About Face FROM THE PUBLISHER
When Dr. Blake Hunter discovers Casey Edwards wandering along a Sweetwater, Georgia road, she's a woman without a past, her memory stripped of the terrifying events that shattered her innocence a decade ago. The scrap of paper she clutches in her hand bears the address to Swan House, the magnificent mansion where Casey's mother lives with her mysteriously ailing husband. But "home" turns out to be anything but a safe haven...
A near-fatal hit-and-run; neighbors who won't look her in the eye; a sinister man whispering with her mother behind closed doors...each disturbing experience makes Casey more determined to untangle the web of secrets that threaten her future. But someone wants Casey out of the way before she remembers too much. It will take the strength she's always had -- and the love she's just found -- to save her life....
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
There's enough melodrama in Michaels's newest offering (after No Place Like Home) to quench the thirst of soap opera devotees during a daytime drama drought, and the author's fans will likely lap up every word. At 17, Casey Edwards has experienced plenty of heartache and betrayal. Her mother, Evie, neglects her; her stepbrother, Ronnie, sexually abuses her; and her fianc may leave her if she doesn't have sex with him. The day Casey finally fights back and stabs Ronnie in the leg, she miscarries his baby and comes to 10 years later in a mental hospital with no memory of her life before being admitted. Evie, now wealthy and married, greets Casey with little enthusiasm, as do the citizens of Sweetwater, Ga., and she can't help but wonder why. Slowly, she pieces together the lost details of her life with the help of Dr. Blake Hunter, a gorgeous family friend, but there are those who will do anything to keep her memories buried. Michaels's characterizations are far from subtle, and her plot consists of too many highs and lows with very little in between. However, her incisive descriptions of Southern life (and the mannerisms that separate the wealthy from the working masses) will impress, even if the conventional romance between Blake and Casey doesn't. (Apr.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Recently released from a ten-year stay at a mental health facility, Casey returns to her mother's home hoping to regain her memory of her life before hospitalization. Instead, Casey finds glass shards in her body lotion and becomes a hit-and-run victim while shopping. Unable to explain the mysterious and disturbing acts, she wonders if someone is trying to drive her insane. Murder, divorce, money, social position, amnesia, mental illness, and sexual abuse make this tale difficult to put down. Anna Lauris's wide range of voices and tonal variations make it easy for the listener to track the various speakers. A deep Southern accent adds to the ambiance and suits those particular characters. The tapes are professionally produced, with no tape hiss or other background noise. Side changes are timed to occur at convenient breaks in the story. Unfortunately, there is no repetition of a thought or sentence at the beginning of the new side, making it necessary for the listener to pay close attention as the end of a side approaches. Strongly recommended for all public libraries.-Laurie Selwyn, Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
AudioFile
Casey Edwards is released from Sweetwater's mental hospital after 10 years of drug-induced amnesia and sent home, just down the street it turns out, to a mother who doesn't want her back. She is befriended by Dr. Blake Hunter, who helps her regain her memory (despite the efforts of her mother) while at the same time falling in love with her. Anna Lauris captures the sinister tone of the story as more and more of Casey's memories return. Lauris holds the listener's attention as characters develop and the plot to cover up murder, and worse, slowly unravels. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
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