Don't Tell is the debut novel of Karen Rose. This book is "pretty good", but suffers from some definite flaws, that I think (hope!) the author will learn to overcome in time.

Basic Plot

Mary Grace Winters is an abused wife. Her corrupt cop husband, Rob, has the entire town fooled. People think he's an outstanding citizen, but at home his fists come out. With no family support, no friends, no skills, and no money of her own, Mary Grace feels trapped. Until she ends up enduring a three-month hospital stay followed by months of rehab after a "fall" down the stairs. This event finally opens her eyes and she realizes that she needs to escape, with her young son, before they both end up dead. With the help of some of the hospital workers, she finds her way to a home for battered women, and fakes her own death. With new identities for herself and her son, they ride off into the sunset, to start their lives anew.

Seven years later, "Caroline" is starting to enjoy her life again, starting to be able to trust again, and starting to fall for Max, a handsome college professor. But unbeknownst to her, Rob has just discovered a small clue to her whereabouts. With only that small clue, he sets out on a mission to follow her trail. We, the readers, follow him on his murderous trek as he gets ever closer to Caroline, killing anyone who gets in his way.

The Good And The Bad

Ms. Rose does a great job of developing most of her characters. We feel like we get to "know" Caroline, and we definitely care about her, and want the best for her. Her son is equally well-developed, with a mixture of anger and confusion at this life-on-the-run that he's lived since he was a young child. His love for his mother is genuine, and his over-protection of her is quite understandable.

Max is also clearly defined. He fights his own demons, as a bad accident in his past robbed him of his career choice, as well as quite a bit of self-esteem. I didn't happen to like this character, I found him to be an immature, whiny brat. But at least we're told the reasons why he is the way he is. And, he does seem to genuinely care for Caroline, even if I think she could have done better.

Only Caroline's husband is given no back story at all. He's simply evil. He is full of rage, and anger, and a sense of entitlement. He thinks nothing of killing anyone who gets in his way, and considers himself to be quite above the law. I would have liked to understand how he came to be this way. What was his childhood like? Is his behavior an unbroken cycle, learned in his own family? We have no idea. We don't know a thing about his childhood, his siblings (if he even has any), or his parents. He simply exists as a very evil antagonist.

I really hated the portrayal of the policemen who have worked alongside Rob for all these years. They stick together no matter what. Only once it's way too late to help Rob's victims, do some of them come forward and say that, Yes, they had suspicions over the years that perhaps he wasn't all that he claimed to be. Well where were they all those years that Rob was using his wife for a punching bag? If your co-worker's spouse is constantly bruised, constantly in and out of hospitals, shouldn't you maybe be suspicious, and try to help! These guys noticed things were "off", they just didn't want to speak up against "one of their own". Even when faced with the mounting evidence, some of them still refused to help bring Rob to justice. They were STILL protecting him! I'd hate to think that this is a reflection of reality!

As far as suspense goes, this book gives it to us in spades. Rob is one clever man, and we shudder as he slowly puts the clues together and starts to get nearer to Caroline. Along the way, he performs some horribly brutal acts, but they're not written in such a graphic way, that I feel the need to warn readers. He's evil, for sure, but thankfully Ms. Rose spares us most of the gruesome details.

My main complaint with the book is its predictability. There was very little that I didn't see happening from a mile away. Perhaps because this story has been done time and time again, in countless books and movies, I was looking for something - anything - that was "different". But, really, the story proceeds pretty much the way you would expect it to, with very little in terms of "surprise" or "shock".

Overall, as a debut novel, this one really isn't bad. I will definitely give this author another chance, and hope that some small changes are made to her style. I hope she will provide a bit more "twist" in her future novels. And give us a bit of back story on the antagonist so we can understand, a little bit, where he came from. And, finally, if you're going to have your protagonist fall for a handsome college professor, at least make him likable… it kind of takes away the fun of watching the romance develop when we don't like the guy!

Recommended: Yes