"No One Left to Tell" by Karen Rose...

Tee · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 4053 Location: Detroit Metro

It's amazing how an author begins her writing career with an excellent book, and just gets better as she goes along. What's better than excellent? Karen Rose has done it again and I believe it's her best one yet. It's over 500 pages, but I didn't want to quit reading last night. Once the words begin to blur, I sort of rethought that and finished it today.

The book is No One Left to Tell and it held me right to the end. Some previous characters return in this one, but you would not get lost if you haven't read any of her earlier stuff. There are some connections here that make sense if you've read her before, but not necessary to this story in the scheme of things.

The relationship between Paige and Grayson seems to work in spite of the fact that they just met. Usually, I'm wary of those kinds of bondings, but Rose made this one believable. I think, too, that she gave equal time to the romance vs the suspense, not always an easy thing to do and still keep the story authentic.

I read someplace that this is her 13th novel. IMO, all of them have been great reading, obviously some better than others. But, honestly, for me, there has not been one bad one in the bunch!

BarbaraSD · Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 54

Thank you for this positive review. I'll check it out. I have enjoyed her novels but kinda stopped reading them because the were so ... what's the right word ... not icky, but left me with an uncomfortable feeling. Can't remember the title but the women were being buried?

Anyway, I will certainly give this new one of hers a consideration.

Diana · Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 1044 Location: Washington DC

I think so, too. The police procedural aspect in her books is very believable and her mysteries are cleverly and tightly constructed. Her books are a thrill ride and I always want to go back and find the clues I missed the first time. I wasn't crazy about her moving her books to Baltimore but it turns out I have no complaints. She's certainly familiar with the area after living in Maryland for years.

I have listened to all of Rose's books in audio format. Highly recommend! My top pick remains the Vartanian trilogy because I think Daniel Vartanian is one of the finest, most stalwart romance heroes ever written and also because of Tavia Gilbert's outstanding narration.
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Diana

MrsFairfax · Joined: 27 Mar 2007 Posts: 1065

I was going to ask you if you'd gotten to this yet. I wasn't crazy about the last one - the heroine's secret life seemed silly to me - so I've been abnormally sluggish about hunting this one down. On your recommendation, I'll go get it today.
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Tee · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 4053 Location: Detroit Metro

Manda · Joined: 23 Apr 2007 Posts: 520

I loved this one too, Tee. A lot. I really love that she's getting more romance into these longer books. One my favorite character's was Paige's dog. We're getting some really great pooches in romantic suspense these days!
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Manda Collins

MEK · Joined: 09 Dec 2010 Posts: 225

I have not read this author yet. What would you suggest starting with? Favorites?

BarbaraSD · Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 54

I love audio books. My problem is my car is old enough to still have a tape player and it is difficult to find books on tape (I'm somewhat successful through my Friends of the Library). Driving my car is the only time I listen to audio books. And my goodness! CD books are expensive!

Diana · Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 1044 Location: Washington DC

MEK · Joined: 09 Dec 2010 Posts: 225

Rosario · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 326 Location: Liverpool, UK

MrsFairfax · Joined: 27 Mar 2007 Posts: 1065

I'd probably start with Nothing to Fear and You Can't Hide.
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Binocular vision, no need to hop, and an ever-so-much easier time of it climbing ladders.
- James Cobham in Freedom & Necessity

dick · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 2255

I'm a fan of Rose's books, but I thought this one differed considerably from prior ones. As one poster mentioned, for example, she devoted a lot more space to the romance, a romance which considered by itself was almost a cliche. Further, coincidence, especially coincidence which saved the day, so to speak, played a much larger part in this book than in any of the previous ones--too much so, IMO. The time sequence was remarkably short for all that took place--4 days, 10 1/2 hours--which led me to question whether such a relationship as the h/H had could possibly develop as this one did. The violence, although gruesome enough when one considers it, was muted compared to earlier books. In some instances, I thought the hero's responses to the heroine's martial skills a bit off-putting, as in her confrontation with Rex.

And then--518 pages? It was certainly a complex plot, but I've always thought that one of the things a author ought to do is make complexity less time-consuming than this one was.

Finally, the Carters were almost too saintly.

All in all, not as enjoyable a read as prior books; I don't think it measures up to "I'm Watching You," which, so far, I consider her best. It had some of the same elements, too--the villain with whom we can empathize, e.g.

maggie b. · Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 2252

I liked this one enough to give it a B+ on my review, Grayson made the book for me - he was just wonderful. And I found myself riveted throughout the novel. I kept turning the pages to see what would happen next.

For me, Rose is a solid writer who always delivers a good story. This was one of her better ones.

maggie b.
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MrsFairfax · Joined: 27 Mar 2007 Posts: 1065