These Things Hidden    by Heather Gudenkauf Order:  USA  Can Mira, 2011 (2011) Softcover, CD, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Joan Burton Sixteen year old Allison Glenn was blonde, beautiful and talented. Always one step ahead of her friends, she excelled in everything she set her mind to. She was her parents' golden girl, outshining her younger sister Brynn. Allison was well known in Linden Falls, Iowa where she grew up and attended the local high school. Then Allison made one mistake that changed her life forever. The town will never foreget the terrible crime she committed. Five years later, having been in prison, Allison has had plenty of time to think about what happened on that terrible night by the riverbank. She has been released to a halfway house, and plans on getting a job and reconnecting with her younger sister. Brynn lives every day with the reality of what happened and deals with the anger of the local people. She is struggling in her life and wants to separate herself from the sister she once adored. The sisters share a secret, that if revealed could be devastating for all involved. Brynn knows they can never forget the past, and she wonders if they will have to relive it to move on. These Things Hidden is the story of four woman whose lives are interwoven. Sisters Allison and Brynn know the truth from years past. Claire, owner of a local bookstore, is the adoptive mother of five year old Joshua. She has hired Allison to work part time at the store. Charm, a young woman, training to be a nurse and caring for her terminally ill stepfather, knows the sisters from their school days. The story is told in the voices of the four women, going from the past to the present. It grabs you from the first chapter, is filled with surprises, and is beautifully written. Don't miss this one. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews