Customer Reviews

Don't Tell

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Mary Grace Winters was nearly killed by her husband more than once. Since he was cop, the only way out was to disappear and start a new life with her son far away from North Carolina. With new names and a new look, they lived in relative safety in Chicago for several years, but when the car she ditched is found, her husband realizes she isn't dead YET.

Max Hunter is her new boss, and he is YUMMY! It was love/lust at first sight for him and Caroline (formerly Mary Grace). Although the sparks are flying everywhere, both have many issues they need to resolve before they can think of a future together. Also, her son is terrified his mother will end up in another abusive relationship.

I like romantic suspense/thriller, and this is one of the best I've read. The pace was relentless, and once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. Who needs sleep, right? :) This novel is violent, sexy, sweet, and haunting. If you like Lisa Gardner or Tami Hoag, you will love this book.

Although the premise and plot of this book has been done over and over, no one has done it better. The story of an abused wife and mother who finally takes action will not be new. However the tension, feelings, and fear of Mary Grace Winters is presented in a moment by moment way that keeps you on the edge of your chair, bed or floor. Wherever you choose to read. We are not kept in the dark about the feelings and motives of her husband or the man, (Max) who sees the kindness, generosity, and love that Caroline ( AKA Mary Grace ) has to offer. After seven years the worst happens and her policeman husband finds out she and her son are alive. With exquisite detail we follow him on his hunt. We follow Caroline as she finally becomes the woman she was meant to be. We see the dark edges of her soul and the ravages of horror meated out to her and her child. I could not put it down. You will not be disappointed. Spine-chilling suspense, unusual twists, and a great ending. Go for it.

DON'T TELL moves at a barrel neck pace and is a riveting story spun by new romantic suspense author Karen Rose.
Rob Winters, a corrupt cop, is brutally violent and doesn't hesitate to exploit his position as a police officer to abuse, maim and even kill those that cross his path. For years his own wife, Mary Grace Winters, is held in his grasp as he pummels her time and time again. After too many visits to the hospital Mary Grace meets several nurses that inspire her to leave.

Plotting the death of herself and her son 9 years ago was her first step in escaping her abusive husband. Caroline Stewart has started a new life for herself and her son and with the help of her friend Dana, who heads a shelter for battered women has created a future. Dana is a tough cookie, always there to lean on, and to push Caroline during difficult times.

Max Hunter, her new boss and head of the history department enters her life like a clap of thunder. He's devastatingly handsome, tall, and muscular. He also has a handicap and walks with the help of a cane. Going through his own personal private battles he also is making a new start.

There is instant intense chemistry between Max and Caroline, and for the first time in her life Caroline finds a man she can trust.

However, the car she sent into the river has been found and Rob, her husband, is now on the hunt for her son and for Caroline.

Prepare for the hair to stand on end at the back of your neck, as you follow Rob's methodical hunt for her wife. As Caroline begins her new life with Max, he is ever closer to destroying it all.

Tom, her son, is a strong young male character, deeply protective of his mother while exuding his sadness over their past. Tom is one of many rich secondary characters you learn to care about in this captivating debut suspense by author Karen Rose.

Prepare yourself for a story that pulls you in and does not let go until the last page is turned.

I selected this book because I was looking for a new author, and the title caught my attention. Boy was I impressed! Karen Rose takes the reader on a battered wife's journey to hell and back. Great elements of suspense, and heartfelt emotions. I can't wait to read her next book!

Where has this author been hiding!! This is one of the best books I have ever read. If you like Lisa Gardners Perfect Husband (if you haven't read it you must) then you will love this. Rob Winters is a mean man. I fell in love with all the characters and hope to hear from them in future books. I will buy any book with her name on it from now on.

Battle-scarred Mary Grace Winters lies nearly dead in a hospital room after the latest brutal beating at the hands of his sadistic cop husband. After a two year recovery (which she keeps husband Rob in the dark about), she and her son escape, fake their deaths, and start new lives away from her abusive husband, and the corrupt police force that looked the other way.

Seven years later, Rob picks up a warm trail and sets out to track them both. Meanwhile, his precinct has called in the Feds to re-investigate her disappearance, and the lead detective wants to nail Rob once and for all.

Mary Grace has transformed herself into Caroline Stewart. Now living in Chicago with her 14-year old son Tom, she still holds onto the secret of her past, while working toward a college degree and eventually, law school. When she starts dating her boss, the charismatic Max Hunter, strains in her relationship with Tom develop. Max has his own demons, and Tom fears that his temper could result in the same brutal beatings his mother suffered years earlier.

Tension mounts as Rob slowly works his way to locating Caroline, always one step ahead of SBI detective Steven Thatcher who is also on her trail> Rob leaves a body count piling in his wake, vowing vengeance against Thatcher and his former wife. Will he finally destroy Caroline/Mary Grace once and for all?

This is an edge of your seat thriller. You can probably guess what will happen, but the development of the plot is so well drawn that it is not your average battered wife in jeopardy story. Followed up by "Have You Seen Her," which details the further advetures of Thatcher.

Karen Rose has done it again! Very well written book with well developed and likable characters. A real page-turner. Karen Rose is a master at suspense. Lots of suspense books are based on the wife leaves husband due to abuse, but this book was unique and well worth your time and money. The characters are easy to relate to and I really hated for the story to end. I ran out and bought Have you seen her?, which is like part two of Don't Tell..both were excellent and a great addition to any suspense lovers collection.

Caroline Stewart and her son Tom assumed new identities and left everything of their previous lives behind when they abandoned their car in a watery grave in Douglas Lake, East Tennessee. Divers seeking the victim of a drowning discover the Ford seven years later. Inside are a statue and a Teenage Mutant Turtle backpack. Mary Grace Winters and her son were assumed dead, victims of kidnapping. As he puts the clues together, however, her husband Rob realizes that his son lives as does the woman who took him. A well respected cop, Rob will stop at nothing to reclaim his son and punish the woman he once married. Only a few suspect the depths of violence he capable of, or the damage he previously inflicted on his family.

A high school drop out, Caroline has worked hard to rebuild her life. She earns her GED and began taking classes toward a college degree. A history professor had notices her efforts and offers her a job as his secretary, giving Caroline considerable tuition discounts. Now a semester from graduation, her mentor has died and Caroline has a new boss. For the first time in years, Caroline is tempted to take a chance on love with Max Hunter. They are kindred spirits, his scars simply more obvious. As Caroline's support system fails and Rob gets closer, however, Caroline discovers the true dangers that lying in the admission "don't tell."

Author Karen Rose pens a heart stopping and chilling read in DON'T TELL. In a complex tapestry made of fear, desire, strength and brutality, she weaves a tale of psychological complexity. Caroline's transformation from abused spouse to independence becomes even more profound when contrasted with the cruel man she left behind. Evil and malicious, Rob will stop at nothing to get what he wants and to punish those who stand in his way. Max's wounds run just as deeply as Caroline's, as they both struggle to come to terms with horrific events beyond their control. Rose's superb plotting, careful attention to nuance and detail, and memorable characters mark her as an author who bears watching in the future. Certainly readers will be eagerly anticipating sequels that include Max's brother, Caroline's best friend, and Special Agent Steven Thatcher. A stunning tour de force that readers won't want to miss, DON'T TELL belongs on the keeper shelf, earns the WordWeaving Award for Exellence.

Karen Rose is considered a rising star in the romantic suspense genre, so I thought I would give her debut work a try. DON'T TELL is a decent effort, but veteran readers will find few surprises.

The heroine of DON'T TELL is a 30-year old woman on the run from her abusive husband. Along with her teenage son, she has changed her identity and created a fictional past. When the story begins, she falls heads over heels in love with a new man, who has some tragic secrets of his own.

Rose has a fine writing style, but I just found the plot of this book to be almost painfully predictable. You don't have to be a genius to figure out that the two lovers will be forced to reveal their tragic secrets to one another. It's also easy to predict that the heroine's violent ex-husband will catch up with her, forcing a major confrontation by the story's climax.

In my view, the sheer predictability of the plot undermines it suspense level. The characterization also verges on caricature in many scenes (especially when it comes to the ex-husband character, who is so evil he's almost a cartoon). Still, Rose does a good enough job of pacing the story, and I found the novel engaging enough to finish.

In short, DON'T TELL is a pleasant if unspectacular read. If you enjoy romantic suspense, you may want to give this one a shot. But if you're looking for something fresh and original, you should probably try something else.

Well, I am happy that this new author caught my attention. In general all books of this genre are quite similar to each other and unfortunately few authors are succesful.
To support the first work of the author, I gave it a five star. I hope that she won't repeat herself in upcoming works.
You will find one of the worst villians ever as ex(?)husband of the heroin. Caroline and her son Tom had been abused several years and finally found the chance to escape from police husband/father and subsequently survived. Just after the meeting of hero and heroin, villain husband finds out they are still alive. He is quite obsessive for his son Tom, and starts actually hunting.
The plot was fast and great, I could not put it down.
I believe that Karen Rose has the ability to be best seller as Sandra Brown and Tami Hoag. I am looking forward to reading her new releases.