IF YOU SEE HER - Shiloh Walker
Ash Trilogy , Book 2
Ballantine Books
ISBN: 978-0-345-51754-8
February 2012
Romantic Suspense

Ash, Kentucky - Present Day

In spite of the physical evidence and the testimony from her ex-husband swearing that she's suicidal and mentally unbalanced, Remy Jennings just can't believe that Hope Carson murdered a cop, tried to murder her best friend, and then slit her wrists.  Unfortunately, as a prosecutor, Remy has to listen to the evidence, and he can't help but wonder if his attraction to Hope is coloring his feelings.  When Law Reilly wakes up and insists that Hope didn't try to kill him, his testimony helps, but in the end they are able to find other evidence that clears Hope, and Remy is able to rest a little easier.  He finds that he can't put thoughts of her aside, though, and when he realizes that Hope was as much a victim as Reilly, Remy intends to help.

After escaping from her abusive ex-husband, it took two years before Hope felt it was safe enough to settle in one place.  Law Reilly has been her best friend since childhood, and when he offered her a job as his live-in assistant, she accepted.  It doesn't take long for terrifying events to start happening in Law's town, and Hope finds herself right in the middle of the mess.  She wants to move on with her life but is still living in fear of the things that are going on.  Hope's reaction to Remy is just as unsettling, and she can't imagine what he sees in her.  Just as Hope realizes that she has to let go of the past or it will hold her forever, she finds out that she's not as safe in Ash as she thought.

A killer is on the loose and messing with the people of Ash in IF YOU SEE HER.  In the first book of the trilogy (IF YOU HEAR HER), readers get a glimpse of the sadistic monster hiding in the woods as he sets up Hope and Law to take the fall.  This book picks up right where the last ended, with Law and Hope in the hospital, and Remy—who was immediately drawn to Hope—wrestling with what he has to do versus what he wants to do.  Because of the continuing storyline within the trilogy, it is probably better to read them in order, even though they stand fairly well on their own. 

Hope is slowly beginning to understand that she's a survivor and is much stronger than she realized.  She's completely mystified by Remy's interest in her, but as things play out in the formerly sleepy little town, Hope finds herself turning to Remy.  When Hope is in the hospital, Remy tells himself to forget her; that she's trouble; but he can't quite do it.  She intrigues him, and when he learns some of the truth about her past, his protective instincts very strongly urge him to be whatever she needs him to be.  The relationship between them takes a while to get going, but considering Hope's past, it is more logical that they don't rush it.  As the romance between them takes shape, a killer is watching, and Hope is being stalked, creating an intense, riveting story in IF YOU SEE HER.

Jennifer Bishop