I See You    by Holly Lisle Order:  USA  Can Onyx, 2006 (2006) Paperback      Reviewed by Martina Bexte Four years ago paramedic Dia Courvant was faced with the most horrific decision - give in to the shock of being the first on scene at a car crash that's killed her husband or save the life of the man responsible. Dia knows her job is to help the living; afterwards she throws herself into the career she loves and tries to move on with her life. But memories of her husband Mac are still strong in her heart. Every day she wonders when she'll have the strength to erase the last message he left her on their bathroom mirror - 'I'm with you, sweetheart'. That decision is made for her when a series of deadly freeway crashes bring detective Brig Hafferty into Dia's life. Brig knows that previous freeway pile-ups were the result of deliberately planted explosive devices. The multiple accident to which Dia responds is added to Brig's caseload when he finds trace evidence of yet another bomb. Dia and her team aren't able to give Brig much insight, but neither Dia nor the detective is able to forget the intense attraction each felt the moment their eyes locked. Dia convinces herself she isn't ready for a relationship yet. Brig however, makes sure he passes her his phone number in case she remembers anything important. When Dia begins receiving anonymous gifts and threatening phone calls, she turns to Brig for help. It soon becomes apparent that whoever's been orchestrating the fatal collisions is also after Dia. When the incidents escalate, Brig steps in to personally protect her from an unseen stalker who somehow knows Dia's most intimate secrets - ones she had only shared with her husband Mac. Who is this stalker who seems to know so much about Dia and Mac before the horrific accident took Mac's life - and how can Dia explain the strange sensation that Mac is still watching over her from beyond the grave? Holly Lisle wowed me with her first romantic suspense, Midnight Rain, and hooked me again with Last Girl Dancing. Her latest, I See You, is ten times better. She creates well-defined, completely believable characters readers will identify with immediately, particularly the self-reliant Dia who refuses to give in to self pity or fear. Lyle presents well-researched sequences in the daily lives of EMTs, both good and bad aspects, and shows what a close-knit family-like unit emergency services personnel form. She presents a complicated plot filled with hair-trigger suspense while also seamlessly weaving in a believable and emotionally satisfying romance between Dia and Brig. She creates another deviously clever and elusive villain who rates even higher on the Creep-o-Meter than the sinister Michael in Midnight Rain. She even adds a touch of the paranormal, which brings real poignancy and additional emotional dimension to the story. I See You is intense, riveting, flawless, and leaves you guessing - a story that doesn't let up until the gripping conclusion, and is arguably the best romantic suspense I've read so far this year. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews