Karen Robards, author of more than 40 books, got her start writing historical romances. Over the years, she has become a bestselling writer of romantic thrillers such as VANISHED and BAIT. Her latest novel, HUSH, seamlessly blends romantic tension with mystery and suspense.

Riley Cowan, ex-wife of Jeff Cowan, whose billionaire father George is now serving multiple prison sentences for executing one of the biggest financial frauds in history, has been summoned by Jeff to a late-night meeting at their now-government-owned (i.e. empty) family estate. It seems the two of them have remained close after their divorce, and Jeff has been in need of her guidance as he has been “investigating” what he feels are the suspicious deaths of four of his father’s business associates. Tragucally, what Riley finds when she arrives is Jeff’s dead body in what appears to be a suicide. However, she doesn’t believe for a second that Jeff would kill himself.

"In good romantic suspense, there is always a question of whether or not the two characters will get together or stay together. HUSH has elements of both, along with a solid mystery that is sure to please whodunit fans."

Thinking fast on her feet, Riley takes his phone and leaves the premises. What she doesn’t realize, though, is that she wasn’t alone in the house, and now her whereabouts are being tracked. Is it the good guys, the bad guys, or both who are tracking her? The action picks up from there, as Riley soon learns that her life is in immediate danger.

Enter Finn Bradley, an attractive and focused FBI agent (supposedly) whose primary objective is to find the hidden billions George siphoned off somewhere before going to prison. He happens to already know quite a lot about Riley as he has been gathering background information on her past, as well as following her, for several weeks. The two finally meet when he comes to her rescue after she is almost killed. To say they are attracted to each other would be an understatement, as there is an immediate connection between them. This attraction becomes a problem for both of them as Riley isn’t sure who she can trust, and Finn knows for a fact that Riley is keeping secrets surrounding George’s hidden money.

Events continue to become increasingly grave for Riley when she and Jeff’s sister, Emma, are ambushed and something dire happens to Emma. Riley is given no choice but to tell what she knows about the whereabouts of the hidden billions, or Emma pays the ultimate price. Riley isn’t sure she can trust Finn, but she quickly realizes that he may be her only chance to save Emma. You see, it seems that Riley has indeed played a significant role in the missing billions. Will she tell Finn what she did and risk being arrested, or will she keep quiet and quite possibly end up like Jeff? When the killer makes contact with a time deadline for Emma, it becomes a race against the clock for both Finn and Riley. 

I have read several of Karen Robards’ books, and while HUSH may not be her most suspenseful as far as plot goes, I enjoyed the characters a great deal. Robards does a good job of keeping readers involved in the actions and motives of her characters, who we find ourselves rooting for. The level of romantic tension is raised throughout the novel as we are never quite sure if Finn and Riley are going to tell each other the truth, and, if they do, what will happen then. There is also a nice dose of humor mixed in, which I appreciated.

In good romantic suspense, there is always a question of whether or not the two characters will get together or stay together. HUSH has elements of both, along with a solid mystery that is sure to please whodunit fans.