In short: The lives of 3 women collide in the wake of a tragic bar shooting in Boise, Idaho.

My thoughts: I loved this book! It tackles the tough subject of the aftermath of a mass shooting and those who were impacted. This book was emotional, thought provoking and full of hope.

What I enjoyed:
Strong sense of place - I grew up in Boise so the title of this book sucked me in. All the little local touches and landmarks made me feel right at home.

Character connections - This book started strong with the initial call to loved ones about the shooting and then starts to unravel why their loved ones were at the bar and builds to when we learn how they all connect.

Multiple points of view - The book focuses on 3 mail POV’s: Angie (who’s husband is now in a coma), Tessa (the bartender who was spared) and Joyce (mother of the shooter). Interspersed between these chapters were chapters from other victims as well.

It’s no secret that I enjoy delving into the psychology of characters and in this book, we not only get a peek into the psychology of a perpetrator, but a peek into the victims and survivors.

Boise, Idaho: A shooter walks into a bar, kills five people, and severely injures two others customers before turning the gun on himself. Why? Isn’t that what we all want to know? The why behind such an unfathomable crime?

Along with brief vignettes from the shooter, and those who died, the story is primarily told from the POV of 3 characters:
-Angie, the wife of Cale, one of the injured victims. She and her husband are new parents to an infant daughter. She had no idea why her husband was in a bar instead of asleep by her side. He’s in a coma unable to communicate.
-Tessa, the bartender, who survived by hiding in a closet, urged to do so by Cale. She’s alive while he suffers traumatic brain injuries.
- Joyce, the mother of the shooter, her only son. She’s vilified by the public, wracked by guilt and grief, and trying to understand how this could have happened.

I loved hearing this story from multiple viewpoints. It was raw, real, and heart-wrenching. The author writes in a way that feels so genuine, and with such empathy for her characters. There’s a surprise reveal toward the end, which even if you’ve guessed it, still has an impact.

The audiobook featured an entire cast of narrators, all of which did an outstanding job. The audiobook was a stellar listening experience. This is not a mystery/thriller, but literary fiction, although there are a couple of surprising reveals. Highly recommended!

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would.

Tense and wonderfully riveting, this brilliantly written character-driven drama was emotionally traumatizing and an exceptional read.

A shooter walks into a bar in Boise, Idaho, and kills five people, severely injuring two other patrons, before taking his own life. Who was the shooter and why did he do it?

To answer these questions, we are introduced to the book's three female main protagonists: Angie, a new mom and the wife of one of the injured victims, Tessa, the bartender who hides in a closet during the shooting, and Joyce, the mother of the shooter. Angie was clueless that her husband Cale had been making frequent middle-of-the-night visits to the bar. Tessa struggles with survival guilt and will be forever grateful to Cale for saving her life. And Joyce has the difficult task of mourning the loss of her only son, expressing sympathy to the victims; all while asking herself "How did I miss the signs?"

Smart, engrossing, and heart-wrenching -- "Hiding in Boise" provides readers with front-row seats to the behind-the-scene happenings behind a horrific tragedy, and the tragedy's powerful impact on victims, family, the community, and a city. Even though I guessed the "Tessa reveal" early, this fast-paced story was unputdownable and anything but predictable.

I listened to the audiobook that featured an entire cast of narrators. All of the narrators did an outstanding job and the audiobook was superb.

This is my second book by talented writer Kim Hooper. Even though Kim Hooper writes about very dark subjects (ugh!), she is an author to watch and has become one of my new "go-to" authors.

Special thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

NO HIDING IN BOISE is a quiet novel that explores the ripple effects of gun violence and mass shootings. Told from multiple perspectives, the shooter’s rationale and ongoing impact of the tragedy slowly unfold. The author weaves seemingly unrelated character’s lives together in a meaningful way.

While the story hits the ground running from the first chapter, it lost a bit of momentum for me as it focused less on the plot and took many deep dives into the characters. There were a few chapters written from the perspective of victims that humanized the tragedy, but didn’t advance the story from a plot standpoint.

The novel raises timely questions about how well we truly know the people we hold most dearly. It also explores grief in a realistic way from the perspective of the shooter’s mother, victims, and victims' families. I have had A MOTHER’S RECKONING, a memoir written by the mother of one of the Columbine shooters, for far too long. I think these would make for an interesting fiction/nonfiction pairing.

The full cast audio narration really enhanced my reading experience. Audio is definitely the way to go on this one!

RATING: 3.5/5 stars
PUB DATE: June 15, 2021

A big thank you to Netgalley and Keylight books for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review. Review posted to Goodreads. Will post to https://www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks/ in advance of pub date.

There was literally not a single thing I didn't like, and I couldn't possibly list out all the things I loved about it.

First, I love the cover. It's not a style I love but something about it, or maybe something about the title called to me immediately. Then I saw it was from Kim Hooper and I couldn't request it fast enough. I was ecstatic to be approved, and I listened to it in 24hrs. I absolutely devoured it. At home folding laundry? Listening. In my car on the way to work? Listening. Have ten seconds to myself? Listening. I had to know where this book was going. Credit where credit was due, I'm sure the fact that the narrator was exceptional helped, but I'm confident I would have blown through a paper copy, too.

Every single character in this book is so incredibly real. They are masterfully fleshed out in a way that make them feel like real people, without overt, wordy descriptions. I especially loved Joyce, the shooter's mom, and her boyfriend. I loved the reference to Sue Klebold's book on one of the message boards Joyce comes across. I have read (and was really moved by) Sue Klebold's book and I think the character of Joyce gave a voice to an important and often overlooked perspective concerning these events. All of these shooters were children. They have parents, often parents who loved them, who provided a really normal childhood, and after these events they're not only coping with the loss of a child, but also living every day wondering if they could have prevented it. Joyce was just a really exceptional character and I thought her boyfriend was very fitting.

Lastly, this story reminded me a bit of "Take Me Out the Back" by Carolyn Geduld. Both are about the ripple effects of tragedy and I think it's just so important for people to realize the impact of their actions. Where as Geduld's book gave you a little taste of how a tragedy impacted maybe 15 or 20 people, this book gives you a really deep dive into the lives of three of the most impacted people. Both just really beautifully illustrate the impact of gun violence on society *without* being preachy or laying out an over the top agenda. It would serve the general public well if this book got big.

No Hiding in Boise is told in the aftermath of a horrific shooting. The author provides deep analysis into several points of view, all centering on the shooting. The author created a story that is often horrifying but also highlight adaptive aspects of human nature. Mental health awareness is a clear theme, perfect timing with Mental Health Awareness Month coming to a close in just a few days. I don’t think this book is for everyone due to it’s violent central event, but it is well done.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and cast of narrators for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

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4.5 stars.

Though I could see the 'twist' coming from a mile away, I wasn't mad about it. Incredibly well written and well rounded characters. I won't be surprised at all if this one blows up. I highly encourage picking it up.