Although I have never read anything by Kay Hooper before, I have heard some good things about her over the years. After reading Haunting Rachel, I am ready to add my voice to the chorus; if you like romantic suspense, this one is not to be missed. This was almost a one-sitting read for me, because after a while I just couldn’t put it down. While it is not perfect, the suspense is masterfully maintained throughout; it really had me on the edge of my seat.

When Rachel Grant returns to Richmond to settle family affairs after her parents die in a plane crash, strange things start happening. Ten years before, Rachel was engaged to marry Thomas Sheridan, but he disappeared in a South American jungle a week before the wedding. At that time Rachel fled Richmond for New York, where she has been ever since. Now Rachel is being followed by a man who could be Thomas’s double, and dangerous accidents start occurring.

Rachel finally meets the man who has been following her. His name is Adam Delafield, and although he looks and even sounds like Thomas, he is definitely another man. He claims that her father loaned him money which he will soon be repaying. Rachel was unaware of any outstanding loans. Her father owned a bank, but Adam’s loan was a personal one. Rachel wants to trust him, but she isn’t sure she should. Meanwhile, she has a lot of decisions to make. Her father’s partner, Nick, wants her to sell him her shares in the bank. Her uncle wants her to sell him the family estate. But she’s thinking of staying in Richmond and starting her own business.

As more “accidents” happen, Adam becomes concerned for Rachel and starts spending more time with her. They decide to go through her father’s paperwork to see if they can find any evidence that someone would want to kill for. Although Rachel’s friends are worried that she is falling for Adam only because of his resemblance to Thomas, Rachel knows she is falling in love with him. But can she trust him?

I am not someone who ever peeks at the ending of a book, but I have to admit I was tempted to do it this time. I was dying to know who Adam was, what had really happened to Thomas, and why someone was trying to kill Rachel. I resisted the temptation to peek, but it was a close call! As the book progressed, Rachel discovered several secrets in her family’s Richmond home. Truths were revealed very gradually, but by the end all my questions were answered.

There is a nice secondary romance involving Nick (the partner in the bank) and Mercy, who is Thomas’s sister and Rachel’s best friend. Nick is a very secretive man, with a mysterious past. He is described as ugly, but incredibly sexy at the same time. He is by far my favorite character, although the others are also interesting.

The only problem I had with Haunting Rachel was that actions of certain characters were a little contrived. A couple of the characters acted like they were doing something wrong when they actually weren’t. The secrets that they kept from Rachel were things they really could have told her; the only reason they didn’t tell her was that the plot was more suspenseful and ambiguous that way. I appreciated the suspense, but their decision not to be honest with Rachel was illogical. It also made the characters initially a little less likable than they were after their actions were explained.

Other than that, I really enjoyed this book. The interesting characters and compelling plot kept me spellbound right through the end. Haunting Rachel is the first book I have read by Kay Hooper, but it won’t be the last.