Title: I Can See You

Author: Karen Rose

No. of Pages: 480

First Released: 2009

Synopsis (Courtesy of B&N): “Eve Wilson’s face was once scarred by a vicious assault. Terrified and ashamed, she escaped to the online realm, where she could choose the face she allowed people to see. Years later, her outer scars faded and inner scars buried, Eve has fought her way back to the real world and is determined to help others do the same. Now a graduate student moonlighting as a bartender, Eve researches the addictive powers of online communities. When her test subjects begin turning up dead as a result of apparent suicides, she doesn’t know where to turn.

Homicide detective Noah Webster is one of the few people who believe the victims are connected murders. Eve becomes Noah’s online guide and realizes that the handsome detective may have secret scars as painful as her own. As Eve and Noah chase a killer who is always one step ahead of them, together they try to overcome the tragedies of their pasts and learn to trust again, but they soon discover that danger is much closer than they think. ”

Comments and Critiques: I wasn’t quite certain what to expect with this book. The online realm of the book is what intrigued me from the start because of the fact that I have this blog, I got my graduate degree online, and am active in various social networking sites – I know firsthand how easy it can be to disappear into the online world.

Happily, I wasn’t disappointed. Actually, I devoured this book on a Sunday. Noah’s and Eve’s personal tragedies had me sympathizing with each of them in addition to rooting for them to obtain their happily ever after. Granted, there were times I wanted to knock their two heads together and tell them to wake up, but their progression was a joy to watch unfold.

My biggest fault was that I figured out the murder mystery aspect of it well in advance. I don’t normally do this, nor do I want to do this when I read. I don’t pick up a book to see if I can figure out the book before the answers are explained to us. I read to escape, so it does bother me to know the answer ahead of time. Still, I continued to read to see how the hero and heroine were going to figure out the mystery and if they were going to do it in time.

Overall, I found this an extremely enjoyable read. I imagine that those who lose themselves to the online world are at risk for becoming easy prey to those immoral enough to feed off of their insecurities or other issues that prevent them from experiencing life in the real world. Ms. Rose also got me thinking about the likelihood of this happening and just how big a problem online addiction really is. In other words, I had the pleasure of reading a great murder mystery as well as was given food for thought on social commentary. I would recommend this to anyone who likes suspense/murder mysteries.

Thanks to Miriam Parker from Hachette Books for the opportunity to review this book!