Nowhere to Hide

King & Co. Cyber #2

by Sigmund Brouwer

Small lies are never innocent… Small lies always become bigger lies.

William King, Blake Watt, and Michael Johnson have just settled into their senior year of high school when they receive a call for help—federal authorities need their computer skills to quietly track down a man who has failed to make child-support payments. The invitation to become cyber bounty hunters is so tempting, the three teenagers don’t stop to ask why they were chosen for this assignment.

They quickly find the man… but that’s where the real mystery begins. Who are they really working for? Why is someone trying to stop them? Why all the secrecy and deception? And why is finding this man suddenly a matter of national security?

A fast-paced, young-adult thriller—full of surprising twists and turns—from a gifted storyteller who has four million books in print.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Amazon, Fiction, Suspense

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2015

About the author

Sigmund loves going to schools to get kids excited about reading, reaching roughly 80,000 students a year through his Rock&Roll Literacy Show.

Reviews

[Lynne Stringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nowhere to Hide is a fast paced and at times confusing tale about three teenaged boys who work for the CIA in a voluntary capacity (facts that were established in its predecessor, Dead Man's Switch). King, MJ and Blake are the three youths in question, and they are trying to find the daughter of a CIA operative, as she has been kidnapped. The story, told from King's point of view, covers tales of intrigue, lies and deception.The story has periods where it's difficult to follow but I found the ride so entertaining that it held my interest throughout and it was certainly well thought out and sounded well researched, at least, to my not-so-knowledgeable mind. Definitely an enjoyable story.

[Rachel Seigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't read the first book, there might be a bit of catching up to do before you pick this one up, but it's not absolutely necessary. Less character development and heavier on action, Sigmund Brouwer once again explores future (and existing) tech and how it can be used for good and evil. A thrill-ride of a novel for reluctant readers.

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garrett Braun

Nowhere to Hide Review
In the book Sigmund Brouwer does a great job keeping all my attention in the book and wanting to read it all the way to the end. There always was another situation in which they had to fix and or get out of. In some places it was very interesting and action paced which is good for keeping the reader reading and wanting more.
The main theme was three teenagers that are Juniors in high school and have been asked to track down a father that isn’t making child support payments. They were so excited to track him down they didn’t even realize or ask why they've been assigned to the mission. As they learned more about the man they are tracking they learn the truth about their mission. They have to help a Seattle software company prove that he is innocent. But the scariest thing they learned is that they were supposed to stay in the background of the situation. They got involved with things they barely even knew existed and now they have to survive in order to get back home in one piece. They hide, run, dodge, and out think the people that are trying to stop them.
I liked the book it had a lot of interesting twist in the story that kept you thinking “what will happen next?” It is a big mystery and then everything comes together in the end and everything makes sense. This thriller and mystery is for anyone that loves some action and mystery in the same book. One thing I didn’t like though is that it seems that the story took a really long curve that took to long that didn’t have any important parts. It felt like it just kept going on for a little bit but after that the important part picked up it kept up and the author didn’t let up with action after that which I loved.
Overall I would suggest this to anyone high school and above. It is a great book and I would read it again. It is one of the books I read and really loved for a while, it was very well detailed. Which is great for anyone who appreciates great detail within the book.






























Citations
Author), Sigmund Brouwer (Goodreads, et al. “Nowhere to Hide (Dead Man's Switch #2).” Nowhere to Hide (Dead Man's Switch #2) by Sigmund Brouwer, www.goodreads.com/book/show/22544231-...

Brouwer, Sigmund. “Nowhere to Hide by Sigmund Brouwer.” FictionDB - Your Guide to Fiction Books, 1 Mar. 2015, www.fictiondb.com/author/sigmund-brou....

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

King and his friends, Blake and MJ, find themselves swept into another adventure of espionage and conspiracy, working with the CIA against possible terrorists.

This is a fast paced, non-stop adventure that picks up right pretty quickly in the aftermath of the previous book. I was actually a bit confused because I had picked up this book thinking that it was a stand alone, and so in the first few chapters I knew that I was missing something. I would say that this book does a good job of catching you up without revealing too many spoilers from the previous book. But I would probably recommend reading the books in order to minimize possible confusion.

I loved the friendship and camaraderie between King, Blake, and MJ. King with his astute observation, Blake and his hacking skills, and MJ's clowning that hides a sharp young man beneath. This story brought to mind growing up with the Accidental Detectives, and how Mr. Brouwer is still expertly blending heart-pounding suspense and non-stop action with humor, and surprise twists along the way.

King and his friends are swept into a conspiracy so tangled that they don't know who to trust, I loved this book to the very end, riveting. The characters were very well done, and I instantly was cheering for their gang to get to the bottom of everything. I liked King, he is very observant and he knows how to read people. MJ's antics had me groaning and guffawing throughout.

Overall, a fantastic read from beginning to end it was thrilling adventure, and I loved the strong sense of family and friendship that this book brought to the forefront. You will not regret picking up this series!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

[Tarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Another fantastic plot from Sigmund Brouwer. He always adds such cool (kind of almost sci-fi) elements in his books. This one is awesome! It's the sequel to Dead Man's Switch (which I also definitely recommend!)

This book has our teenaged main character, King, joining the ranks of the CIA and FBI, and chatting it up with the American president himself. All to save the life of a kidnapped girl.

So if you need a fun, high-stakes adventure (with good morals) for your boys, this is the one. Thrill-seeking girls will enjoy it too.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest opinion.

[Midborgh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought a hard copy which meant I was gonna read it no matter what. I regret it.
Honestly, the only complaint I'm gonna give is thEFUKING APPLE FANBOYISM SERIOUSLY WHAT THE FUCK. Aside from that, I lied, through the whole book(s) the use of tech is just... off. Maybe less tech inclined people would like it better, but I hated this.

Don't fucking read this book

[Yvonne Lacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good storyteller.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one better than the first, though it was hard to know who the bad guys and good guys were.

[Becki · Rating 2 out of 5]

In starting this book, I didn’t realize it was actually the second book in a series, the first book being Dead Man’s Switch. Had I known that ahead of time and read the initial book first, it might have changed some of my thoughts on this book. It would have made some parts of the character interaction and the references make more sense. Although Nowhere to Hide is readable as a standalone (as I did), I don’t think I would recommend it that way.
Also, since my review copy was digital it had several grammatical issues and mistakes as well as every few paragraphs the story was interrupted with either a tag line of the author’s name or a statement about not reproducing the text in any way. Both things that a reader doesn’t need to deal with in the final digital and print versions, I’m sure. But for full disclosure’s sake, I think that did interrupt the flow for me and make the reading less enjoyable.

I expected an intense, fast-paced YA novel about two teens helping out the CIA while being students. What I received was a fast paced novel, but about three teens on their summer break. Well, really, just one teen, King, was the focus of the book. MJ and Blake played roles intermittently but were not central to the story. That was primarily King and CIA Agent Evans.
Also, there wasn’t very much to do with computer skills or cyber bounty hunting. Most of that was done by Blake, and you learn about it in hindsight during the first few chapters.
Still an interesting story. Also rather confusing at times. In fact, I’m still not sure I fully grasped all of the plot twists and redirections.

For the most part, the scenes and the dialogue flowed well. There were a few times I had to go back and re-read as I thought I had missed something.

The descriptions of the settings were great. Just enough detail to make you feel like you’re there but not so much you get bored.

I think that Brouwer nailed King’s dialogue as well as that of Evans and even some of the other CIA agents involved. The parents and other two boys seemed more like caricatures than realistic, growing characters.

The pace of this story was quick, which will appeal to the YA audience targeted. However, I am used to reading quick paced suspense books written on an adult level. Yet this book confused me and completely lost me at times more than any of those adult books have.
At the start of the book, there is mention of Mr. King betraying his son. By the final page, I still wasn’t really clear on what that betrayal was. Was his dad in on the whole thing from the start with the tech guru? I don’t think so but am not 100% positive.

I don’t believe there is any truly questionable content. Targeting an audience of teen male readers means that of course there are some references to bodily functions and smelly socks. However, I wouldn’t say any of that is offensive.

I will give the book this: I was guessing clear to the final page. And have still been guessing since I finished it. So it’s a book that sticks with you as you try to figure it out. The frustration is that I’m not sure it can be figured out. Plus, the story wasn’t compelling enough for me to want to re-read the whole thing again with the added value of hindsight.

The target audience is young adult. I would even further define it as young adult (probably middle school through freshman) males. There are only two female characters outside of the mothers, and all female characters definitely have a very background role. So I don’t think this book would appeal as much to girls.

In conclusion, I think this was an okay young adult suspense novel. I appreciated the lack of vulgar language and sex that seems prevalent in so much YA literature these days. I enjoyed the story line for the most part. I was just frustrated by my confusion throughout.

Pros
• A fresh approach to a YA world full of language and sex
• An engaging character in King
• Fast-paced
Cons
• Confusing at times – perhaps reading the first book would help

**Review will be posted on The Christian Manifesto website 05.20.15

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about three teens, William King, Blake Watt, and Michael Johnson. The nicknames they use in the book are King, Blake, and MJ. King lived on McNeil Island, which was an Island where United States kept some of its dangerous prisoners. In fact, the only other people who lived on the island, other that the prisoners, were the prison employees. McNeil Island was only mile or so from the shore Tacoma, Washington. The only way from or to the island was by charter or helicopter ride. One day a thought to be family friend and CIA agent came by helicopter to take King to meet with Blake and MJ. The weird part about it was, was that it was not the usual CIA agent that stopped by. The regular CIA agent is Evans, the CIA agent that showed up was Don Mundie. Not only that, but he also he called King, William, which of course is not the name he usually goes by. Also, King asked Don Mundie about Evan's coffee order (which King knew) and the CIA agent said the wrong coffee order. The helicopter ride was smooth, they went to downtown Seattle where strangely Blake and MJ were staying at an expensive hotel. When they reached the room Blake and MJ were in they had drone surveillance set up over a house where the police were about to make an arrest. Anyways to make a long story shorter Mundie was wearing an earpiece and was trying to find out information about what the three boys were doing. They tied up Mundie and Evans eventually came to the three boys help. The three teens were kept in the dark by the CIA agent Evans, but Evans did show them the reasons as to what and why they were looking for a fake clump of grass. The reason was that somewhere underground at a certain property there where they were at was believed to be a girl named Amanda held hostage underground.A fake clump of grass would be a hiding spot for the entrance to the underground room. She was being held underground, because the person (Delamarre) holding her there was accused of terrorism and wanted the charges dropped. If you want to see how things turn out you can read the book to find out.

[Christian Fiction Addiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish they'd had young adult fiction books like THIS when I was a teen! "Nowhere to Hide" is a fantastic follow-up to the first book starring teens King, MJ, and Blake, Dead Man's Switch, and has the same non-stop action as the first book. I was riveted to my seat as I was drawn back into their world and into the middle of a conspiracy where nothing is as it seems. The characters are expertly developed, and readers will find themselves cheering on the 3 teens as they race to discover exactly what is going on. Something I really appreciated about this novel especially is that King has some serious challenges to overcome, and he shows that we don't have to pretend to be perfect (and in fact that doing so can actually only make things worse!) I also like the special bond King has with his parents, and think that if more parents had the openness King ends up having with his mom and dad that there would be a lot less problems in this world. I encourage parents to read this book along with their teenagers, because not only will they be completely entertained, but they will have the opportunity to talk about when it is okay to lie or not lie. The author even brings up some examples from the Bible that fit well into the story and can also lead to some further discussion.

Both teens and adults who love an action-packed plot with tons of twist and turns should plan on adding "Nowhere to Hide" to their collection. Not only will they find themselves immersed in a well-told story, but they will appreciate how this novel celebrates family, faith, and friendships.

"Nowhere to Hide" is young adult fiction at its best. 5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Harvest House Publishers for the purposes of this unbiased review.

[Ashley Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced young adult book. I didn't realize it was the second in a series, but I assume reading the first book would clear up some of the confusion I had. This book centers around King. I really grew to like him and the other characters in the book and loved the pacing through the story.

These boys have been asked to work for the CIA doing cyber bounty hunting (I didn't even know that was a thing!). There are twists and turns and uncertainty about who to trust or even who is good and who is bad! The three boys that are at the center of everything really do keep you entertained and rooting for them.

It was a 4/5 for me. I think I would have rated it a 5/5 if I had read the first book in the series.



Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

[Kerryn (RatherBeReading) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am fairly certain that this is the second book in a series although i cannot find any information about this anywhere, this annoys me as i feel i would never normally read a second book in a series without having read the previous book.

Most of the problems i had with this story would probably not have been issues i have read the previous book as the characters did not feel totally fleshed out and continual references were made to previous events that were not explained (presumably from an earlier book).

Also, the three main characters in this book are all from the same tiny island and yet each of them is a genius in their own right.. this just did not seem realistic to me.

The plot was reasonably enjoyable but i felt it could have been further fleshed out.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy to review.

[Jane Audette · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good paced tale of mystery, intrigue and characters with depth. Brouwer kept me engaged with relatable MJ, Blake and King who was experiencing panic attacks prior to being summoned by CIA Evans who is a good guy...or is he? Twists and turns and shades of brilliance in the the boys own quirky ways left me wanting to binge read. And I did. The ongoing thread of the morality of lying to authorities was woven throughout the story. There really was no definitive 'yes, in certain circumstances it's okay to lie' although I can see where readers may come to this conclusion. And then, for me the last few chapters were very disappointing. I was left me with a 'huh?', that's not in keeping with the tone of the story. Major let down on what could have been at least a 4 star book.

[Mallory Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this book three stars. Not because it was a horrible book. It was just a little confusing at times. There's a book that Sigmund Brouwer wrote called Dead Man's Switch which has the same characters in it. Although I don't know for sure if Nowhere to Hide is the sequel to that book. In this book they do bring up the Dead Man's Switch a lot. I felt like I should have read that one first before Nowhere to Hide to get a better idea about the characters and their story. All in all I did like it. It was a fast read and also funny at times.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nowhere to Hide by Sigmund Brouwer

Harvest House Publishers

Christian, Teens & YA

Pub Date Mar 1, 2015

William Lyon MacKenzie King was betrayed by his Father. McNeil Island is far from the perfect sanctuary it houses a prison with the world’s most violent men.

King knows that the facilities of this prison are not completely secure.

Geared towards the Young Adult audience this book is action packed with C.I.A agents S.W.A.T Team operatives and Navy Seals. I believe Young adults and adults a like can find a great deal of enjoyment in the book.

I give this book five out of five Stars

Happy Reading

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I have read from this author. I found the characters well-developed and the writing style was good. I did however find myself confused at times, and felt I missed something along the way. That being said it was well worth the read and I look forward to reading more from the author.

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via NETGALLEY.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nowhere to Hide is the first book I have read by Sigmund Brouwer and it definitely will not be the last. The book has a perfect mixture of action, mystery, and suspense, with a touch of humor. I thought the book was great!
5 stars.

[Karen Upper · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has written a fast paced sequel to Dead Man's Switch. Despite this being a follow-up to the earlier story, I think this tale can stand alone.
A reader can easily get caught up in all the high adventure that is filled with mystery, and exciting twists and turns.