Nowhere to Hide

Gr 8 Up—William Lyon Mackenzie King lives on McNeil Island, a quiet, isolated location housing a federal prison and its employees, across the waters from the southern end of Puget Sound. Blake and MJ, King's closest friends and computer whiz kids, are off the island for a few days, taking a break to work with CIA agent Evans. To King's surprise, at Evans's request, his father, Mack, arranges for him to meet with Blake and MJ, which leads to a growing panic of insecurity, considering the treacherous moments he endured involving Evans one month before. To further his surprise, it is not Evans who flies in on the helicopter to retrieve him but Don Mundie, CIA, who instantly arouses King's suspicions by calling him William. Upon their arrival at the hotel, Blake is clueless as to Mundie's identity, so King knows what he has to do. Together the three boys overpower Mundie, make a run for it, and run straight into Evans at the door. Mundie attempts to convince the boys that Evans is conning them but the boys place their faith in Evans and exit with him. King and his friends must make a choice, and the choice leaves them nowhere to hide. This fast-paced thriller full of unexpected twists, addressing deception, identity struggle, and inner peace, deserves its place on the shelf.