If You Know Her (Ash Trilogy #3) by Shiloh Walker
Romantic Suspense
February 28, 2012
Ballantine

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “ You can take that Tinkerbell shit and shove it up your ass. “

There are some spoilers from book 2 in here so proceed at your own risk.

If You Know Her is the conclusion to Shiloh walker’s exciting, nerve racking, explosive romantic suspense Ash Trilogy. She has led us on a merry chase as we watch a town terrorized by a serial killer scramble to stop him from claiming anymore victims. Though a fan of everything Ms. Walker writes, I am bias in my thinking that she absolutely kicks arse in romantic suspense. Not only does Ms. Walker deliver her trademark scorching hot love scenes and dynamic, personable characters in here but she goes above and beyond in creating a suspense that will keep you perched on the edge until the very end. Exciting pacing and a dramatic multilayered storyline will hold you hostage as the tension builds through the book, increasing with each new revelation. Ms. Walker gives us two wonderfully strong and charismatic protagonists in the form of Nia Hollister and Law Reilly.

Nia and Law first met with dubious results in If You See Her. Nia is the cousin of the first murder victim and comes to Ash to identify the body and try to figure out what happened. She was out of the country when her cousin was murdered and the guilt has her doing some investigating on her own. She is accosted by the town gossip and goes on a rampage, pulling a gun on Hope and Law, demanding they confess to her cousin’s murder. Law is instantly fascinated by Nia, and can’t stop thinking about her after she leaves.

“Stupid, he knew, being that hung up on a woman with that kind of reckless disregard. Even now he found himself wondering what that mouth of hers would feel like pressed against his. How she would taste. How she would feel if he pressed her up against a wall, then pressed himself against her…”

When she comes back to Ash, she instantly gravities to Law and they begin to work together to find the killer because neither of them believe the official story that Hope’s ex husband was the serial killer.

The sparks light the pages on fire from the moment these two first meet. The characterization of these two is so real in their personalities and actions. Both are intelligent, aggressive, independent loners. They have their own way of doing things and aren’t concerned in how others view them. I like that there were no huge hurdles or misunderstandings with their relationship to weigh their story down. The extreme steamy sexual heat these two generate will leave you exhausted as you watch them find their way in to each others arms.

“ …he wanted, so bad, to stretch her back out on the bed and learn every inch of her lovely body, first with his eyes, then with his hands, then with his mouth.”

What starts as lust develops into to an explosive love affair that is stunning to watch unfold. The romance balances nice with the main conflict-each a main component to the story and play off each other well.

Our villain comes alive in this installment. We learn of his reasoning’s behind his killing spree and the path he has chosen to take in this story. Ms. Walker did a fabulous job of hiding in him plain sight and while I had inking of who it might be, I wasn’t absolutely sure until she revealed it. His character is multi faceted and leaves you chilled as you realize the sheer magnitude of what he has done, hidden behind the normal facade he presents to the town. His narcissistic personality is so shocking in it’s duplicity that you can’t help but be impressed with him. It’s an interesting story line as we flash between his POV and the other character’s POVs. Other characters maintain their larger then life roles and continue to deepen the storyline. Our previous protagonists; Ezra and Lena, Hope and Remy continue to be central figures in this storyline as they join with Nia and Law to try and solve this case. I enjoyed the animosity that sparks between Hope and Nia. Law may think Nia is the cherry on his sundae but Hope isn’t so forgiving.

The ending is a roller coaster ride of mixed emotions as we take dangerous curves and stomach turning loops, flinging us towards an explosive confrontation that leaves no one untouched. Ms. Walker wraps up this series in a concise fashion that answers all our questions and leaves us with a HEA for our heroes and heroines. I can’t recommend this trilogy enough and proclaim it a must have for all romantic suspense fans. I don’t recommend reading it out of order. Ms. Walker’s unique set up and endings for the first two books make it almost impossible to understand what is happening if you do not start with book one-If You Hear Her.

Overall Rating: A

Recent Reviews:
The Book Vixen – 5/5
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