Ms. Simon Says

Syndicated advice columnist Shelby Simon is targeted by a bomber; letter bombs addressed to her have arrived simultaneously at several papers that carry her column. Chicago police dismantle the one in her office and arrange to put her in protective custody until the culprit is apprehended. Reluctantly, widowed Mick Callahan is assigned to hide her at her parent's home in northern Michigan, but before they leave, a letter is received at her apartment, and the mail carrier is killed. Mick immediately takes control and gets her out of harm's way. As he comes to grips with his feelings about the loss of his deceased wife, sparks ignite between he and Shelby, forcing them to confront their feelings for each other, while a mad bomber is still out for vengeance. McBride has created a charismatic and tortured hero in Mick. Shelby at first comes off kind of petulant, but soon readers will warm to her just as Mick does. The mystery surrounding Mick's dead wife is very intriguing, though the identity of the bomber is pretty easy to ascertain. While the story requires you to suspend belief in light of mail terrorists like the "Unabomber," her story is engaging, and the couple's romance sizzles. Followed up by "Say it Again, Sam," featuring Shelby's kid sister, Beth.

After reading MS. SIMON SAYS, I've added Mary McBride's backlist to my "must have" list.Wow! Ms. McBride takes a fairly standard 'bodyguard' storyline and gives it a totally fresh face with engaging characters, clever dialogue and heavy dollops of humor. The main setting of this story - a small lake town in Michigan - and the author's knack for adding some nice little touches to her character's lives, only added to its appeal.Ms. McBride definitely has a flair for creating warm, believable characters. Shelby Simon, is a quirky, meddlesome and fun heroine in contrast to the dour, wounded-hero type, Mick Callahan. But this duo balance each other beautifully and are electrifying together. This pair is dynamic, intelligent, inspired, with just loads of sexual chemistry. And its refreshing to read a hero, particularly one as gruff as Mick, admit - at least to himself - that he's wild about the heroine. MS. SIMON SAYS is also peppered with well-written secondary characters, particularly Shelby's parents. The suspense storyline in MS. SIMON SAYS is equally well done, but Ms. McBride wisely chose, I think, to distance the death and mayhem from her characters. The result is a story that sparkles with warmth and has a lots of appeal - a real gem.Debbie Jett...

The letter bombs hit Helm-Harris syndicate newspaper offices in several cities. At the flagship paper, the Chicago Daily Mirror, the bomb squad dismantles the deadly letter. The common thread is that each letter was addressed to advice columnist Shelby Simon. The Chicago police, in agreement with Shelby's editor, decide to take her out of harm's way and thus protect others.Chicago PD Lieutenant Mick Callahan is assigned to take Shelby to a safe spot, her family home in Heart Lake, Michigan. Before they leave Chicago, a letter bomb explodes at her apartment building killing the mail carrier. In Michigan, Mick sticks around to keep Shelby safe though he insists it is not because she is the first person to make him laugh since his wife died a few years ago. As they become acquainted while he tries to keep her safe from a maniac, they fall in love, but Mick knows a hot shot columnist like Shelby would only be embarrassed to introduce her friends to a cop. Though there is way too much angst amongst secondary characters (her parents are separated and her California based sister's love of a lifetime is in town hating Shelby), fans will enjoy this tense romantic suspense. Since Mick has relationship demons, the only one to have it together is Shelby, the target of the bomber. Though why no one in her family asks about the bombings and the killer's motive is a stretch, readers will appreciate the fast-paced MS. SIMON SAYS and look forward to the sequel PLAY IT AGAIN SAM.Harriet Klausner