Guess who by Nesly Clerge and Joyce L. Shafer is a sultry romantic story beautifully wrapped in a police thriller. An enjoyable read for these cozy winter nights.
At the center of it all is Tessa, a woman with a tumultuous past full of contradictions. She becomes entangled in a string 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 unravel its mysteries. But the task she has set for herself is not an easy one. Her first big hurdle turns out to be the lead detective working the case, Max Walker. He seems impervious to his intentions and explanations, and hangs up on Tessa’s numerous calls. So what’s a girl to do? Catch the next flight to New York, of course, and make the detective listen by any means necessary.
While the pretense of the plot would label the novel a thriller, the bank robberies and police setting serve more as a backdrop for the romance. In the hectic city of New York, and in the midst of even greater turmoil in her personal life, Tessa finds herself the object of desire for many potential suitors. Though she tries to keep her focus on the work she went there to do, her temptations prove to be overwhelming; especially when it comes to Detective Walker, who is playing an intense and frustrating game of tug-of-war. But to what end?
Guess who is a major departure in literary genre for Nesly Clerge, who had previously focused on science fiction to critical acclaim, while Joyce L. Shafer has switched from editing to writing. The end result of their collaboration is undoubtedly an intriguing piece of work. They take the reader on a suspenseful ride through the streets of New York. What makes the reading particularly gripping is that the chapters alternate narrative perspective. Thus, the reader moves back and forth between different points of view in the hope of discovering what is what. It plays tricks on the mind.
Overall, there is some raunchy language and images within the book’s pages that don’t make it an appropriate read for all ages. Also, if you are familiar with the work of Nesly Clerge, Guess who it is not something that one can necessarily expect, but it reveals a new dimension of the author.