She Can Run [Kindle Edition]

Melinda Leigh (Author)

Book Description

Elizabeth was a young widow with two small children when she met Congressman Richard Baker. Handsome and wealthy, with a sparkling public image, Richard seemed like the perfect man to provide the security that Beth and her kids were craving. But when she uncovers a dangerous secret about her new husband, Beth realizes he will go to any lengths—even murder—to keep it. After barely escaping with her life, she and her children flee. They eventually make their way to a secluded estate in the Pennsylvania countryside, where Beth dares to hope she has found a safe place at last...

Forced into retirement by an unexpected injury, Philadelphia homicide detective Jack O’Malley is mourning the loss of his career when his uncle abruptly dies, leaving Jack to dispose of his crumbling country house. Unbeknownst to him, his uncle engaged a caretaker just before his death, a mysterious woman with two children and a beautiful face that haunts his dreams. Determined to know her, Jack begins an investigation into Beth’s past. When he uncovers the shocking truth, and a local woman is viciously murdered, Jack puts his own life on the line to keep Beth and her children safe.

A 2012 International Thriller Award nominee for Best First Novel, She Can Run is a sexy, satisfying debut from award-winning author Melinda Leigh, packed with enough suspense and romance to get even the tamest heart racing!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Book Description

Elizabeth was a young widow with two small children when she met Congressman Richard Baker. Handsome and wealthy, with a sparkling public image, Richard seemed like the perfect man to provide the security that Beth and her kids were craving. But when she uncovers a dangerous secret about her new husband, Beth realizes he will go to any lengths—even murder—to keep it. After barely escaping with her life, she and her children flee. They eventually make their way to a secluded estate in the Pennsylvania countryside, where Beth dares to hope she has found a safe place at last...

Forced into retirement by an unexpected injury, Philadelphia homicide detective Jack O’Malley is mourning the loss of his career when his uncle abruptly dies, leaving Jack to dispose of his crumbling country house. Unbeknownst to him, his uncle engaged a caretaker just before his death, a mysterious woman with two children and a beautiful face that haunts his dreams. Determined to know her, Jack begins an investigation into Beth’s past. When he uncovers the shocking truth, and a local woman is viciously murdered, Jack puts his own life on the line to keep Beth and her children safe.

A 2012 International Thriller Award nominee for Best First Novel, She Can Run is a sexy, satisfying debut from award-winning author Melinda Leigh, packed with enough suspense and romance to get even the tamest heart racing!

From Publishers Weekly

"In her debut romantic suspense, Leigh carefully weaves the subplot of a serial killer with the main plot of an abused wife on the run and successfully ties the threads in a thrilling conclusion..... . Leigh’s tight, consistent plotting marks her as an author to watch."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 504 KB
• Print Length: 326 pages
• Publisher: Montlake Romance (November 28, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0053TIB6I
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,346 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #23 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Series
  • #73 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Mystery & Suspense > Suspense
  • #76 in Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 86 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful November 7, 2011

By Amy Leemon VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Eliabeth Baker is hiding from her politician husband who wants to kill her. She is too dangerous to him alive and she is running for her life. She is working as a caretaker in a remote area of Pennsylvania while she struggles to protect herself and her 2 terrified children.

Her employer Jack is an ex-cop who knows something is very wrong and tries to gain her trust - a task which seems impossible at times. He does make some progress with her children though. The scenes between 7 year old Katie and Jack are particularly touching in a book which goes way over to the dark side in other places.

The children and Jack are the best parts of the book. Elizabeth's terror comes through from the very first page - as does her love for her children. Ben (12) and Katie are very well written as they begin to learn to relax and trust.

But the danger keeps coming closer from more than one direction and it will keep you reading.

Some of the things that happen are a little over the top but all in all, this book is well worth your time.

54 of 61 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book! November 28, 2011

By Christina Snow TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

My Review:
I was asked to read an ARC of this novel by Melinda Leigh, an author that I had never read before. I like romantic suspense and the plot sounded good, so I said, Yes. Oh my goodness, I had no idea what a treat I was in for. I loved this book. The plot is FANTASTIC. The action is non-stop. I was riveted to the book from the moment I started it until I sadly reached the final page. It was one of those books that I did not want to end because it was so good.

I absolutely fell in love with these characters, Beth and her kids Katie & Ben, who are so obviously scarred and scared from the abuse they have suffered. It is painful to watch how they all react to human touch and how they have so obviously been traumatized.

Then there is Jack....ooh, I adored Jack. Jack is a police detective who has been forced into retirement after a car accident left him with a bum (and painful) knee. He is a protector at heart, and although he has been thrown into this situation with Beth and her kids out of the blue, he can see that something has hurt them and doesn't have the heart to turn them out. Watching him slowly and steadily win over this family is a gorgeous thing to read. Between him and his dog, Henry (the failed police dog,) they are exactly what this family needs and they quickly discover that they need the family too.

There is also a great cast of supporting characters whom I loved, especially the depth that they added to the story:
*Quinn & Sean- Jack's cousins
*James- Beth's uncle
*Mrs. Harris- Jack's housekeeper

The suspense story line has a lot going on with it. There is Beth's abusive and murderous Senator husband who is after them, but there is also a serial killer that has Beth in his sights. Both of these stories climax within about 3 pages of each other in the book and I thought that was a bit over the top, but that was my only complaint about this book. I didn't mind that the book had both story lines in it. I just wish the climax of the end of both story lines had completely intersected or that the finale for both of them had been a little more spaced out.

Regardless, it was still an amazing book. I will definitely be looking up more by this author!

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars She Can Keep Running June 5, 2012

By NotAny76

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was really looking forward to this, I read some of the good reviews but apparently none of the bad, and I was incredibly disappointed. I only finished because I am too stubborn and curious for my own good. The heroine- if you can call her that- is a teeny tiny woman with incredibly large eyes and a great ass (according to the male characters description anyway- don't writers like to write of any other type of woman?), who is continually praised as being smart and brave, but does nothing to deserve that reputation. She seemed sort of stupid and helpless to me, and I am sick of reading weak female leads. The 'killer' was obvious from the start, along with who they wanted us to think was the bad guy, it was all really predictable. Add to that a psychic uncle and the fact that her new 'rescuer' is an ex cop, who has just inherited millions - and it makes the bad language and explicit sex scene seems like only a small problem.

I liked the dog.