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No Hiding in Boise
9 hours, 38 minutes
Angie is awakened by a midnight call from an officer with the Boise Police Department and thinks there must be a misunderstanding. The officer tells her that her husband was involved in a shooting at a local bar, but how can that be when her husband is sleeping right next to her? But when she turns to wake him, he isn’t there.
Tessa is the 23-year-old bartender who escapes to a backroom storage closet during the shooting. When it comes to light that five people were killed, she is burdened with the question of why she survived.
Joyce wakes up to a knock at her front door, a knock she assumes is her wayward son, Jed, who must have lost his keys. It’s not Jed, though. Two police officers tell her that Jed is dead, shot at a bar. Then they deliver even worse news: “We have reason to believe your son was the shooter.”
So begins the story of three women tied together by tragic fate - a wife trying to understand why her now-comatose husband was frequenting a bar in the middle of the night, the young woman whom her husband was apparently pursuing, and a mother who is forced to confront the reality of who her son was and who she is.
Angie is awakened by a midnight call from an officer with the Boise Police Department and thinks there must be a misunderstanding. The officer tells her that her husband was involved in a shooting at a local bar, but how can that be when her husband is sleeping right next to her? But when she turns to wake him, he isn’t there.
Tessa is the 23-year-old bartender who escapes to a backroom storage closet during the shooting. When it comes to light that five people were killed, she is burdened with the question of why she survived.
Joyce wakes up to a knock at her front door, a knock she assumes is her wayward son, Jed, who must have lost his keys. It’s not Jed, though. Two police officers tell her that Jed is dead, shot at a bar. Then they deliver even worse news: “We have reason to believe your son was the shooter.”
So begins the story of three women tied together by tragic fate - a wife trying to understand why her now-comatose husband was frequenting a bar in the middle of the night, the young woman whom her husband was apparently pursuing, and a mother who is forced to confront the reality of who her son was and who she is.
Audible Audio
First published June 15, 2021
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About the author
Kim Hooper
10 books402 followersKim Hooper's latest novel, Woman on the Verge, will be released on June 17. Her previous novels are: People Who Knew Me (2016), Cherry Blossoms (2018), Tiny (2019), All the Acorns on the Forest Floor (2020), No Hiding in Boise (2021), and Ways the World Could End (2022). She is also co-author of All the Love: Healing Your Heart and Finding Meaning After Pregnancy Loss (2021). Kim lives in Southern California with her daughter and way too many pets.
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May 4, 2022
No Hiding in Boise by Kim Hooper
Rarely do we experience a story about a mass shooting from the perspective of the victims. In No Hiding in Boise, that's exactly how this story plays out for us, with all the narrators except one being victims of the shooter. Hearing the events through the voices of people, right up to the moment of their death, makes the event seem all the more tragic. Other victims are the wounded and bystanders showing that being a bystander does not mean the person escapes the shooting unharmed. One of the most compelling narrators is a young woman who was in the midst of the terror and she can't stop seeing it happening over and over and wondering why she lived when five others died.
Another victim is the mother of the killer. We are in her head as she suffers the grief of losing her son to suicide, the confusion of not having any idea that her son was so disturbed, and the guilt of having raised a man who would shoot down a room full of people, in cold blood. Why did her son do this, what had she done wrong to raise such a person, how does she grieve a man that everyone hates?
Then there is the wife of a surviving man. That man is in a coma and his prognosis is that he will never be the same person he was before a bullet entered his brain, if he even ever wakes up. Why was her husband in this bar? Did she even know this man, who had already seemed to have left her even before he was felled by a bullet to the head?
The story moves from one narrator to another, always leaving us at the end of each chapter, wanting to know more. The audiobook narration of this story is excellent, making use of at least eleven narrators. This story give voices to people we usually don't hear, which adds to the heartbreak of such a tragedy.
Pub: June 15, 2021 by Dreamscape Media
Rarely do we experience a story about a mass shooting from the perspective of the victims. In No Hiding in Boise, that's exactly how this story plays out for us, with all the narrators except one being victims of the shooter. Hearing the events through the voices of people, right up to the moment of their death, makes the event seem all the more tragic. Other victims are the wounded and bystanders showing that being a bystander does not mean the person escapes the shooting unharmed. One of the most compelling narrators is a young woman who was in the midst of the terror and she can't stop seeing it happening over and over and wondering why she lived when five others died.
Another victim is the mother of the killer. We are in her head as she suffers the grief of losing her son to suicide, the confusion of not having any idea that her son was so disturbed, and the guilt of having raised a man who would shoot down a room full of people, in cold blood. Why did her son do this, what had she done wrong to raise such a person, how does she grieve a man that everyone hates?
Then there is the wife of a surviving man. That man is in a coma and his prognosis is that he will never be the same person he was before a bullet entered his brain, if he even ever wakes up. Why was her husband in this bar? Did she even know this man, who had already seemed to have left her even before he was felled by a bullet to the head?
The story moves from one narrator to another, always leaving us at the end of each chapter, wanting to know more. The audiobook narration of this story is excellent, making use of at least eleven narrators. This story give voices to people we usually don't hear, which adds to the heartbreak of such a tragedy.
Pub: June 15, 2021 by Dreamscape Media
June 16, 2021
In the early ‘90s, I remember watching the survivors of a mass shooting at Luby’s Diner in Killeen, Texas (10/16/91) on the Oprah Winfrey Show. I was glued to the screen, because this was such an unusual occurrence.
Here we are 30 years later, and mass shootings in America are tragically so common that they barely receive first story placement on the nightly news. It seems like with each passing event, the who/what/where/when/why becomes a little blurrier.
Kim Hooper’s latest novel, No Hiding in Boise, attempts to bring one such fictional tragedy into razor-sharp focus. A man enters a Boise bar shortly before midnight, shoots five people dead, severely injures two others, and then kills himself. Hooper’s book unravels the events of that night through the first-person perspectives of three women: a survivor, an injured man’s wife, and the shooter’s mother.
No Hiding in Boise is not a thriller, but it is thrilling. It is expertly-crafted literary fiction that tackles a tough, “this again?!” subject (see above) with a captivating approach. It is a near-perfect character study. It is moving, and it is surprising. It is highly recommended by this reader.
The audiobook features a full cast of narrators, all perfectly suited to their characters. My thanks to Dreamscape Media for providing a gifted copy for review via NetGalley. I’d also like to thank my Goodreads friend Jayne for bringing this audiobook to my attention!
No Hiding in Boise is now available in both ebook and audiobook formats on the Hoopla library app.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
IG: @confettibookshelf
Here we are 30 years later, and mass shootings in America are tragically so common that they barely receive first story placement on the nightly news. It seems like with each passing event, the who/what/where/when/why becomes a little blurrier.
Kim Hooper’s latest novel, No Hiding in Boise, attempts to bring one such fictional tragedy into razor-sharp focus. A man enters a Boise bar shortly before midnight, shoots five people dead, severely injures two others, and then kills himself. Hooper’s book unravels the events of that night through the first-person perspectives of three women: a survivor, an injured man’s wife, and the shooter’s mother.
No Hiding in Boise is not a thriller, but it is thrilling. It is expertly-crafted literary fiction that tackles a tough, “this again?!” subject (see above) with a captivating approach. It is a near-perfect character study. It is moving, and it is surprising. It is highly recommended by this reader.
The audiobook features a full cast of narrators, all perfectly suited to their characters. My thanks to Dreamscape Media for providing a gifted copy for review via NetGalley. I’d also like to thank my Goodreads friend Jayne for bringing this audiobook to my attention!
No Hiding in Boise is now available in both ebook and audiobook formats on the Hoopla library app.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/
IG: @confettibookshelf
November 8, 2021
May I have your attention my devoted reader friends? I’d like to put this marvelous book on your radar!
I am so thankful to dear Elyse: the most intellectual and sweetest Californian woman recommended this book with her brilliant review! As soon as I saw her five starred grading and intriguing blurb about three women’s intercepted faiths with traumatic shooting incident at a local bar, I was already sold and screaming by reaching my hands to this beauty: “give it to me give it to me, give it to me! “
This is another amazing, soul crushing, WTH I just read kind of extremely thought provoking story deserves your full attention and I’m so happy to do anything to promote this book!
One frightening, ominous night changes so many people’s life like an avalanche attack! Boise Police Department informs Angie in the middle of the night: her husband Kale has been involved in a shooting incident at a local bar! Angie thinks this must be worst kind of prank: they’re parents of two years old daughter and they barely have enough energy to gather to walk to their bedroom. Why her husband Kale suddenly went to a bar in the middle of night to drink ale instead of getting one from the fridge!
She checks her bedroom but she realizes finally it’s not a prank, her husband has things keep to himself and he seems distant since their child has been born. Middle life crisis, boredom of marriage, secret mistress… Any of them may be the reason for him leaving the house without telling to her and finding himself lying hospital bed, in coma: sustaining very serious head injury: there’s a small chance he can wake up but if… a big if… if he makes it, he will wake up as a different man who barely remembers anything about their past lives.
And Tessa is another narrator, only twenty three, college student to pursue her dream becoming a nurse, just left her hometown and her mother- the only parent she knows, living with future aspiring lawyer boyfriend, finding herself hiding herself back room storage closet during the shooting.
Kale was the customer warned her to run and hide. He saved her life and she’s thankful enough to visit him hospital which attracts Angie’s attention. Why Kale was worried about Tessa’s well being and acted like her hero during the shooting? Do you think the same thing I’m thinking? Yes, Kale is not giving great vibes and it’s still my favorite kind of salad ingredient!
And Joyce’s night might be the worst! Because she loses her son Jed at the shooting and Jed is the one who shot 5 innocent people and injured two people before he committed suicide by putting a bullet in his head.
Why Joyce cannot see this coming? .
Jed was always reserved boy, 29 years old, working in Home Depot, broke up with his only serious relationship, living rent free at his mother’s house. Have he ever showed any kind of violence tendencies before? Did he hurt someone ? Was he suffering from depression?
How cannot Joyce notice his mood swings? A mother should know her own son! How could be so blind from the beginning? She’s shunned by furious townies and victims’ relatives already!
Interestingly she starts a unique bounding with Tessa who knows who she’s and she tries to understand what was the motives of Jed push him to something so horrible!
We also read the narrations of each 5 victims: a married couple who sees a counselor to save their marriage, a widower who is secretly suffering from terminal disease, a middle age man who suffers from Parkinson’s keeping secret his decision to sell his house to move another state and a young bartender who is going to be a father in young age working that night to save more money to move a new apartment with his pregnant girlfriend.
We also have chapters for victims: an insecure anorexic young woman with shoulder wound and Kale who is stuck in the limbo fighting for his life!
All those narrations are detailed, realistic and interestingly you don’t find any of them guilty. You even learn to see things from Jed’s perspective ( yes, we have a chance to take snippets from his diary! )
I haven’t read something so powerful, provocative so far and I highly recommend this amazing book to you to add to your reading list. Correction: don’t add it to your tbr which needs urgent trimming! Just read it and then thank me for my book taste! You’re welcome my dears!
I am so thankful to dear Elyse: the most intellectual and sweetest Californian woman recommended this book with her brilliant review! As soon as I saw her five starred grading and intriguing blurb about three women’s intercepted faiths with traumatic shooting incident at a local bar, I was already sold and screaming by reaching my hands to this beauty: “give it to me give it to me, give it to me! “
This is another amazing, soul crushing, WTH I just read kind of extremely thought provoking story deserves your full attention and I’m so happy to do anything to promote this book!
One frightening, ominous night changes so many people’s life like an avalanche attack! Boise Police Department informs Angie in the middle of the night: her husband Kale has been involved in a shooting incident at a local bar! Angie thinks this must be worst kind of prank: they’re parents of two years old daughter and they barely have enough energy to gather to walk to their bedroom. Why her husband Kale suddenly went to a bar in the middle of night to drink ale instead of getting one from the fridge!
She checks her bedroom but she realizes finally it’s not a prank, her husband has things keep to himself and he seems distant since their child has been born. Middle life crisis, boredom of marriage, secret mistress… Any of them may be the reason for him leaving the house without telling to her and finding himself lying hospital bed, in coma: sustaining very serious head injury: there’s a small chance he can wake up but if… a big if… if he makes it, he will wake up as a different man who barely remembers anything about their past lives.
And Tessa is another narrator, only twenty three, college student to pursue her dream becoming a nurse, just left her hometown and her mother- the only parent she knows, living with future aspiring lawyer boyfriend, finding herself hiding herself back room storage closet during the shooting.
Kale was the customer warned her to run and hide. He saved her life and she’s thankful enough to visit him hospital which attracts Angie’s attention. Why Kale was worried about Tessa’s well being and acted like her hero during the shooting? Do you think the same thing I’m thinking? Yes, Kale is not giving great vibes and it’s still my favorite kind of salad ingredient!
And Joyce’s night might be the worst! Because she loses her son Jed at the shooting and Jed is the one who shot 5 innocent people and injured two people before he committed suicide by putting a bullet in his head.
Why Joyce cannot see this coming? .
Jed was always reserved boy, 29 years old, working in Home Depot, broke up with his only serious relationship, living rent free at his mother’s house. Have he ever showed any kind of violence tendencies before? Did he hurt someone ? Was he suffering from depression?
How cannot Joyce notice his mood swings? A mother should know her own son! How could be so blind from the beginning? She’s shunned by furious townies and victims’ relatives already!
Interestingly she starts a unique bounding with Tessa who knows who she’s and she tries to understand what was the motives of Jed push him to something so horrible!
We also read the narrations of each 5 victims: a married couple who sees a counselor to save their marriage, a widower who is secretly suffering from terminal disease, a middle age man who suffers from Parkinson’s keeping secret his decision to sell his house to move another state and a young bartender who is going to be a father in young age working that night to save more money to move a new apartment with his pregnant girlfriend.
We also have chapters for victims: an insecure anorexic young woman with shoulder wound and Kale who is stuck in the limbo fighting for his life!
All those narrations are detailed, realistic and interestingly you don’t find any of them guilty. You even learn to see things from Jed’s perspective ( yes, we have a chance to take snippets from his diary! )
I haven’t read something so powerful, provocative so far and I highly recommend this amazing book to you to add to your reading list. Correction: don’t add it to your tbr which needs urgent trimming! Just read it and then thank me for my book taste! You’re welcome my dears!
July 3, 2025
I was RIVETED by this 5⭐️ Audible! The diverse and talented CAST of narrators really brought this to life!!
What are the odds that you, or someone you know will be affected by a Random mass shooting in your lifetime? I don’t know what they are, but I think it is becoming more of a possibility with every passing day.
I actually know a co-worker who was Christmas shopping in Macy’s at the Clackamas Town Center, in Portland, OR, on 12/11/12 when Jacob Roberts used a semi-automatic to kill two, and injure one before taking his own life. She hid in a storage closet with staff.
Another co-worker was attending the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Las Vegas Strip on 10/1/2017 when Stephen Paddock fired 1000 bullets into the crowd, from his room at Mandalay Bay on the 32nd floor. His weapon was aided by Bump Stocks which help to fire bullets in rapid succession. They were banned in 2018 after this tragedy and yet, that ruling was quietly OVERTURNED by a higher court on 3/25/21.
This POWERFUL book, centers around a random shooting at Ray’s bar-in Boise, Idaho, but it doesn’t focus on the EVENT itself, or even on the shooter, Jed Ketcher (though he does get to narrate one chapter).
Instead, we learn about the VICTIMS and the AFTERMATH from the alternating perspectives of those involved.
We have THREE, very relatable, primary narrators but we also get singular chapters from many others, which brought tears to my eyes.
Angie, the wife of a Victim who doesn’t know why her husband Cale was at this bar at midnight when he was supposed to be at home, asleep. Her life is now consumed by “platitudes, clichés, and messages of hope” -and she is exhausted by having to “put on a brave face” and show gratitude to those trying to help-because that is the right thing to do.
Tessa, a young bartender who was warned by Cale, to go hide in a broom closet. She will search for answers of why she survived when a co-worker and many regulars did not.
And, Joyce, the shooter’s mother-blamed for the actions of her son-shouldn’t she have seen how troubled he was? Recognized some signs? She is made to feel responsible for his actions and searches for answers and a way to grieve her loss.
This is an unapologetic look at how Victims really feel after enduring an event like this-and how the smallest TWIST OF FATE-can completely alter the future.
The WORST and the BEST of MANKIND are on display in this compelling, character driven novel-and unlike most, it’s a book that I won’t soon forget…this will be on my favorites list this year!
Available now and if you enjoy AUDIBLE-it’s one you should definitely listen 🎧 to!!
A buddy read with DeAnn and it was a winner for us both! Be sure to check out her wonderful review!
What are the odds that you, or someone you know will be affected by a Random mass shooting in your lifetime? I don’t know what they are, but I think it is becoming more of a possibility with every passing day.
I actually know a co-worker who was Christmas shopping in Macy’s at the Clackamas Town Center, in Portland, OR, on 12/11/12 when Jacob Roberts used a semi-automatic to kill two, and injure one before taking his own life. She hid in a storage closet with staff.
Another co-worker was attending the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Las Vegas Strip on 10/1/2017 when Stephen Paddock fired 1000 bullets into the crowd, from his room at Mandalay Bay on the 32nd floor. His weapon was aided by Bump Stocks which help to fire bullets in rapid succession. They were banned in 2018 after this tragedy and yet, that ruling was quietly OVERTURNED by a higher court on 3/25/21.
This POWERFUL book, centers around a random shooting at Ray’s bar-in Boise, Idaho, but it doesn’t focus on the EVENT itself, or even on the shooter, Jed Ketcher (though he does get to narrate one chapter).
Instead, we learn about the VICTIMS and the AFTERMATH from the alternating perspectives of those involved.
We have THREE, very relatable, primary narrators but we also get singular chapters from many others, which brought tears to my eyes.
Angie, the wife of a Victim who doesn’t know why her husband Cale was at this bar at midnight when he was supposed to be at home, asleep. Her life is now consumed by “platitudes, clichés, and messages of hope” -and she is exhausted by having to “put on a brave face” and show gratitude to those trying to help-because that is the right thing to do.
Tessa, a young bartender who was warned by Cale, to go hide in a broom closet. She will search for answers of why she survived when a co-worker and many regulars did not.
And, Joyce, the shooter’s mother-blamed for the actions of her son-shouldn’t she have seen how troubled he was? Recognized some signs? She is made to feel responsible for his actions and searches for answers and a way to grieve her loss.
This is an unapologetic look at how Victims really feel after enduring an event like this-and how the smallest TWIST OF FATE-can completely alter the future.
The WORST and the BEST of MANKIND are on display in this compelling, character driven novel-and unlike most, it’s a book that I won’t soon forget…this will be on my favorites list this year!
Available now and if you enjoy AUDIBLE-it’s one you should definitely listen 🎧 to!!
A buddy read with DeAnn and it was a winner for us both! Be sure to check out her wonderful review!
May 2, 2021
LOVED IT!!!!!! Sooooo glad I read it!!!
Great everything!!! I mean — everything!!!!
I’m still so deep in my thoughts — brought up so ‘many’ thoughts and emotions—-
I’m not ready to write yet.
But I’m deeply FEELING this story!!!!
I don’t want to leave the characters yet or start another book yet.
I’ll be back in a couple of days — I need a ‘time out’ personal well being break.
But for now… THANK YOU KIM HOOPER!!!!
God - I love you —
This book has layers and layers of brilliance—- pain, beauty, compassion, and powerful depth of understandings!!!
UPDATE...
I’m back to share a little more.
Lately...emotional books ....[reflecting thought-provoking stories]....with characters that feel so real to me — people I want to share coffee and conversation with ....have been hitting me hard in the gut.
Perhaps it’s a little post-covid-vaccinated PTSD....
but I’m feeling others suffering, death, fears, grief, losses to disease and or violence —the challenge of life transitions and change—and the insurmountable painful curves that life throws us quite deeply.....
I’m dealing with ‘all-of-these-issues’ in my own life right now too.
We’ve each had so much profound change this past year—massive loss-political upheaval....financial worries for many —changes: small and large—with many of us grappling with how to move forward—with thoughts that haunt us with permanence and impermanence— how to face realities we prefer to avoid or minimize with courage, grace, clarity, wisdom, humility, and effective compassion......
Well....
I read this book closely — and I can honestly say — Kim Hooper crafted a fulfilling and important novel to help us understand healing ourselves and finding peace.
I’m soooo moved - I still find it hard to talk about the powerful subtle messages without tears in my eyes.
THIS BOOK IS IMPORTANT....
but I don’t know if all readers will slow down enough with each page - each sentence - to see why it is....just ‘as’ important as it is....
I hope so. THIS BOOK ‘is’ tragic....but it’s also IMPORTANT....
Sure, it can be a quick page turner - enjoyable, engrossing...(you betcha) ...but its more than that.
It had the interesting characters-
It had the mysterious questions: why? how come? and what now?
It has the sorrow- the guilt - the inner turmoil - family - friends - love - loss -
It has the the riveting dealings with the aftermath of a mass shooting....
I think though — what Kim did was kinda subtly brilliant — she went beyond the essential difficulties that her characters faced (I loved their humanness) — Kim was teaching - demonstrating - the possibilities of ‘mastering suffering’.....
There is so much mindfulness- under the surface of this story- that as the surprises reveal themselves (there is a yummy surprise) it’s as though through awareness — I was just given a powerful lesson on healing.
The book blurb will tell readers the basics....[it’s a perfect description]....easy enough to know if a reader is interested or not....
“Three women tied together by tragic fate”.......
I just want to add it’s also brimming with wisdom—it’s a novel of quiet majesty, deep compassion,.....suffering becomes an enriching benediction, and life itself.
A few ( out of context) excerpts:
“When I tell the story, about how Cale was at the bar that night, nearly everyone says, ‘You weren’t with him?’ And when I say no, they say some version of ‘Thank God’, but I can see the questioning in their eyes”.
People will wonder if he was having an affair?
“Ryan returns with a bowl of chocolate chip. I resent that I have to look up at him, interact with him, when I really want to text Joyce. It occurs to me, in this moment, that maybe Ryan and I can’t survive this. Maybe we can’t be together. Maybe he will go to law school five hours upstate and I will stay here, and we will pretend that works for a while until we both get tired. ‘It’s not you, it’s me’. That’s what I would say, because it’s the truth, but those words have been overused that they would do nothing to aggravate him”.
A favorite Bob Dylan song came on—“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”.
“ You could’ve done better but I don’t mind” 🎶
Depressing lyrics?
Or does it sound like it’s about peaceful acceptance of someone else’s limits?
“It still bothers me that the funeral homes in Boise wanted nothing to do with my son. I feel the same rage I felt when he’d come home from elementary school and tell me about the kids making fun of him for wearing overalls”.
“I am so sorry for what he did. I am ashamed of what he did. Please, let me say goodbye to my son”.
“So much can change in so little time”.
A powerful luminous experience!! This book was a tribute to my own growth.
Great everything!!! I mean — everything!!!!
I’m still so deep in my thoughts — brought up so ‘many’ thoughts and emotions—-
I’m not ready to write yet.
But I’m deeply FEELING this story!!!!
I don’t want to leave the characters yet or start another book yet.
I’ll be back in a couple of days — I need a ‘time out’ personal well being break.
But for now… THANK YOU KIM HOOPER!!!!
God - I love you —
This book has layers and layers of brilliance—- pain, beauty, compassion, and powerful depth of understandings!!!
UPDATE...
I’m back to share a little more.
Lately...emotional books ....[reflecting thought-provoking stories]....with characters that feel so real to me — people I want to share coffee and conversation with ....have been hitting me hard in the gut.
Perhaps it’s a little post-covid-vaccinated PTSD....
but I’m feeling others suffering, death, fears, grief, losses to disease and or violence —the challenge of life transitions and change—and the insurmountable painful curves that life throws us quite deeply.....
I’m dealing with ‘all-of-these-issues’ in my own life right now too.
We’ve each had so much profound change this past year—massive loss-political upheaval....financial worries for many —changes: small and large—with many of us grappling with how to move forward—with thoughts that haunt us with permanence and impermanence— how to face realities we prefer to avoid or minimize with courage, grace, clarity, wisdom, humility, and effective compassion......
Well....
I read this book closely — and I can honestly say — Kim Hooper crafted a fulfilling and important novel to help us understand healing ourselves and finding peace.
I’m soooo moved - I still find it hard to talk about the powerful subtle messages without tears in my eyes.
THIS BOOK IS IMPORTANT....
but I don’t know if all readers will slow down enough with each page - each sentence - to see why it is....just ‘as’ important as it is....
I hope so. THIS BOOK ‘is’ tragic....but it’s also IMPORTANT....
Sure, it can be a quick page turner - enjoyable, engrossing...(you betcha) ...but its more than that.
It had the interesting characters-
It had the mysterious questions: why? how come? and what now?
It has the sorrow- the guilt - the inner turmoil - family - friends - love - loss -
It has the the riveting dealings with the aftermath of a mass shooting....
I think though — what Kim did was kinda subtly brilliant — she went beyond the essential difficulties that her characters faced (I loved their humanness) — Kim was teaching - demonstrating - the possibilities of ‘mastering suffering’.....
There is so much mindfulness- under the surface of this story- that as the surprises reveal themselves (there is a yummy surprise) it’s as though through awareness — I was just given a powerful lesson on healing.
The book blurb will tell readers the basics....[it’s a perfect description]....easy enough to know if a reader is interested or not....
“Three women tied together by tragic fate”.......
I just want to add it’s also brimming with wisdom—it’s a novel of quiet majesty, deep compassion,.....suffering becomes an enriching benediction, and life itself.
A few ( out of context) excerpts:
“When I tell the story, about how Cale was at the bar that night, nearly everyone says, ‘You weren’t with him?’ And when I say no, they say some version of ‘Thank God’, but I can see the questioning in their eyes”.
People will wonder if he was having an affair?
“Ryan returns with a bowl of chocolate chip. I resent that I have to look up at him, interact with him, when I really want to text Joyce. It occurs to me, in this moment, that maybe Ryan and I can’t survive this. Maybe we can’t be together. Maybe he will go to law school five hours upstate and I will stay here, and we will pretend that works for a while until we both get tired. ‘It’s not you, it’s me’. That’s what I would say, because it’s the truth, but those words have been overused that they would do nothing to aggravate him”.
A favorite Bob Dylan song came on—“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”.
“ You could’ve done better but I don’t mind” 🎶
Depressing lyrics?
Or does it sound like it’s about peaceful acceptance of someone else’s limits?
“It still bothers me that the funeral homes in Boise wanted nothing to do with my son. I feel the same rage I felt when he’d come home from elementary school and tell me about the kids making fun of him for wearing overalls”.
“I am so sorry for what he did. I am ashamed of what he did. Please, let me say goodbye to my son”.
“So much can change in so little time”.
A powerful luminous experience!! This book was a tribute to my own growth.
January 24, 2022
No Hiding in Boise is a powerful and thought-provoking story about a shooting in a small dive bar, and the aftermath of the tragedy. The main narrators are Angie, a woman whose husband was gravely injured while at the bar and is now in a coma, Tessa, one of the bartenders working that night who made it out unharmed…at least physically, and Joyce, the mother of the shooter who had no idea her son could do something like this. She can’t talk to him about it because the last person he killed was himself.
The story is interspersed with chapters from the POVs of the victims and survivors, both leading up to the shooting and afterwards.
Shootings are now pretty normal in the world we live in, which is tragic in and of itself. Every time I hear about one, my heart aches. This book feels authentic in terms of how EVERYONE involved is affected by such a tragedy. It’s written wonderfully…balancing a fine line of displaying so many emotions, but approaching it with sensitivity.
This can definitely be a difficult read at times, but a worthy one.
Now available.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
The story is interspersed with chapters from the POVs of the victims and survivors, both leading up to the shooting and afterwards.
Shootings are now pretty normal in the world we live in, which is tragic in and of itself. Every time I hear about one, my heart aches. This book feels authentic in terms of how EVERYONE involved is affected by such a tragedy. It’s written wonderfully…balancing a fine line of displaying so many emotions, but approaching it with sensitivity.
This can definitely be a difficult read at times, but a worthy one.
Now available.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
June 2, 2021
4.5 stars
It’s no secret that I enjoy delving into the psychology of characters and in this book, we not only get a peek into the psychology of a perpetrator, but a peek into the victims and survivors.
Boise, Idaho: A shooter walks into a bar, kills five people, and severely injures two others customers before turning the gun on himself. Why? Isn’t that what we all want to know? The why behind such an unfathomable crime?
Along with brief vignettes from the shooter, and those who died, the story is primarily told from the POV of 3 characters:
-Angie, the wife of Cale, one of the injured victims. She and her husband are new parents to an infant daughter. She had no idea why her husband was in a bar instead of asleep by her side. He’s in a coma unable to communicate.
-Tessa, the bartender, who survived by hiding in a closet, urged to do so by Cale. She’s alive while he suffers traumatic brain injuries.
- Joyce, the mother of the shooter, her only son. She’s vilified by the public, wracked by guilt and grief, and trying to understand how this could have happened.
I loved hearing this story from multiple viewpoints. It was raw, real, and heart-wrenching. The author writes in a way that feels so genuine, and with such empathy for her characters. There’s a surprise reveal toward the end, which even if you’ve guessed it, still has an impact.
The audiobook featured an entire cast of narrators, all of which did an outstanding job. It was a stellar listening experience. This is not a mystery/thriller, but literary fiction, although there are a couple of surprising reveals. Highly recommended!
• I received a copy of the audiobook via NetGalley. All opinons are my own.
It’s no secret that I enjoy delving into the psychology of characters and in this book, we not only get a peek into the psychology of a perpetrator, but a peek into the victims and survivors.
Boise, Idaho: A shooter walks into a bar, kills five people, and severely injures two others customers before turning the gun on himself. Why? Isn’t that what we all want to know? The why behind such an unfathomable crime?
Along with brief vignettes from the shooter, and those who died, the story is primarily told from the POV of 3 characters:
-Angie, the wife of Cale, one of the injured victims. She and her husband are new parents to an infant daughter. She had no idea why her husband was in a bar instead of asleep by her side. He’s in a coma unable to communicate.
-Tessa, the bartender, who survived by hiding in a closet, urged to do so by Cale. She’s alive while he suffers traumatic brain injuries.
- Joyce, the mother of the shooter, her only son. She’s vilified by the public, wracked by guilt and grief, and trying to understand how this could have happened.
I loved hearing this story from multiple viewpoints. It was raw, real, and heart-wrenching. The author writes in a way that feels so genuine, and with such empathy for her characters. There’s a surprise reveal toward the end, which even if you’ve guessed it, still has an impact.
The audiobook featured an entire cast of narrators, all of which did an outstanding job. It was a stellar listening experience. This is not a mystery/thriller, but literary fiction, although there are a couple of surprising reveals. Highly recommended!
• I received a copy of the audiobook via NetGalley. All opinons are my own.
September 6, 2021
One of my favorite audios of the year!🤩
A mass shooting at a popular, local bar in Boise. That’s right, Idaho! Where violent crime isn’t supposed to be, and has never been, front and center. No sir. Not in my neighborhood! And without warning, there it was.
Cleverly told from multiple perspectives. Giving you a front-row seat, experiencing the impact of the event from all sides. The shooter, the victims and the devastated families left behind on both sides.
Can I just say it, WOW? Let me repeat…“WOW”!
The audio version was positively captivating. With separate narrators for every character. Each voice equally spectacular! (A rare treat.)
I absolutely devoured this audio in two sittings. So caught up in the storyline in fact, that the world went around me without notice for a total of 9 hours and 38 minutes. I think we can all agree that’s a good thing!
If you enjoy audio books with multiple narrators, then this is a must 🎧 for you.
A buddy read with Susanne.
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media LLC.
A mass shooting at a popular, local bar in Boise. That’s right, Idaho! Where violent crime isn’t supposed to be, and has never been, front and center. No sir. Not in my neighborhood! And without warning, there it was.
Cleverly told from multiple perspectives. Giving you a front-row seat, experiencing the impact of the event from all sides. The shooter, the victims and the devastated families left behind on both sides.
Can I just say it, WOW? Let me repeat…“WOW”!
The audio version was positively captivating. With separate narrators for every character. Each voice equally spectacular! (A rare treat.)
I absolutely devoured this audio in two sittings. So caught up in the storyline in fact, that the world went around me without notice for a total of 9 hours and 38 minutes. I think we can all agree that’s a good thing!
If you enjoy audio books with multiple narrators, then this is a must 🎧 for you.
A buddy read with Susanne.
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media LLC.
October 13, 2021
Random shootings seem to be the norm for the US. It’s shocking as an outsider and surprisingly just as shocking for those it surrounds when it happens.
Why would someone do such a thing? Were they mentally ill? Did something set them off? Were signals missed?
This one takes on some interesting perspectives. The victims. The mother of the shooter.
It’s difficult to hold empathy for the shooter, and I don’t. I certainly can for the mother who brought him up wondering about all the red flags she missed. A mother who loved her son but is so shamed by the crime and hurt he inflicted.
The victims, six of them killed and one in the hospital, were at a bar that night for their own reasons as we come to learn. Their lives forever entwined because of the tragedy.
A little lengthy at the end- could have been wrapped up a little faster. Somewhat predictable.
Gun violence I will never understand. The right to bear arms as the first amendment wasn’t meant to exist for the way it’s interpreted now. But big $$$ will keep it legalized. I’ll stay ‘safer’ on the north side of the border.
Better reads I found to be more impactful: We Need to Talk About Kevin and Columbine
3.5⭐️
Why would someone do such a thing? Were they mentally ill? Did something set them off? Were signals missed?
This one takes on some interesting perspectives. The victims. The mother of the shooter.
It’s difficult to hold empathy for the shooter, and I don’t. I certainly can for the mother who brought him up wondering about all the red flags she missed. A mother who loved her son but is so shamed by the crime and hurt he inflicted.
The victims, six of them killed and one in the hospital, were at a bar that night for their own reasons as we come to learn. Their lives forever entwined because of the tragedy.
A little lengthy at the end- could have been wrapped up a little faster. Somewhat predictable.
Gun violence I will never understand. The right to bear arms as the first amendment wasn’t meant to exist for the way it’s interpreted now. But big $$$ will keep it legalized. I’ll stay ‘safer’ on the north side of the border.
Better reads I found to be more impactful: We Need to Talk About Kevin and Columbine
3.5⭐️
July 8, 2021
4.5
There is a mass shooting at a bar in Boise, Idaho.
This tells the story of three women who are brought together by the tragedy.
1) the wife of a man who slipped away late at night while she was sleeping to go to the bar, and now lays comatose in the hospital from being shot
2) the very young female bartender who was able to run for shelter and hid in a storage closet
3) the mother of the shooter
This was a riveting story..
It dealt with life after loss, coping after such a tragedy, psychological issues, secrets kept..what feelings the parent of a shooter goes through and how they are treated..
just so much covered here in this story.
Thank you to Elyse for making me aware of this book with her outstanding review!! xo
There is a mass shooting at a bar in Boise, Idaho.
This tells the story of three women who are brought together by the tragedy.
1) the wife of a man who slipped away late at night while she was sleeping to go to the bar, and now lays comatose in the hospital from being shot
2) the very young female bartender who was able to run for shelter and hid in a storage closet
3) the mother of the shooter
This was a riveting story..
It dealt with life after loss, coping after such a tragedy, psychological issues, secrets kept..what feelings the parent of a shooter goes through and how they are treated..
just so much covered here in this story.
Thank you to Elyse for making me aware of this book with her outstanding review!! xo
September 19, 2021
Review posted to blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
I’m not sure I have the words. Stories of Mass Shootings break me. After all, I lived in the town bordering one of the worst ones in history, and know more about it than most, but I digress..
No Hiding in Boise is powerful, dynamic, heart-wrenching, character-driven fiction at its best. A mass shooting in a bar in Boise, Idaho. Five people are gunned down, and two people are injured, before the shooter turns the gun on himself. As I write those words, I have heart palpitations and tears in my eyes. For that, I will explain later.
The story centers around three main characters:
Angie, whose husband Cale, was at the bar that night, was shot and now lies in a coma;
Tessa, the bartender who survived the shooting; and
Joyce, mother of the shooter.
Three women whose lives are forever changed and who are forever intertwined.
Alternating between the past and the present we learn what brought Cale to the bar that night, and what exactly happened. Other points of view are introduced throughout, but it is Angie, Tessa, and Joyce who drive this story forward and who held my heart in their hands. It was Joyce for whom I felt the most sympathy, Joyce who tried to make sense of the loss, pain, and tragedy that evoked the most emotion out of me.
Everything about this novel is brilliantly done, the writing, the characterizations, the realism, the heartache, the devastation, all of it. I listened to the audiobook with Kaceey and we were both blown away by the narration. Huge props go to each narrator and of course to the author for writing such an incredible piece of fiction.
For me, however, this brought forth a whole host of emotions that I was ill-prepared for. I admit to not reading the synopsis or reviews before requesting this book. Had I actually known what this book was about, I’m not sure I would have grabbed it, as I lived in Connecticut for most of my life and during 2007-2015, I lived in the town bordering Sandy Hook and lived there during the Sandy Hook Shooting. Unfortunately, I know several families who suffered grave loss and due to my former career, have insight into that event that I wish I did not. It was therefore with a very heavy heart that I listened to this book, often having to take breaks due to feeling anxious, with tears often streaming down my face. Thankfully, I had Kaceey to lean on, while listening to this.
Although this novel absolutely wrecked me due to the content, it was phenomenal and I highly recommend it, with the disclaimer that this book may not be for everyone.
A buddy listen with Kaceey.
Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Kim Hooper for the alc.
Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.
I’m not sure I have the words. Stories of Mass Shootings break me. After all, I lived in the town bordering one of the worst ones in history, and know more about it than most, but I digress..
No Hiding in Boise is powerful, dynamic, heart-wrenching, character-driven fiction at its best. A mass shooting in a bar in Boise, Idaho. Five people are gunned down, and two people are injured, before the shooter turns the gun on himself. As I write those words, I have heart palpitations and tears in my eyes. For that, I will explain later.
The story centers around three main characters:
Angie, whose husband Cale, was at the bar that night, was shot and now lies in a coma;
Tessa, the bartender who survived the shooting; and
Joyce, mother of the shooter.
Three women whose lives are forever changed and who are forever intertwined.
Alternating between the past and the present we learn what brought Cale to the bar that night, and what exactly happened. Other points of view are introduced throughout, but it is Angie, Tessa, and Joyce who drive this story forward and who held my heart in their hands. It was Joyce for whom I felt the most sympathy, Joyce who tried to make sense of the loss, pain, and tragedy that evoked the most emotion out of me.
Everything about this novel is brilliantly done, the writing, the characterizations, the realism, the heartache, the devastation, all of it. I listened to the audiobook with Kaceey and we were both blown away by the narration. Huge props go to each narrator and of course to the author for writing such an incredible piece of fiction.
For me, however, this brought forth a whole host of emotions that I was ill-prepared for. I admit to not reading the synopsis or reviews before requesting this book. Had I actually known what this book was about, I’m not sure I would have grabbed it, as I lived in Connecticut for most of my life and during 2007-2015, I lived in the town bordering Sandy Hook and lived there during the Sandy Hook Shooting. Unfortunately, I know several families who suffered grave loss and due to my former career, have insight into that event that I wish I did not. It was therefore with a very heavy heart that I listened to this book, often having to take breaks due to feeling anxious, with tears often streaming down my face. Thankfully, I had Kaceey to lean on, while listening to this.
Although this novel absolutely wrecked me due to the content, it was phenomenal and I highly recommend it, with the disclaimer that this book may not be for everyone.
A buddy listen with Kaceey.
Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Kim Hooper for the alc.
Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.
July 6, 2021
A Hallmark movie, or a fourth-grade primer? You pick.
Throw me in jail, why don’t you? Because let me tell you, unlike the rest of the world, I did not like this book. At all. It doesn’t have an interesting bone in its body. You’d think with a hot topic like a shooting in a bar, I would open my eyes all wide at some point, but nope.
Complaint Board
-Boring language. I want jazzy language! But if I can’t have that, make sure the simple language creates nuance and complexity. Not happening here. The prose is too simplistic, too sophomoric—the reading level is pretty durn low. I’m thinking elementary school. The language put me to sleep. Very readable, yes, but so so boring. No pizazz, no style—and no depth, either.
-Dead dialogue. This is one of those books where the writer chose to put in dead dialogue—conversations that are unnecessary and just take up space. Stuff like, “How are you? I’m fine. Can we meet? Yes. Thank you for calling.” Sort of like those conversations you practice in a foreign-language class in high school. Please! We do not need to hear these stupid niceties. We can just imagine them, really really we can. The monosyllabic ping-pong of words reminded me of Dick and Jane books of my childhood.
-Flat characters. There are three main characters: the mom of the shooter, a young woman who survived by hiding in a closet, and the wife of a man who was seriously injured. Not one of them interested me. All of their behaviors and conversations seemed predictable and dull. There were some overly cutesy kid descriptions, too, which always makes me feel curmudgeonly. It beats me how others felt something for these characters, but they did—so be sure to read their reviews for a different take on this book. (Feeling like a weirdo stoic, I remind myself that recently, other books have made me cry.)
-Whining wife. The wife of the injured guy whines nonstop about how her husband doesn’t help with the baby. Seemed like she was throwing a pity party, and that she felt like she was special and deserved more credit. She also acts like she has men, and their shortcomings, down pat—she thinks she’s really smart, when in my opinion, she is just prejudiced and angry. She’s keeping score. She felt slighted that her husband hadn’t given her a “push present”—gee, all her friends had gotten them when they pushed a baby out, so why didn’t she? (Bizarro new ritual, if push presents are a real thing.) All her whining got on my nerves. It was too much, too often. We get it. And interspersed with the whining were trite and unflattering generalizations about men (such as, they don’t show emotion). It was subtle, but there was some male-bashing going on. I don’t like any group to be put down.
-Cloned voices. The narration is first-person, and the chapters alternate between the characters. The voices of all of them sound exactly the same—same cadence, same energy, same sentence structure. This crime is not that uncommon, I’ll admit, but it’s a pet peeve of mine.
-Hallmark-y. The plot and pacing are just fine, and I could see this being a decent Hallmark movie. (Hey, look! This is actually a compliment. Ha, so proud to be a little positive about something!) So why is this on the Complaint Board? It’s that I don’t really like Hallmark movies: usually they are mere soap and are shallow, slow, and too heartwarming and heartbreaking, with stereotypical characters. Yes, I know, occasionally I WILL watch a Hallmark movie and like it okay, but I usually have a Complaint Board going in my head.
-Editing nit. The author used the term, “she could care less.” It should be “she couldn’t care less.” Pet peeve of mine; can’t help it.
One thing that’s usually a crime with me is when there’s a first-person narrator who talks right up to their death. Hello, they couldn’t be talking about their lead-in to their death, because they are dead! Here, the victims who died in the shooting talk a little about their lives and why they were at the bar. Somehow it didn’t bother me this time that they were dead people talking—maybe because it was so intentional, and because it was interesting to hear a little about their lives. This is a little Joy Jar-ish, so I’m happy I can say a little something nice.
The reason I wanted to read this is that I enjoyed Hooper’s People Who Knew Me. I remember thinking the language was plain, but the story worked for me. Was I just in a weird mood when I read this one? Or was the weird mood happening back when I read People Who Knew Me? In any case, I don’t think I’m going to try another book by this author.
I have to say that I read this book right after reading four stupendous books, all hard acts to follow. So I might have been harder on this one because it just didn’t compare to those gems. I missed the magic.
I didn’t mean to be so elaborate with my complaints, but I don’t know how to stop the motor-mouth once I begin. As I said, please read others’ reviews; I am the outlier and probably deserve jail time for not conforming.
Thanks to Edelweiss for the advance copy.
Throw me in jail, why don’t you? Because let me tell you, unlike the rest of the world, I did not like this book. At all. It doesn’t have an interesting bone in its body. You’d think with a hot topic like a shooting in a bar, I would open my eyes all wide at some point, but nope.
Complaint Board
-Boring language. I want jazzy language! But if I can’t have that, make sure the simple language creates nuance and complexity. Not happening here. The prose is too simplistic, too sophomoric—the reading level is pretty durn low. I’m thinking elementary school. The language put me to sleep. Very readable, yes, but so so boring. No pizazz, no style—and no depth, either.
-Dead dialogue. This is one of those books where the writer chose to put in dead dialogue—conversations that are unnecessary and just take up space. Stuff like, “How are you? I’m fine. Can we meet? Yes. Thank you for calling.” Sort of like those conversations you practice in a foreign-language class in high school. Please! We do not need to hear these stupid niceties. We can just imagine them, really really we can. The monosyllabic ping-pong of words reminded me of Dick and Jane books of my childhood.
-Flat characters. There are three main characters: the mom of the shooter, a young woman who survived by hiding in a closet, and the wife of a man who was seriously injured. Not one of them interested me. All of their behaviors and conversations seemed predictable and dull. There were some overly cutesy kid descriptions, too, which always makes me feel curmudgeonly. It beats me how others felt something for these characters, but they did—so be sure to read their reviews for a different take on this book. (Feeling like a weirdo stoic, I remind myself that recently, other books have made me cry.)
-Whining wife. The wife of the injured guy whines nonstop about how her husband doesn’t help with the baby. Seemed like she was throwing a pity party, and that she felt like she was special and deserved more credit. She also acts like she has men, and their shortcomings, down pat—she thinks she’s really smart, when in my opinion, she is just prejudiced and angry. She’s keeping score. She felt slighted that her husband hadn’t given her a “push present”—gee, all her friends had gotten them when they pushed a baby out, so why didn’t she? (Bizarro new ritual, if push presents are a real thing.) All her whining got on my nerves. It was too much, too often. We get it. And interspersed with the whining were trite and unflattering generalizations about men (such as, they don’t show emotion). It was subtle, but there was some male-bashing going on. I don’t like any group to be put down.
-Cloned voices. The narration is first-person, and the chapters alternate between the characters. The voices of all of them sound exactly the same—same cadence, same energy, same sentence structure. This crime is not that uncommon, I’ll admit, but it’s a pet peeve of mine.
-Hallmark-y. The plot and pacing are just fine, and I could see this being a decent Hallmark movie. (Hey, look! This is actually a compliment. Ha, so proud to be a little positive about something!) So why is this on the Complaint Board? It’s that I don’t really like Hallmark movies: usually they are mere soap and are shallow, slow, and too heartwarming and heartbreaking, with stereotypical characters. Yes, I know, occasionally I WILL watch a Hallmark movie and like it okay, but I usually have a Complaint Board going in my head.
-Editing nit. The author used the term, “she could care less.” It should be “she couldn’t care less.” Pet peeve of mine; can’t help it.
One thing that’s usually a crime with me is when there’s a first-person narrator who talks right up to their death. Hello, they couldn’t be talking about their lead-in to their death, because they are dead! Here, the victims who died in the shooting talk a little about their lives and why they were at the bar. Somehow it didn’t bother me this time that they were dead people talking—maybe because it was so intentional, and because it was interesting to hear a little about their lives. This is a little Joy Jar-ish, so I’m happy I can say a little something nice.
The reason I wanted to read this is that I enjoyed Hooper’s People Who Knew Me. I remember thinking the language was plain, but the story worked for me. Was I just in a weird mood when I read this one? Or was the weird mood happening back when I read People Who Knew Me? In any case, I don’t think I’m going to try another book by this author.
I have to say that I read this book right after reading four stupendous books, all hard acts to follow. So I might have been harder on this one because it just didn’t compare to those gems. I missed the magic.
I didn’t mean to be so elaborate with my complaints, but I don’t know how to stop the motor-mouth once I begin. As I said, please read others’ reviews; I am the outlier and probably deserve jail time for not conforming.
Thanks to Edelweiss for the advance copy.
April 14, 2022
“When you drop a pebble into a pond, ripples spread out, changing all the water in the pool. The ripples hit the shore and rebound, bumping into one another, breaking each other apart. In some small way, the pond is never the same again.” – Neal Shusterman
THIS BOOK LIVES UP TO THE HYPE!!! As many have stated in their reviews, a local bar in a quiet neighborhood in Boise, one night erupts into terror. This audiobook sent shock waves through me while reading it!!
So many things I loved about this book:
The characters were each unique, believable, relatable.
The narration was wonderful, each character has his or her own voice.
We hear about the victims who were shot and killed, brief narrations from them.
We hear the online journal of Jed, the shooter, no one knew what was in his heart and the anger that lived there. He had the feeling of being a victim himself that filled him with rage!!
The most heart wrenching was the voice of Joyce, the shooter, Jed’s mother. Her son had been living with her but he was 28, a grown man. She is also A VICTIM IN THIS CRIME, and yet she is shunned by friends, social media, etc. You can imagine what they say!! She had lost her husband a few years past and now she had TWO URNS WITH ASHES -- NO FAMILY LEFT!
Tessa, in her 20’s, was one of the bartenders who hid in a closet, after Kale, another victim, warned her to RUN AND HIDE!!! She of course is extremely traumatized. She he doesn’t continue to hide, but instead ends up befriending Joyce and they share their trauma.
Kale is the severely injured victim. Shot through the head, it is hit or miss whether he will live, and if he does whether he will be able to speak, walk, etc. His wife, Angie, didn’t even know that he had slipped out of the house and gone to the bar. They have a toddler and she is usually exhausted when she finally gets to sleep. WHY WAS HE IN THE BAR??? WE FIND THAT HE HAS VISITED BEFORE, WHAT IS HIS REASON????
All of these people are victims, one way or another. THE RIPPLE EFFECT IS WHAT OPENED MY EYES!! So many people were affected by this crime, even those who read about it. Would all the coverage of this event cause others to commit a similar crime??? When we finally find out what sparked this brewing rage, it is alarming, as these things happen all the time. I’ll leave you to discover that.
I tried to keep this short but it was just so incredibly good that I had trouble summarizing. If you haven’t read this book, I can highly recommend the audiobook, available on Audible. One of my top 10 books this year for sure.
THIS BOOK LIVES UP TO THE HYPE!!! As many have stated in their reviews, a local bar in a quiet neighborhood in Boise, one night erupts into terror. This audiobook sent shock waves through me while reading it!!
So many things I loved about this book:
The characters were each unique, believable, relatable.
The narration was wonderful, each character has his or her own voice.
We hear about the victims who were shot and killed, brief narrations from them.
We hear the online journal of Jed, the shooter, no one knew what was in his heart and the anger that lived there. He had the feeling of being a victim himself that filled him with rage!!
The most heart wrenching was the voice of Joyce, the shooter, Jed’s mother. Her son had been living with her but he was 28, a grown man. She is also A VICTIM IN THIS CRIME, and yet she is shunned by friends, social media, etc. You can imagine what they say!! She had lost her husband a few years past and now she had TWO URNS WITH ASHES -- NO FAMILY LEFT!
Tessa, in her 20’s, was one of the bartenders who hid in a closet, after Kale, another victim, warned her to RUN AND HIDE!!! She of course is extremely traumatized. She he doesn’t continue to hide, but instead ends up befriending Joyce and they share their trauma.
Kale is the severely injured victim. Shot through the head, it is hit or miss whether he will live, and if he does whether he will be able to speak, walk, etc. His wife, Angie, didn’t even know that he had slipped out of the house and gone to the bar. They have a toddler and she is usually exhausted when she finally gets to sleep. WHY WAS HE IN THE BAR??? WE FIND THAT HE HAS VISITED BEFORE, WHAT IS HIS REASON????
All of these people are victims, one way or another. THE RIPPLE EFFECT IS WHAT OPENED MY EYES!! So many people were affected by this crime, even those who read about it. Would all the coverage of this event cause others to commit a similar crime??? When we finally find out what sparked this brewing rage, it is alarming, as these things happen all the time. I’ll leave you to discover that.
I tried to keep this short but it was just so incredibly good that I had trouble summarizing. If you haven’t read this book, I can highly recommend the audiobook, available on Audible. One of my top 10 books this year for sure.
August 22, 2021
A man walks into a bar...
Unfortunately there is no fun punchline here, only tragedy. Jed Ketcher walked into a bar and he didn't walk back out. Before ultimately turning the gun on himself, his gunfire caused 5 people to lose their lives and 2 more to be injured. What follows is the story of 3 women deeply affected by this tragedy, each in different ways, interspersed with a brief look into the lives of the victims and what led up to each finding themselves in Ray's bar that night.
Joyce is Jed's mother, and she is floored to find out her son was the shooter. How could she have missed the signs. How could any mother not know? Angie is the wife of one of the injured, and she finds herself reflecting on her marriage and life as a possible widow and single mother while her husband Cale fights for his life in a comatose state. Tessa was one of the bartenders at Ray's, and due to Cale's quick thinking urging her to hide, she survived but is now suffering from PTSD and possibly survivor's guilt. These three women's lives became inextricably linked the moment the shooting happened, and we follow their journeys both individually and when they intersect, sometimes in unexpected ways.
It sounds odd to say I enjoyed a book with such heavy subject matter, but I really did, particularly the earlier portion. Joyce's chapters and perspective especially really grabbed me. I've long been fascinated with the effects of these crimes on the people we think of the least. Perhaps because I know the family member of someone who committed an atrocity. It's unimaginable to fathom how families have to come to terms with grief, guilt, public vitriol and a loss they aren't allowed to visibly mourn. I felt the book's handling of this was by far its strongest point. I also found myself really intrigued by the mystery of why Cale was in the bar that night, unbeknownst to his wife until she got a call from the police to inform her that he was injured.
However, Angie's chapters started to grate on me as they became more and more a laundry list of complaints against pre-shooting Cale. If this had been isolated, I think it could have worked well and I would have appreciated the complicated look at how to deal with the possible impending physical loss of a husband who had already seemed mentally gone for quite some time. But because there were plenty of other moments in the book that felt male-bashy, it just felt belabored. It was the equivalent of "not like the other girls". You don't need to bash other women to compliment one, nor do you need to paint nearly every male character in the book in a bad light to show the strength of women.
Overall, this was generally a winner for me and I really appreciated the look at some lesser explored aspects of crime and violence.
Unfortunately there is no fun punchline here, only tragedy. Jed Ketcher walked into a bar and he didn't walk back out. Before ultimately turning the gun on himself, his gunfire caused 5 people to lose their lives and 2 more to be injured. What follows is the story of 3 women deeply affected by this tragedy, each in different ways, interspersed with a brief look into the lives of the victims and what led up to each finding themselves in Ray's bar that night.
Joyce is Jed's mother, and she is floored to find out her son was the shooter. How could she have missed the signs. How could any mother not know? Angie is the wife of one of the injured, and she finds herself reflecting on her marriage and life as a possible widow and single mother while her husband Cale fights for his life in a comatose state. Tessa was one of the bartenders at Ray's, and due to Cale's quick thinking urging her to hide, she survived but is now suffering from PTSD and possibly survivor's guilt. These three women's lives became inextricably linked the moment the shooting happened, and we follow their journeys both individually and when they intersect, sometimes in unexpected ways.
It sounds odd to say I enjoyed a book with such heavy subject matter, but I really did, particularly the earlier portion. Joyce's chapters and perspective especially really grabbed me. I've long been fascinated with the effects of these crimes on the people we think of the least. Perhaps because I know the family member of someone who committed an atrocity. It's unimaginable to fathom how families have to come to terms with grief, guilt, public vitriol and a loss they aren't allowed to visibly mourn. I felt the book's handling of this was by far its strongest point. I also found myself really intrigued by the mystery of why Cale was in the bar that night, unbeknownst to his wife until she got a call from the police to inform her that he was injured.
However, Angie's chapters started to grate on me as they became more and more a laundry list of complaints against pre-shooting Cale. If this had been isolated, I think it could have worked well and I would have appreciated the complicated look at how to deal with the possible impending physical loss of a husband who had already seemed mentally gone for quite some time. But because there were plenty of other moments in the book that felt male-bashy, it just felt belabored. It was the equivalent of "not like the other girls". You don't need to bash other women to compliment one, nor do you need to paint nearly every male character in the book in a bad light to show the strength of women.
Overall, this was generally a winner for me and I really appreciated the look at some lesser explored aspects of crime and violence.
September 5, 2021
Interesting read. The title is odd and I had no interest. The book cover is horrible and I'd usually ignore it. But I saw Jan B's review and she sold me. I'm a sucker for anything that dives deep into a character/s. Figured maybe I should give this one a shot. I grabbed the audio from Hoopla and in the end, I liked it. Kinda odd for the story line.
No Hiding in Boise tells the story of a mass shooting in a Boise bar one late night. The story is told from mainly three women's point of view. One is the wife of one of the survivors of the shooting, another is a survivor of the shooting, and the last is the shooters mother. The story is told in alternating points of view with here and there throwing in the stories of all the victims, survivors, and the shooter. You learn the reasons why each person was there, how people react to tragedies, and how each of these three women's lives are intertwined and forever changed that fateful evening.
I couldn't help but think of that saying 'it's like a train wreck and you can't look away'. What these people went through is unimaginable but it's such an interesting story. To almost get inside the mind of some of these people. There was quite a twist in the story and while the whole book was quite somber at one point I laughed so hard. There were a number of different narrators for the audio which was decent. Why a 4 star - it started to drag just a bit, Angie (the wife of a survivor) was beginning to annoy me as she seemed to whine a lot, and the narration was OK, nothing I would remember. Overall, a good read.
No Hiding in Boise tells the story of a mass shooting in a Boise bar one late night. The story is told from mainly three women's point of view. One is the wife of one of the survivors of the shooting, another is a survivor of the shooting, and the last is the shooters mother. The story is told in alternating points of view with here and there throwing in the stories of all the victims, survivors, and the shooter. You learn the reasons why each person was there, how people react to tragedies, and how each of these three women's lives are intertwined and forever changed that fateful evening.
I couldn't help but think of that saying 'it's like a train wreck and you can't look away'. What these people went through is unimaginable but it's such an interesting story. To almost get inside the mind of some of these people. There was quite a twist in the story and while the whole book was quite somber at one point I laughed so hard. There were a number of different narrators for the audio which was decent. Why a 4 star - it started to drag just a bit, Angie (the wife of a survivor) was beginning to annoy me as she seemed to whine a lot, and the narration was OK, nothing I would remember. Overall, a good read.
July 8, 2021
“No Hiding in Boise” is an outstanding novel examining the aftermath and ripple effects of mass shootings. I listened to the audio narrated Devon Sorvari, Stephanie Willing, Hillary Huber, and nine others. It sounds overwhelming in narrators, but the nine others are the victims who provide individual excerpts.
The three main narrators are Angie, Tessa, and Joyce. Angie begins the narration when the police call her at midnight to inform her that her husband has been shot and is in the hospital. Angie thought her husband was in bed with her, had no idea he was at a bar.
Tessa was the bartender at the bar where the shooting took place. When the shooting began, she was paralyzed by fear, and Kale, Angie’s husband, told her to run and hide. Tessa feels that Kale saved her.
Joyce, poor poor Joyce is the mother of the shooter, Jed. Jed is 28, lives with Joyce, and is an angry man. Joyce is the most sympathetic character for me. This is a mother to an adult man, who she knows isn’t happy, but didn’t see any indication that he would do this.
The story revolves around the three women and how they cope. As one can imagine, Joyce is horrified. She reflects, attempting to find what when wrong. A computer post begins about the shooting. In that, someone compares her to the mothers of the Columbine shooters. I personally felt that was wrong in that those were teen boys who had arsenals stored in their bedrooms and garage. Those mothers intentionally didn’t notice nor care. Those mothers are legally responsible for their teen children. Joyce allowed her young adult son to live in her house. No firearms were in his bedroom or garage. What Joyce could be found guilty of, is allowing a depressed son to live in her home. What parent hasn’t allowed that?
But I digress. I absolutely found this story fascinating. Author Kim Hooper disperses in her story, narratives from the victims and wounded survivors. These narratives added dimension to the story.
There are a couple of plot twists that increases the psychological depth. Given our unfortunate time in America with regard to mass shootings, I found this to be timely and fascinating. Mental health is a true issue in these shootings and as a culture, we need to address how we can proactively reduce the risks. Anger issues also come into play. As a society, we have a huge anger problem. For example, in America, if you cut someone off, you risk being shot due to road rage as evidenced recently in California.
There are so many layers that go into play with shootings. It’s not just gun laws we need to examine. We need to examine all the issues.
I highly recommend this audio. I assume the books would be just as grand. I felt the different narrators did add impact. This audio will stay with me for a long time!
The three main narrators are Angie, Tessa, and Joyce. Angie begins the narration when the police call her at midnight to inform her that her husband has been shot and is in the hospital. Angie thought her husband was in bed with her, had no idea he was at a bar.
Tessa was the bartender at the bar where the shooting took place. When the shooting began, she was paralyzed by fear, and Kale, Angie’s husband, told her to run and hide. Tessa feels that Kale saved her.
Joyce, poor poor Joyce is the mother of the shooter, Jed. Jed is 28, lives with Joyce, and is an angry man. Joyce is the most sympathetic character for me. This is a mother to an adult man, who she knows isn’t happy, but didn’t see any indication that he would do this.
The story revolves around the three women and how they cope. As one can imagine, Joyce is horrified. She reflects, attempting to find what when wrong. A computer post begins about the shooting. In that, someone compares her to the mothers of the Columbine shooters. I personally felt that was wrong in that those were teen boys who had arsenals stored in their bedrooms and garage. Those mothers intentionally didn’t notice nor care. Those mothers are legally responsible for their teen children. Joyce allowed her young adult son to live in her house. No firearms were in his bedroom or garage. What Joyce could be found guilty of, is allowing a depressed son to live in her home. What parent hasn’t allowed that?
But I digress. I absolutely found this story fascinating. Author Kim Hooper disperses in her story, narratives from the victims and wounded survivors. These narratives added dimension to the story.
There are a couple of plot twists that increases the psychological depth. Given our unfortunate time in America with regard to mass shootings, I found this to be timely and fascinating. Mental health is a true issue in these shootings and as a culture, we need to address how we can proactively reduce the risks. Anger issues also come into play. As a society, we have a huge anger problem. For example, in America, if you cut someone off, you risk being shot due to road rage as evidenced recently in California.
There are so many layers that go into play with shootings. It’s not just gun laws we need to examine. We need to examine all the issues.
I highly recommend this audio. I assume the books would be just as grand. I felt the different narrators did add impact. This audio will stay with me for a long time!
January 11, 2022
No Hiding in Boise is a story involving gun violence, and it has multiple narrators offering insight on both the victims and the shooter. This is the first book I’ve read by Kim Hooper after reading accolades over the years on Goodreads. She has a smooth writing style and is skilled at showing the reader what happened rather than simply telling them how to feel. I appreciate the room to reflect.
There’s a near car accident and a shooting afterwards in a bar. Who has been hurt? Why? Joyce’s son is the shooter, and she wonders how? What could have driven him to that kind of choice? One of the victims is a husband and father of a young daughter, and he’s in a coma in the hospital. His wife wonders why he was in the bar while she also is by his side as he fights for his life. Tessa, a young bartender, survives because that same man told her to hide in the closet. She is understandably having a traumatic stress response of reliving the experience because she survived while others passed away.
No Hiding in Boise is a thoughtful, well-written, and engaging story about gun violence and the victims it leaves in its wake. I found the story captivating and sensitively told, and I definitely plan to read more from Kim Hooper.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
There’s a near car accident and a shooting afterwards in a bar. Who has been hurt? Why? Joyce’s son is the shooter, and she wonders how? What could have driven him to that kind of choice? One of the victims is a husband and father of a young daughter, and he’s in a coma in the hospital. His wife wonders why he was in the bar while she also is by his side as he fights for his life. Tessa, a young bartender, survives because that same man told her to hide in the closet. She is understandably having a traumatic stress response of reliving the experience because she survived while others passed away.
No Hiding in Boise is a thoughtful, well-written, and engaging story about gun violence and the victims it leaves in its wake. I found the story captivating and sensitively told, and I definitely plan to read more from Kim Hooper.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
October 10, 2021
Angie Matthews is awakened in the middle of the night by an unexpected phone call. It’s from the hospital saying her husband was injured in a shooting at Ray’s Bar. She thinks that’s impossible because he’s in bed with her, isn’t he? Joyce Ketcher is awakened by pounding on her front door, opening it to policemen. They’re telling her that her 28-year old son Jed was involved in a mass shooting at a bar, he’s believed to be the shooter and he didn’t survive. Tessa, a young bartender at Ray’s Bar, is huddling in a storage closet, too terrified to move, even when the door is opened by law enforcement. It’s yet another mass shooting but this time it’s from the perspective of the survivors and families of the victims.
I’m really, really grateful I chose to listen to this story instead of reading it. A full cast of narrators was used to portray everyone who was in that bar but Hillary Huber (Joyce), Devon Sorvari (Angie) and Stephanie Willing (Tessa) voice the primary narratives. I’m a big fan of Huber who was a standout and brought weight to an extremely complicated character. I listened to Sue Klebold’s story about her infamous son Dylan and the carnage he also brought down on his family following the Columbine massacre and was keenly interested in how single mother Joyce would be impacted and treated in this age of social media. I appreciated having the backstories of these affected families as they provided relevant context to fully appreciate how the aftermath impacted their lives.
There were lots of questions that needed answering besides the looming one…why Jed walked into a bar after midnight and started shooting people. Each character’s story was situational and my opinions kept shifting, especially about Angie and Joyce. We were even given points of view up to the moment of the shooting from the victims who didn’t survive, which made them three dimensional, more than just their basic biographical backgrounds. It caused me to reflect on the realities of mass shootings, how we never really focus on those we lost as much as we should, searching more for answers about the shooter and the details of the event. The social media element was a bit scary, not because of its viral and destructive nature but the cynicism of the participants. This is a thought provoking story, one I just couldn’t put down, finishing most of it in a day. The audio performances are all outstanding for an extremely relevant story that is becoming more commonplace but changes so many lives in ways we never, ever hear about.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
I’m really, really grateful I chose to listen to this story instead of reading it. A full cast of narrators was used to portray everyone who was in that bar but Hillary Huber (Joyce), Devon Sorvari (Angie) and Stephanie Willing (Tessa) voice the primary narratives. I’m a big fan of Huber who was a standout and brought weight to an extremely complicated character. I listened to Sue Klebold’s story about her infamous son Dylan and the carnage he also brought down on his family following the Columbine massacre and was keenly interested in how single mother Joyce would be impacted and treated in this age of social media. I appreciated having the backstories of these affected families as they provided relevant context to fully appreciate how the aftermath impacted their lives.
There were lots of questions that needed answering besides the looming one…why Jed walked into a bar after midnight and started shooting people. Each character’s story was situational and my opinions kept shifting, especially about Angie and Joyce. We were even given points of view up to the moment of the shooting from the victims who didn’t survive, which made them three dimensional, more than just their basic biographical backgrounds. It caused me to reflect on the realities of mass shootings, how we never really focus on those we lost as much as we should, searching more for answers about the shooter and the details of the event. The social media element was a bit scary, not because of its viral and destructive nature but the cynicism of the participants. This is a thought provoking story, one I just couldn’t put down, finishing most of it in a day. The audio performances are all outstanding for an extremely relevant story that is becoming more commonplace but changes so many lives in ways we never, ever hear about.
Posted on Blue Mood Café
October 15, 2021
3.5 I've become addicted to audio books, well to be truthful it seems like those are the only way I have time to read lately. This book had multiple narrators but their voices fit the parts they portrayed.
A shooting in a bar, the shooter committing suicide. A almost everyday occurrence somewhere in the states nowadays. We hear from a young bartender who hid and was saved. The man who saved her, telling her to hide, now in a coma, his wife detailing her experience. Lastly we hear from the mother of the shooter and this was the one I most wanted to hear. Mothers tend to get blamed for all their children's deeds, and hearing her story showed that often they do not know, nor understand what has affected their child. There was stark realism here.
Did deduct a bit from a solid four star rating because I felt the ending was too coincidental, too pat but the book does a good job showing the many different viewpoints within these shootings. We even hear from the victims themselves in short chapters telling how and why they came to be in the bar that night.
A shooting in a bar, the shooter committing suicide. A almost everyday occurrence somewhere in the states nowadays. We hear from a young bartender who hid and was saved. The man who saved her, telling her to hide, now in a coma, his wife detailing her experience. Lastly we hear from the mother of the shooter and this was the one I most wanted to hear. Mothers tend to get blamed for all their children's deeds, and hearing her story showed that often they do not know, nor understand what has affected their child. There was stark realism here.
Did deduct a bit from a solid four star rating because I felt the ending was too coincidental, too pat but the book does a good job showing the many different viewpoints within these shootings. We even hear from the victims themselves in short chapters telling how and why they came to be in the bar that night.
March 2, 2022
No Hiding in Boise explores the fallout after a shooting in a dive bar that leaves five people dead and two injured. We hear from multiple characters - an uninjured bartender who hid in a closet, the wife of an injured patron and the mother of the shooter. We also learn about the victims that died. We hear the backstories of the three main characters, who are all trying desperately to make sense of what happened. Why was the husband there? Why did the son go off on a rampage? When will I feel normal again?
Hooper captures the hurt and confusion felt by the three women, all of whom come across as fully formed. I felt a particular attachment to the mother, who has done nothing wrong but suffers a wide range of ugly reactions to her son’s massacre.
The book reminds us we never know how strong or weak our support team (friends, family, SOs) is until there is a crisis. There’s a great twist at the end that I never saw coming.
I thought it especially wise to have a cast to provide the audio version rather than relying on a single narrator.
Hooper captures the hurt and confusion felt by the three women, all of whom come across as fully formed. I felt a particular attachment to the mother, who has done nothing wrong but suffers a wide range of ugly reactions to her son’s massacre.
The book reminds us we never know how strong or weak our support team (friends, family, SOs) is until there is a crisis. There’s a great twist at the end that I never saw coming.
I thought it especially wise to have a cast to provide the audio version rather than relying on a single narrator.
November 21, 2022
Raw. Honest. Impactful.
This is a 360° view of the aftermath of a mass shooting. The shooter (Jed) was a 28-year old who shot 5 people and injured 2 (a man and a woman) when he opened fire at a bar in Boise. He took his own life too. This story examines the tragic event from several POVs. These include Jed's mother (Joyce), the wife of the injured man (Annie), and Tessa (the bartender who survived).
Through victims' accounts interspersed within the story, we learn details about their lives and experiences at the moment of the shooting. In addition to the victim's lives, we also get a view of their families and the public (in-person and social media). So many lives were touched and changed by this tragic event.
The questions, accusations, guilt, and pain in the aftermath are eloquently presented in this unforgettable story. I was impressed with how well the author was able to create an intimate story about something so real and tragic. I highly recommend the audiobook.
Blog: LucyKnowsThings.com
This is a 360° view of the aftermath of a mass shooting. The shooter (Jed) was a 28-year old who shot 5 people and injured 2 (a man and a woman) when he opened fire at a bar in Boise. He took his own life too. This story examines the tragic event from several POVs. These include Jed's mother (Joyce), the wife of the injured man (Annie), and Tessa (the bartender who survived).
Through victims' accounts interspersed within the story, we learn details about their lives and experiences at the moment of the shooting. In addition to the victim's lives, we also get a view of their families and the public (in-person and social media). So many lives were touched and changed by this tragic event.
The questions, accusations, guilt, and pain in the aftermath are eloquently presented in this unforgettable story. I was impressed with how well the author was able to create an intimate story about something so real and tragic. I highly recommend the audiobook.
Blog: LucyKnowsThings.com
April 22, 2022
No Hiding in Boise is a profound and riveting story about a mass shooting. I've never read anything on the subject so thought-provoking. It was hard to remember it was fiction.
Angie is awakened in the middle of the night by a police officer letting her know that her husband Cale (who she assumed was asleep next to her) has been shot at a local bar. This can't be right, her little daughter is sleeping in the next room and Angie can hardly make sense of any of this.
Tessa, who was bartending that night narrowly escapes the shooting by hiding in the storage room. Once the night is over and Tessa learns that 5 people have died, she becomes obsessed with the shooting; wanting to know the victims, the shooter, and coming to terms with why she survived and others did not.
Joyce wakes up in the middle of the night assuming that it is just her twenty-eight-year-old son Jed after a late night out. Jed recently returned home to live with his mother after a failed attempt at college. To her painful and shocking surprise, it's not Jed, but two police officers informing her that Jed is the possible shooter.
No Hiding in Boise is a prolific journey into the broken lives of a survivor, the wife of a critically injured husband, and the mother of the shooter. How these women's lives intertwine sets the stage for a heartbreaking, yet somehow endearing story.
Our country has experienced so many mass shootings and it is easy to make generalizations about each incident. However, this book made me think differently about the shooter, the family, and the overall experience.
I connected with the character of Joyce. As a mother myself, it was uncomfortably intense to feel her painful journey into understanding her son Jed. So many times I’ve wondered what kind of parents raise children that do such heinous crimes, but now I feel profoundly different asking the same question. Sometimes the parents themselves are left with as many unanswered questions as the public and unkind media.
The author, Kim Hooper, did a beautiful job of taking you along for the intense emotional rollercoaster that Joyce experiences as she comes to terms with the reality of who she thought she knew--the son she brought into the world.
I can't say enough good things about this book. It is well written and moving. 5/5 stars.
Angie is awakened in the middle of the night by a police officer letting her know that her husband Cale (who she assumed was asleep next to her) has been shot at a local bar. This can't be right, her little daughter is sleeping in the next room and Angie can hardly make sense of any of this.
Tessa, who was bartending that night narrowly escapes the shooting by hiding in the storage room. Once the night is over and Tessa learns that 5 people have died, she becomes obsessed with the shooting; wanting to know the victims, the shooter, and coming to terms with why she survived and others did not.
Joyce wakes up in the middle of the night assuming that it is just her twenty-eight-year-old son Jed after a late night out. Jed recently returned home to live with his mother after a failed attempt at college. To her painful and shocking surprise, it's not Jed, but two police officers informing her that Jed is the possible shooter.
No Hiding in Boise is a prolific journey into the broken lives of a survivor, the wife of a critically injured husband, and the mother of the shooter. How these women's lives intertwine sets the stage for a heartbreaking, yet somehow endearing story.
Our country has experienced so many mass shootings and it is easy to make generalizations about each incident. However, this book made me think differently about the shooter, the family, and the overall experience.
I connected with the character of Joyce. As a mother myself, it was uncomfortably intense to feel her painful journey into understanding her son Jed. So many times I’ve wondered what kind of parents raise children that do such heinous crimes, but now I feel profoundly different asking the same question. Sometimes the parents themselves are left with as many unanswered questions as the public and unkind media.
The author, Kim Hooper, did a beautiful job of taking you along for the intense emotional rollercoaster that Joyce experiences as she comes to terms with the reality of who she thought she knew--the son she brought into the world.
I can't say enough good things about this book. It is well written and moving. 5/5 stars.
December 24, 2021
This was a thought provoking story told by multiple narrators in the aftermath of a bar shooting with several victims.
We don’t know much about the shooter as the book focused on the people hurt and traumatized by the incident. Which is as it should be.
I like the direction taken by the author describing the various reactions of the victims as they struggle to come to grips with the tragedy.
A loan from my local library, I appreciated the opportunity to read this.
We don’t know much about the shooter as the book focused on the people hurt and traumatized by the incident. Which is as it should be.
I like the direction taken by the author describing the various reactions of the victims as they struggle to come to grips with the tragedy.
A loan from my local library, I appreciated the opportunity to read this.
September 12, 2021
No Hiding in Boise was the first book that I have read by Kim Hooper even though this was her fifth novel. I picked a winner to start with. I was so impressed with her storytelling, development of rich and complex characters and the magnetism that drew me into the gripping and riveting plot. I listened to the audiobook that was expertly narrated by multiple narrators. It was fast paced and touched a multitude of my emotions.
How many times have any of us read about or saw on the news a breaking story about a senseless and ruthless mass shooting? We would all agree that it has been too many times. What if you were out for an evening at a local bar and a troubled young man entered the bar and began to shoot his gun at random people? A nice night out just turned into a nightmare. That was exactly what occurred in No Hiding in Boise. Innocent people were shot, some died and if you were lucky to have survived, you life would be changed forever. In No Hiding in Boise, Kim Hooper expertly wove together the lives of three women. Each woman was touched in her own unique way by this horrible tragedy. There was the mother of the shooter, the wife of one of the victims and one of the bartenders. As the story evolved, each of the three main character’s lives became interwoven with the others as each woman lived through the consequences and aftermath of the shooting. Each woman helped the others learn how to process, accept and live with the guilt, loss, pain, sorrow and fear they were all experiencing.
I listened to No Hiding in Boise by Kim Hooper in one sitting. I could not turn the audiobook off. This gripping and riveting story was about family, love, loss, unexpected friendships, secrets, hope and sorrow. It addressed the crucial themes of mental illness and gun control. The plot of this book was tense yet heartbreaking at times. It also revealed that sometimes people are too close to a situation to see warning signs. No Hiding in Boise triggered every one of my emotions. There were unexpected twists and the ending was very satisfying. I really enjoyed No Hiding in Boise by Kim Hooper and recommend it very highly.
How many times have any of us read about or saw on the news a breaking story about a senseless and ruthless mass shooting? We would all agree that it has been too many times. What if you were out for an evening at a local bar and a troubled young man entered the bar and began to shoot his gun at random people? A nice night out just turned into a nightmare. That was exactly what occurred in No Hiding in Boise. Innocent people were shot, some died and if you were lucky to have survived, you life would be changed forever. In No Hiding in Boise, Kim Hooper expertly wove together the lives of three women. Each woman was touched in her own unique way by this horrible tragedy. There was the mother of the shooter, the wife of one of the victims and one of the bartenders. As the story evolved, each of the three main character’s lives became interwoven with the others as each woman lived through the consequences and aftermath of the shooting. Each woman helped the others learn how to process, accept and live with the guilt, loss, pain, sorrow and fear they were all experiencing.
I listened to No Hiding in Boise by Kim Hooper in one sitting. I could not turn the audiobook off. This gripping and riveting story was about family, love, loss, unexpected friendships, secrets, hope and sorrow. It addressed the crucial themes of mental illness and gun control. The plot of this book was tense yet heartbreaking at times. It also revealed that sometimes people are too close to a situation to see warning signs. No Hiding in Boise triggered every one of my emotions. There were unexpected twists and the ending was very satisfying. I really enjoyed No Hiding in Boise by Kim Hooper and recommend it very highly.
October 24, 2021
5 stunning stars
When I realized that this book was about a shooting at a bar in Idaho, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to keep reading it. I am so glad that I stuck with it as this was a fantastic book that I keep thinking about a few days after I’ve finished it.
I was drawn into the story as family members get word about what has happened. The story mainly features three women – Angie, her husband was at the bar, and she has no idea why; Tessa, a bartender who survived the shooting; and Joyce, the mother of the shooter.
I appreciated that the book didn’t dwell on the shooting itself nor on the shooter. We do get one brief glimpse into his mind, and while it added to the story, I was glad more time wasn’t devoted to his thoughts. The timeline alternates between past and present as the author gives us the full picture of events.
I was sympathetic to Joyce as she grappled with the weight of what her son had done and how she felt responsible.
Tessa’s story was fascinating, and she had issues with survivor’s guilt. She was huddled in a closet during the shooting and now she’s working to get her life back together.
Angie’s thoughts are all over the place, wondering how often her husband was sneaking out to the bar. Was it another woman? Their marriage wasn’t in the best place, but they have a daughter to raise.
There are so many complexities to this story and show how small actions can cause a ripple effect. The author was so skillful that I could relate to each woman and almost try to imagine what I would do in their places.
There are also a few chapters about the victims, and it was heart-breaking to read about them knowing they don’t survive the shooting.
Highly recommended!
This made for a great buddy read with Jayme and it was great to get a copy at my local library.
When I realized that this book was about a shooting at a bar in Idaho, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to keep reading it. I am so glad that I stuck with it as this was a fantastic book that I keep thinking about a few days after I’ve finished it.
I was drawn into the story as family members get word about what has happened. The story mainly features three women – Angie, her husband was at the bar, and she has no idea why; Tessa, a bartender who survived the shooting; and Joyce, the mother of the shooter.
I appreciated that the book didn’t dwell on the shooting itself nor on the shooter. We do get one brief glimpse into his mind, and while it added to the story, I was glad more time wasn’t devoted to his thoughts. The timeline alternates between past and present as the author gives us the full picture of events.
I was sympathetic to Joyce as she grappled with the weight of what her son had done and how she felt responsible.
Tessa’s story was fascinating, and she had issues with survivor’s guilt. She was huddled in a closet during the shooting and now she’s working to get her life back together.
Angie’s thoughts are all over the place, wondering how often her husband was sneaking out to the bar. Was it another woman? Their marriage wasn’t in the best place, but they have a daughter to raise.
There are so many complexities to this story and show how small actions can cause a ripple effect. The author was so skillful that I could relate to each woman and almost try to imagine what I would do in their places.
There are also a few chapters about the victims, and it was heart-breaking to read about them knowing they don’t survive the shooting.
Highly recommended!
This made for a great buddy read with Jayme and it was great to get a copy at my local library.
September 15, 2022
NO HIDING IN BOISE tells the story of a mass shooting through the perspective of one of the survivors, several of the victims, and several of the family members of people who were closely affected. Angie is awakened in the middle of the night by a call for the police. She is sure they must be mistaken. Her husband isn’t out at a bar. He’s asleep beside her. But when she turns over, he isn’t there. The various stories from that night were heartbreaking and the ways that the characters were connected were well plotted. The loss and confusion, the inability to understand what happened that night, from a wife who didn’t understand if her husband who had snuck out to bar to see someone else, to the mother of the shooter who is being ostracized by the community, was very well written. 5/5 stars.
June 30, 2021
This is the story of a mass shooting in a bar in Boise, Idaho, the repercussions and the consequences that follow, and the people affected by it, as well as the connections made after.
The morning after the shooting, Angie, whose husband, Cale, was there and shot, wakes up when the phone rings to the news of him being shot, and is hospitalized. He is in a coma. Angie questions this at first, believing her husband is still in bed beside her, until she realizes he is not there. And then wondering, questioning what he was doing at the bar at all. It seems so unlike him.
On the same morning, Joyce also receives a phone call letting her know that her son Jed is suspected of being the shooter, but he is also dead.
Tessa, a twenty-three year old bartender at the bar, keeps replaying the moments as they unfurled up to the shooting, and the man at the bar who had told her to hide.
Afterward Tessa ends up making contact with Joyce, and a friendship of sorts ensues. Both seek answers while trying to carefully navigate the connection that others might question.
Love and loss, compassion against a background of public opinion. What some people think despite the lack of any facts. This is - in part - a view of some facets of public opinion and how insanely inaccurate ‘facts’ create a forum claiming to believe, or perhaps worse actually believing, the craziest concocted stories and claiming them as though they are ‘facts.’
Meanwhile, Angie tries to come to terms with the fact that her husband had left their home after she’d fallen asleep to go to a bar. Since he’s still unresponsive, she can’t question him, demanding answers. She can only revisit the questions she poses over and over to herself. She also sees the questions unasked in the eyes of those questioning why her husband went to the bar without her. She questions it herself, silently wondering if he was having an affair.
This is a story of a tragedy, but at its heart it is also a story of so much more than that. There’s so much honest, realistic emotion as they try to make sense of this tragedy, try to figure out their lives in the aftermath. The bonds, connections, created in the aftermath, the secrets and pain revealed, and a new hope for the future navigating their lives after so much loss.
I listened to the audiobook which is wonderfully narrated by a cast of eleven people - Devon Sorvari, Stephanie Willing, Hillary Huber, Stephanie Einstein, Madeleine Maby, Nick Mondelli, Michael Brusasco, Patrick Lawlor, Adam Barr, Pete Cross, and Neil Hellegers - which really added to the story for me as it allowed for hearing a different voice for each character.
Many thanks to Elyse for pointing the way to this story of life, love and loss, her review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Published: 15 June 2021
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Dreamscape Media
June 3, 2021
If I could give this book 10 stars, I would.
Tense and riveting, this brilliantly written character-driven drama was emotionally traumatizing and an exceptional read.
A shooter walks into a bar in Boise, Idaho, and kills five people, severely injuring two other patrons, before taking his own life. Who was the shooter and why did he do it?
To answer these questions, we are introduced to the book's three female protagonists: Angie, a new mom and the wife of one of the injured victims, Tessa, the bartender who hid in a closet during the shooting, and Joyce, the mother of the shooter. Angie was clueless that her husband Cale had been making frequent middle-of-the-night visits to the bar. Tessa struggles with survival guilt and will be forever grateful to Cale for saving her life. And Joyce has the difficult task of mourning the loss of her only son, expressing sympathy to the victims; all while asking herself "How did I miss the signs?"
Smart, engrossing, and heart-wrenching -- "Hiding in Boise" provides readers with front-row seats to the behind-the-scene happenings behind a horrific tragedy, and the tragedy's powerful impact on victims, family, the community, and a city. Even though I guessed the "Tessa reveal" early, this fast-paced story was unputdownable and anything but predictable.
I listened to the audiobook that featured an entire cast of narrators. All of the narrators did an outstanding job and the audiobook was a stellar listening experience.
This is my second book by talented writer Kim Hooper. Even though Kim Hooper writes about very dark subjects (ugh!), she is an author to watch and has become one of my new "go-to" authors.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tense and riveting, this brilliantly written character-driven drama was emotionally traumatizing and an exceptional read.
A shooter walks into a bar in Boise, Idaho, and kills five people, severely injuring two other patrons, before taking his own life. Who was the shooter and why did he do it?
To answer these questions, we are introduced to the book's three female protagonists: Angie, a new mom and the wife of one of the injured victims, Tessa, the bartender who hid in a closet during the shooting, and Joyce, the mother of the shooter. Angie was clueless that her husband Cale had been making frequent middle-of-the-night visits to the bar. Tessa struggles with survival guilt and will be forever grateful to Cale for saving her life. And Joyce has the difficult task of mourning the loss of her only son, expressing sympathy to the victims; all while asking herself "How did I miss the signs?"
Smart, engrossing, and heart-wrenching -- "Hiding in Boise" provides readers with front-row seats to the behind-the-scene happenings behind a horrific tragedy, and the tragedy's powerful impact on victims, family, the community, and a city. Even though I guessed the "Tessa reveal" early, this fast-paced story was unputdownable and anything but predictable.
I listened to the audiobook that featured an entire cast of narrators. All of the narrators did an outstanding job and the audiobook was a stellar listening experience.
This is my second book by talented writer Kim Hooper. Even though Kim Hooper writes about very dark subjects (ugh!), she is an author to watch and has become one of my new "go-to" authors.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 23, 2021
Wow! What a terrific surprise this book was! An in-depth character study of the aftermath of a mass shooting in Boise, Idaho. I’m not usually one for character driven plots but the writing was spectacular and the plot execution was superb. This book focuses on how several lives were impacted by a shooter who enters a bar and kills several people. The shooter’s mother, a young bartender working at the bar that night and the wife of one of the surviving victims who is in a coma. The book alternates between these three perspectives to paint a vivid and tragic picture of what really happened that fateful night. A little bit mystery and a lot of literary fiction.
The audio performance was fantastic with different narrators representing the various characters. A well acted and vibrant performance.
A gracious thank you to Netgalley for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
The audio performance was fantastic with different narrators representing the various characters. A well acted and vibrant performance.
A gracious thank you to Netgalley for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 19, 2021
Many thanks to my Goodreads friends for putting this exceptional book on my radar. The audiobook was a moving and thoughtful experience for this listener. The book follows a number of characters who were present for a seemingly random mass shooting. An unlikely friendship develops between the shooter’s mother (who is completely shocked by the event) and a victim. But that’s just the beginning. As the story unfolds, we learn not only the motivation behind the shooting but the lives and motivations of many of the victims, who all had different poignant reasons for being in the bar that night. I found this to be an exceptionally sensitive and interesting character study of the people left behind in a mass shooting, as well as an interesting exploration of the motivations and internal problems of the shooter. The characters are so well-drawn in the book and equally well-acted in the audiobook. This is a must-read (or better yet, a must-listen) for the sad times we are living in where mass shooting have become all too common.
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