*This review is an unbiased review of a book I received free of charge from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.* This is a nice book. It is book 2 in a series but I didn't feel that I needed to read the first book in order to know what was going on in this second one. I honestly felt that this was more of a romance than a mystery. The mystery took a very long time to get started. It was a bit unique sort of mystery but that didn't make the book for me. Very slow and drawn out, very low-key and characters a bit flat in my opinion. Perhaps it is merely because this is not the kind of mystery I usually read but Hidden Fury just didn't grab me. ( )

Hidden Fury, the second in a series, is a sort of southern gothic style of mystery. I enjoyed the characters, especially. The protagonist, Annie, is a PI with a past as a cop who was badly injured. Her story is well written and realistic; she is a women of strong character who works hard to overcome her difficulties. Her romance with a local character and her female friendship are well written. This isn't a thriller, but I liked the mystery and the way it developed and concluded. I look forward to reading more about Annie. I was given an e copy of the first book also but it isn't necessary to read it before this.
Thanks to the publisher for providing this book. ( )

This is the second of the series of Annie Fitch mysteries, the first being Exposed Fury. Annie was a cop/detective who got injured in the line of duty. Her injuries discouraged her from staying active on the force so she became a private investigator. She somehow seems to stumble across one bad event which leads to other mishaps. She works loosely with her former police partner but is encouraged to be careful and let the cops handle things. Of course, she can't, not necessarily through any fault of her own. In designing and installing a security system for a local orchard grower, Annie develops a friendship, though she's uncertain whether to pursue it or not. The relationships she has remain somehow unresolved, which is something I'm not enthused about. I'd like each book to have closure, even in the relationship department. This has lots of twists and turns and keeps the reader drawn into the ever-evolving cast of characters and plots. A good read. ( )

I found this book to be a very interesting and fun read. The plot is easily followed but with surprises along the way; the characters are well developed; and, while the story is set in the present, it goes back to touch on the history of racial relations in pre-Civil War days and the World War II era, although that is not its main theme. It is a quick read, about 250 pages, but that is all that is needed to thoroughly develop the story.

Annie is an ex-cop turned private investigator, who has obviously been deeply affected by two serious injuries suffered in the line of duty, as well as a seemingly broken relationship with her former best friend and some-time boyfriend, who never appears in this book. When she shows up to install a security system at a farm owned by Farr family siblings she meets the manager, Preston Farr. They are immediately attracted to each other, and this becomes more and more serious. However, the Farr family has secrets going back for generations, secrets not apparent to Annie in the initial stages of their relationship.

When the vandalism that led to the need for a security system gets violent, Annie’s former partner on the police force is assigned to investigate. Then Annie and Preston make a discovery that leads to another line of investigation that may or may not be related to the first one. Annie cannot resist getting involved, actually with the agreement of her former partner. This leads to uncovering some unpleasant facts about the Farr family. Understandably, Preston is not always pleased at what Annie is learning, and at times this threatens the blossoming romance between the two.

To go further might give away too much of the plot, but I will conclude by saying that I think the reader will find this an entertaining book with a look at some serious issues that existed in the past and, as recent events have proven, still exist in some form today. ( )