Pretend You Don't See Her

While I couldn't give this book 5 stars, it was still a good read, and shows off some of Ms. Clark's writing ability. I especially liked this book because of the surprises that kept coming, and racked my brain trying to figure out whodunnit to Heather Landi. The mark of a good book has a hard-to-figure out whodunnit, and this book is also nicely-paced. Classic MHC, a solid read.

When real estate agent, Lacey, witnesses the murder of a woman she is selling a house for, she is in danger. Not only that, the dying woman tasked Lacey with giving her daughter’s journal to her daughter’s father. Her daughter was killed in a car crash a few months previous. However, the journal is now evidence.

I liked it, but there were a lot of characters that I had a bit of trouble keeping straight. The author jumps to different perspectives, on occasion, and the reader knows who the killer is (as does Lacey) from the start, but how it all ties together is unknown. Overall, it was “good” for me.

A solid suspense novel. As usual, featuring a young woman in danger.

Living and working in New York City, Lacey (so often they are named Lacey), a realtor, happens to witness the killing of a client, and the killer sees her. It isn't long before she is whisked away to the Witness Protection Program. And lands in Minneapolis. She has a new name and a new story.

Lacey is not comfortable lying to everyone she meets, and can't wait to get her life back on track. Because her family is not in danger, they are not with her, and she is allowed to make one phone call to her mother once a week. These phone calls are not monitored, although the place and the phone lines are prepared ahead of time.

While making some kind of peace with her situation, show more Lacey finds a job and meets a man. She is attracted to him but feels she cannot endanger him by letting him become part of her life. Some time in the future, maybe. So she is more alone than ever, having to give up even the possibility of real friendship and love.

The killer is stalking her and we can imagine it is only a matter of time before he finds out where she has gone.

The ride is suspenseful but not edge-of-seat suspenseful, and honestly, I'm fine with that. I like a little but don't like to be hanging on for days and days. Even when I know the outcome will be okay, as it tends to be with Clark. I found Lacey likeable enough, but pretty similar to other protagonists in similar novels. She could have used a little more edge, in my opinion.

I wondered about this business of her being able to make a phone call once a week. I tried to find out more online and it appears that this is not usual. Normally cut off is cut off. Why risk it? And if you are going to risk it, then at least monitor what she says. This all doesn't add up to me. In other respects it appears that Clark got the procedures right. show less

I listened to the audio book, read by Mary Pifer. The heroine, Manhattan real estate agent Lacey Ferrell , witnessed a murder and received a journal written by the murdered woman's daughter- who may have also been murdered. Lacey enters into the witness protection program for her safety. When her whereabouts become known and her life threatened once again she returns to New York to solve the case and hopefully resume her old life.
The plot was interesting enough, the characters less so, particularly the females. Lacey was so whiny during her Witness Protection time that I truly hoped she'd get shot. This was my second M.H. Clark book and while it was better than "My Gal Sunday" it was far from a good read.

Had to think of this a few times as witsec popped up in some tv series. It's nicely written. The break in protection is very obvious but oh well...

A typical tale of the damsel in witness protection falling in love and unable to open up to her knight in shining armor by order of her protectors. Not my favorite of Clark's, but not bad either.

Quick Read but was very entertaining until the very end