Published by Thomas Nelson on October 6, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Christian
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How can she protect herself from an enemy she can’t see?
Law school graduate Whitney Garrison is a survivor. She admirably deals with an abusive boyfriend, her mother’s death, mounting student debt, dwindling job opportunities, and a rare neurological condition that prevents her from recognizing human faces.
But witnessing a murder might be the crisis she can’t overcome.
The killer has every advantage. Though Whitney saw him, she has no idea what he looks like. He knows where she lives and works. He anticipates her every move. Worst of all, he’s hiding in plain sight and believes she has information he needs. Information worth killing for. Again.
As the hunter drives his prey into a net of terror and international intrigue, Whitney’s only ally, Detective Leo Baroni, is taken off the case. Stripped of all semblance of safety, Whitney must suspect everyone and trust no one—and hope to come out alive.
Whitney Garrison saw the murder.
Saw the murderer.
Saw his face.
And yet, she has no idea what he looks like.
He could be anyone. Anywhere. The killer has…Everywhere to Hide.
The reason Whitney could witness the murder and murderer and not know his face is because she doesn’t recognize any faces. Prosopagnosia—or face blindness—is the mental inability to register facial distinctions. It’s a rare phenomenon, perhaps most eloquently explained by the British neurologist Oliver Sacks, who himself dealt with the condition.
It’s a unique setup, one pulled together to perfection by Siri Mitchell, whose long career writing historical fiction has recently turned toward contemporary suspense and thriller. But even though that’s the setup, face-blindness is far from the only point of intrigue. Whitney finds herself drawn into a web of international intrigue and cryptocurrency. Far from being a random killing in a coffeeshop alleyway, the murder Whitney witnessed seems connected to something big—and even connected to Whitney herself.
Everywhere to Hide does take a bit of suspension of disbelief. Most people with face blindness find ways of adapting. They are able to tell people apart by other defining features—features that would be just as much or even more useful in catching a killer. There are also a couple of relationships that develop rather quickly and—well, let’s just say are probably a breach of protocol. There’s a lot that goes on in the novel, and while that keeps the pace up and keeps you guessing, it also keeps Mitchell from developing her plot points or characters as fully as they deserve.
It’s the book version of a popcorn flick. It’s entertaining, fast-paced, and fun. Slow it down a bit and some cracks begin to show, but you’ll overlook it because it’s such a great ride. Everywhere to Hide isn’t without flaws, but what flaws it has, it covers up well with action and intrigue. Siri Mitchell kept me turning pages until long past when I should have been asleep. The next day book hangover is real!