happen next and hoping for a happy ending. My nails, however, did not fair so well. I certainly will be watching for more suspense/intrigue from this author!

I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley and CelebrateLit. The five star rating is in no way solicited and all comments, impressions and opinions are my own. show less

Two suggestions. First, this book could use new cover art because the current cover gives the impression that this book is a romance novel and the brief synopsis provided on the cover "Will Marget risk everything for the man who's captured her heart?" does little to dispel this illusion when in fact this is much more a piece of historical fiction than romance. Second, I would retitle this book something along the lines of "Everyone Hates Queen Elizabeth (Starring two characters who clearly show more need to learn how to COMMUNICATE)."

In all seriousness, the main characters Lytham and Marget seemed like manic depressive school kids. Spoiler alert: I have never encountered characters that vacillated so much about EVERYTHING. One minute they love each other, the next minute they are sure that the other is being unfaithful, and then they ignore each other and then without reason they love each other again and on and on it goes for like 400 pages. In a word: obnoxious. AND neither of them ever talks about their issues with the other. I would think that in the course of a 5+ year marriage a husband and wife would discuss something, anything! and if they had, there would have been a lot less drama. For example: Marget, "So I'm best buds with Lady Winters." Lyntham "Lady Winters? She's a snake! Avoid her." And then all problems would be avoided and this book would be like 5 pages long, instead of 400. Not to mention the fact that the characters are totally unrealistic. So Marget knows Lady Winters is a snake, has betrayed her and wants Lyntham for herself and what is the first thing she does after coming to this realization? She chooses to listen to Lady Winters again instead of trusting what she has with her husband of 5 years. Unrealistic. And to top it off? Everyone (especially the main characters) is incurably selfish. Running over and killing little kids in the street, refusing to help the poor, turning on and insulting their servants without the least provocation, and choosing to rant about their own measly feelings of insecurity when the entire countryside is dying from starvation and plague.... the list goes on.

I would recommend avoiding this book, unless you want to read about the effects of lead poisoning or you really hate Queen Elizabeth and want to see her bashed to pieces for hundreds of pages. In the end, the only emotion this book inspired in me was pity for Queen Elizabeth who Mitchell unmercifully shredded throughout this lackluster work.

Also, they still put lead in makeup so where does that leave us? show less

For someone who does not like candy (shh, only my family knows) this novel was still great. And yes, it is about candy, but it's also about relationships between couples, families, business rivals, about business practices in St. Louis in 1910 and so much more. History comes alive through Siri Mitchell's writing. The process of candy making is described in such terms that you can almost taste the caramel, and grieve with the practice of child labor and unsafe methods in the factories. show more Although the writing is in the first person point of view from both the hero and heroine, it is not difficult to follow if you remember whose chapter you are reading.
This one also had me looking at myself. What lengths would I go to to save my family from ruin? Really, as one of Lucy's friends mentions in the novel, we are really all the same, even as we intensely argue that we are not. I might be quietly horrified at some of the things that others say and do, but looking at myself, am I actually that far from thinking the same things that caused them to act or verbalize their thoughts?
So, though I found this a delightful and yes, sweet novel, I also had a difficult time with the direction my mind took me.

Thank you to Bethany House and Litfuse Publicity for this book, which I received free for the purpose of writing an honest review. A postive critique was not required. The opinions stated are my own. show less

I have long been a Siri Mitchell fan. When she began writing suspense novels, I said yes please! Everywhere to Hide is a complex novel that features a unique character. Whitney Garrison has face blindness. I had never heard of it before and found it challenging to wrap my mind around it. I wasn’t alone. The other characters in the book did too. 😉 Mitchell does a great job at showing the reader the difficulties Whitney faced. I Googled face blindness to get a rudimentary understanding, show more but Whitney’s own actions gave me true insight. I can’t imagine the vulnerability someone like Whitney must feel all the time! Add to that her role as a witness to a murder and the subsequent threats she faces — well the tension and fear she felt translated to this reader too. Whitney’s other struggles — a looming bar exam, deep student debt, and no close family or friends — just added to her stress. I loved how Detective Leo Baroni stepped in to help Whitney through all she was going through, as well as investigate the murder. Whitney is targeted for something she knows, but of course she has no clue what that something is. I found her persistence in uncovering the mystery admirable in the light of all she faced. Like Whitney, I trusted no one. Elements of Chinese hackers, digital currencies, and block-chain technology made this one a thinking man’s mystery. I loved the challenge! The setting of Arlington, Virginia was a favorite as well. My son’s family lives there, and I enjoyed recognizing landmarks. In fact I read the book while on a visit there. What a treat.

I highly recommend Everywhere to Hide if you like twisting suspense with a touch of romance and intriguing subject matter. You won’t be disappointed.

Highly recommended.

Audience: adults.

( I borrowed the ebook through Amazon Prime. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) show less