Hearts in Hiding

Haggerty Mystery #1

by Betsy Brannon Green

Devastation, betrayal, self-pity, anger—none of these words do any justice to the tangle of emotions Kate Singleton is experiencing. Married just over a year, with a baby on the way, Kate learns that her husband, and FBI agent, is dead. To top it off, the same people who murdered her husband have a contract on her head.

With the help of the FBI, Kate flees with little more that the clothes on her back. And in no time at all, they provide her with new clothes, a new home, a new name, and... a new husband.

But this is only the beginning of Kate's adventure. Before it's through, there will be a kidnapping, true love, and enough suspense to keep any reader turning pages long after bedtime. Hearts in Hiding is an action-packed, romantic first novel by gifted author Betsy Brannon Green.

Genres: Mystery, Lds Fiction, Romance, Lds, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

299 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2001

About the author

"WELCOME!!!!!

If you're not familiar with my books, I write mystery-suspense novels. I am LDS (Mormon) and so are some of my characters, but I have loyal readers from many different faiths. My goal is to engage the reader in my books. I want to make them laugh and cry and worry and dread the end.

Most of my books are set in the fictional town of Haggerty, Georgia - which is loosely based on my grandparents' hometown of Headland, Alabama (the most wonderful place on earth). Each book has an ample supply of romance, suspense, Southern hospitality and even recipies!"

by Betsy Brannon Green on http://www.betsybrannongreen.net/

Reviews

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggle with LDS fiction. I'm not going to lie, most of it is not really well written. My biggest pet peeve is that they have the word "said" bookmarked in their thesaurus and refuse to just say said. (this makes me think it couldn't be too hard to break into LDS fiction, watch for my next title to be there...) There is also always too much of LDS forced into it. I mean, I don't mind if they bring it up where it fits into the plot, but there is usually too much of it for what is "every day" life to me. Also, this book has a lot that is very difficult to believe all happened to one woman. But if you can overlook all of that, it is kind of a cute love story. It is probably really good if you like LDS fiction...

[Crystal Jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my favorite it was awesome it was a romance a little bit. Its about a Girl she gets married and her husband is a FBI agent and one day he goes on a mission and he dies well thats what the other agents tell her. So she has to go in hiding with an agent she has never met before and they have to get married and change what they wear how they look and there idenity and move to a place called Haggerty were they might be safe from the people that are trying to kill her. So they leave Chicago and they have a house ready for them and they dont really talk much. Later in the book they start to fall in love one night her water breaks and her neighbor rushes her to a hospital were she will have her baby the agent Mark comes and they are in love when the baby is delivered they look like a married happy couple. Farther in the book there is kidnapping and marriage. This book is really good. I sent the author an email and she replyed she considered my idea of writing another book about Mark, Kate, Emily, and Charles i really really loved this one. I want them to make a movie out of it. :)

[JR · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this for bookgroup. Starts out fast and gripping. Slows waaayyy down. Not fabulous literature, but we'll see if it ends well.

**Update after finishing the book**

I hesitate to even allow this book two stars because it is just not well-written. Green's writing style is uninteresting and full of adjectives instead of character development. The plot is good, but it isn't developed enough and feels rushed along. I didn't care about the characters, and the Mormon culture seems contrived and not applicable to the story...or maybe it's just not interwoven well. It really felt forced down the reader's throat that the visiting teachers were coming over. Who cares? It had nothing to do with the story.

I enjoyed the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the book, but then could have set it down and walked away without regret. I had to finish it for book group. I couldn't recommend this book to anyone who has limited time for reading.

[Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

 Hearts in hiding by betsy brannon green
In this book the main characters are Kate Singleton, Mark Iverson,and Miss Eugenia. One of the most important parts of the book is in the starting when she is coming home from work and there is a car following all the way to her apartment building and when she finally get to her apartment. Then she heard a knock at the door when she opened the door they where to police agents standing in front of her, that is where it all began. The second most important part this is where is got pretty lit. She was at the police station and she was told something that would change her life forever. The best of the book is when kate has her baby and her fake husband takes care of her like it is his own little baby, IT IS SO CUTE!!! The thing that made me so mad was when her husband who died (that is what the police told her) was no actually died and was part of people coming and trying to kill a pregnant women. And one last thing they fall in love her and her fake husband fall in love and really do end up getting married in the temple that is the best part (they are mormon).


I thought that the book was well worded and it explained everything pretty well and that is did not leave me on a cliff hanger. The character had so much life and they were not perfect like every other character in other books they went through hard trials but they were still so nice and happy and always wanted to help each other. The plot was very crazy you could say there were a lot of  ups and downs. But very well put together i would say. The characters had the best parts and they are so amazing and what they do, like miss Eugenia after kate had the baby “Miss Eugenia was dying to see the baby and make sure that she was being properly cared for. (Green 173)”


I had a couple of connections to this book. This book reminded me of when i am watching a scary movie and you don’t want to stop watching but you don’t know is going to happen. This also reminded me of when i was reading this other  book and these kids got stuck in this world and all they wanted to do was get home and as they were looking to find a way home they learned to love it. That reminded me of the book because kate and mark have to go to this other is seems and all they want is to go home but they learn to love it and each other. The text to world connection would be like When someone loses their dog or something and they just there norman life with their dog back.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, enjoyable read. From the back of the book, I thought there would be more about being a grieving widow, but when the book begins she has actually been a widow for a while. There's nothing wrong with that; it just wasn't what I expected.

For the majority of the book, the main characters are in the FBI witness protection program. When I think of that, I usually think of people getting made-up brand new identities, but in this book, the people are hidden by borrowing other people's real identities. In a way, that seems like it would be even more effective to hide people, but it is also hard in that the fakers have to act completely different to stay in character with the person they're pretending to be. (If you've understood all of those pronouns and what I meant—congratulations!)

It is a sweet love story with some suspense and mystery as well. If you're looking for something light and inoffensive, but not necessarily thought provoking, then you'll enjoy this book.

One thing about this book is that it made me really want to live in the South. At least this author's version of a small town in the South, where everyone knows each other, the neighbors know all of your business, old people are feisty and fun, and everyone sends and expects to receive thank you cards.

[Katie Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy read that was a lot of fun. The book's main characters are LDS (Mormon) and so am I, so I enjoyed a lot of the references. You wouldn't have to be Mormon to enjoy the book though. My favorite characters were actually the ones from different religions that interacted with the main characters.

I enjoyed the setting of the south and found the book to be charming (even if it was a little predictable).

[Deidra Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laugh every time I read this story, I love sassy grandmas having their say. The story is unique and entertaining the whole way through.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd never read one of these before either...Mormon author/Mormon characters/mystery/romance...it was kind of hilarious...spent more time talking about what they were eating everyday (casseroles, what else) than anything...I skipped about 50 pages at the end because I just wanted to be done and later went back and read them and actually that was the best part. Kinda funny. Not so sold on fiction that mixes in LDS truths...recommend me a book if you find one you actually like!!

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last hundred pages had all sorts of crazy surprises! I was a fan of the description of southern life and the process of trying to assume a new identity. I have a new appreciation for the men and women who sacrifice their lives to keep me safe! Cheesy? Maybe, but completely honest!

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

LDS- romance/mystery This was a fun/cute read. The witness protection part was a little stretch but it was such a fun read that you can buy in to it. I'm sad that I'm through reading it!

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very first one by Betsy, and she has me hooked on all her books. I buy them as soon as possible. :) And I love them all, so they all get five stars from me.

[LAWonder10 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hearts in Hiding has the continuing element of intrigue, mystery, humor, devotion of a husband for his wife and of course....Ms. Haggerty.
This is part of a delightful series.

[Cindy Wilcox · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book 2/3 of the way through and then it seems to drag on and on and on. I wish it would have ended at that 2/3.

[Suzana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, this was a new level of terrible in every possible sense of the word. Terrible characters. Terrible writing. Terrible plot. Terrible prose. So unbelievably boring and pointless and quite frankly embarrassing. Who is reading this?? And how is it rated so high??? I’m at a loss. I hated it. Only finished it because it was gifted to me. Worst book I’ve read …maybe ever?

[Sara ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

This was a quite cheesily cute Mormon suspense romance. It was adorable and all that, but a bit... shallowly written. Cute, but won't be winning any awards...

The premise was pretty far-fetched. Well, not necessarily the underlying premise... it wasn't any worse than any FBI or CIA show you'd watch on TV, but the solution was fairly convoluted. They came up with this overly elaborate scheme just to come up with a reason the hero (Mark/Drew) and heroine (Kate/Niki), who are both Mormon, would have to get married without even knowing each other, but I thought it was QUITE unrealistic.

I thought the hero and heroine were quite cute together, but it seemed like they fell in love with each other quite... not really SUDDENLY, but I felt like ALL the writing was a bit sparse on details. With almost everything that happened, I was wishing it was more flushed out. I hate when an author is overly florid, but I need enough details to (1) be able to picture what's happening and (2) to make what's happening seem REAL. So though the romance seemed plausible and they seemed to be good together, I would have liked more details about what the characters were thinking. More insight into the little things that all added up to love, you know?

The flow was a bit weird. It felt a bit travel-log-y. Like Monday yadda yadda happened. Tuesday went by like a flash. Wednesday she blah blah blah. And then, finally, we'd get to Thursday and something would happen. I was like, "Do I need to know about Tuesday? Did something significant happen on Tuesday? No? Then why are you even mentioning it?" And then sometimes you were expecting something to happen, and you were anticipating the details, and she completely skips over it. Did she have a good time at homemaking? Were the other sisters nice to her? Did she have any friends from Church other than the random visiting teachers?

And the ending. The big confrontation happens and there's still like 75 pages left. I was like, "Well, either this author doesn't want to skimp on the ending, or there's going to be another crazy-something-or-other." So even though the author TOTALLY drew out the ending, I still would have liked an extra 5 pages. I wanted to see his family accept her more and for them to drive off into the sunset. Instead, he was BARELY IN THE BOOK for the last 20 pages, INCLUDING THE WEDDING! What the heck?

I dunno, Mormon fiction is always weird to me. It's the same with other Christian fiction. Sometimes the Mormon aspects are woven in seamlessly, and sometimes it's bizarre and seems incidental. I'm afraid this book was more of the latter. Oh, and it was written FOR LDS people. I don't think a non-member would get it AT ALL, which bugged me. Oh, and the random crap southerners think about Mormons... I wish the main characters would have set them straight more... just in case non-LDS people were reading...

So, yeah. It was cute, but not the best. But cute. I couldn't put it down, so that's saying something!

[Victor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually do not read LDS fiction (A cultural thing, we do not get these books were I'm from) but became interested when my wife re-read this one and couldn't resist telling me about it.

Basically this novel follows the story of 8-month pregnant Kate Singleton as she is already grieving for the dead of her husband, FBI agent Tony Singleton. Due to the nature of Tony's last assignment, Kate is forced to abandon her uninteresting life and move with her new "husband" agent Iverson to Haggerty, GA as part of a witness protection plan, there she realizes that she is living the life she always wanted, pretending to be someone else.

Although this book can be at some points hard to read, it presents an interesting story on how little adventures can change our perception of life. Having lived in Georgia for a while, I was reminded on manners in Southern courtesy and life in a small town, something me and my wife would like to experience at some point in the future.

The thing with this book is that os not an LDS story completely, some aspect of the religion are thrown off here and there but the only real LDS issue is that both leads are members of the church and, while enjoying pretending to be someone else, come to church, where they should not have to pretend, but are annoyed to do so anyway.

[Jenni C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unlike most of my two star ratings... I actually read all of this book, even though I was tempted to skip to the end.

Pros: This book is a clean romance. The plot is great. I LOVED the detail of southern living and could have moved into the book just to be a part of the loveable community, hands down - that was the best part of the book.

Cons: I never knew someone could describe decorating, furniture, and the same three peoples' jobs to cover 80 percent of the book...and still have me reading every page. The dialog was redundant, especially during the last half of the book. I thought the surprise twist was heartbreaking and confusing in multiple ways. I was disappointed in Kate's character, erratic and non-consistent. Blame it on the hormones, but I really wanted a more solid character. The love story (although clean) was off. It had potiential, but some thoughts, actions, and words were abrupt and I seriously doubt a man would fall in love with a girl that belittles herself out loud, a lot.

All in all the author has promising talent, but her work needs to be polished. I would read another book she publishes if her style improved, but I would not buy this story.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out really liking the story, but after awhile I got a little board with it and wondered when something was going to happen. Then when something finally happened it was over really fast and went back to the somewhat boring stuff again. In a lot of ways I felt like this book was about Kate and Miss Eugenia. While I really liked Eugenia and the other crazy neighbors, I really wanted more of Kate and Mark. As it was I felt like I hardly got to know Mark and what I did learn I wasn’t really that impressed with. He came across way to serious and kind of boring. I was hoping for some sparks and flirting and just more out of their relationship. It seemed like they were hardly together and when they were they were hardly ever alone. The mystery part was okay, it could have been developed more. I felt like it was placed on the back burner and only brought forward when something needed to happen. There were a couple twists, but they were fairly predictable. I liked the idea of the story more than the story itself. This is coming off a little harsh, while I would have wanted a little more, it was still enjoyable and kept me reading.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I survived yet another book recommended by my mother...hurray! This one really wasn't too bad. It followed your basic, predictable story line, but it was still relatively fun and interesting. Being LDS literature, it of course had a few eye-rolling moments due to pure cheesiness. And there were a couple of somewhat unnatural religious moments in there that seemed so forced that it reminded me of those scenes on The Biggest Loser when they do obvious plugs for advertisers...does that make sense?

My mom absolutely loves the character of Miss Eugenia; and while I do agree that she's spunky, I think I would flip out if my elderly neighbor came waltzing into my house, without knocking, any ol' time she felt like it. And all the Haggerty women are much too nosy for me to find them very endearing.

Anyway, overall it was better than I thought it would be and my mom is already telling me that I have to read the other books in the series. I'll get there, but not for awhile. I think I need to step away from the romantic/thriller/lds fiction for a couple of months.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was just okay. It was recommended to me by several people, and so maybe I expected too much. The plot seemed interesting enough for an LDS romance, but I quickly grew bored with the characters. The supporting characters were more interesting than the main characters, and more detail was given about the restoration of the house, daily errands, and what everyone was eating at any given time than to the development of the relationship between the lead characters. Scenes that should have been emotionally intense...the first kiss, marriage proposal, declarations of love, etc, simply fell flat. Even the whole ordeal with the crime family was boring and too conveniently resolved. I hardly expect a Pulitzer Prize contender when I pick up an LDS Romance, but I hope to at least get some good escape reading and maybe a few warm fuzzies...this one provided neither.

[Geokowgurl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Betsy Brannon Green and I find that her writing style is clean and fun. This is the first book in the Haggerty stories. It has the perfect mix of romance, suspense, mystery, and good old fashioned neighbors...which I wish I had a Miss Eugenia right next door to me.... I have read several of Greens books and will read more as I get my hands on them. I highly recommend this book and others by this author to anyone who loves a great clean read that keeps you turning the pages and also loves LDS Authors. Betsy Brannon Green is one of my favorite LDS authors and she doesn't write in a cheesy way that other authors in this genre seem to do. I have started writing a quote from the book that touched me in some way or that I loved here at the end of my review. So the books quote that stuck with me is...."We probably have a year's supply of casseroles" -Miss Eugenia

[Teya Teya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will start with the good. I loved the characters developed. I did like the story line. What I had trouble with was it was one sided and I've gotten use to and love the two sides of view in books and the conflict in both and even on the bad side, so for me it was kind of boring at times. This was like a heart beat on a monitor it had a good base and it kept you intriqued which is why I kept reading and it had highs of adventure and moments of excitement then it would lull again. I feel it needed more conflict. I think it needed a bit more research as well. I will definitely read another to see how she improved. I was clean, I loved the gospel centered parts there were a couple part I got kind of nervous on but she did it very well and tastefully, and I wanted more of an ending. That I'm sure is another book.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would recommend this book, however there were nagging editing errors and oversights that bugged me. Example: A very pregnant Kate goes out to her van to retrieve her purse and finds a man trying to steal it. She startles him, he runs, she foolishly stands in his way, gets knocked over, her water breaks, she goes into labor and is whisked off to the hospital.
WHAT ABOUT THE PURSE?!!!! Silly maybe, but there were enough of those little loose ends that drove me nuts. Considering the storyline: Kate under FBI protection/relocation program her purse with her picture and someone else's name could cause problems.
This is an LDS author and with strong LDS themes, so you need to be prepared for that as well.
I think the very best part was the older residents of Haggerty, GA. Great character development.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally think this book could've been a lot better if there were a lot more mystery/suspense included in the story line. Some places were really easy for me to predict as to what would happen, and I got tired of reading over & over about what normal, every-day life in the South was like for Kate while she was pretending to be someone else. For me it seemed like the majority of the book was just about Kate's neighbors in Haggerty telling her what to do, running errands, decorating her old house with Happy the decorator, eating and more eating. Kind of ho-hum reading, I guess you could say. However, I do realize now more than ever that it would drive me nuts if I lived anywhere in the South. :)

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookclub selection November 2014.

Overall I did enjoy this read, but I'm having a hard time rating and reviewing it. I always enjoy the characters and situations that abound in small towns like Haggerty, Georgia. I love the busy-bodies, the scandals, the neighborliness, and the true-blue, loyal-to-the-end friendships. But I struggled with aspects of this story. I think it was the pace: the fast, exciting parts went too fast, and the slow parts just seemed to drag on. There were also situations that seemed a little hard for me to believe, but maybe that's what made the book more fun and fluffy. I wasn't able to predict the way the mystery would end, and that kept my interest up through the end of the story. So, anyway, a light, fun read.

[Camille Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part of this book was really good, but around the middle it just got a little wierd and stupid and boring. I think a little too much of the mormon beliefs were shared in this book. Now, I am going to be a little nit-picky. You do not need a blood test to be married in Georgia. If the "Johnson's" were so rich then why could they not afford a dvd player. I think a little more research needed to be done on this book. I am so sick of reading books about mormons or by mormon authors who think the only soda that mormons drink is sprite. I am a mormon and I hate sprite. This book is modern enough for any of the cafeine free sodas to be mentioned, if you want to keep up that perfect image. Step outside your bubble!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought 3 stars was generous. The idea of having two people married in order to protect her in the Witness Protection plan is interesting, but I thought the small town dynamics and the LDS references were forced. For example, the extreme speed in which the main couple's business is spread through all the homes I the city is absurd. They kissed at a picnic, and within 10 seconds, ALL the old ladies are tisking or commenting about it. Also, that the husband who is imitating a less active member of the LDS church, is mad that he is being treated like a deacon when in actuality, he is an elder. He is bored because he has to go to Gospel Essentials instead of Gospel Doctrine. It was too forced. But it was refreshing to have a romance that was sweet and clean.

[Linnae · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Kate finds out that her FBI agent husband is dead, and that her life is also in danger, she is immediately sent into hiding. With the help of the agency, she has a new name, a new home, and even a new "husband" (another agent). To top it all off, her baby is due in a few months. Meanwhile, the killers are still out there, and no disguise is fool-proof.

Suspenseful, with some humour and romance thrown in. The first book in the Haggerty mystery series. I recommend reading this one before delving into the rest of the series--I didn't, and it cleared up quite a few points I had been wondering about. Other than the title, this is one of her best that I've read so far.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amie passed this book on to me and I have mixed feelings. First, I read it in a day, so it must have been compelling. But it was awkward to read, in a Christian Fiction sort of way. It was TOO Mormon and I was sort of gagging on all the references. Also, it had very little feel of a mystery novel. This is fluffy chick-lit full of romance and sprinkled with mystery. The suspense would come and go. At one point I thought, 'OK, so there is a lot of book left, are they going to plan a wedding the whole time or is something interesting going to happen?' I'm glad I gave it a try, but will probably steer clear of the rest of the series.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edited review: Although I really liked this book, the potential that I saw for the series has not been realized. (I've read all but the last in the "Haggerty series," and I'm reading the last one.) In Hearts in Hiding, Betsy Brannon Green immediately engages the reader and I looked forward to continuing this book when I had to put it down. Really good plot and characters--although why the authors of this genre (or perhaps their editors) believe that there must be a melodramatic, life-threatening climax, when the story was engaging and strong enough without it, I don't know. Highly recommended if you like the genre.