The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration.
Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can’t escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close?
When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman’s screams, his instincts tell him that Lena’s life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her.
It's no secret that I think Shiloh Walker writes some of the very best emotionally heartrending suspense and contemporaries out there. If You Hear Her is no different. Lena is blind, but it only means she cannot see visually. She leads a full, rich life among friends and her job as a chef. She's a smart, sassy, woman and takes no guff from anyone. When she hears a woman scream in the woods outside her house, she immediately goes to the police, only to be pooh-poohed. This kicks off a series of murders and events in the town of Ash that change everyone's lives forever.
What I liked:
Seriously. Lena is a fantastic heroine. And if you know me, that's saying something. She's kind, smart, self-sufficient, sassy, has a great group of friends, and like so many blind people, can see deep into those she cares about, especially Ezra.
Ezra. He's been hurt, both physically and emotionally. Betrayed in the worst way by his lover and partner. He carries that around like a blanket wrapped around him. I love that he never treats Lena as less than she is, and how he commits himself to being her friend and her protector without smothering her.
The suspense. Fantastic. Gripping. And it plays a huge part in the lives of the entire town, but especially the main characters and the secondary characters. It takes on a character of its own.
The villain. We get his POV. I love it when this happens in suspense books. It makes the character that much more real.
The secondary characters. Hope, Remy, Law especially. I'm dying to find out how things play out for these people. Thankfully, the next two books will give me their stories.
Gripping suspense, yet with the complete emotional throwdown you expect from Shiloh Walker. Don't miss it.
If You Hear Her was released on Tuesday, so it's available everywhere.
Seriously, I know I'm not doing this justice, but hey – it's been about 6 months since I wrote a review, FCOL. Cut me some slack.
