The Hiding Place

The Hiding Place
Karen Harper

After spending nine months in a coma, Tara Kinsale awakes to devastating news.Her best friend, Alexis, has been murdered, leaving Tara as guardian to her daughter, Claire. And Tara's husband has divorced her for another woman. Forced to start over, Tara focuses on reopening her P.I. firm and caring for Claire. But soon her world is shattered again when Nick MacMahon, Claire's uncle, returns from military service in Afghanistan to take guardianship of his niece.The bad dream turns unbearable when Tara learns that something precious was taken from her while she was in a coma. Working with Nick, a man haunted by his own past, Tara begins to investigate the missing months of her life. Together, they will find that secrets don't stay buried forever…even when they are kept in the darkest of hiding places.

Praise for the novels of

New York Times bestselling author

KAREN HARPER

“Strongly plotted and well written, featuring a host of interesting characters, Harper’s latest is a winner.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Below the Surface

“Karen Harper proves yet once again why she is on my ‘auto buy’ list.”

—www.longandshortreviews.com on Below the Surface

“Harper keeps tension high as the insane villain cleverly evades efforts to capture him. And Harper really shines in the final act, providing readers with a satisfying and exciting denouement.”

—Publishers Weekly on Inferno

“Harper spins an engaging, nerve-racking yarn, alternating her emphasis between several equally interesting plot strands. More important, her red herrings do the job—there’s just no guessing who the guilty party might be.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews on Hurricane

“Well-researched and rich in detail…With its tantalizing buildup and well-developed characters, this offering is certain to earn Harper high marks.”

—Publishers Weekly on Dark Angel, winner of the 2005 Mary Higgins Clark Award

“Harper…has a fantastic flair for creating and sustaining suspense…[the] deft knitting of fact and fiction enables Harper to describe everything from wilderness survival to supernatural lore with the kind of detail that convinces readers anything is possible.”

—Publishers Weekly on The Falls

KAREN HARPER

THE HIDING PLACE

Thanks to the Jason Kurtz family for a great time in Confier, especially to Heather for all the support and advice.

As ever to Don, for being a great travel companion to parts known and unknown.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27