Kim Hooper's novel about the lives and deaths that encircle a mass shooting in "middle America"-ish Boise, Idaho, has the gently floral aroma of a story destined to be the favourite of late-'21 bookclubs. The character-driven novel has enough plot (two twists, both pat, but may be pleasing to some readers for the hint of tension they introduce) to snag a mystery reader, enough romance--and ample generalizations about how men and women "are"--for lovers of a marriage plot, and the mutual kindness that will appeal to the culture's exhaustion from a blood-thirsty and often bewildering news cycle, It is as if this book is a gift to the readers who long for some past era's simplicity. Here, the story promises, is a world that makes sense.

Unfortunately, American gun violence is rarely simple, tied as it typically is to white supremacist and misogynist ideologies. To create a world where that was the case, the book invents a raceless (though clearly white) and 100% straight and gender-normative version of Boise (that probably matches a lot of shooters' fantasies of a never-existent American mainstream).

I tried to set aside those objections, but the falseness extended to other elements of the plot, such as Kale's reasons for being out at the bar while his wife and new baby are asleep at home. A beautifully messy exception Joyce's storyline. Joyce, the mother of the shooter, expresses a snarl of grief and relief and loss whose ragged edges that she openly acknowledges may never go away.

2.5 stars for the book, rounded up to 3 for the well-acted audio version.

Wow! Kim Hooper has woven a painfully beautiful story. Each chapter gives the reader a different individuals experience after one night's decision changes the lives of many based off of the decision of one. The aftermath of a shooting and what those left behind are now dealing with is tangled and mysterious and Hooper's descriptive way of pulling the lives of these individuals together haunts the reader as they reach the end of the book. This is my first Kim Hooper book and I can't wait to read more. The topic of mass shootings isn't one that anyone wants to enjoy but it also is something that many of us are connected to and have lived through. This book will leave you satisfied and fully engrossed in the lives of each affected by one night.

This is the story of a shooting at a local bar and how it affects the lives of three women. It starts in the the very early morning hours after the shooting. Waking up with these women to learn the news is shocking as we feel their confusion, their fear, their horror at the reality now before them as they are forced to pick up the pieces of their lives and process their new normal. Each woman has a completely different experience. In addition to moving forward in time from the shooting, we learn some about the characters history as well. I liked the realistic version of life history that is presented by these characters, as relationships have miscommunications and low times, and humans are very complex in their thoughts and emotions.. This also holds true for all of the relationships that move forward after a shooting. There is a range of large emotions that are felt and this book shows what it looks like in the aftermath. So while this book is the story of a shooting and how and why it happened as it did, it is also the story of the human element, of the processing, anger, healing, apologizing, and forgiving that happens as the survivors move forward with their lives.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and each voice in this book has its own narrator. This lent a documentary-type feel to the book that I really enjoyed as it didn't just tell the story of the shooting victims, it brought them to life and made it so very clear the lives that were cut short by the shooter's anger. .

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This book is very thought out and carefully crafted. The message of the domino effect of gun violence in today's society is clear with the appropriate sensitivity to woven into the characters. The author did well with character development and their narratives. This important story is well written and profoundly memorable. I'm certainly looking forward to read more from Hooper.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4+ stars

No Hiding in Boise follows the victims, family members, and the shooter, after a mass shooting in a bar in Boise. The book is told from multiple points of view, but with a focus on Angie (wife of a victim), Tessa (survivor), and Joyce (mother of shooter). I liked the book a lot and it really made me think. Joyce was my favorite character and Kim Hooper did an amazing job with her. I liked how the three women all interacted with each other.

Large group of narrators that made for an very enjoyable audiobook.

Wowza 🤩 This book was incredible! I took a chance and requested an ALC from NetGalley and I’m so glad I did. No Hiding in Boise is Literary Fiction/Psychological Drama that revolves around a mass shooting. The characterization in this book is flawless 🙌🏼 There are 11 narrators in total, with 3 women being the main characters:

1. Angie is awakened by a midnight call from an officer with the Boise Police Department and thinks there must be a misunderstanding. The officer tells her that her husband was involved in a shooting at a local bar, but how can that be when her husband is sleeping right next to her? But when she turns to wake him, he isn’t there. - narrated by Devon Sorvari

2. Tessa is the 23-year-old bartender who escapes to a backroom storage closet during the shooting. When it comes to light that five people were killed, she is burdened with the question of why she survived. - narrated by Stephanie Willing

3. Joyce wakes up to a knock at her front door, a knock she assumes is her wayward son, Jed, who must have lost his keys. It’s not Jed, though. Two police officers tell her that Jed is dead, shot at a bar. Then they deliver even worse news: “We have reason to believe your son was the shooter.” - narrated by Hillary Huber

Other minor performances by Stephanie Einstein, Madeleine Maby, Nick Mondelli, Michael Brusasco, Patrick Lawlor, Adam Barr, Pete Cross, Neil Hellegers.

These are incredibly well-crafted characters. Kim Hooper shows how complex these tragedies can become, while exploring violence, guilt, mental illness, compassion and forgiveness in an extremely raw and real way. This will most definitely be one of my top reads of 2021. It’s available June 15th. Do yourself a favor and put a hold or preorder in for this one!

Many thanks to Kim Hooper, Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for the advanced listeners copy in exchange for an honest review!

Boise, Idaho - One bar, one night, one moment, one gun, multiples lives changed forever, three women's stories.
There was a mass shooting, with fatalities, in Ray's Bar in Boise, Idaho. Although we sadly often hear about tragedies such as this, author Kim Hooper takes us deep into the journeys of three women as their stories emerge from this fateful night. While delving deep into the difficult themes of a mass shooting incident, mental illness, and painful pasts, Hooper's writing is tender, honest, and compassionate.
You will feel shock, anger, sadness, empathy, and hope, along with Tessa, Angie, and Joyce as they share intimate details of their lives before, during and after this painful occurrence shook them each to their core in different ways. As Hooper masterfully included alternating accounts given by other family members, friends and victims, readers are fully immersed in all aspects of the mystery, timeline, and details surrounding this tragic event in the town of Boise.
I listened to the audio edition of this book, with a stellar ensemble of narrators giving me full immersion into the personalities, souls, and hearts of each individual in this story. Hooper's writing and the narrator's voices took me to Boise, Idaho, Ray's Bar, homes of the victims, and a hospital on an unforgettable journey. I give praise to each narrator for contributing to the wholeness of this outstanding audiobook: Devon Sorvari, Stephanie Willing, Hillary Huber, Stephanie Einstein, Madeleine Maby, Nick Mondelli, Michael Brusasco, Patrick Lawlor, Adam Barr, Pete Cross, Neil Hellegers.
Thank you to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the Advance Reader's Copy of this audiobook, and I gladly provide a review of this exemplary novel.
#NoHidinginBoise #NetGalley

Wow what a book this was. Before you read any further this book has care warnings for gun crime and mass shootings but if you can get past that I highly highly recommend picking up this amazing character driven novel. I could not put this down.

I love a character driven novel and I love it even more when we have multiple narrative and this book has that by the bucket load. Not only do we follow Tessa, Angie and Joyce but we also get to hear some of the other stories from people at the bar the night of the shooting. They only get one chapter each but some of those really pack a punch.

I loved getting to know Angie. I think she was the character I connected with most. She is a typical modern woman trying to have family and career and struggling to get support from her husband Cale. Through Angie we get to know Cale and he is really the key that links so much of the happenings in this book. Kim Hooper does such a good job of drip feeding the information though, giving us tiny facts and incidents here and there so we never really know Angie and Cale right until the very end.

I found Tessa really intriguing as a character. Like Angie, her life kind of has to keep going after everything happened and I think she had the biggest fall out after the incident. She is such an old head on young shoulders type of person and I really loved how this author threw obstacles at Tessa and we get to see how she deals with them. I would love to know what is next for her and really hope perhaps we could meet her again in future books.

Joyce was probably the hardest of the three women to get to know, like deep down know what makes her tick get to know. She is very guarded and she has her reasons for being so. I feel like we almost can only get to know Joyce through Angie and through Tessa and here is where the beloved mixed media text comes in because we also get to know Joyce through some online message boards about the incident and I think those were really telling and really helped to move the plot of the book along.

Overall I found these women and their stories so compelling. I tried to guess what was going to happen to all three of them but I had no idea things would play out the way that they did. I loved the writing and I loved the characters in this book and whilst it deals with a shocking and hotly contested topic, I think that it did so in a sensitive and considered way. I really recommend this novel.

The aftermath of an irrational decision that affected others, yes, that is what happens in Boise. This is an audio book for me and is very well done.
We meet the survivors, and we get to know them, from the killer’s Mom to some of those killed family, and some survivors.
Really makes you think how you would handle something so horrendous if this happened to your loved one?
The author did a great job of keeping my attention, and she wrapped up this story with closure.
I received the audiobook through Net Galley and Dreamscape Media, and was not required to give a positive review.

No Hiding in Boise tells the story of three women, Tessa, Joyce, and Angie, that are forever linked by the tragic events late at night at a local bar. As the story unfolds, we understand just how deep this connection runs.
Great read and highly recommended. Great writing and superb narration. Themes of gun violence and mental health.

*I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for my honest review

This one took my breath away! No Hiding in Boise is a character driven novel, which reminded me very much of Jodi Picoult. Tough, raw issues are addressed in this book and it was handled so well. There are multiple stories that all intertwine together (again, very reminiscent of Picoult) and there were even twists. Highly recommend, 5 out of 5 stars.

Riveting! Strangers-connected by a random act of violence-lives forever change. There has been a shooting at Ray's Bar. Multiple people are dead including the shooter. There were survivors whose lives were forever changed. Kale told Tessa to run and hide. Both survived but Kale was shot in the head. He remembers nothing including Tessa. Tessa is the connecting factor among the survivors. Her survivor's guilt prompts her to visit Kale in the hospital where she meets his wife and explains that he saved her life. By accident, Tessa crosses paths with Joyce, the mother of the shooter. While the press and random strangers seek to crucify Joyce for raising a killer, Tessa befriends her-seeming to understand Joyce is a kind person and had no control over the mental problems of her deranged son. These strangers, connected by such a tragic event, form a bond that helps them begin to move forward in hopes of healing. After all, only they can relate to what has occurred. This is a gripping, emotional story of how life can be forever changed in an instant. They cannot change what has happened to them but they can make the best of the hand they were dealt. The book was read by multiple narrators - each a different character. This helped to create a realistic experience. Excellent!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced review copy. In return, I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This is a very good audiobook. I enjoyed the range of perspectives from the different point-of-view characters. The details about Boise's geography and culture felt accurate to me, a Boise resident. The narrators were excellent.

I loved everything about this book. What a great surprise. Each and every character was meticulously and thoughtfully developed and their overlapping and connected stories were intricately and beautifully intertwined. The audiobook, told by a variety of narrators, worked especially well with this format, which lends itself to listening on daily walks. I enjoyed every minute of it, felt deeply for the characters and their realistically portrayed struggles. I'll definitely be looking for more books by this author and recommending this audiobook widely!

Loved this book! Seeing the many side of mass shooting was very hard but really good. The full circle of this book was put together really well. Great twists too!

Book • Review
No Hiding in Boise
Out today!
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

No Hiding in Boise follows three women, each of whom is connected, in one way or another, to a shooting that takes place in a bar in Boise. The story unravels as each of them deals with the repercussions of that fatefully tragic night.

Half way through this book, I was convinced it could be a 4.5 star book for me. The story was gripping from the very first chapter, and I loved how the author chose her perspectives to deliberately give us a clear picture of how events like this can impact people in different ways. The story is also well written, and I found the pacing to be excellent.

That being said, the ending fell flat for me. I would have loved to dig deeper into the trauma that these people deal with in the aftermath of this tragedy, and while I feel this was delved into, it felt a bit more shallow than I would have liked. Had the author taken a few more risks with this, and maybe added an extra 50 pages, I think I would have been much more satisfied. I also had an issue with connecting with any of the side characters, which is a bit frustrating as well.

All that being said, I think this book deserves your attention. The strong reviews I have seen for it are all well-grounded, I think. This may be a 5⭐️ for you, it just wasn’t quite there for me!

Thank you Netgalley, Keylight Books, and Kim Hooper for an early audio copy of this book!

In the early ‘90s, I remember watching the survivors of a mass shooting at Luby’s Diner in Killeen, Texas (10/16/91) on the Oprah Winfrey Show. I was glued to the screen, because this was such an unusual occurrence.

Here we are 30 years later, and mass shootings in America are tragically so common that they barely receive first story placement on the nightly news. It seems like with each passing event, the who/what/where/when/why becomes a little blurrier.

Kim Hooper’s latest novel, No Hiding in Boise, attempts to bring one such fictional tragedy into razor-sharp focus. A man enters a Boise bar shortly before midnight, shoots five people dead, severely injures two others, and then kills himself. Hooper’s book unravels the events of that night through the first-person perspectives of three women: a survivor, an injured man’s wife, and the shooter’s mother.

No Hiding in Boise is not a thriller, but it is thrilling. It is expertly-crafted literary fiction that tackles a tough, “this again?!” subject (see above) with a captivating approach. It is a near-perfect character study. It is moving, and it is surprising. It is highly recommended by this reader.

The audiobook features a full cast of narrators, each perfectly suited to their characters. My thanks to Dreamscape Media for providing a gifted copy for review via NetGalley.

If you haven’t heard of this book, I suggest you pick it up. It was so good! The story begins when Angie is awoken by a phone call from the police in Boise claiming her husband was shot in a shooting at a bar. She doesn’t believe them as he is supposed to be in bed next to her. Only he isn’t. From the POV of Angie, Tess – who was a bartender and survived the night of the shooting and Joyce – who finds out through the police that they believe her son to be the shooter, Hooper does an amazing job showing the different perspectives and repercussions the aftermath of the shooting. The writing drags you right in and I didn’t want to put it down. I loved that Hooper intertwined the three women’s stories and that she even added POVs of other patrons that were injured or killed in the shooting. Add this to your #tbr !

This is an important and tough book to listen (or read) to. It’s an inside (though fictional) look at people intimately involved in a mass shooting. The mother of the shooter, who loved her son and cannot imagine what she did or missed to cause his actions and all of the emotions that go along with her experience of trying to move forward with her life. Then we meet some of the victims and their families and their experiences and how they were integrally involved. Secrets old and new, emotions, unknown connections that come to light and so much more. How people slowly try to move forward knowing all they know, their injuries both physical and mental. The story takes place immediately following the shooting. It is written with respect, kindness, tenderness and some hard truths. Trying to find a funeral home to bury the shooter, wondering why your husband was in the bar at the time of the shooting when you though he was next to you in bed and so much more. This is not a gratuitous book, but one that may give us some insight to those left behind and those around it trying to live their new normal. I was a well crafted story. I am glad I listened. Mental illness is so underrated and such an important issue that is just starting to become a part of the lexicon. We need to pay more attention so we can help those who need it and make it easier for those who do can ask for help. The author did an wonderful job sharing this fictional story with the readers. The narration of the audiobook was terrific.

I just finished reading/listening No Hiding in Boise by Kim Hooper, and now I’m experiencing a major book hangover. My gosh, these characters really punched me in the gut. Hooper writes with so much heart, empathy, and soul. I was immediately invested in this story about three women who suddenly become connected after one unthinkable tragedy. The reader hears the individual perspectives from Angie, Tessa, and Joyce after a horrific event takes place in their residing city of Boise, Idaho. The author expertly intertwines their experiences in a way that will touch your heart. You can’t help but feel for these women, and relate to their raw, real, and emotionally-charged reactions to an unfortunate situation. Hooper flawlessly tackles tough subjects like mental health, mass shootings, gun violence, trauma, and grief. I recommend this book if you enjoy slow-burning, intense, and highly character-driven novels. It’s perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult or Diane Chamberlain. No Hiding in Boise comes out on June 15th. It’s a must-read in my opinion, so be sure to grab a copy. 5/5 fantastic stars!