Customer Reviews

Hideaway (Hideaway, Book 1)

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4 star:		(2)
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2 star:		(1)
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True confession: this is the first Christian suspense novel I've read, and I wasn't expecting much. Given the secular suspense novels all over bookstores chockfull of gore, sex and expletives, I couldn't imagine how Hannah Alexander would put together a story without them. What would the main conflict be --- that the church coffee hour ran out of sugar?

Like all sinners who confess, I must now admit my wrongdoing: HIDEAWAY, while gentle, is a well paced, suspenseful read. That bag of missing sugar hasn't been poured into Alexander's prose, either; the novel isn't treacly. Even the requisite adorable elderly country couple, Bertie and Red, are rendered clearly. Bertie, given to concoctions of roots and herbs, isn't made to seem like a fount of wisdom or like a Wiccan-on-the-edge; instead, her homemade remedies are place in counterpoint to Cheyenne Allison's medical training.

Cheyenne Allison, a thirtysomething ER doctor, has retreated to colleague Ardis Dunaway's home in the Ozark town of Hideaway, Missouri, after her sister is in a car accident and dies on her watch. Without giving away too much of the plot, it's important to know that Allison has inner demons pursuing her, and outer ones too, in the form of a lawsuit. She thinks the quiet of country life and the challenge of helping to spruce up her friend's ramshackle house will be all that she needs to fill up her life while she recovers.

But soon she is meeting the neighbors: Dane Gideon, who runs a ranch for troubled teen boys, his ward Gavin, or "Blaze," the aforementioned Bertie and Red, Mayor Austin Barlow and his son Ramsay, and other people curious about the lone woman from the big city of Columbia. Before she can say "How quaint!" Allison finds herself aiding Gideon, tutoring Blaze, treating Red, and fending off Barlow. Her quiet period of recovery soon turns into an eventful sabbatical that leaves her wondering if she really wants to go back to what she once had.

Some of the events seem flat. For example, as the book gains speed, accidents and incidents tumble so quickly over each other that when Blaze is badly electrocuted by a ground wire, the injury almost fails to register. This may be a weakness of the collaboration; "Hannah Alexander" is the pen name for Dr. Mel and Cheryl Hodde (Hod-dee), who have written several books together and plan more novels in this "Hideaway" series.

However, weaknesses are more than offset by the strengths in this book. Some of the events are tragic, including those affecting Allison, as her brother-in-law's suit against her turns ugly and Red's deep-vein thrombosis even uglier. And as things turn ugly in town, too, with repeated acts of vandalism being blamed on Blaze, the doctor slowly, slowly, slowly begins to wonder if there might be more to the quiet, strong Christian faith of her new friends than she could have ever imagined.

Allison's road to spiritual recovery is rendered without dramatics, as befits her training and beliefs. Other characters are also attractive --- Dane Gideon, quirks and flaws included, is a fitting foil for the doctor, a female protagonist who does not conform to any particular doctrine's idea of womanhood but is nevertheless deeply attractive. However, when I finished, the character of Blaze was the one who stayed with me. An author (or authors!) who can create an African-American boy with emotional issues, whose skill with animals can bring tears to the eye, is (are) talented indeed. And so my confession ends with a penance and redemption that are one and the same: I look forward to the next Hannah Alexander suspense title!

--- Reviewed by Bethanne Kelly Patrick

Once again Hannah Alexander captures your imagination, introducing characters with heart and soul and settings with vivid realism. With thrilling suspense interwoven with gentle romance, humour, and medical drama, Hannah Alexander has served up a tale that leaves you waiting anxiously for more. Hideaway is a stellar debut in a riveting new series. ~~Ellie Schroder, owner of The Christian Fiction Site

FANTASTIC....couldn't put it down...didn't want it to end.
The writing is supherb with believable characters and situations...I love how the two were entroduced to each other....I found myself chuckling... I keep all of Hannah Alexander books for my personal library and for friends to read...these books do NOT go into the 2nd hand book store bin.
Please, Hannah Alexander, never ever quit producing!

I really enjoyed this book. I really like the cover for some reason, and the fact that it was a bit longer than most Love Inspired books. It kept me interested from start to finish, with lots of suspense and interesting characters. I can't wait to read the others in the series!

I just found a new author, or should I say authors--since Dr Mel & Cheryl Hodde write together as Hannah Alexander--to add to my favorite's list. Hideaway is the first book of theirs that I have read and it will certainly not be the last.

Hideaway is a small town in the Missouri Ozarks where Dr. Cheyenne Allison retreats after Susan, her sister, dies on the trauma table in the ER where Cheyenne works. She is hoping Hideaway will be a place of peace and quiet where she can literally "hide away", but that idea is quickly dispelled as she meets the many unique & caring people who populate this picturesque lakeside town. One of those people is Dane Gideon who runs a ranch for foster boys directly across the lake from Cheyenne's farm. The mayor of Hideaway, Austin Barlow, is convinced that one of Dane's boys is the vandal who continues to destroy property and cause concern among the residents of the town. But while Cheyenne's first meeting with one of Dane's boys, Blaze, doesn't start out on the best footing, she soon comes to care for and respect Dane and his boys.

While her sister Susan had become a Christian during college, Cheyenne has never seen much need for God in her life. Kirk, Susan's husband, only reinforces her negative view of most Christians as Cheyenne sees him continually treat her sister with contempt. When Kirk sues Cheyenne for malpractice in her sister's death, the pain she already feels becomes almost more than she can bear. It is through the special people that befriend her in Hideaway--Dane, Blaze, her elderly neighbors Bertie & Red--that she comes to see that God might just be able to use the pain in her life to bring about healing, just as she has to do at times with her own patients.

Hideaway is a place I would love to visit and the characters were so vibrant and real that I finished the story feeling like I had made some new friends. I am glad that Hideaway is the first book in a series because I look forward to visiting there again very soon.

Hannah Alexander is the pen name for a Christian husband and wife medical thriller/suspense writing team: Dr. Mel and Cheryl Hodde. They make their home in the astonishingly beautiful Ozark Mountains, which is the setting for their novels.

Hideaway, the first novel in this series, begins when emergency room doctor, Cheyenne Allsion's own sister dies in the emergency room, and Cheyenne herself was the doctor of record. The authors skillfully get into the turmoil and grief of Cheyenne's inner being. Then Cheyenne is shocked to discover her brother-in-law is suing her for malpractice and wrongful death, and the hospital is distancing itself from her, saying she was overtired when her sister died. So, Cheyenne retreats to a house in need of repair in Hideway, MO to grieve and find some rest. She soon discovers this seemingly peaceful town is being terrorized by a dangerous vandal. Mayor Autsin Barlow insists the culprit resides at the ranch for foster boys run by the charismatic Dane Gideon. Dane soon gets Cheyenne's respect, and she finds herself attracted to him, though she is bothered that she can't share his deep faith. The authors show the reader the churning turmoil in Cheyenne's soul. The violence turns deadly, and Cheyenne finds herself the vandal's target. This book pulls the reader in to the lives of its characters.

Author: Hannah Alexander (pseudonym)
Genre: Christian/Inspirational (Romantic Suspense)

Plot Summary:
Dr. Cheyenne Allison's world is turned upside-down when her beloved little sister is wheeled into the ER, near death from injuries sustained in a car accident. Despite her best efforts, Cheyenne cannot save her sister and begins to suffer from the guilt. To make matters worse, her widowed brother-in-law, a person of dubious moral character, files a suit against her for malpractice. Cheyenne's grief begins to effect her job performance and she is forced to take a leave of absence. She decides to take a friend up on an offer to recuperate at a vacant summer home in the rural (fictional) town of Hideaway. Once there, Cheyenne quickly realizes that her stay will not be one of quiet solitude. The people of Hideaway immediately draw Cheyenne (a non-Christian) into the fabric of the community. She meets Dane Gideon, a handsome Christian man who helps troubled teenage boys by housing them at his ranch and giving them guidance. One of his new boys, a sweet and misunderstood African American kid named Blaze, is suspected by the mayor of committing various acts of vandalism.

Geographical Setting: Columbia and Hideaway, Missouri
Time Period: Modern Day (2003)
Series: Hideaway (This is the first of three)

Appeal Characteristics: "Hideaway" (the 2004 Christy Award winner for Christian Romance) is a character-driven story with elements of suspense. The pacing is slow. There is not a heavy plot, but the reader will remain interested in how the characters will overcome their problems. Readers who enjoy a rural setting and a tight-knit community atmosphere will like the town of Hideaway. The authors make heavy use of medical jargon, which might appeal to fans of medical thrillers. Also, readers who are interested in stories of people dealing with, and overcoming racial discrimination might enjoy Blaze's character.

Read-alikes: Fans of the setting of Hideaway should enjoy the rest of the series: "Safe Haven" (2004), "Last Resort" (2005), "Note of Peril" (2005) and "Fair Warning" (2006). These books continue with medical themes, though they do not feature the same cast of characters. The three books of the Rock Harbor Series: "Without a Trace" (2003), "Beyond a Doubt" (2004), and "Into the Deep" (2004), by Colleen Coble will also be of interest. These books are romantic suspense stories taking place in the rural upper peninsula of Michigan. Bree Nicholls, a search and rescue worker, deals with the loss of her husband and the guilt of not being able to save his life. Still Waters by Shirlee McCoy is also a Christian romantic suspense story that takes place in a small tight-knit community. The plot involves a group of teenage vandals that disrupt the peaceful hamlet of Lakeview, Virginia.

Red Flags: Arson; Blood in the Emergency Room; A murdered cat (off stage)