Title:	Hidden Salem
	Author:	Kay Hooper
	Published:	April 7, 2020, Berkley
	No. of Pages:	336
	Cover Price:	$27.00 Hardcover, $13.99 Kindle

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When Nellie Cavendish received a letter 10 years after her father’s death asking her to go to his hometown, she is skeptical. She doesn’t know much about her own history; her father kept his distance from her and apparently her mother just took off. Now she feels obligated to go to Salem before her 30th birthday to take care of things for a father she barely knew. She has no idea what things she will be taking care of. Nellie has always been psychic, but when asked to join the Special Crimes Unit by Noah Bishop, she refused. Once she gets to Salem, she poses as a photographer and not only takes photos of the beautiful scenery, but also some bodies she finds in the woods. Noah Bishop knows what is going on, and sends two agents, Grayson Sheridan and Geneva Raynor to protect Nellie and get to the bottom of some evil that has been ongoing in the town for decades, including a missing 10 year old girl. Nellie’s family is one of the original five families who founded the town, and her uncle Duncan, who is most interested in power, is the reason that Nellie’s father left in the first place. Nellie knows she is being watched by crows, and they seem to be under some kind of spell.

Although Kay Hooper fans have probably read the previous novels, which mostly consist of trilogies, Hidden Salem can be read as a standalone novel. The writing is excellent, and although there is an element of the supernatural, it seems just as real as the characters. Hooper doesn’t go over the top with the supernatural, and while there is plenty of building suspense, it’s just enough to keep readers on the edges of their seats. Hooper is good at developing her characters; the main characters are likeable, and Duncan is one of those that readers love to hate. While the dénouement isn’t a surprise, the scenarios leading up to it are spellbinding and the characters must do things that are not only uncomfortable, but they feel they don’t have enough experience to do.

Anyone who needs a new series with a bit of supernatural will enjoy this book and Hooper’s previous novels.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.