Karen Rose writes well crafted, layered stories that keep you guessing. Have You Seen Her is no exception! While I guessed the identity of the killer fairly early, I still found the story engaging. There are many red herrings that Rose throws out that made even me question my initial thoughts. Throughout it all you also have the building romance between Jenna and Steven.
Steven is a total moron when it comes to Jenna. There were so many times I wanted to throat punch him for his stupid actions. But, I forgave him, just like Jenna did because he is a good man. I loved seeing Steven's kids too! Nicky, Matt, Brad were endearing. You couldn't NOT love them. They are so desperate for love and attention. You get glimpses into their lives chronologically as the story progresses which adds to the dimensionality of all the characters.
The killer's acts are gruesome and disturbing, but Rose does not grotesquely describe them for shock value. The story progresses in an explicit chronological order, with time/date stamps indicating each switch of point of view to various characters. This allows the reader to experience various events from all the various characters in relation to what is going with all the events. This creates a compelling story because you are always moving from person to person, event to event as everything builds.
The narrator, Michael Ferraiuolo, does a pretty good job. I found many of his 'female voices' to be very irritating. The longer I listened, the less grating it became but I never really found it 'enjoyable'. However, the rest of his narration was excellent.
Overall if you enjoy murder mysteries, mature romance characters, and lots of interesting supporting characters, you will enjoy every moment of Have you seen Her by Karen Rose!
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: serial killer, widow/widower, single parent
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: stand alone
- Cliffhanger: no
- HEA: yes
Hanover House by Brenda Novak, Taken by Cynthia Eden...then you will probably like Have You Seen Her!
See full review on The Book Disciple