Have You Seen Her?

Have You Seen Her?
4 Stars

Synopsis
Investigating the horrific murder of a teenage cheerleader and coping with his traumatized 7 year old, Special Agent Steven Thatcher has his hands full. But things can always get worse and they do when another dead girl is found and Steven's eldest son, Brad, starts failing in school. Brad's teacher, Jenna Marshall reaches out to help, and she and Steven realize they have more in common than their concern for Brad. As they grow closer, however, so does the killer who seems to have turned his sights on Jenna.

Review
Even better than the first book.

The serial killer plot is well done with some excellent twists and turns although a careful reader will find it very easy to identify the culprit.

The romance is show more compelling mostly due to the amazing chemistry between Steven and Jenna. This makes their relationship believable despite the relatively short time span. Given his history, Steven is an extremely vulnerable hero, which may explain his trust issues and reservations where it comes to accepting Jenna wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, his jealousy can be annoying at times. Jenna is my favorite type of heroine, caring and sympathetic but also holds her own against hesitant policemen and diabolical serial killers.

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.

Nevertheless, Have You Seen Her? is a well-written and exciting thriller with just the right about of suspense and romance. show less

Have You Seen Her? was another exciting romantic suspense from Karen Rose. The serial killer mystery part of the book was taut with suspense. Although the real killer was definitely at the top of my suspect list, Ms. Rose certainly made me second guess myself several times, making the journey to discovering his identity enjoyable. She also threw in a little twist that I didn't see coming. I thought the romance aspect could have been just a wee bit better. For some reason I can't quite put my finger on, I didn't feel the connection between the hero and heroine quite as deeply as I would have liked. Perhaps it was because their relationship developed rather quickly over the course of only a few weeks, which isn't really my favorite way show more for a couple to fall in love. However, their romance was still good. Stephen and Jenna are both wounded souls who very much need each other, but they're also both rather stubborn and after being deeply hurt in the past, don't want to feel needy. As a consequence, this led to some amusing arguments, as well as intense passion. I felt that Stephen held back the truth about his first wife from Jenna a little too long, but otherwise, they communicated quite well for two people who had just met and were still getting to know each other.

I had really liked Stephen in Karen Rose's first book, Don't Tell. When he's on a case, he's more than just a cop. He truly cares about the victims and their families. It's what drives him to be a great detective, but it also puts a strain on his family relationships, especially with his kids. Stephen is definitely not a perfect dad, but he is a great one, nonetheless. He really loves his boys and although he has some problems with them, it just made him all the more relatable to me. Stephen was a very nice guy who certainly didn't deserve the cruel way in which his first wife abandoned him and their children. Because of that, Stephen has issues with trusting women, but that was understandable. However, it does lead to some problems with Jenna, and even I got a little miffed with him when he got jealous and spitefully left Jenna alone at the school even though he supposedly feared for her safety. That seemed like a rather dumb move for such a smart man, and I couldn't help but side with her when she temporarily broke off their relationship because of it. Luckily, Jenna was a pretty patient woman and eventually heard him out and forgave him. On the up side, the thing I really loved about Stephen was that he is a rare celibate hero who actually believes that if he has sex with a woman he better be prepared to marry her, and so consequently doesn't sleep around. The romance seas are brimming with playboy heroes, so I couldn't help but find Stephen's perspective utterly refreshing.

Jenna is a wonderfully caring woman who is struggling emotionally as the second anniversary of her fiancé's death approaches. As a teacher, she truly desires to give her students the best education she possibly can and always looks out for their well-being. It's her mindful attitude regarding Stephen's son, Brad that led to her meeting Stephen in the first place. She's fabulous with all of Stephen's boys, especially little Nicky who was still recovering from the trauma of being abducted just six months earlier (Don't Tell). I really enjoyed their scenes together as Jenna gave Nicky lots of love and special attention. She has a major soft spot for animals too and has two dogs that she saved from being euthanized and then trained them to guard her extremely well. She also does plenty of volunteer work at the animal shelter and the hospice where her fiancé passed away. Jenna may be a very nice person, but underneath it all, she's a tough-as-nails lady with a brown belt in karate. I love how she stood up to a bullying parent and wouldn't back down on the failing grade she gave his son even though her weaselly principle wouldn't support her in that decision and she started receiving threats because of it. All throughout the story, but especially when she had to go up against the killer, Jenna showed great courage, fortitude and strength of spirit.

Have You Seen Her? boasts a plethora of supporting players that I occasionally had a hard time keeping straight. In spite of that, I have to say that they were all rendered extremely well and each had his or her own very important role to play. Stephen's family is warm and wonderful. Brad is initially quite sullen, but I figured out very quickly what his problem was. Nicky is as cute as a button. It's sweet how Aunt Helen is always trying to play matchmaker to Stephen, and her banter with Matt was LOL funny. Stephen's priest friend, Mike was a good sounding board for Stephen's problems with both his boys and Jenna. Jenna's fiancé's family has become hers, and although she doesn't get along so well with her almost sister-in-law, everyone still loves and cares about her very much, as does her “nosy” neighbor, Mrs. Kasselbaum, who was a funny old lady. Stephen assembles an extremely talented investigative team to solve the string of murders, and each person on the team has their own personality and abilities that they bring to the table to get the job done. Neil Davies the lead investigator for the murders in Seattle joins them too. I had to admire his determination to put the killer behind bars after his own investigation went south, but on the other hand, he irritated me a bit when he tried to put the moves on Jenna. Then of course there was the Lutz family who give a whole new meaning to creepy. Unlike with most of Karen Rose's books, it doesn't look like the characters from Have You Seen Her? carry over to future books at this time, the only exception being Stephen who it appears may have a secondary role in Kill for Me. All in all, everything came together to make Have You Seen Her? a great read. With two winners in a row, Karen Rose has earned a spot on my favorite authors list, and I'm really looking forward to reading more of her novels soon.

Note: Karen Rose has a highly interconnected character web throughout all of her books, and they are considered something of an unofficial series. Although it appears that each book stands well on it's own story-wise, I think the reading experience would probably be enhanced by reading the books in the chronological order in which they were written, which is what I intend to do. A complete list including the recommended reading order and character connections can be found on Karen Rose's website. show less

Have You Seen Her?
4 Stars

Synopsis
Investigating the horrific murder of a teenage cheerleader and coping with his traumatized 7 year old, Special Agent Steven Thatcher has his hands full. But things can always get worse and they do when another dead girl is found and Steven's eldest son, Brad, starts failing in school. Brad's teacher, Jenna Marshall reaches out to help, and she and Steven realize they have more in common than their concern for Brad. As they grow closer, however, so does the killer who seems to have turned his sights on Jenna.

Review
Even better than the first book.

The serial killer plot is well done with some excellent twists and turns although a careful reader will find it very easy to identify the culprit.

The romance is show more compelling mostly due to the amazing chemistry between Steven and Jenna. This makes their relationship believable despite the relatively short time span. Given his history, Steven is an extremely vulnerable hero, which may explain his trust issues and reservations where it comes to accepting Jenna wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, his jealousy can be annoying at times. Jenna is my favorite type of heroine, caring and sympathetic but also holds her own against hesitant policemen and diabolical serial killers.

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.

Nevertheless, Have You Seen Her? is a well-written and exciting thriller with just the right about of suspense and romance. show less

Neil Davies has had to live with the knowledge that the technicality that caused the release of a serial killer was his fault. Now there are new cases but instead of his home town of Seattle, this time they are in North Carolina. Special Agent Steven Thatcher has been on these new cases from the beginning with little luck in solving them until Neil comes along. At the same time, Dr. Jenna Marshall, high school science teacher has been dealing with the vandalism that comes with failing the star quarterback of the football team. Before long, it becomes clear that all of these incidents may be related.

Have You Seen Her is a good romantic suspense novel with well developed characters. Steven is difficult to like since he makes mostly bad show more decisions, leaving the love story feeling a bit weak. The likability of the other characters in the story, including the children makes up some for the lack of romance. Both Steven and Jenna have suffered loss with neither of them handling it very well and this plays into the drama prevalent throughout the narrative. Also, the serial killer storyline does have a mental health aspect, but I don't have enough experience or knowledge in this are to know how well it's handled. Overall, Have You Seen Her is a solid romantic suspense novel. show less

Karen Rose writes well crafted, layered stories that keep you guessing. Have You Seen Her is no exception! While I guessed the identity of the killer fairly early, I still found the story engaging. There are many red herrings that Rose throws out that made even me question my initial thoughts. Throughout it all you also have the building romance between Jenna and Steven.

Steven is a total moron when it comes to Jenna. There were so many times I wanted to throat punch him for his stupid actions. But, I forgave him, just like Jenna did because he is a good man. I loved seeing Steven's kids too! Nicky, Matt, Brad were endearing. You couldn't NOT love them. They are so desperate for love and attention. You get glimpses into their lives show more chronologically as the story progresses which adds to the dimensionality of all the characters.

The killer's acts are gruesome and disturbing, but Rose does not grotesquely describe them for shock value. The story progresses in an explicit chronological order, with time/date stamps indicating each switch of point of view to various characters. This allows the reader to experience various events from all the various characters in relation to what is going with all the events. This creates a compelling story because you are always moving from person to person, event to event as everything builds.

The narrator, Michael Ferraiuolo, does a pretty good job. I found many of his 'female voices' to be very irritating. The longer I listened, the less grating it became but I never really found it 'enjoyable'. However, the rest of his narration was excellent.

Overall if you enjoy murder mysteries, mature romance characters, and lots of interesting supporting characters, you will enjoy every moment of Have you seen Her by Karen Rose!

 

• POV: 3rd


• Tears: no


• Trope: serial killer, widow/widower, single parent


• Triggers: none


• Series/Standalone: stand alone


• Cliffhanger: no


• HEA: yes

Hanover House by Brenda Novak, Taken by Cynthia Eden...then you will probably like Have You Seen Her!

 


Have You Seen Her






 See full review on The Book Disciple show less

iHgh Point, North Carolina is gripped with fear as a serial killer is in action. State Bureau of Investigation Agent Steven Thatcher vows to bring down this predator killing children. He knows first hand how parents feel as his pre-adolescent son Nicky was abducted, but fortunately rescued though six months later mental scars remain on the lad, his dad, and his teenage brother Brad. The plot had some nice twists and turns. You have a pretty good idea who the bad guy is - there aren't many possible suspects, but Rose does manage to give you a nice surprise at the end.

High Point, North Carolina is gripped with fear as a serial killer is in action. State Bureau of Investigation Agent Steven Thatcher vows to bring down this predator killing children. He knows first hand how parents feel as his preadolescent son Nicky was abducted, but fortunately rescued though six months later mental scars remain on the lad, his dad, and his teenage brother Brad..He takes a break from his obsession when Brad's chemistry teacher Dr. Jenna Marshall asks to see him. Brad's grades have collapsed and Jenna is worried about him. Jenna has other problems with threats from a wealthy father who demands she reinstate his failing son back on the football team. Still she finds she is attracted to Steven, who feels the same way. show more As they fall in love and he tries to uncover a killer with high level protection, a relationship seems impossible. Not only have both have suffered from previous relationships, his children remain traumatized by the abduction.

You know what you are going to get with this type of book, and Karen Rose certainly delivers. There is a gruesome crime and I was left guessing until the end who was the baddie. There is also plenty of romance and a few bedroom scenes thrown in for good mix. The hero Thatcher is as sexy as hell and Jenna the heroine is very beautiful and also in danger. Can Thatcher save the day and his girl ? Well of course he will in the romantic fiction world.

A very good read from Karen Rose as always. I would highly recommend this book if it is the type of genre that you like. show less