Another great suspenseful novel full of multiple story lines that all converge together with a great supporting cast in a small northeastern Pennsylvania town.

Rachel Parker has returned home 7 years after running away. She has come back to try and turn her grandfather’s farm into a horse training and breading business after her career ended after being thrown from a horse. Not long after arriving bad things start happening on the ranch. An attempted break in and threatening messages painted on her barn. She just assumes they are from her brother in law who has turned into a mean abusive drunk. She is also suffering from guilt for just leaving town after her mother’s funeral which in her eyes forced her sister to marry young to get away from their father. After getting a call from her sister to come and get her and her kids and rescue them from him she ends up having to fight for her life after finding her sister beaten and unconscious. She is rescued by the Police Chief Mike O’Connell. They are both blindsided by their attraction but carry a lot of baggage that prevents either from acting on it at first.

Mike still carries guilt for not catching a serial killer that had lived right under is nose. This guilt has has turned into an insane need to protect his town, and there are many weird things going on in town. When his growing feelings for Rachel turns into a conflict of interest and bring him under the radar of some corrupt city council members , one of which who wants to get him fired, he has to decide what’s more important.

There are multiple mysteries going on at the same time that all converge by the end of the book. The author does a great job of keeping your interest in all of these and wondering what is really going on. There was also a greater sense of camaraderie with the town in this one. Lots of great secondary characters and we get to see how Jack and Elizabeth from the first book are doing. I am looking forward to many more books from this author.

(arc was provided by author for an honest review) ( )

“She Can Tell” by Melinda Leigh was a wonderful read. I was so enthralled with the story line that I read this book in two days. Rachel Parker returns to her home in Pennsylvania after a riding accident causes her to forego her career. She is a person who takes care of herself and those she loves with a passion, but doesn’t let anyone into her life. She has to turn for help after vandals wreak havoc with her horse stable business and also her person. Someone is after her. Is it her brother-in-law who abuses her sister, or the old friend from childhood, or someone involved in the new subdivision that is being built? Is she being targeted because the family farm has a history, or because she might find something left behind decades ago? After she saves her sister and children from an abusive husband, things start to escalate. The chief of police Mike O’Connell becomes involved in the situation and with her. He is an over-worked community servant who doesn’t have enough manpower to handle all the sinister happenings, but who takes the time to make sure that Rachel is safe. The story builds in intensity and brings these two people together in a way that Mike wants and Rachel fears. I was hooked on this book from the beginning. Ms. Leigh is a very gifted suspense writer and I will be looking for more of her books.

I received a free print copy of this book for my honest review from the publisher. The opinions expressed here are my own.

You can read my reviews on my blog at: http://wp.me/p2pjIt-3o ( )

An easy read but an interesting enough storyline. ( )

Twenty-five years ago in Northeastern Pennsylvania, a mysterious man, the "Watcher," liked to watch people and see the secret, private things they did when they thought they were alone. He has been watching a man named Harry Boyle, who he felt had betrayed him. He stabs Harry to death, sets the man's house on fire, and disposes the body. But there was a witness to the disposal, a little girl named Rachel Parker.

Fast-forward to the present day, horse boarder/trainer and riding instructor Rachel Parker returns to rebuild her family's horse farm in Westbury, Pennsylvania after an injury has ended her riding career. But not everyone is happy that she has returned home: the farm is vandalized, and a stalker leaves ominous warnings telling her to leave town scrawled on the walls of the barn, which leaves her scared. And just when you think what else could happen, Rachel's younger sister Sarah Mitchell is in an abusive marriage, and she reaches out to Rachel for help.

As the threats escalate, Westbury Police Chief Mike O'Connor is determined to protect Rachel, her family and his community. An intense attraction between Rachel and Mike is ignited, but secrets from the past have a way of making things become complicated, dangerous and potentially life-threatening for them.

Just when you think author Melinda Leigh couldn't top the heart-stopping riveting romantic suspense drama she created in She Can Run, she pulls out another ace from her sleeve and weaves another romantic suspense thriller in She Can Tell, the second book of the She Can series.

This fast paced riveting thriller is told in the third person narrative with alternating character points of view that draws the reader in and keeps them guessing what will happen next. Rich in detail and vivid description of the scenic northeastern Pennsylvania farm country setting, the reader is transported to the picturesque small town of Westbury, where a stalker/murderer is on the loose and buried secrets are coming back to haunt Rachel and Mike. I love the author's style of writing, the intensity of the drama, romance and suspense is gripping, and the multitude of twists and turns makes you hold your breath and keeps you sitting on the edge of your seat as you turn the pages. I love the mixture of romance and suspense, it provides a nice balance to the story, and it fills all the reader's senses while taking them on one heck of thrilling roller coaster ride.

I loved how the character development of Rachel and Mike progresses as the story unfolds. Both are realistic and complex people who the reader can relate to. They draw you into their lives and you can't help but feel for them as the intensity of the threats build, as well as the romance, electricity and passion that develops between them. With engaging and humorous dialogue and interactions; a great secondary cast of characters that add to the storyline, including the cameo appearances of some of the characters from She Can Run; and a wonderful sense of suspense and surprise that keeps the identity of the Watcher a secret until the end; makes She Can Tell a mesmerizing story that romantic suspense fans are sure to love!

Each book in the She Can series can be read as a stand alone story. Be sure to look for the upcoming release of the third book in the series, She Can Scream.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC edition of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review, and for hosting a virtual book release event on my book review blog site.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/12/she-can-tell-by-melinda-leigh-... ( )