She Can Tell (She Can #2) by Melinda Leigh-a review

About the book: Release Date December 2012

A horse trainer’s homecoming turns deadly when a vicious stalker, a cold murder case, and a hot police chief threaten to expose family secrets that a killer wants to keep buried.

After a terrible accident ends her riding career, horse trainer Rachel Parker returns to her hometown to a hostile welcome. Her efforts to rebuild the family farm are hampered by her sister’s domestic crisis and a violent vandal who threatens Rachel’s new business and her life. She is also blindsided by the undeniable and unwanted attraction she feels for hot police chief handling her case. Someone is systematically trying to destroy her. Someone who knows private things about her. Someone who’s been watching her…

As his investigation uncovers the turbulent past Rachel keeps carefully hidden, Police Chief Mike O’Connell finds himself with too many suspects and too many feelings for his fiercely independent victim. His desire for Rachel is a conflict of interest that jeopardizes everything he stands for. Long buried family secrets, a skeleton, and a corrupt local official with a grudge against Mike complicate the case, but the escalating violence against Rachel convinces him he doesn’t have much time. Whoever is watching Rachel wants her dead. Mike and Rachel race to untangle a web of deceit and lies that stretches twenty-five years into the past—before her stalker strikes again.

Review:

Rachel Parker has a lot on her plate. She’s recently returned home after an accident ended her riding career and someone is vandalizing her property. Seems that her “Watcher” is not glad to see her back home. To add to her frustrations and worries, her sister is married to an abusive man. When Rachel’s sister calls her because her husband is on a drunken bender, Rachel rushes to her sister’s home to find her unconscious at the bottom of the stairs with her husband standing over her. Rachel takes on her brother in law in order to get to her sister, then, thankfully, the police chief, Mike O’Connell makes the scene and promptly arrests him. Unfortunately, the brother in law’s dad is politically connected and Rachel knows it won’t be long until he’s released from jail.

Rachel takes her sister home with her once she’s released from the hospital, as well as her two nieces. Rachel is bound and determined to keep her family safe, but with the things that continue to happen around her property, she doesn’t know quite how she’s going to pull that off. Chief O’Connell takes a personal interest in seeing to their safety, and soon there are sparks between he and Rachel, but she’s had one bad relationship, and doesn’t want another. But, she can’t deny the attraction.

As the story progresses, the attacks and vandalism at her farm become more violent, and then life threatening. O’Connell knows in his gut that there is more to this story than meets the eye, but can he keep them safe? And, if Rachel can’t keep herself safe, how in the world is she going to keep her sister and nieces safe? And, will she finally let her guard down enough to let someone help her?

I liked the premise of this story, but as much as it pains me to say it, the first half of the story fell flat for me. There, in my opinion, was no build up for the feelings that were developing between the two main characters. It felt forced and not well explained. It just was………….And we were left to fill in the blanks for ourselves. With that being said, the second half of the book picked up the pace and once I got past the whole feeling forced issue, I really liked the way the story played out. I would think I knew who the “Watcher” was and then I wasn’t sure. There were just enough twists to keep me turning the pages and keep me engaged in the story. I only wish that there had been more development of the feelings between Mike and Rachel.

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Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Vickie M.