You Can't Hide

Someone is encouraging the patients of Dr. Tess Ciccotelli to commit suicide, and all clues lead police to the doctor herself. Estranged from her family and already considered a pariah by police since her testimony made sure a cop killer did not stand trial due to insanity, they don't want to clear her just yet. But the coincidences are just that, and someone with a grudge wants to see Tess not only stripped of her job, but her freedom too. When detective Aidan Regan starts to suspect that she is the pawn in a sadistic killer's game of vengeance, he vows to protect the woman that on one hand he dislikes, and on the other he desires. As the two are drawn to each other, and she escapes the traps the killer has set, it becomes an even deadlier game as friends and acquaintances are suddenly being targeted. Will they be able to figure out who hates Tess enough to commit murder before she becomes the next victim or has a chance to reconcile with the family she loves and misses so much? Rose's latest is yet another first rate romantic suspense, guaranteed to have you biting your nails right down to the cuticle. With plenty of potential suspects and a few plot surprises, the duo of Tess and Aidan burn up the pages and make this nearly 500 pager go quickly. It begs the question, can Rose write a mediocre novel? Doesn't appear so.

Doctor Tess Ciccotelli is a psychiatrist and when her troubled patients begin to die in suspect ways the police think she may be the killer. When detective Aidan Reagan and his partner Todd Murphy catch her case Aidan is quick to judge the one woman he feels allowed a monster to escape his punishment. Tess knows she's going to have to cooperate with the police she only wishes she didn't see Aidan as a man, a man who makes her want a the security of his arms. Aidan Reagan is prepared to hate Tess for her role in allowing a murdering monster to escape standing trial. He is convinced she is the enemy. But, when the murders of her patients begin to climb and she is ruined and her friends an family are in danger he realizes that he is wrong about Tess. She cares and despite his best effort he finds out so does he. He now needs to find a killer who wants Tess dead before he looses the one person he'll ever love. Ms. Rose has done it again. She is one talented writer who can draw out a suspense read to the final spine chilling end. It was fun to re-visit with Abe, Kristen, and the rest of the Reagan family. Aidan and Tess are compelling characters and the nightmare Ms. Rose creates for them is top drawer. This is one author I highly recommend.

Dr. Tess Ciccotelli's life has turned into a nightmare. Someone is torturing her patients so that they will commit suicide, and leaving clues that point directly to Tess. Detective Aidan Reagan has disliked Tess since her professional testimony kept a child murderer and cop killer from standing trial. However, when it becomes obvious that Tess is the focus of a madman, Aidan is forced to spend time with her while protecting her. The more time he spends with Tess, the more he realizes that she's not only a good doctor, she's a good person, and that her testimony was truly her way of doing what she believed in. In the beginning, Tess finds Aidan's attitude towards her annoying, but she is also greatly attracted to him. Aidan and Tess find themselves drawn to each other, their relationship exploding with passion. As their passion deepens into a much deeper relationship, can Aidan protect Tess from the madman who seems determined to destroy her? With You Can't Hide, Karen Rose is quickly becoming an author that readers of romantic suspense should have on auto-buy. Aidan and Tess quickly drew me in, making me become invested in their relationship. The suspense storyline was so superbly written that, in all honesty, I really didn't see the identity of the villain until Ms. Rose revealed it. The welcome addition of glimpses into the lives of characters who were featured in previous books rounds out an awesome story. I eagerly await Ms. Rose's next offering! Melissa Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Detective Aidan Reagen is first on scene of what seems to be a suicide. Dr. Tess Ciccotelli receives a phone call in the middle of the night telling her that her patient is about to jump off her balcony. She arrives too late, not knowing that her patient was already dead when she got the call. Aidan feels contempt, if not hatred for Tess's roll in the trial of a child/police killer. As the person that discovered the body of the 3rd child found, Aidan wanted to see justice for the families of the victims. Instead, Tess declared the defendant incompetent, which sealed her fate as far as the Police Department was concerned. That she seems so cool and unaffected while standing over her dead patient doesn't surprise Aidan in the least. When another, then yet another patient dies, all the evidence points to Tess as the one who is pushing them to commit suicide. Tess adamantly declares her innocence and is willing to work along side a detective that obviously loathes her. As Aidan and Tess work together to uncover who hates Tess enough to plan something so heinous, they both realize how wrong they are about each other. Aidan realizes that the calm Tess projects is a facade. He also learns that she is extremely loyal to her patients, even thought she knowingly treats criminals. Tess sees that there is more to Aidan than meets the eye. It is Aidan's belief in her that helps her deal with everything she knows is to come. The secondary characters make this book even better. A lot of the characters are ones we've met in previous books. Although the book is over 500 pages, it never drags. This is a definite Rose winner. Don't miss it!

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.