Hidden Rooms

In Michaelson’s engaging debut mystery, protagonist Riley returns somewhat reluctantly to her rural Ohio hometown after the death of her father, a beloved farmer in this close-knit community. Preparations are also underway for the upcoming wedding of her brother Ethan and his fiancée Beth, a high-school friend with whom Riley has grown close since they both developed chronic illnesses that the rest of the family tends to dismiss. Riley arrives at Ethan and Beth’s to pick up her bridesmaid’s dress and finds that Beth is missing, and blood covers the freshly washed bed linens hanging outside on the clothesline. When Beth’s body is discovered, Ethan is arrested for her murder, and Riley teams up with her sister to clear his name. Narrator Lisa Larsen delivers the slowly unraveling, twisty mystery with masterful pacing and the right touch of drama and emotional depth. Her rich characterizations of the well-drawn cast should have most listeners fully invested in the complicated family dynamics and the town’s struggle with opioid addiction and rural poverty.