AUTHOR: Lisa Jackson
PUBLISHER: Zebra
PUBLICATION DATE: November 27, 2012 (first published November 1, 1999)
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 369 pages
LENGTH: 369 pages
GENRE: Romance/Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9781420100938
The More You Know
The envelope delivered to Shelby Cole's Seattle home contains no return address, just a photograph of a little girl. Shelby knows at once that this is the daughter she was told died at birth. And in that moment, Shelby knows something else: she needs to go back to Bad Luck, Texas.The More You Tell
She's not the only one coming home. A long-ago killing is in the news again following recanted testimony. A violent nightmare from Shelby's past has been set free. And she can't shake a suspicion that someone is baiting her, luring her back here for their own ends.The More There Is To Fear
Shelby's search for answers is met with stonewalling and hostility. Her only ally is a figure from her past--someone she has every reason not to trust. And in the midst of dark family revelations she uncovers a terrifying scheme of revenge. Because some secrets, once spoken, can never be forgotten--or forgiven. . .
I received a complimentary copy of this book for voluntary review consideration.
I am a Lisa Jackson fan, and I enjoyed this small-town mystery though it’s not as good as her To Die series.
In the book’s Prologue, Ross McCallum is on trial for killing Ramón Estevan. With only circumstantial evidence and one witness testimony, he was found guilty. Ross vows to take revenge on everyone who was involved in setting him up.
The story then moves ahead ten years, and the witness who was responsible for putting Ross behind bars is dying of cancer and does not want to die with a guilty conscience. He recants his testimony and, as a result, Ross is released from jail. Around the same time, a woman from Seattle named Shelby Cole is on her way back to her hometown in Texas. She swore she would never return, but she receives an anonymous letter with a San Antonio postmark which contains a photograph of a young girl who bears a startling resemblance to her. She was only 17 years old when she gave birth, and she went into labour early due to a riding accident. She was unconscious when the baby was born, and she was told that her daughter did not survive. She is going home to confront her father, Judge Jerome Cole.
This mystery contained lots of secrets and corruption, and I enjoyed how Jackson put all the pieces together. There is even a second chance romance with Shelby and the man who fathered her child. While I enjoyed the story, I thought that Shelby’s character was a bit lacking. Her mindset at 27 years of age doesn’t seem much different than it was at 17, and I didn’t really connect with her. She kept secrets from someone she claimed to be madly in love with, and it took her a really long time to come to the table. There really was no foundation there between the two of them, so I did find it a bit implausible that they still carried torches for each other ten years later.
Towards the end, there is a shocking reveal that Shelby and this man
So, all in all, I enjoyed the story but there are other Jackson novels that I enjoy more.
MY RATING:
This book qualifies as:
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Oh I hate when a characters personality seems very immature. Great review!
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