2 out of 4 stars
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Hidden in Plain Sight is book one in the Under the Shadow of the Almighty series by Sharon Moore. This first novel explores the shadowy background that can exist in the private lives of well-known people, particularly prominent religious men. In her book, Moore follows two families in North Carolina. Both fathers pastor a large church in North Carolina. It is obvious that both families have been blessed, as evidenced by prosperity in both church and family. However, this is where the similarities end. Bishop Collins’ church has grown to mega-church size. For all practical purposes, Bishop Collins is a humble man who dotes on his wife and children. Collins is constantly surprised at the prosperity he has been afforded. However, his outward life hides a secret sin committed when he was a youth. Will the bishop and his family survive if the secret is known publicly?
Although smaller than Bishop Collins’ church, the ministry of Bishop Stewart has also grown to an extraordinarily large size. While Bishop Collins is consistently revered, Bishop Stewart is surrounded by rumors of fraudulent doings. Despite this taint, Bishop Stewart’s church and family prosper. This outward prosperity hides a secret life lived behind closed doors in the Stewart home.
Most of the characters in this novel are vividly drawn. While the book starts slowly, the pace quickly picks up and the novel becomes a page-turner. I can’t say too much about each conflict introduced without giving spoilers, but several characters have issues that need to be resolved. Conflict is hinted at between Bishop Collins and one of his sons. The wild oats that Bishop Collins sowed when he was younger are about to come to the surface and possibly destroy his ministry. The reputation of Bishop Stewart also hangs in a very delicate balance. If Stewarts’ sins were to be revealed, he would also lose everything.
This book has much to love with relatable characters, secrets, revelations, and believable conversations. However, the one flaw that I found in the book is the lack of conclusions. Not even one of the conflicts comes to a resolution. When I read the last page, I was shocked to discover this was the end. The issues that had been simmering throughout the entire book had just about reached a boiling point when the book ended. I do realize that this is a first book in a series, but even at that I expect at least partial resolution to one or more major conflict(s).
I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. The writing style is easy to read and the editing is overall clean. I found only a small handful of errors that the spell-check did not catch, such as being “hold up” instead of “holed up.” I enjoyed reading Hidden in Plain Sight until the last page when I realized the story was far from being told in its entirety. If there had been at least one solid conclusion, I would have given the book at least a 3-star and possibly a full 4-star rating.
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Hidden In Plain Sight
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