Guess Who

Guess Who by Nesly Clerge and Joyce L. Shafer

Book Reviewed by Timea Barabas

Guess Who by Nesly Clerge and Joyce L. Shafer is a sultry romance story nicely wrapped in a cop thriller. A pleasant read for these cozy winter nights.    Purchase Here.

In the center of all stands Tessa, a woman with a tumultuous past and full of contradictions. She becomes entangled with a chain of bank robberies. After her intuition unexpectedly kicks in upon reading a newspaper article about the crimes, she decides to fully immerse herself in the case to help untangle its mysteries. But the task she set out for herself is not easy. Her first major obstacle proves to be the main detective working the case, Max Walker. He seems impervious to her intention and explanations, hanging up on Tessa’s numerous calls. So, what is a girl to do? Get on the next flight to New York, of course, and make the detective listen.

While the pretense of the plot would label the novel as a thriller, the bank robberies and law enforcement setting serve more as the backdrop for romance. In the hectic city of New York, and in the even bigger turmoil of her personal life, Tessa finds herself the object of desire for many potential suitors. Although she tries to maintain her focus on the job she went there to do, the temptations prove to be overwhelming; especially when it comes to detective Walker, who is playing an intense and frustrating game of push and pull. But to what end?

Guess Who is quite a departure in literary genre for Nesly Clerge who has previously focused on sci-fi to critical acclaim while, Joyce L. Shafer has switched gears from editing to writing. The end result of their collaboration is undoubtedly an intriguing work. They take the reader for a suspenseful ride down the streets of New York. What makes the read particularly gripping is that chapters alternate the narrative perspective. Thus the reader moves to and fro between different viewpoints hoping to figure out what is what. It plays quite a trick on the mind.

All in all, there is some spicy language and imagery within the pages of the book which does not make it an appropriate read for all ages. Also, if you are familiarized with the work of Nesly Clerge, Guess Who is not something that one might necessarily expect, but it does reveal a new dimension of the author.