#BookReview - Edge of Darkness by Karen Rose

Title:  Edge of Darkness - Book 4 of the Cincinnati Series)
Author:  Karen Rose
Genre:  Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Release Date:  February 6, 2018

About the Book:

A Cincinnati detective questions everything he knows--and everyone he trusts--in the new novel of romantic suspense from New York Times bestseller Karen Rose.

Homicide detective Adam Kimble is no stranger to battling demons. But Meredith Fallon is a different kind of weakness: one that could actually be good for him, if only he would let himself depend on her. Meredith has loved Adam for a year, and seeing how hard he's worked to deal with his PTSD makes her feelings only stronger, but she respects his needs. Her work keeps her busy anyway: she counsels sexually abused women like Mallory Martin to help them reintegrate into the world. 

But someone doesn't want Meredith helping women like Mallory, and Meredith finds herself in the crosshairs of a very determined killer. Adam would risk anything for her, but they'll soon find out she isn't the only target...

Buy Links: Amazon 

My Review:

Okay, I have to admit it. I am a huge fan of Karen Rose's writing!  And this novel only made me love her books more. Once again I was hooked from the first few pages and could not put the book down. Actually, I was only a few chapters in when I realized that I needed to make a trip several hours away. The thought of having to  wait to  continue with the book (can't read and drive at the same time) made me purchase the Audible version of the book. I loved listening to Edge of Darkness as I drove, even when it gave me the shivers. My only problem was when I arrived at my destination and had to turn off my car. I couldn't do it. I sat there in the parking lot for another hour, listening.

This is book #4 in the Cincinnati series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. After reading it, however, I'm sure you will want to check out the other books in this series. Karen Rose creates fascinating characters that go straight to your heart... or straight to your nervous system.  Sometimes you don't know the difference until later in the book, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Police Detective Adam Kimball has been fighting the demons inside him for almost a year, pulling him away from the woman who means the most to him, Meredith Fallon.  But when Meredith's life is threatened in a most horrific event, Adam finds himself in the middle of the ordeal, wanting nothing more than to protect Meredith, keep her safe, and find the man responsible.

I was totally caught off guard when the bad guy was revealed. That's one of the things that makes Karen Rose such a great mystery/suspense writer. And the romance between Adam and Meredith was intense and hot, which is what makes Karen Rose such a great romance writer. Perfect blend of romance, mystery and suspense!

I'm sad to see the Cincinnati Series end, but looking forward to whatever this author has for her next series. I'll be watching!

My Rating: 

About the Author:

Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”

Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published fifteen more novels and two novellas. Her eighteenth novel, EVERY DARK CORNER, was released in 2017 and EDGE OF DARKNESS was released in February of 2018.

Karen's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London's Sunday Times, and Germany's der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!

Her novels, I'M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into more than twenty languages.

A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, two dogs, and a cat.

Fun Facts about Karen Rose

Our spotlight author for the month of July is the international bestseller, Karen Rose.

I found the following information on her web page at www.karenrosebooks.com and you can check it out and find even more information about this fabulous author there.  Check out ALL of her fabulous books!  I just love this author!

And if you want to meet her in person, be sure to sign up for #CMCon2018 Coastal Magic Convention in February, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida.  I can't wait!!






Directly from Karen Rose's website:

I was asked to pull together some fun facts for my publisher and thought you might like to see the results:

I was given my first horror story to read by my dad, who, impatient at my childish choices of Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew and repeated readings of LITTLE WOMEN, urged me to read "real literature." He handed me a book of short stories. I'm quite certain he never read them because the first story was “The Pit and the Pendulum” by Edgar Allen Poe and (a)I was only eight, (b) my dad was really a nice person. He didn't know I would literally lose sleep after I read it. It scared me to death.

I'm not generally superstitious, but I've never boarded an airplane without a romance novel since surviving a scary crash landing while reading Jude Deveraux . It kept me calm.

I've traveled the world, once filling a passport and a half in three years. My favorite foreign city is London, although Rome is right up there.

I once ate a live fish in Japan so as not to dishonor my hosts and was then called Karen-san. Sushi is now on my "ick" list.

I spent my seventeenth birthday in a Guatemalan prison as a guest and only stayed a few hours, but hearing those big doors bang shut is a sound I'll never forget.

I have two patents for making Metamucil taste better.

I'm far from fluent, but am capable in American Sign Language and often interpret for my deaf child.

#BookReview - Monster in the Closet by Karen Rose

Title: Monster in the Closet
Author: Karen Rose
Genre: Mystery & Suspense, Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: August 29, 2017

About the Book:

The New York Times bestselling author of Every Dark Corner returns to Baltimore, where a father-daughter reunion puts innocent victims in the sights of a stone-cold killer…

Baltimore PI Clay Maynard routinely locates missing children for clients, but his own daughter—stolen by his ex-wife—has eluded him for years. Until she turns up right under his nose…

Since she was a child, Taylor Dawson believed the lie her mother told her: that her father was a monster. But now she has a chance to get to know the real Clay while doing real work as an equine therapist, which includes helping two girls whose mother was brutally murdered. She might even find something deeper with her boss’s handsome son, Ford Elkhart, whose eyes are so haunted. But just as Taylor feels her life opening up to new family, work, and friends, a danger lurks in the darkness—one that will show Taylor the face of true evil… 

Buy Links: Amazon 
Available for Pre-Order - Release Date August 29, 2017

My Review:

Karen Rose never disappoints me!  I loved reading Monster in the Closet.  Once again, this book had it all.  There was suspense, action, intrigue and romance... the kind of romance that gives you tingles.

Jazzie Jarvis is an eleven year old girl who is traumatized after seeing her mother brutally murdered by her father.  Her father, Gage Jarvis, doesn't know that little Jazzie was hiding behind a chair.  Now before you cringe away and think that you can't read this because it is all so horrific, let me tell you that the way this story comes together will keep you turning those pages, praying for a happy ending... but I'm not giving away too many spoilers here.

Along comes Taylor Dawson, recently graduated with a degree in psychology, who has accepted an internship with Healing Hearts with Horses, an equestrian center specifically developed to help trauma victims.  But Taylor has a few secrets of her own.  Taylor is able to connect with Jazzie in a way no one else has been able to.  Will she be able to get Jazzie to talk about what had happened to her?  Or will Jazzie just remain quiet and continue to protect and hover over her little sister Janie?  And what happens when Gage realizes that there may be a witness to the murder?

Add in the boss' hunky son, Ford Elkhart, who is immediately attracted to Taylor, and also add in Clay Maynard, head of security at Healing Hearts who has been looking for his daughter for many years, and you have the basic ingredients for one very fascinating story.  But this story is anything but basic!  Lots of action and lots of plots that all intertwine.  I could not put this book down!

There are so many characters that you can't help but love, and also those you love-to-hate.  But even those that you hate are so well developed that you are able to see their motivation for what evil things they do... all because of the great writing skills of Karen Rose.

I highly recommend this book.

My Rating:  

Would you like to meet the author, Karen Rose in person?  Perhaps ask her to sign a copy of this book or one of her many other books for you?  You can do that at #CMCon2018 Coastal Magic in Daytona Beach, February 22nd - 25th, 2018.

About the Author:

Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”

Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published fifteen more novels and two novellas. Her nineteenth novel, MONSTER IN THE CLOSET, will be released in August of 2017.

Karen's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London's Sunday Times, and Germany's der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!