No Hiding in Boise - by Kim Hooper (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When Angie is awakened by a midnight call from an officer with the Boise Police Department, she 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 possible when her husband is sleeping right next to her? Except when she turns to wake him, he isn't there. Tessa is the twenty-three-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 the 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 who her husband was apparently pursuing, and a mother who is forced to confront the reality of who her son was and who she is"--

Book Synopsis

A 2021 INDIE NEXT Pick

A Women's National Book Association 2021 Great Group Read

"With this novel, Kim Hooper has created magic from the seemingly impossible. In her hands, the gossamer threads that tie three perfect strangers to each other following a shared tragedy, become nothing less than a transformative bond of human connection. Honest, brave, messy and unsparing, her characters are fearless pioneers in the darkness, and ultimately shed light for us on the most precious gift of all...life after loss." -Brad Silberling, Writer/Director of Moonlight Mile, Director of City of Angels

When Angie is awakened by a midnight call from an officer with the Boise Police Department, she 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 possible when her husband is sleeping right next to her? Except when she turns to wake him, he isn't there.

Tessa is the twenty-three-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 the 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 who her husband was apparently pursuing, and a mother who is forced to confront the reality of who her son was and who she is.

Review Quotes

"Nuanced portraits of those impacted by mass shootings, particularly surviving family members as they process loss and guilt, make this a standout. Hooper's unflinching, insightful account of the emotional fallout from tragedy is notable for its focus on hope in a time of immense sorrow." --Publishers Weekly

"Kim Hooper does it again in this gripping tale of family, love, and loss. Readers will root for the characters, and deeply feel their pain, hungrily turning the pages until the final puzzle piece falls into place." --Michelle Gable, New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment and The Bookseller's Secret

"Kim's characters are so magnetic and real, her plot is heart-pounding and heartbreaking. This is a novel that follows interconnected characters as they live through the aftermath of a random shooting at a local bar. What Hooper does is create an unbiased, emotional, and thoughtful story of grief, mental illness, and trauma. It was beautiful and had me crying more than once. An important book regarding mental illness as it relates to gun control." --Lauren Nopenz Fairley, Curious Iguana Bookstore

"No Hiding in Boise is a riveting novel...Hooper bravely tackles how this tragedy entwines the lives of three women-the mother of the shooter, the wife of a victim, and a bartender who, by the brave actions of another, is spared her life. What is remarkable about this novel is how perspective shapes everybody's version of this heartbreaking night, with a few twists and turns...and the power of forgiveness." --Lisa Childers, Laguna Beach Books

[Hooper] seamlessly weaves all of the stories together, resulting in clearly defined characters and some surprising twists." --Camille Kovach, Completely Booked, LLC

"Following three women and their connection to a shooting, NO HIDING IN BOISE is an excellent novel for recognizing growth in difficult circumstances and the human connection that lies beyond tragedy. All the feels." --Addy Bowman, Wild Geese Bookshop

"This book is everything. It is a poignant reminder of all the ways tragedy can affect those close to it. Kim Hooper created real people with real pain from an event that touched each character in a different way. She wove together their stories so delicately that it felt like I had to sit in reverent silence as I read so as not to disturb or miss any of her words. This book is heavy, but it is important." --Catherine Edmondson, Main Street Books

"In every chapter and in every [point of view], I was there. Hooper gives the grand tour of Boise and dares you to think life can't happen to you." -Shelf Unbound

"With this novel, Kim Hooper has created magic from the seemingly impossible. In her hands, the gossamer threads that tie three perfect strangers to each other following a shared tragedy, become nothing less than a transformative bond of human connection. Honest, brave, messy and unsparing, her characters are fearless pioneers in the darkness, and ultimately shed light for us on the most precious gift of all...life after loss." -Brad Silberling, Writer/Director of Moonlight Mile, Director of City of Angels