Every Dark Corner by Karen Rose

Title: Every Dark Corner 

Author: Karen Rose

Series: Romantic Suspense #18  Cincinnati #3

Publisher: February 7, 2017

Release Date: Berkley Books

Every Dark Corner is the nail-biting new thriller from Sunday Times bestseller Karen Rose, and Book 3 in the Cincinnati series, following on from Closer Than You Think and Alone in the Dark.

When FBI Special Agent Griffin "Decker" Davenport wakes from his coma, he is desperate to find the missing children he knows are in danger. At the end of his last investigation, when he thought it was all over and justice had been served, he discovered that not everyone had been rescued, but he was shot before he was able to tell anyone.

Special Agent Kate Coppola has recently moved to Cincinnati. She says she's chasing a promotion but she's actually running away from heartache. She's found the recordings from Decker's time undercover and has been at his side in the hospital while she tries to put together the pieces of the crime he was investigating—and what connection it has to his own mysterious past.

When someone tries to kill Decker in his hospital bed, he and Kate realize that the children are not the only ones whose lives are threatened and that they must stop at nothing to hunt down the perpetrators. And danger is waiting in every dark corner.

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Karen Rose knows how to write a suspense romance. Her plots are intricate and solid. 

I recently started the Cincinnati series. I was lucky, I had all these characters fresh in my mind. I like how Karen Rose gives you snippets of old and new relationships to form. So, despite having the main couple, you can see the threads of new books to come for others. 

In Every Dark Corner, FBI Special Agent Griffin "Decker" Davenport is waking up from a medically induced coma after being hit by bullets. He was undercover in a human trafficking case for three years.  Special Agent Kate Coppola is in charge of his debriefing and in a way his protection too. She feels a connection towards him and she doesn't seem to be able to leave his hospital room for too long. 

Decker knows he must tell the CPD and FBI about the kids who have been abused and used in a child pornography ring. He learned about it just before he was shot. An evil man known as the Professor is still out there and the task force must find him before he takes more children as his victims. 

Every Dark Corner is a well-written suspense. There is plenty of action and intrigue. The characters have all suffered loss either on their jobs or their personal life.  

I love that Kate deals with her anxiety by knitting or doing origami.  It wouldn't surprise me if, by the next book, the whole team is knitting. However, don't think she is weak. She is super smart, stubborn, a great shot and very compassionate. 

I hope the next character to get a book is either Stone or Diesel. 

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alone In the Dark by Karen Rose

Title: Alone In the Dark

Author: Karen Rose

Series: Romantic Suspense #17, Cincinnati #2

Publisher: Signet

Release Date: February 2, 2016

The New York Times bestselling author of Closer Than You Think returns with a breathtaking new novel of suspense that crosses the line between danger and desire, and justice and revenge.

Homicide Detective Scarlett Bishop has seen enough bad guys slip through the cracks and too many innocent victims go unavenged to know good doesn't always prevail. So far she’s been able to lock away her rage and her vigilante fantasies. That lock is about to break.

Former Army Ranger Marcus O'Bannion is a fierce champion of victims’ rights. His secret past gives him good reason. He believes he’s seen the depths of human depravity, but then his investigation into the murder of a young girl who once asked for his help lures him and Scarlett down a dark, dark road—and straight into the crosshairs of a dangerous, powerful underground ring that deals in human trade. To stop them, Scarlett and Marcus have to be just as cunning and just as ruthless. But first they have to make it out alive.

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“ I couldn’t leave her alone in the dark ”

Nine months have gone by when Alone in the Dark begins. Both characters were introduced in Closer Than You Think. 

Marcus O'Bannion is an ex-army Ranger. He suffered serious injuries while he was trying to protect a woman nine months ago. Now, he suspects another woman is in serious danger. A chance encounter at the park leads him to fear for Tala's life. He convinces her to meet him and to tell him how he can help her. When Tala agrees he calls the woman who has been on his mind since the moment he woke up in the hospital bed and saw her eyes, Homicide Detective Scarlett Bishop. Meeting Tala leads to him getting shot and Tala losing her life.

Scarlett Bishop knows that Marcus is hiding things from her. He's the editor of the newspaper the Ledger and due to the pieces he runs, his life has been threatened multiple times. When she goes to meet him, he has been shot once again, but thankfully he was wearing a kevlar this time. She has been thinking about him for the last nine months. She's attracted to him but she had a bad experience with a reporter before. Trusting Marcus is not going to be easy but she must do it before the people who want him dead try again.

Karen Rose is able to build such a formidable story. She gives you many details to get to know her characters inside and out. 

Marcus has a threatening exterior but he had a good heart. He was carrying a lot of guilt and sadness over various events that have marked him. His interest for Scarlett was real. He wanted to protect her as much as he could without taking away her job as a cop.

After so much death, Scarlett was questioning everything. She wasn't sure if she was strong enough to be a good cop and remain in her job. Losing her best friend in college changed her forever and pushes her to want justice for victims but after years in the field, she wasn't sure she could continue doing it. She was thankfully for her partner Deacon and for the first time in a long time, she was willing to try a new romantic relationship. 

As a bonus, I love that Faith and Deacon were very much part of the investigation and we get a glimpse at the next couple to fall in love. 

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

Title: Closer Than You Think 

Author: Karen Rose

Series: Romantic Suspense #16, Cincinnati #1

Publisher: Signet

Release Date: February 3, 2015

Psychologist Faith Corcoran is desperate to escape the stalker who’s made her life a nightmare for the past year—desperate enough to run to the one place that has been her nightmare far longer. Both boon and bane, her recent inheritance of her grandmother’s old house in Cincinnati offers sanctuary in which she can start her life anew, but requires that she face the dark memories that still resonate to this day.

But she has no idea how close to home her fears still are.

Two college girls have gone missing in the area, and FBI Special Agent Deacon Novak is called to work on the case. When his inquiry unexpectedly leads him to Faith, he finds a beautiful and brave woman he can’t help but fall for. Soon they’ll discover that this seemingly simple investigation is anything but. Reaching back decades into Faith’s own past, it will shatter everything she believes to be true and will give terrifying new meaning to flesh and blood

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This is my first Karen Rose book. For years, I have seen her name and I've always heard great things about her suspense novels. I finally decided to jump into the fray. 

Despite Closer Than You Think being book 16, it's actually the first book in her Cincinnati series. 

Faith Corcoran is moving back home after twenty-three years. Her grandmother passed away and she has left her house. She wasn't sure she wanted to live in the mansion. She has bad memories of the place that still haunt her as an adult. Faith is running away from a stalker. Leaving Miami, changing her last name is one way to shake off her stalker.  She was attacked four years ago by him. After he was released early from prison, he has been following her. She had multiple attempts on her life but the Miami police are not listening. Her ex-husband, a Miami cop, might be the reason why her pleas have been unanswered.

Deacon Novak is an FBI special agent. He recently moved to Cincinnati to be closer to his sister and brother. His little brother is having a hard time at school and before he gets expelled permanently, Deacon has to intervene. When Deacon's parents were killed, he was too young to win custody of his siblings. Instead, his uncle and his wife took over their care. Presently, Deacon is ready to be there for them.

I thought Closer Than You Think was excellent. It had one of the best introductions of a hero I have ever read. I love how unusual Deacon's persona was. I can only imagine it. A super-hero with a leather coat...sigh. No wonder Faith couldn't hold her tongue.

This book is full of suspense and I love the twists it had. I couldn't put it down. I needed to know who the killer was and why did they want Faith dead so bad. The romance was well done. The secondary characters were also interesting.

Word of advice, her books are long. Avoid planning anything except reading for half a day or more. Believe me, you won't want to stop reading.


4/5 Fangs