The Hiding Place

Forty-year-old teacher Joseph Thorne, the narrator of this devastating thriller from British author Tudor (The Chalk Man), moves home to Arnhill, takes a job at his old school, and rents the cottage where a woman recently murdered her 11-year-old son before committing suicide. Joe claims that he wants to give back to the community, but he actually returned to the former mining village because of an anonymous email: “I know what happened to your sister. It’s happening again.” Joe is determined to avenge his eight-year-old sister, Annie, who went missing decades ago, but there are forces conspiring against him. Further complicating matters are a vicious loan shark and the apparent haunting of Joe’s new house. Flashbacks to 1992 gradually reveal what tragedy befell Annie, while sharply drawn characters illustrate the cyclical natures of violence and victimhood. Joe’s dark humor may balance the grim plot, but the epilogue is the stuff of nightmares. Tudor casts a searing light on the long-term damage wrought by grief, guilt, and regret. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary (U.K.). (Feb.)