This one started out strong! The characters are layered and interesting to read about, but it's just way too long. I skipped to the end just to find out what happened :(.

Molly moves to New Orleans and works as a private investigator. Gabe, a chef, hires her agency to investigate his father’s death.

Quarter to Midnight is the 26th book in the Romantic Suspense series by Karen Rose. It is the first book in the New Orleans series. I have read other books by Rose, and was excited to read a new one set in New Orleans.

The characters are well-developed and realistic. The attraction between Molly and Gabe is strong and happens quickly. The story is fast paced and intriguing. Quarter to Midnight is an atmospheric and intense thriller.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another beginning to a Karen Rose series I will be anxiously anticipating the next installment. The author never fails to deliver suspense, well-crafted characters, and a bit of romance. QUARTER TO MIDNIGHT is a fabulous read from beginning to end.

Great start to a new series, as well as new all time favorite main characters Molly and Gabe., plus the author goes to shown why she's one of my all time favorite suspense romance authors, because she never let's me down.

I always premise a Karen Rose read with trigger warnings because in her romantic suspense books, the focus of the crimes/criminals includes adult content and violent and disturbing material that may make some readers uncomfortable. This story is for readers 18 and older.

A romantic suspense masterpiece!

Quarter to Midnight is absolutely amazing! I spent two days glued to my Kindle devouring all 600+ pages! I was immediately swept away into this dangerous story full of intrigue, mystery and thrilling suspense! I literally could not put the book down until I had all my questions answered! When I thought I had one mystery figured out, another question would arise and I’d be sucked right back into the story! Karen Rose had me in her thrall all the way to the very end!

I love the main characters Molly and Gabe. The pair have great chemistry. It was a refreshing element to balance out the story with Molly and Gabe’s constant hand holding, intense gazes and stolen secret moments amid the plot’s fast-paced ferocity.

And can we talk about the supporting cast? Mrs. Rose has brilliantly crafted a vibrant and inexhaustible ensemble of secondary characters that helps support, entertain and confound the reader! I absolutely love them and will have no trouble begging Mrs. Rose for each and every single one of their own stories and HEAs!!!! Please and Thank You!

And OMG the villain(s) of the story are almost supernatural in their intensity and depravity. I was equally entertained and appalled at their cunning, deplorability and duplicity. I don’t know how Mrs. Rose does it, but she is masterful in her machinations!

Quarter to Midnight is edgy, fast-paced and unputdownable! It’s so rich in thought-provoking content that’ll satisfy every reader!

I do love Karen Rose and this book didn't disappoint. Who doesn't like a little love story with their murder mystery? I also read this by audiobook and it was GREAT!

Karen Rose writes some seriously intense books! I have always enjoyed her settings because they are places familiar to me (She wrote a series set in Cincinnati and mentioned places I see daily!). I love New Orleans! This book has a great murder mystery, a corrupt police department, and a forbiddenish romance!

Put your hands together, chère, for the first book in a new series, set in the Big Easy.

Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 10:15 P.M. The story opens with a bang. Rocky Hebert suspects his old acquaintance, a doctor, is in trouble, and he’s right. Rocky smelled death before “he withdrew a disposable glove from his pocket and twisted the doorknob.” It’s a grisly sight—the doctor’s throat is slit and his gut eviscerated, death by overkill. Rocky throws up in the rosebushes outside.

He spat again, wishing for a strong drink. Wishing he hadn’t finally gotten sober. Wishing he’d done so many things differently.



He straightened with a muted groan, looking around to be sure he wasn’t about to meet the same end as the poor doctor.

Given Rocky’s fears, his reaction is problematic: “I should call the police. But not here. And definitely not from my own phone.” He’s a man with secrets.

The Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana MONDAY, JULY 28, 9:05 A.M.

Meet Molly Sutton, hanging out on a battered but beautifully carved desk that is just right for the art deco décor in her boss’s lobby.

Her boss, Burke Broussard, liked nice things and he loved New Orleans. Their office space on the Quarter’s edge was a lot more expensive than an equivalent space in the burbs, but Burke swore it was worth it for the foot traffic alone. Their full roster of well-to-do clients seeking “Highly Qualified & Discreet Private Investigators”—as their business cards said in a very dignified script—seemed to prove him right.

Molly is a former Marine whose commanding officer was Broussard. She has personal reasons for not trusting cops as does Broussard, who left New Orleans PD to set up a private investigative service for people who couldn’t find justice elsewhere.

There are no coincidences in Quarter to Midnight. Rocky Hebert is also NOPD and he distrusts some of his colleagues. Hebert and Broussard are best friends. Rocky’s only child, rising star chef Gabriel (Gabe) Hebert, ruled out police-work as a career option because of the toll it took on his father. Tragically, Gabe’s father dies by his own hand, drunk and in despair, but Gabe’s not buying it. He feels the investigation into the so-called suicide was deliberately botched by his former captain, Gabe knows his dad stumbled onto a truth that someone wants silenced.

Gabe goes to Burke Broussard and begs him to find out the truth. Broussard assigns Molly, his top operative, to get to the bottom of what happened to Rocky. Molly can’t say no—she owes Burke Broussard a debt she can’t possibly repay for rescuing her and her family from an untenable situation. However, chef Gabe and his stellar chocolate cake are not unknown to her… as an admiring customer only. Now he’ll be under her protection. How will that work?

Molly’s mind was too jumpy for there to be any peace.



Gabriel Hebert. The two of them were going to be joined at the hip until she figured out who’d killed his father. Because it was beating all out of rhythm.

Molly consoles herself by considering the fab meals Gabe might whip up while he’s under wraps. Her conversations with Gabe about his dad and how she plans to investigate are rather awkward, especially since Gabe wants to be involved. Could a cold case in Rocky’s past be the reason he was murdered? He takes affront at any suggestion that his father might have been part of the problem. Molly tries to sensitively thread the needle.

“I’m also going to need access to your father’s financial accounts.”



He frowned at that, visibly bristling. “What do you expect to find?”



“I don’t know. But we say ‘follow the money’ for a reason.”



His jaw went rigid. “You think my dad was on the take?”



“Nope. But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t check.”



“I understand,” he said stiffly. “And I’ll come with you when you do those checks. No more trying to shove me in a half-assed kitchen so I can make your dinner.”



“Burke says you can come, so yes. I’d prefer you choose another bodyguard, but if you don’t get in my way, we can make this work. But,” she added as gently as she could, “I may find things that you don’t want to see. That happens sometimes when someone dies suddenly.”

Romantic thrillers often pair up a larger-than-life former operative (male) with an intelligent, intriguing civilian (female). It’s a treat to have Karen Rose shake up the formula. Gabe is no damsel in distress, but he doesn’t have the military and detective chops that make Molly a lethal weapon.

Movies like The Big Easy color our views of policing in New Orleans. Quarter to Midnight fits right into that template. It showcases the pulsating, vibrant city of New Orleans while it meticulously unspooled a fraudulent scheme, laced with deviousness and cruelty, that started back when the city was devastated by floods in Hurricane Katrina. It’s a tale as old as time: “Good cops. Bad cops. Only one will win.” Karen Rose’s special seasoning is corruption and murder. Her first New Orleans novel is a winner and readers will want more.

This is book 1 in a new series called New Orleans but Karen Rose's 26th suspense story. Molly Sutton joined law enforcement after her tours with the marines. When that job became impossible she becomes a private detective with a friend in New Orleans. When Gabe hires them to investigate his dad's "suicide" the three of them become embedded in a city wide corruption war. I hadn't picked up any of Ms. Rose's books for awhile but this one was suspenseful and had great characters. Hope there are many more in this series.

I have never read any of Karen Rose’s novels before and since this is a start of a new series I thought I could start with this one. I really liked her writing style and I liked how she really made me root for the characters and on the edge of my seat hoping they stayed one step ahead of the bad guy. I didn’t really enjoy that the villain had a POV in the story. It always felt like they were playing catch up since they didn’t know who they were but they knew who they were and was acting accordingly to get rid of them. The mystery was really suspenseful and definitely kept you on the edge of your seat. It was a long book but it kept me engaged figuring out the motives for the villain and following the trail of destruction the villain left behind in their investigation behind who they were. The romance between the two main character was great and it added just enough tension with how they were trying not to get murdered by the bad guy they were investigating.
Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own

Review: QUARTER TO MIDNIGHT by Karen Rose https://53mq.short.gy/0frqND
Publication Date: August 2, 2022
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 5 Stars

Oh my, what a fun romantic suspense. I connected with Molly from the start. Her easy camaraderie with her friends and co-workers rounded out her kick-ass abilities. For some reason I didn’t connect so well with Gabriel’s character. Not that I didn’t like him, I just didn’t bond with him as well. Thankfully Molly did. I liked watching their relationship grow and their personal time was nice and steamy. They worked quite well together through all the drama around them.

I think what I liked best about this book was the secondary characters and how they all came together. At first I thought there were too many to keep up with, but everyone had a distinct personality and backstory that made them memorable. I adored Xavier and his little group. Their banter and interplay was a nice offset to the danger surrounding everyone. The storyline was filled with tension, danger, and just enough mystery to keep me glued to the pages. I couldn’t put it down and am anxious for book two.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~

Kindle https://amzn.to/3yOkvHn

Romantic anything is about half a dozen genres away from what I enjoy reading, but "suspense" brings it more into line with my liking. More daunting, at least for me, is that this one is just over 600 pages in length. That said, once I finally made it to the end, it's really not bad at all. It features ex-Marine Molly Sutton, a former law enforcement officer in North Carolina who join her former commanding officer Burke Broussard in his private investigation firm.

Meanwhile, in New Orleans, Gabe Hebert has emerged as a top chef in the French Quarter. But then his father dies and it's deemed a suicide - not, Gabe insists. So, he turns to Burke, his late father's best friend. That puts Gabe in tune with Molly, and from the start, it's music for their hearts (and those of readers who are into such things).

Apparently, Gabe's father, a former police officer, had spent years digging around the edges of a cold case murder that happened during Hurricane Katrina. When he got too close to the truth, he was warned off; when he didn't pay attention, he paid with his life. The rest of the story follows the details of Molly's investigation and the sometimes steamy relationship between Molly and Gabe. All in all, it's a solid, action-packed story that would be perfect for a summer beach read or in front of a roaring fireplace when the snow flies. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.

REVIEW ORIGINALLY SENT TO berkleypublicity@penguinrandomhouse.com on September 3, 2022

Benjamin Franklin is known for many things, among them the pithy bits of wisdom he put into his renowned Poor Richard’s Almanac. “Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead”, is the one interpreted literally by the villain in Quarter to Midnight, a fact which winds up costing over fifteen people their lives.

Full disclosure: I haven’t read Karen Rose since her 2016 release Alone in the Dark, which I didn’t enjoy. Ms. Rose writes interconnected books and I was tired of trying to keep track of who was who and what happened to them when, and the books are long (often over 400 pages), so there’s a lot of whos and whens to remember. However, my friend Shannon loved the author’s two most recent releases and reading her reviews made me remember what I enjoyed about her work. I decided that since Quarter to Midnight is the first book in Rose’s New Orleans saga, it would be a good place to make a fresh start – although to be honest it didn’t read that way. I kept feeling as though I should be familiar with Burke and some of the other characters who appear here and it is entirely possible that those who have read the writer’s entire back list will be. My lack of knowledge didn’t keep from appreciating this novel though.

When Molly Sutton finished her time in the Marines, she happily became a police officer. During her time on the force she had a fiancé, lived close to her sister Molly and beloved niece, got to spend time with her dad – and then a tragedy blew all of that apart. Her sister and neice relocate to New Orleans, where Molly joins the private investigative agency run by the man she had served under while in the armed forces, Burke Broussard. Burke also left the service to become a cop, only to leave the NOPD disillusioned by the corruption he saw there.

Gabe Hebert is a celebrity chef who won a television cooking competition and is now the owner of a highly successful restaurant in the French Quarter. His life is good but busy until the night his father dies, an alleged suicide caused by alcohol, cocaine and a bullet to the head. Only Gabe’s dad was an AA success story who had never done drugs in his life. As a former NOPD officer, his dad’s death investigation should have been handled with thoroughness and compassion. Instead, it is clearly being done in a lackadaisical manner and Gabe is warned that if he challenges the results, the news will hear all about his dad’s alleged drug and alcohol problems. Gabe doesn’t care. Convinced his father was murdered, he orders a private autopsy and when the results confirm his suspicions, he turns to Burke, his dad’s former partner, to find the killer.

When Molly goes into Burke’s office to meet her new client, she is surprised to see Gabe. She’s a regular at his restaurant and has been secretly crushing on the hot chef since he first appeared on TV. Gabe is equally shocked to see Molly. He normally doesn’t pay much attention to the people who walk in and out of his eatery, but the buxom blonde beauty had caught his eye on her first visit and he’s made it a point to stop at her table to chat every time she’s come in since. He didn’t know she worked for Burke and he isn’t sure he wants her investigating this case. His dad had been a great cop, a guy who really knew his way around a gun and could handle himself in any situation. If the perpetrators could kill him, how much of a chance does Molly stand?

Quite a good one as it turns out. First, I’m just going to say- leave your suspension of disbelief at the front cover. This is a feel-good novel for people who enjoy stories about righteous vigilantes winning the day, and pesky things like laws, facts and probabilities don’t enter into the equation. The author’s emphasis is on the entertainment factor and if you’re a fan of action/adventure/romance stories this book scores pretty high on that scale. Molly, Gabe and company – and there is a lot of company – are delightful people you will be happy to root for. Gabe is a practical, down to earth sort who is determined to get justice for his father. At first he comes across as a bit chauvinistic but he soon realizes that Molly is a tough cookie who knows what she’s doing and the desire and interest he’s always felt for her quickly turn to admiration and love as he spends time with her. One of the points that had me really rolling my eyes was the way Gabe insisting on being an active part of the investigation, which results in his showing off his own skills at shooting and beating up bad guys. He is easily as adept as any of the trained investigators/former military people on Burke’s team. Eh – I just went with it. Molly has a complicated history, which we learn a lot about, and really needs someone like Gabe, who is primarily light and sunshine. It’s clear he’s going to be great at chasing her shadows away and helping her deal with the trauma of the past. On the flip side, she’s able to help him process the darker emotions caused by his dad’s murder. They make a good couple and I bought their love story as much as I did anything else about the book.

I wouldn’t call Rose’s books graphic, but there is a lot of violence in them. This particular volume includes the dismemberment of a body, a ton of shootings and at least one strangulation. The author doesn’t linger on the details but there is a high death toll.

For a long novel this made for a quick read. I was fascinated enough by the mystery that I kept turning the pages and savoring the story. All the good guys here are really likeable; I don’t have the page space to name all the secondary characters but I especially adored everyone in Xavier’s crew. That kid was super lucky regarding the people in his life.

My main quibbles with the tale are the sheer unbelievability of it and the endless villain viewpoint. A couple of pages with that guy went a long way and I didn’t feel we needed to spend as much time with him as we do. Folks who take issue with vigilante justice should note that that is pretty much what this story is. There is police involvement but this is a bunch of P.I.s bringing down the bad guys.

I liked Quarter to Midnight and think Rose’s fans will be very pleased with this latest offering. Since this is a start of a new series, I would also recommend it to fans of detailed action/adventure romance.

There are many killings in this tale which takes place in New Orleans. Gabe's father, a former cop, is dead. Gabe believes it is murder and sets out to prove this by hiring a P.I. What begins as a simple search becomes a dominio effect of one killing after another. Who are the rotten cops? Who is involved? This story if full of challenges to the solving of who the guilty person is. Read and see if you are able to put this down .

Let me preface this review by saying Quarter to Midnight is a hefty book! I must admit I was initially intimidated by its weight and felt relieved when I was granted access to audiobook by PRH Audio so I can switch between the audiobook and the physical copy (Thank you Berkley Romance and Penguin Random House for the free copy!).

I was so intrigued by the plot for the very first few pages and kept wanting to sit down and read as opposed to getting every day life chores done! This is a romance and a thriller/mystery rolled into one! If you like the combination like I do, then you are likely to enjoy this one! I found the different overlapping plot lines to be very interesting and kept me engaged throughout the book. Eventually, I forgot the page count and remembered how much I love getting so deeply lost in a longer read.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me access to the ebook as well!

3.5⭐
Molly Sutton moves to The Big Easy with her sister and niece. A former Marine, and cop from North Carolina, she's now a PI for her former Marine CO, Burke Broussard. Her assignment is to investigate the death of Chef Gabe Herbert's father, "Rocky", a police officer and Burke's old partner which was ruled a suicide. Gabe doesn't believe his father took his own life and was murdered as a result of something he was working on.

Molly was attracted to the hot and handsome Chef when she saw him at his restaurant, Le Petit Choux celebrating her birthday. She tries to keep the initial meeting professional while Gabe wants Burke on the case and not her. Burke is too close to the case and NOPD and is able to convince Gabe to give Molly a chance.

This is quite a tale clocking in at 600 pages or 21 hours 41 mins of romance, suspense, crime, and detective work.

Told from different PoVs including the bad guys,"Quarter to Midnight" is the first in a new "New Orleans" series and is a little wordy for my personal preference. A strong start and the last third was a page-turner. Local politics, dirty cops, good vs evil, and many characters. I wasn't sure who is trustworthy and that kept me on my toes. Beware, high body count! I enjoy the characters and mystery equally and thought the author did a wonderful job setting the atmosphere. I would like to read the next one!

Steamy medium high!🔥🔥🔥

I read and listened (Thanks to my local library!) to this one. Lee Osorio did a wonderful solo narration.

With every single book and every single story Karen Rose comes through will a killer novel. I cannot get enough of her writing and her plotting. The characters, the suspense, the drama and the intrigue make every single book a winner. Quarter to Midnight is an excellent read from thriller lovers like me.

Gabe Herbert lost his father, Rocky, in an apparent suicide, but he isn’t buying it, but as he has no help from the police, he decides to go to Burke Broussard and his detective agency for answers. What he uncovers is surprising and dangerous for all involved! His dad, a former cop, had been investigating a cold case for years, the murder of a woman during the chaos of Hurricane Katrina. Rocky had been stonewalled and threatened to drop the case or else and it seems like his persistence was finally paying off with answers. Unfortunately, he got too close and now Gabe is trying to connect the dots of his father’s investigation without dying or getting anyone else killed.

Molly Sutton has been drooling over Gabe Herbert every time she’d visit his restaurant. A gorgeous man who can cook?! Well, not many women could say no to that, but she never dreamed she’d be assigned to help him solve his father’s murder. Molly has lost family, so they bond easily over shared grief, their physical attraction growing as they work together. Even with all the mounting threats they were able to steal away here and there and savor what little precious time they had, steaming up the pages in the process!

Quarter to Midnight was 608 pages that just flew by! It was a fast paced, easy to breeze through read that kept me on the edge of my seat! Danger at every turn as the body count kept growing. I love Karen Rose’s brand of romantic suspense, so I was excited to hear she was starting a new series set in New Orleans! This vibrant, sultry location came alive through Rose’s talented writing. Can’t wait for the next one!

New Orleans is a hotbed of intrigue in this suspenseful and delightful story. There are dirty cops, many unanswered questions and so many people dying that it's hard to know who to trust. The two main characters, Gabe and Molly, are realistic and literally jump off the page in this wonderfully written story.

Gabe finds it impossible to believe his father has commited suicide and Gabe and Molly are brought together when he hires Molly to investigate his father’s death. Sparks immediately fly between these two from the moment they meet. Neither Gabe or Molly has been lucky in love, until they meet. Unfortunately, they are so busy trying to solve this case they have little time for romance or getting to know each other. Gabe and Molly are running for their lives while they try to solve a crime and find the mastermind behind all the killings happening every time they turn around.

I loved everything about this story. It has suspense and romance, which is my favorite trope and Karen Rose did a wonderful job of keeping me on the edge of my seat. This story was intriguing and had me quickly turning the pages to find out what would happen next.

The discovery of a witness to a long ago crime sets a series of deadly events in motion in Karen Rose's new series, set in and around New Orleans. Rose is an expert at plotting suspenseful tales and creating brave heroes and heroines as well as twisted villains. A great start to a new series!