After a head-on collision with a telephone pole, she awakens several days later in Belleville General Hospital. Why won't anyone believe her when she tells them what caused her accident? When strange things start to happen around town, and her best friend and mentor, Jason, turns up dead, people in the town start casting suspicious glances in Katie's direction. What was a normal life has now turned to one of fear and chaos. Even Dr. Jonathan Shea, head of psychiatry at the hospital tries to convince Katie that she is suffering from delusions caused by her accident or even possibly a remembering a bad dream. But do bad dreams leave pieces of straw strewn about the floor or track in dead leaves?

There are plenty of suspects in Listen to the Shadows by Joan Hall Hovey. I felt a little like Sherlock Holmes as I read, trying to figure out who might be the villain. Could it be her art teacher, Mr. Jackson or the simple-minded, Joey who works at the restaurant with her and considers her his "gurlfriend." I even suspected Dr. Shea or her good-looking love interest Drake Devlin. It certainly couldn't be the ex-boy, an old boyfriend or her true love who was killed in Vietnam... or could it? And what's so special about November 5th? When Katie discovers an effigy made of straw and dressed in an army uniform your blood will run cold. Ms. Hovey has a knack for making you look over your shoulder while you're reading, and I was so engrossed in the suspense, I almost forgot the romantic part of the story. If you like trying to guess who the bad guy is, then to coin a phrase...this bud's for you!

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Sweet

Reviewer: Brett Scott
January 28, 2004