I was lucky to get an early copy of the latest book in the “Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne” mystery series and it blew me away. For fans of Julia Spencer-Fleming, you are in for a long-awaited treat and for those new to the series, enjoy! After, you’ll want to start from the beginning.
Release: April 7, 2020
Series: Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne #9
Genre: Traditional Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Book Synopsis
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.
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.
Giveaway: Julia is giving away one (1) print copy of Hid From Our Eyes. Leave a comment below for your chance to win. Giveaway ends April 10, 2020 and US entries only. Good luck everyone!
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.
All comments are welcomed.
This book sounds so suspenseful and intriguing. I’d love to receive a copy to read and review. Thank you for the chance.
Thanks, Jeanne! Fingers crossed for you…
I can’t wait! I sent my earlier books in the series to my best friend and her mom. Her mom was thrilled to discover a new series and texted after each one! Thanks for the chance to win!
Yay for your friend’s mom! (My books seem to appeal to moms of all ages) Good luck!
I liked the synopsis. It sounds like a really interesting book, very intriguing. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Diane. May the odds be ever in your favor…:-)
I enjoyed the description of the book and it sounds like a book I would really like to read.
I like the idea of a modern case and a historical one, with ties to each other.
Sharon, if you haven’t read them, you might enjoy Sharyn McCrumb’s Appalachian Ballad series. Most of the books are centered around a crime in the past and a present day crime, and the hidden connections. They’re terrific reads.
I read one a long time ago. Saw her speak at a conference, and she was terrific!
This series is wonderful, and I am so excited that Hid From Our Eyes has finally been released. I can’t wait to read more about Clare and Russ ~
Thank you, Celia! Believe me, I’m excited it’s finally here as well!
I love this series and can’t wait to see how the characters have grown over the last years.
Thank you, Gran! I hope you’ll enjoy the latest entry in the series – there is, as ever, a LOT going on in our heroes lives.
A captivating and fascinating series which gives me great enjoyment.
Laini, I’m delighted to hear you’ve been enjoying the series! Thank you.
Wow! Your a new author to me and this books sounds perfect! Is it a stand alone or a series? If it is a series, I’d be starting with this book if I win. 🤞
Nancy, yes, the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne books are a series, beginning with IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER. Fingers crossed for you!
This sounds intriguing, thank you for the chance to win a copy.
wfnren at aol dot com
Good luck, Wendy!
I have not read this series but I have read a lot about it through the author’s FB friends Rhys Bowen, Deborah Crombie etc. I am very interested to read this particular books and others in the series. I love the titles of Ms Fleming’s books as they are not cutesy but thought provoking. Looking forward to a great read.
Helen, I’ll have to thank my friends for their FB posts! And I’m glad you like the titles – my main character is an Episcopal priest, so the titles all come from hymns. I’m mostly happy with that choice, although it can make it difficult for readers to tell in what order the books run.
Thank you for another book in this wonderful series! It sounds like a doozy!!
I hope it is a doozy, Emilie-Louise!
I enjoyed the previous books–having a reverend as a character in a mystery novel presents so many interesting issues. I’m looking forward to this.
Rochelle, if you like mysteries with clerical characters, I can highly recommend G.M. Malliet’s Max Tudor series. Her hero is a former MI-5 agent who’s left that life behind to become an Anglican priest, but trouble seems to follow him to his small, rural village. They’re great reads.
New author and series for me, sounds good!
Teresa, it’s always nice discovering a new series, isn’t it?
I’m so glad Clare & Russ are back!
Thank you, Jana! I’m awfully glad their back as well.
Thank you Julia.
Thanks for introducing me to a new author!
**** WINNER ****
Hid From Our Eyes is Gram
Congratulations!