I Can See You [Hardcover]

Karen Rose (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 5, 2009

New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose delivers her latest pulse-pounding suspense novel, where the line between the virtual world and everyday reality blurs when it comes to murder.

Eve Wilson's face was once scarred by a vicious assault. Terrified and ashamed, she escaped to the online realm, where she could choose the face she allowed people to see. Years later, her outer scars faded and inner scars buried, Eve has fought her way back to the real world and is determined to help others do the same. Now a graduate student moonlighting as a bartender, Eve researches the addictive powers of online communities. When her test subjects begin turning up dead as a result of apparent suicides, she doesn't know where to turn.

Homicide detective Noah Webster is one of the few people who believe the victims are connected murders. Eve becomes Noah's online guide and realizes that the handsome detective may have secret scars as painful as her own. As Eve and Noah chase a killer who is always one step ahead of them, together they try to overcome the tragedies of their pasts and learn to trust again, but they soon discover that danger is much closer than they think.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Virtual reality meets bloody reality in bestseller Rose's spine-tingling 10th thriller, which introduces the Minneapolis PD's Hat Squad, whose members earn snappy fedoras for successfully fighting crime. Almost six years have passed since Eve Wilson, a former runaway introduced in Rose's debut, Don't Tell (2003), moved from Chicago to the Twin Cities after a vicious assault. Plastic surgery has improved her looks, and she's begun researching a Web role-playing game, Shadowland, and how it can be used to build self-esteem. Eve also connects with a homicide detective investigating the Red Dress Killer, who finds some victims through Shadowland. Samantha Altman is the killer's first victim, but she's not identified until the second, Martha Brisbane, is found. When Eve learns Martha was a fellow research participant, she becomes a Hat Squad confidential informant. Rose keeps the action popping as the psycho claims more lives, hoping to add Eve to his list. (Aug.)
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Review

"Rose's spine-tingling 10^th thriller...keeps the action popping." (Publishers Weekly )

"4 ¿ stars! Readers get a top-notch and diabolically clever suspense tale...and a tender love story to boot. It's definitely one for your keeper shelf!" (Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine ) --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (August 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446538345
• ISBN-13: 978-0446538343
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.5 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #784,920 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Award winning, #1 internationally best-selling author Karen Rose earned her degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland. For a number of years she worked in the engineering field, earning two patents, but began writing novels when scenes began filling her mind and her characters would not be silenced.

Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. YOU BELONG TO ME, her twelfth novel, was released in 2011.

Seven of Karen's books have been RITA finalists. Her third book, I'M WATCHING YOU, won the 2005 RITA for Best Romantic Suspense. To date, her books have been translated into nineteen languages.

Karen's books have been New York Times, London Sunday Times and Germany's der Spiegel bestsellers. Karen lives in Florida with her family, her dog, and two cats.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I CAN SEE YOU, July 28, 2009

By 

Jean S. Mason - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Can See You (Hardcover)

I CAN SEE YOU is one of Karen Rose's finest books to date. This book will make you scared, thrilled and fascinated at the same time. Eve Wilson is a wonderfully real heroine, who was disfigured by an attacker several years before. Her way of coping was to escape into a virtual world where she could create a beautiful online identity. When she finally claws her way back to the real world, she wants to help others regain self confidence. As a graduate student of psychology, she has students play the virtual reality game in the hopes they will learn to socialize more effectively in the real world. When several of her "students" turn up dead, Eve joins forces with troubled Homicide Detective Noah Webster to find the man murdering these people. In their search for the killer, they learn to trust one another.

What sets this book apart from so many others is the brilliant way Rose makes you think anyone could be the killer. When reading the book I found myself shouting at the heroine not to trust this person, then that person. Be forewarned: Don't read this book at night.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leave the Lights On!, July 30, 2009

By 

Kelly Moran "Author and Reviewer" (WISCONSIN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: I Can See You (Hardcover)

Author Karen Rose is a New York Times best-selling author and award-winner. Other titles include: Nothing to Fear, Count to Ten, You Can't Hide, Die For Me, Scream For Me, Don't Tell, I'm Watching you, Have You Seen Her, and Kill For Me. When she's not writing, she's practicing for her next karate belt test. Karen resides in Florida with her husband, (an avid fisherman), and her two daughters, (who also like to write).
Eve Wilson was finally emerging out of her dark place after being horribly scarred in a vicious assault. Terrified and ashamed, she escaped into the online realm to cope, and is now helping others to do the same through her psychology graduate program. Moonlighting as a bartender, Eve is constantly in contact with decorated officers who frequent the bar, but one detective has had her interest for a year since he first walked in. When her test subjects begin turning up dead, staged to be suicides, it's that very homicide detective, Noah Webster, that she turns to. He's one of the few who believe that these are connected murders, so Eve soon becomes his online guide and learns that the very attractive detective has his own scars that run just as deep. As Noah and Eve hunt down the madman who always appears one step ahead of them, they discover Eve may be his next target. Together, they try to overcome their pasts and learn to trust again, all the while trying to save each other from the danger that lurks closer than they think.
I'm so glad I was sent another of Karen's books to review. She never disappoints. Flawed, flesh-and-blood characters and power-house endings are always in store from this talented writer. Her understanding of human nature makes for a psychological twist and turn, edge of your seat, romantic suspense that is both chilling and steamy from the get-go. Admittedly, I knew who the killer was half-way through the book, though in no way was I deterred from reading. The secondary characters were a delight and added to the storyline nicely. I don't know if she has this in mind, but I'd love to see spin-off books on Olivia and David, Callie and Jack, or Tom and Liza. The plot flowed smoothly and the setting was spectacular as well. Bravo!

Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great mystery - less of a "story", August 13, 2009

By 

Dog Lover - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I Can See You (Hardcover)

In one way, this was the best mystery I've read in some time. Although I had the killer on my suspect list very early, I was kept guessing by other "suspects" until just before he was revealed. On that basis alone the book deserves at least 3 stars. I normally know the culprit from his or her first introduction.

In another way, however, this was the least appealing from the romance interest standpoint. Very disappointing as I had met the heroine in earlier books as well as other characters. Those other books were far more intense both from the mystery and relationship perspectives. This one was more intellectual - for me, at least. I "cared" about the hero and heroine but I wasn't as deeply drawn into that part of the story as I have been with all the previous Rose books.