I Can See You [DVD Audio]

Never fails! Every Karen Rose book has pulled me in. I can't help but read them in one or two sittings. I HAVE to know what's going to happen next! Her characters are so engaging. My only negative happens at the end........I don't want it to end!!!!!

Even your shivers will have goose bumps when reading this frightening tale of a far too clever psycho who takes pleasure in killing. Not just killing, mind you, but torturing his victims first by making them endure their worst possible fear, whether it be fire, snakes or being buried alive. The question of how he has this information, who he is, and why he is doing it will keep readers glued (yes, he does glue his victims' eyes open) to I Can See You.

Author Rose brings back Eve Wilson who was mercilessly attacked and left for dead in the author's debut thriller (Don't Tell, 2003). Not only was she attacked but she was cut so severely that her face needed extensive surgical restoration and one hand was rendered almost useless. Nonetheless, what she suffered then is only prelude to what may befall her now.

Eve has gone to Minneapolis where she's found work as a bartender at a hangout for police. It was there that she first saw Noah Webster and was immediately attracted to him, but pushed this thought from her mind as she believed any relationship was forever out of the question for her. Noah is also attracted but still not fully recovered from the loss of his wife and child, and the years he spent in an alcoholic haze trying to forget. Two lost souls.

Eve is also a grad student working on a degree in abnormal psychology; the topic of her paper is "the pathology of serial killers." After spending years in the virtual world as she hid from the real world she wants to learn how to help those who have become addicted to role playing online at a site called Shadowland. There lonely people can choose faces, , play at gambling or dancing, even agree to meet someone they meet in the real world. A dangerous idea.

Rose loses no time in reeling readers in with an opening description of a murder so skillful, so carefully planned, so sadistic that it startles. Thus, we're introduced to the mysterious killer who not only sees all but knows all, and wants to make public fools of the police. His modus operandi is always the same, the women apparently die by hanging with a stool kicked over, their shoes positioned on the floor. He revels in their terror: "He learned long ago that their fear was far better than any drug, sending his orgasm into the stratosphere." Murder, you see, is a compunction with him; he not only derives pleasure from it but also sexual relief.

Noah is the detective in charge of the investigation of these deaths, and it soon seems that Eve may hold information that will help him. But, at what cost to her?

- Gail Cooke

I find this book has the right blend of suspense, intrigue and romance. The plot and the subplots are fantastic, and the killer is disturbing, but fascinating. I would have to say that I initially did not know what I was getting into, but I've come out of it feeling like I've read one of the best thrillers there is.

Eve Wilson and Noah Webster are well written, each with a past that haunts them everyday, but they are both strong characters who fight to regain control of their lives. As a reader, you really hope they make it through as these two lost souls are on their own roads toward healing and looking for love, whether they actually admit it or not. Eve's grad thesis is interesting and relevant to today's world. The idea of studying the impact of virtual communities on gamers is pretty accurate and mind-boggling. (Second Life, anyone?) I thought Eve and Noah were after one killer, but...

The story is well executed and the author just keeps you guessing. The twists and turns just keep coming. If you like crime fiction or suspense/thrillers, this book is highly recommended. I love this book. I really enjoyed this book, although it makes me a little paranoid. Be careful about what you disclose online because you never know who's watching...