You Can't Hide
Karen Rose
Warner Vision, April 2006
Chick-Lit/Romance
Reviewer:
Monica Poling
Posted: February 26, 2006
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It saddens me that Karen Rose is so prolific, for she really no longer should be getting reviewed here at OnceWritten.com. She has well surpassed the title of either “new” or even “emerging” author, and yet because I know she is always going to deliver a fast-paced, enjoyable story, and because we’ve been reviewing her since nearly the beginning, I just couldn’t resist reading her newest book, YOU CAN’T HIDE.
As always, Rose delivers a masterful, story of suspense. In this story, we see a return of Aidan Reagan, who was first introduced to us as younger brother of Abe Reagan, hero of I’M WATCHING YOU.
Aidan, a recently promoted detective, is called on to investigate the apparent open-and-shut suicide of Cynthia Adams. Adams, it turns out, was a patient of psychiatrist Dr. Tess Ciccotelli, not a favorite of the Chicago PD. Tess, in her role as court psychiatrist, argued for the mental instability of a psychotic murderer, sending him to a state hospital instead of prison, and she’s been persona non grata with the police ever since.
Reagan soon learns there was nothing simple about Adams suicide, and that instead it came as a result of an elaborately planned scheme. Seems the murderer has access to Tess’ private files and knows exactly how to push the victim’s buttons, causing them to end their own lives. It doesn’t take long for nearly every person Tess knows to become a victim. Even casual acquaintances aren’t safe, as the murderer turns from elaborately planned mental torture, to a more immediate form of death, old fashioned homicide.
As Tess becomes accused of everything from murder to violating doctor patient confidentiality, Aiden becomes more and more convinced that she’s guilty of nothing. Needless to say he’s also having a hard time battling his attraction to Tess.
This story is also filled with numerous secondary characters, many of which who don’t make it to the end of the story, but many who also do survive. From Reagan’s family to Tess’ family, to her immediate Friends-like set of pals there are many characters wandering around this story.
Rose does a good job of keeping her characters well-defined and not letting them control the story. Her particular strength in YOU CAN’T HIDE, though, is painting a great picture of Tess’ increasing isolation, as many of the people she knows are murdered. Even with the built in support of her surviving peers, Tess becomes more and more rattled to be integral in the loss of so many.
As always, this is an enjoyable work by Karen Rose, one of the rising stars in the world of romantic suspense. Even at nearly 500 pages, the story is a fast read and doesn’t ever veer off course.
