What do you think?
Rate this book
Hide in Plain Sight
Alex Carson is in mid-life freefall. He owes a quarter million in back taxes, his bipolar wife Connie keeps going off her meds, and his dog’s just died. When his estranged twin brother Dave, a multi-millionaire with a disease that’s reduced him to crutches, invites him for a weekend visit, Alex is so eager to escape his own reality that he accepts, even though his wife decides at the last minute to tag along.
Over drinks that evening, Dave tells them he suspects his wife Kristina of having an affair. Uninterested in Dave’s marital problems, Connie seeks sympathy for Alex’s tax debt and asks for a loan, which Dave refuses. In a fit of anger, Connie knocks Dave down a flight of stairs and accidentally kills him.
Given their motive and opportunity, Alex and Connie fear a murder charge if they inform the police, so he decides to take Dave’s place long enough for her to return home and establish an alibi. In a few days, he’ll engineer Dave’s “death” all over again, and escape to rejoin her. Although she suspects he just wants to sleep with Dave’s wife Kristina, she’s forced to go along with the plan.
It’s supposed to be simple but it gets very complicated. Kristina is drop-dead gorgeous, and lying next to her at night gives Alex a libidinous fever. Ironically, when it also comes to light that Dave appears to have been having an affair with their hot-blooded domestic, Alex finds himself trapped in a ménage-a-trois from hell.
And now someone is trying to kill him...
Over drinks that evening, Dave tells them he suspects his wife Kristina of having an affair. Uninterested in Dave’s marital problems, Connie seeks sympathy for Alex’s tax debt and asks for a loan, which Dave refuses. In a fit of anger, Connie knocks Dave down a flight of stairs and accidentally kills him.
Given their motive and opportunity, Alex and Connie fear a murder charge if they inform the police, so he decides to take Dave’s place long enough for her to return home and establish an alibi. In a few days, he’ll engineer Dave’s “death” all over again, and escape to rejoin her. Although she suspects he just wants to sleep with Dave’s wife Kristina, she’s forced to go along with the plan.
It’s supposed to be simple but it gets very complicated. Kristina is drop-dead gorgeous, and lying next to her at night gives Alex a libidinous fever. Ironically, when it also comes to light that Dave appears to have been having an affair with their hot-blooded domestic, Alex finds himself trapped in a ménage-a-trois from hell.
And now someone is trying to kill him...
259 pages, Kindle Edition
About the author
Alan Annand
24 books20 followersALAN ANNAND is a writer of crime fiction, offering an intriguing blend of mystery, suspense, thriller and occult genres. When he’s not dreaming up ingenious ways to kill people, he finds therapy in writing humor, short stories and book reviews.
Before becoming a full-time novelist, he worked as a technical writer for the railway industry, a human resources manager and an underground surveyor.
Currently, he divides his time between writing in the AM, astrology in the PM, and meditation on the OM. For those who care, he’s an Aries with a dash of Scorpio.
ALAN ANNAND:
- Writer of mystery suspense novels.
- Astrologer & palmist, trained in Western & Vedic astrology.
- Amateur musician, agent provocateur and infomaniac.
Websites:
- Writing: www.sextile.com
- Astrology: www.navamsa.com
Books available at Amazon & Smashwords:
- Al-Quebeca (mystery thriller)
- Harm’s Way (hardboiled mystery thriller)
- Hide in Plain Sight (psychological mystery suspense)
- Scorpio Rising (New Age noir mystery thriller)
Previously published five novels under pseudonyms with New York publishers:
- Harm's Way (St.Martin's Press), by Aleister Foxx
- Antenna Syndrome (Tower Publications), by Alan Marks
- Skyraiders (Tower Publications), by Alan Marks
- Bearknife Gold (Tower Publications), by Alan Marks
- Commando Attack (Tower Publications), by Alan Marks
Education:
- BA, English Lit
- BSc, Math & Physics
- Diploma, British Faculty of Astrological Studies
- Diploma, American College of Vedic Astrology
Citizen of the world:
- Lived in Montreal 26 yrs, Toronto 6 yrs
- Lived in England one year
- Traveled USA, Mexico, Caribbean, Europe, Morocco, Lebanon, India, Thailand
Before becoming a full-time novelist, he worked as a technical writer for the railway industry, a human resources manager and an underground surveyor.
Currently, he divides his time between writing in the AM, astrology in the PM, and meditation on the OM. For those who care, he’s an Aries with a dash of Scorpio.
ALAN ANNAND:
- Writer of mystery suspense novels.
- Astrologer & palmist, trained in Western & Vedic astrology.
- Amateur musician, agent provocateur and infomaniac.
Websites:
- Writing: www.sextile.com
- Astrology: www.navamsa.com
Books available at Amazon & Smashwords:
- Al-Quebeca (mystery thriller)
- Harm’s Way (hardboiled mystery thriller)
- Hide in Plain Sight (psychological mystery suspense)
- Scorpio Rising (New Age noir mystery thriller)
Previously published five novels under pseudonyms with New York publishers:
- Harm's Way (St.Martin's Press), by Aleister Foxx
- Antenna Syndrome (Tower Publications), by Alan Marks
- Skyraiders (Tower Publications), by Alan Marks
- Bearknife Gold (Tower Publications), by Alan Marks
- Commando Attack (Tower Publications), by Alan Marks
Education:
- BA, English Lit
- BSc, Math & Physics
- Diploma, British Faculty of Astrological Studies
- Diploma, American College of Vedic Astrology
Citizen of the world:
- Lived in Montreal 26 yrs, Toronto 6 yrs
- Lived in England one year
- Traveled USA, Mexico, Caribbean, Europe, Morocco, Lebanon, India, Thailand
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 30, 2012
Takes sibling rivalry to the edge and beyond!
What can I say? I’m a fan of Alan Annand! I’ve read all of his books and although they’re all mysteries, each is a different sub-genre. This is great because every time you read one you’re in for an unexpected treat.
HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT is a mystery suspense novel about twin brothers, Alex and Dave, and their intertwined lives before and after death. These brothers successfully hid their resentment for each other in what I feel was a passive-aggressive relationship, and some of these grudges contributed to what happened later in their adult lives.
Without giving too much of the plot away, Dave accidentally dies, after which Alex is forced to impersonate his twin in day-to-day life for a week in order to give his wife an out-of-town alibi. Although morally compelled to protect his bi-polar wife who was instrumental in Dave’s fatal accident, Alex is forced in the following weeks to confront many uncomfortable truths – about his brother, his beautiful sister-in-law and his own wife.
Throughout the novel, Alan Annand’s writing style is intriguing and engulfing. He makes us feel Alex’s stress, anxiety and anguish while pretending to be a different husband, and a friend to people he hardly knows. In this novel Annand successfully achieves a difficult suspension-of-disbelief in which we believe this switch is both necessary and plausible. We’re constantly kept on the edge of our seats. It is a very tense atmosphere and nothing is as simple as it seems. This is a great read and a MUST READ.
This novel made me think it could become a great movie in the style of “The Mousetrap” by Agatha Christie, and/or a Broadway play because of its steadily-mounting tension and shocking end-game. Well done!
What can I say? I’m a fan of Alan Annand! I’ve read all of his books and although they’re all mysteries, each is a different sub-genre. This is great because every time you read one you’re in for an unexpected treat.
HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT is a mystery suspense novel about twin brothers, Alex and Dave, and their intertwined lives before and after death. These brothers successfully hid their resentment for each other in what I feel was a passive-aggressive relationship, and some of these grudges contributed to what happened later in their adult lives.
Without giving too much of the plot away, Dave accidentally dies, after which Alex is forced to impersonate his twin in day-to-day life for a week in order to give his wife an out-of-town alibi. Although morally compelled to protect his bi-polar wife who was instrumental in Dave’s fatal accident, Alex is forced in the following weeks to confront many uncomfortable truths – about his brother, his beautiful sister-in-law and his own wife.
Throughout the novel, Alan Annand’s writing style is intriguing and engulfing. He makes us feel Alex’s stress, anxiety and anguish while pretending to be a different husband, and a friend to people he hardly knows. In this novel Annand successfully achieves a difficult suspension-of-disbelief in which we believe this switch is both necessary and plausible. We’re constantly kept on the edge of our seats. It is a very tense atmosphere and nothing is as simple as it seems. This is a great read and a MUST READ.
This novel made me think it could become a great movie in the style of “The Mousetrap” by Agatha Christie, and/or a Broadway play because of its steadily-mounting tension and shocking end-game. Well done!
July 17, 2021
Read this in July 11. Not half bad, but murder/mystery is not my normal genre. Twin brothers, one dies, the other inherits, intrigue, suspense, crappy marriages, twists and turns, a semi-happy ending. The writing was competent, the characters came to life, the outcome was never certain, in fact things happened differently than I imagined. If you like murder mysteries then you will likely like this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2012
Five stars for best in genre. I know the term "page turner" is so overused, but it's a true descriptor for Hide in Plain Sight. An improbable premise, with improbable twists and turns, and extremely well written, this novel is a delight. As mystery/suspense/thrillers go, put Annand's book on your "Must Read Now" list. I give it 5 stars as one of the best in its genre.
August 22, 2014
This was a good book, and very interesting! Definitely a unique twist and a different take on a mystery novel. I loved it!
February 21, 2015
I love a good murder mystery with multiple twists. I'm looking for more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews