"Tense romantic suspense"

The letter bombs hit Helm-Harris syndicate newspaper offices in several cities. At the flagship paper, the Chicago Daily Mirror, the bomb squad dismantles the deadly letter. The common thread is that each letter was addressed to advice columnist Shelby Simon. The Chicago police, in agreement with Shelby's editor, decide to take her out of harm's way and thus protect others.

Chicago PD Lieutenant Mick Callahan is assigned to take Shelby to a safe spot, her family home in Heart Lake, Michigan. Before they leave Chicago, a letter bomb explodes at her apartment building killing the mail carrier. In Michigan, Mick sticks around to keep Shelby safe though he insists it is not because she is the first person to make him laugh since his wife died a few years ago. As they become acquainted while he tries to keep her safe from a maniac, they fall in love, but Mick knows a hot shot columnist like Shelby would only be embarrassed to introduce her friends to a cop.

Though there is way too much angst amongst secondary characters (her parents are separated and her California based sister's love of a lifetime is in town hating Shelby), fans will enjoy this tense romantic suspense. Since Mick has relationship demons, the only one to have it together is Shelby, the target of the bomber. Though why no one in her family asks about the bombings and the killer's motive is a stretch, readers will appreciate the fast-paced MS. SIMON SAYS and look forward to the sequel PLAY IT AGAIN SAM.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted February 27, 2004