Kay Hooper is back on track! I was a bit disappointed with the way the Bishop Files trilogy ended, and the recent "Dark" trilogy had a rather abrupt ending that left me feeling deflated. But the first book in Hooper's latest trilogy proves that Hooper is back in the game with a fantastic new story, new psychics, and some new powers as well! Hard to believe I've been following this series since it first came out back in 2000, and over the course of the past 21 years, I have come to know and love these characters and stories and feel like they are family, of sorts. So, it's a true joy to read a book that keeps me on the edge, waiting to turn each page to see what is going to happen next like I did when I first picked up Stealing Shadows over 20 years ago!
Hidden Salem opens with a very dark segue way into this latest assignment for Bishop's Special Crimes Unit, as a man find himself being mentally forced to do something he doesn't even know what to do - and the last thing his senses pick up on before he falls into blackness is the smell of brimstone... jump ahead to the small town of Salem (not THAT Salem, mind you, but one located in Virginia or North Carolina - honestly, I could never exactly figure out which, although the fact that it is along the Appalachian trial leads me to believe it is the Virginia one), where SCU veteran Geneva Raynor has been scouting the town at the request of the unit's leader, Bishop, due to a number of alleged hikers that have gone missing. Geneva is frustrated by the level of static she seems to be picking up on, which hinders her natural psychic abilities, but in her cover as a photographer, she has uncovered a few unsettling truths about this town.
Two, there are certain individuals within the town who Geneva is unable to read, meaning they have a level of psychic abilities themselves, enough to build some pretty strong walls in their minds.l
Three, the idyllic town seems way too peaceful, considering that three people have been found dead in the woods just outside the town.
Four, Geneva discovers a fourth body, which she manages to get pictures of before the militia wipes the scene completely clean, as if nothing ever happened.
Five, the amount of crows within the town is disturbing, particularly since they seem to be watching her every move.
And six, possibly most frightening of all - a little girl goes missing, and instead of there being any panic or search parties, the family just up and leaves on vacation without their daughter, and the town acts like nothing ever happened!
Geneva knows there is something wrong with this town. Evil lurks in Salem, hidden just beneath the surface of its townspeople. And when Geneva goes to investigate, she suddenly finds that she could be the next victim! Enter Grayson Sheridan, Geneva's back-up, who arrives in Salem under the guise of just another hiker on the trail. The only problem is, Geneva is not there. And Grayson has no clue where to start looking for her! He has shared a connection with Geneva in the past, but with all the static in this town, he can't seem to make contact. A cryptic clue, however, ultimately leads him to an abandoned cabin in the woods - where Geneva has freed herself and impresses upon her partner the urgency in finding that little girl before it's too late! Add in Nellie Cavendish, who has returned to Salem after receiving a letter from her deceased father that was held in trust until her 29th birthday - a letter with an urgent mission that she return to Salem before her 30th birthday and stop a great evil from being unleashed!
Anyone who has read Hooper's books knows that ultimately the paths of these psychics will cross, and they will eventually help one another in a final, climactic battle to defeat the evil of a dark psychic who, in this instance, is hellbent on gaining more power and completely taking over Salem and the lives of everyone there. There are plenty of secrets to be revealed, and several revelations regarding the citizens of that small community, and Hooper keeps the tension running high from beginning to end, making this book a true page-turner. I absolutely love the fact that Hooper has introduced some new abilities in this book, with a couple of the psychics being able to communicate, on a small level, with the animals around them. And Nellie's full acceptance of her own abilities provides for quite the explosive finale!
One difference with this book, as compared with previous stories, is that Hooper does not hide the villain. This story is not so much about trying to figure out who the villain is, but more along the lines of burning your way through the story to see how Geneva, Grayson, Nellie, and their surprise comrade will stop the power-hungry psychic in Salem and whether they will be in time to save the young girl taken captive. It makes for an interesting change of pace, and takes the pressure off of the reader in looking for clues to the identity of the killer and focusing more on getting to know the characters.
As this is the first book in the trilogy, I know this is merely a set up, with more evil and dastardly deeds to come. The next book, Curse of Salem, comes out in December (in hardcover, unfortunately - I will be waiting for the paperback), and I'm guessing the third book will be out next year some time.
One final thing I want to mention - I absolutely LOVE the stylized lettering for the title and author on the front cover. The font is that fun "optical illusion" type font, where if you try and follow the letters or off-set shading, they don't quite match and seem to loop into each other in impossible ways. It's a subtle (or maybe not so subtle!) way of letting the reader know right off the bat that finding your way through Salem is not going to be as easy as it may appear at first! Gotta love it!
RATING: 10 cheerful Disney name plaques out of 10 for bringing the spooky tension back to the Bishop novels and getting me excited to see what's going to happen next!
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