The Hidden Man: A Novel of Suspense

by Anthony Flacco

Book Overview

A determined detective must stop a murderous fanatic at the 1915 San Francisco World's Fair in this riveting second installment of the Nightingales Detective Series.Nine years after San Francisco's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812977580
• ISBN13: 9780812977585
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 285 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.7" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

A Content Rich Romp Through History

The Hidden Man is the second book of historical fiction by Anthony Flacco. The first, The Last Nightingale, is where he introduced Detective Randall Blackburn and his adopted children Shane and Vignette Nightingale. In the first book of this series, Flacco shows us the horrors that go on behind the scenes in San Francisco at the time of the great earthquake and fires. Nine years later in The Hidden Man, San Francisco is just beginning to recover from the devastation brought on by a cruel trick of nature. It is against the backdrop of the preparations of the Worlds Fair that is adoptive children tangle with relationships and coming to terms with who they are in this new world. While trying to keep his family together and have a life of his own, Blackburn and Shane are summoned to the famous mesmerist James "J.D." Duncan to protect the great one from a threat only he can see. Duncan is keenly aware that his threat could be anyone, an anonymous and innocuous passerby no one would notice. Duncan's special skills alert him the dangers of these non-descript people which lead him to hire the homicide detective to act as his personal bodyguard. Flacco's ability to use historical fiction to take us on a ride with him is indeed exceptional. We get to see and feel what was new to those before us. His unique skill at infusing his characters with complicated personalities and unexpected response make them that more real. Flacco draws us in as we are surprised to learn that Duncan has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease by Dr. Alzheimer himself. This unexpected twist only adds to the drama and renews interest when we think we have the plot all figured out. While The Hidden Man can stand on its own, it is that much more meaningful if one reads The Last Nightingale first. However, it is not necessary. I highly recommend "The Hidden Man" for anyone who loves mystery, thriller, historical fiction or just a good read.