The Hiding Place

August 13, 2012
Bell follows his 2011 debut, Cemetery Girl, with an artfully constructed tale that charts the devastating, life-changing effects over 25 years on the people most affected by the murder of a four-year-old boy, Justin Manning, in Dove Point, Ohio. Justin’s sister, Janet, and playmate Michael Bower, then seven-year-olds, were supposed to look after Justin in the park where he disappeared. A 17-year-old black boy, Dante Rogers, was arrested for the crime, tried as an adult, and served 22 years in prison. When the local newspaper revisits the killing, so perforce do Janet; her father, Bill Manning; her 15-year-old daughter, Ashleigh; and Det. Frank Stynes, who was part of the original investigation. Bower’s return to Dove Point and a stranger hinting at new knowledge about Justin’s death prove to be catalysts for a total re-examination. The quiet dignity of Rogers, the secrets the Mannings buried with Justin, and the conscience-clearing efforts of Stynes make for a powerful, provocative novel. Agent: Laney Katz Becker, Markson Thoma Literary.

Fred Lehne's intimate, seductive voice immediately captures attention, growing more insistent as the intriguing story of a twenty-five-year- old mystery unfolds. Seven-year-old Janet Manning is supposed to watch her four-year-old brother, Justin. Instead, she runs off to play with her friend, Michael. Justin disappears from the playground and is later found murdered. For 25 years, Janet and Michael are plagued with guilt and fuzzy memories of that day. When the investigation is reopened, Lehne provides the major players with immediately identifiable, distinct personalities. Especially believable are Janet's teenaged daughter, Ashleigh; the young black man who was convicted of the crime, Dante Rogers; the cop who was involved in the first investigation, Detective Frank Styne; and Janet's brusque father, Bill Manning. Lehne's truthful performance enhances David Bell's psychological shocker. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine