Have You Seen Her?

Product Information

This is the first book by Karen Rose that went through my hands, but it certainly won't be the last. I heard only good things about her books and now I have proof they were all true.

This was my second read by author Karen Rose, and it's a very good romantic suspense; but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as her first book, Don't Tell. The plot is tightly drawn, the villain is uber creepy, scary, and sadistic, the heroine, teacher Jenna Marshall, is spunky and endearing, and the suspense is edgy and intense, but the hero, Special Agent Steven Thatcher, who played a key role in Don't Tell, really got on my nerves in this one. Jenna Marshall is determined find out why Brad, her star pupil, has gone off the rails. But when she meets Steven, the watching murderer immediately turns his attention to her.I will definitely read more from this author in the future. There are plenty of books there to choose from. Her novels, I'M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into twenty-four languages. this book is another hit . The story unfolds with a twist ... which makes one realise how a good author can wind a reader around her/his finger. A most enjoyable read and hard to put down '

A couple of issues are left open which mar the overall reading experience, such as Brad's sudden return to his affable self after being a typical obnoxious teen for half the story, and the dubious resolution of the vandalism subplot.The story transitions between Caroline and Max's developing relationship, the SBI investigation and Rob's hunt for "Mary Grace" and his son. Rob is a sadistic and cruel man who is also a pretty bad cop but a skilled detective. The tension mounts as these three stories begin to intersect and the bodies start to pile up. Your pulse rate will increase as you begin to worry for some of the characters, knowing that there will be an eventual climax between the investigators, Caroline and Rob.

Third, the heroine and her idiosyncrasies. She kept accusing everybody of not getting over her deceased fiancé, but still she kept his ring, and his car...And then accusing the hero of not trusting her (which was true), yet her behavior suggested she didn't trust him either. I raced through this. It was as good as I remember it being the first time round. Karen writes in an easy, relaxed way. It's not difficult to read, the plot was excellently mapped out, and I found myself wanting to read a bit more each time I went to put it down of an evening. Strong willed and independent Jenna has a good heart and a lot of compassion for friends and students alike, but has a tendency to assume too much responsibility and fails to let those who love her take care of her...even when she needs it. Steven is utterly at a loss with one son who suddenly seems to hate him and another who hasn't recovered from his trauma. His aunt won't stop setting him up with blind dates and the very thing that makes him so good at his job - his dedication - is causing so many problems with his family he feels almost like he's hiding from them. A good read overall, love the story line, didn't love that at times it was a bit too repetitious. A subject that even in real life is awful and down right frightening - spousal abuse. Even worse when it involves a cop, who is not only abusing his family, in particular his wife, but a cop that beats confessions true or false out of perpetrators!Young girls are disappearing from their beds at night. Each one pretty with long dark hair. Each one found brutally murdered. If you like your hanky-panky on the sweat-inducing side, this is the book for you. I almost thought I wasn’t going to make it because the sexual tension in this book was so intense. And that’s just the tension part. The hanky-part broke my air conditioning, it was so hot. This is not a book to be read in public because even though the cover isn’t very conspicuous in screaming “I’m a romance novel, bitches!”, the sex scenes will have you squirming and feeling mighty uncomfortable, as if the casual stranger walking by would be able to read your thoughts inside your head whilst you’re reading this book.

Karen Rose is a master storyteller and has a gift for wending endearing romance and taut suspense into a single solid read that provides ultimate entertainment. The strength in Have You Seen Her? lies in the complex, likable characters that Rose imbues with depth and personality. There are no cardboard cutouts here, but flawed, real people with their own perks and peccadilloes. I shouldn’t have read this right after the first. I think this one was worse – mainly because you can no longer say ‘well it’s a first book’… Jenna... 4 hours in and we barely get any time with her. She's a saint and perfect and loves her students, but outside of school I don't know much about her. this book is another hit. The story unfolds with a twist... which makes one realise how a good author can wind a reader around her/his finger. A most enjoyable read and hard to put down'

Customer reviews

Max. The hero. Thinks that no woman can ever fall for him because he walks with a cane. Has he not seen House? Canes are cool. Everyone loves canes. Stupid man. And he so fails at dark, brooding mysteriousness.