Review: No One Left to Tell

No One Left to Tell
Karen Rose
Romantic Suspense
Baltimore, MD
Signet/June 5, 2012

A woman is dead and her fiance is serving a life sentence for a murder he didn't commit.  Now PI Paige Holden holds the only piece of evidence that could see him freed, and she cannot take it to the police. With the help of disarming state attorney, Grayson Smith, Paige is determined to avenge the murdered woman and set an innocent man free. 

But Paige has only scratched the surface of a cover-up far deadlier than she could ever imagine. A string of mysterious deaths of women with a shared past sets Paige on the trail of a ruthless killer. The problem is, the killer's on her trail too ...

No One Left to Tell is a stand alone but is linked through characters to Rose's previous book, You Belong to Me.  Personally, I wouldn't skip any of Karen Rose's books but if you are anxious to read No One Left to Tell, I won't tell if you skip right to it.  The heroine, Paige Holden, is from Minneapolis and has ties to characters from Rose's two books (Silent Scream and I Can See You) set in that city.

Paige Holden is trying to make a fresh start.  She's still ruled by a past tragedy but is determined to move on with her life.  In her previous life she worked towards helping people, women in particular, especially those who had experienced domestic violence. To say Paige can kick-ass isn't stretching the truth. She's a black belt who has competed internationally for many years.  Paige is portrayed as this strong, intelligent, capable woman who locks herself up at night in her apartment.  The contrast is profound and Rose does well showing how Paige is constantly battling her demons and trying to get to a new normal but still has a long way to go.

Grayson Smith may look like he has it all but he's missing a few things.  One would be down time.  He's a workaholic and his conviction records shows it.  Grayson is certainly an alpha hero not only with his courtroom dominance but also with his ability to take charge in tension situations.  He doesn't hold a black belt like Paige but his is familiar with guns.  For all his toughness, Grayson has a softer side when it comes to his family.  He's such a sweetie when it comes to his mom!  Loved seeing their relationship.  It told a lot about the type of man he is.

Ms. Rose is a master at the suspense, giving the reader not only heart-stopping action but intricate plots that are woven together so by the end it become a complete and fulfilling story.  She's very good at connecting the dots and dropping the hints along the way.  She's also very good at distracting the reader with potential suspects which makes the story that much more interesting when the true criminals are finally revealed.

Grayson and Paige are thrown together and basically stay together for a great deal of the story.  Even with the time spent together I was a bit surprised at how quickly Grayson fell for Paige.  At first, skeptical that it would feel real and not just an "in the moment" type of falling when people find themselves in stressful and dangerous situations.  But as Grayson and Paige continue their investigation to find out who is behind the attacks and the cover-up, they learn about each other as only two people who must trust each other can.  Before the end of the book I believed in Grayson's feelings for Paige and it didn't feel like he fell for her too fast.

No One Left To Tell is a powerful, complex romantic suspense novel.  It pulls the reader in with it's fascinating characters and a riveting plot that will leave you wanting more from this author.

Rating: A