3.5/5 Wendy Corsi Staub is a new to me author, but definitely not a new author - she has close to eighty books to her credit!She Loves Me Not has been recently released as an audio book. Rose Larrabee is a widowed mother of two. She's working hard to keep things together, both financially, physically and emotionally. When someone leaves a heart shaped box of candy on her car seat, she figures she has a secret admirer. But when someone repeatedly calls in the middle of the night, she starts to get worried. And when the 'attention' escalates, she gets downright terrified. I chose to listen to this book. The reader was Allyson Ryan. Her portrayal of Rose was good, capturing the innocent, bewildered woman in peril tone of the character very well. Rose has two small children and I thought she did a great job of coming up with a believable and distinct child's voice. (Although I must admit, I tired of hearing Leo after awhile) Accents for various characters were authentic and easily distinguished who was speaking. I did find the voice for the female neighbour we're not quite sure of, to be quite annoying though - it was whiny and somewhat petulant. But in all fairness, it suited the character. I always find listening to a book much different than reading - I think I take away different experiences from the two formats. In She Loves Me Not, we are privy to much of the various player's inner thoughts - maybe a few too many. Staub does mix in action in the last half of the book and populates her plot with plenty of suspects - enough to keep the reader guessing. Although, I have to admit to feeling cheated over the final whodunit. Staub seems to have perfected the woman in peril with a touch of romance, mystery and suspense for good measure formula. And I would say she excels at it. Although this isn't my favourite type of read, it was an entertaining listen for the ride back and forth to work. This author would definitely appeal to fans of Mary Higgins Clark.
This is my 3rd Wendy Corsi Staub book and my favorite so far. "She Loves Me Not" is suspenseful and keeps you guessing through most of the book. Ms. Staub does a great job of going back and forth between scenes and characters and builds up enough suspicion that the killer could be any one of many characters. She keeps that suspense going through the entire book until the killer is revealed (though I'm proud to say I did figure it out). The characters are all well-developed which makes you care about what happens to them. The plot is smartly designed and well thought out. Once I started this book, I had to finish it. Creepy, suspenseful and psychologically thrilling, this book is a winner. I can't wait to read all of Wendy Corsi Staub's books.
What do You think about She Loves Me Not (2003)?
I'm always trying to find new mystery authors, so when I saw on Amazon and Good Reads that this one had an average of 3.5 stars, I thought I'd give it a try. It was okay. The writing style was very Mary Higgins Clark-ish. And while I enjoyed MHC's books when I first got into mysteries, I now find them to be very formulaic and predictable. I guess I've read too many psychological and deep/dark mysteries now because this one seemed to be too amateurish in comparison. The murderer was easy to predict even though the author didn't really give any clues to it being him. I just figured that she would follow the predictable formula of it being the one least likely, and I was right. I realize "She Loves Me Not" wasn't Ms. Staub's highest rated book, but it was the plotline that appealed to me most after reading synopses of her books. I might give another of her books a try. If I find it to be similarly written (ie formulaic), I don't think I'll be reading anymore by Ms. Staub. Its depressing to me that there are so few good mystery writers out there anymore. If you are new to mysteries, or like to not be surprised by whodunit, then you may enjoy this one. Oh, and the babytalk of the 3 year old was very annoying - I don't have a clue why Ms Staub would write his dialog that way!
—Laura
This kept me turning pages late into the night! I thought for sure I had the killer pegged but oh, I was sooo wrong!!From back cover:"Life goes on. That's what young widow Rose Larrabee tells herself each day as she has to be both mother and father to her two young children, a task that leaves little time for new romance. That's why she's surprised to find the simple, homemade valentine in her mailbox, a paper heart with no signature. It could be a sweet reminder, but for Rose, the red heart has special significance...a link to a secret she shares with two other women...a secret that has just gotten one of them brutally murdered.Now, as the phone rings in the night, playing a song that sends chills down Rose's spine, and more heart-shaped gifts arrive mysteriously, the young mother is determined to protect her family from a threat she cannot see but knows is out there...watching. And as another woman is killed, it becomes clear that each valentine is not the gift of a secret admirer but a warning from a twisted madman who's getting closer to the very heart of her deepest fears...".
—Louise
