Beneath Dark Waters is the second in Karen Rose’s New Orleans set mystery series. It follows up last year’s Quarter to Midnight. “Karen Rose’s special seasoning is corruption and murder. Her first New Orleans novel is a winner and readers will want more.” Readers will be pleased that many characters from Quarter to Midnight are back.

We are immediately plunged into a frightening scenario. Rick Gates is castigating his younger brother Jace, after Jace asks what they’re doing in a quiet suburb. Rick says they’re “picking something up for Aaron,” and points to a heavily pregnant woman.

“Yeah, her. Didn’t you read Corey’s email? Oh right,” Rick said sarcastically. He’d been sarcastic a lot lately. Mean, even. And more jittery than usual. But they were all stressed out. “You can’t, because you’re so stupid you can’t even read.”

Rick isn’t wrong, Jace can’t read, something his brother Corey reinforces every day when he tells Jace he’s stupid. Jace asks again what they’re picking up for Aaron, his oldest brother.

“Him.”



Jace frowned. There was a little boy walking next to the pregnant lady. He looked like he was only eight or nine years old. “Why?”



“Because he can get Aaron out of jail,” Rick spat. “He’s currency.”



Jace blinked, confused. “What?”



“Currency,” Rick repeated. “That fucking no-name public defender Aaron got can’t help him, so we need to do something. We need Aaron back. We need him. Jace was struck by the desperation in his brother’s tone.

Everything goes terribly pear-shaped. The pregnant lady tasers Rick, the little boy rips Rick’s black ski mask off his face—it’s all on Jace to capture the currency. “But . . . he couldn’t do it. It’s wrong. Meeting the boy’s terrified eyes, he made another decision. “Run,” he snapped. “I said run!”

This is a disturbing, violent, visceral tug-at-your-heart-strings book. Former Marine Val Sorensen works as an investigator and sometime bodyguard for Broussard Investigations. Her work team is like family. J. P. “Kaj” Cardozo is a widower with a son who is infinitely precious to him. Elijah is preternaturally smart. A diagnosis of childhood diabetes hasn’t crimped his sails. Kaj (“spelled K-a-j, but pronounced Kai, rhyming with pie”) is a public prosecutor who has made a name for himself in the six months he’s lived in New Orleans. There are folks in NOLA who will stop at nothing to prevent Kaj’s “high-profile celebrity sexual assault case” from ever reaching court. They try to kidnap Elijah, hoping his father will drop the case to ensure his son’s safety. Instead Kaj turns to Broussard Investigations, a private investigation firm that is famous for its ability to protect its clients, for help.

Val is assigned to keep Elijah safe, and she takes her responsibilities very seriously. She arranges to have a delicious dinner cooked for the household. Kaj thanks her for everything she’s doing: “You bring all kinds of perks,” he added with a smile. “Dogs, roller derby, and friends who make good food.” Val deflects his praise, but he thanks her again.

He leaned closer to look at her screen. “What are you doing?”



“Research. I first talked to your sister and she sent me some educational links on what Elijah should and shouldn’t eat. But then I got an email from Antoine—he’s our IT guru—and I stopped reading about food to read the background checks on all the major players. Antoine sent information on Aaron and Corey Gates, plus anything he could find on Dewey Talley. Which doesn’t appear to be anything more than I’d already gathered myself over the years.”



“Anything jumping out at you about Aaron?”



She glanced at Elijah, who still slept deeply, before turning her screen so that Kaj could see it more easily. “I’m sure you’ve seen most of what I’ve got here, since you’re prosecuting Aaron.”

The Gates family are vicious criminals, yet Jace saved Elijah’s life. Jace has grown up in an atmosphere where anyone, including children, can be collateral damage. Beneath Dark Waters is not for the faint of heart. Rose demonstrates repeatedly the vulnerability and permeability of the New Orleans police. Criminals can bribe and coerce the police force almost at will.

The plot is almost medieval: Val moves into Kaj’s home and transforms it into a fortress. The barbarians are on the outside, feverishly attempting to storm the castle. There is a pervasive sense of foreboding.

On a parallel track to Elijah’s life is Jace, a criminalized and abused teenager. His educational deficiencies are palpable. Jace is a counterpoint to Elijah, both having suffered family tragedies. Jace’s sense of pathos notwithstanding, he is suffused with a deep longing for love, warmth, and community.

Beneath Dark Waters is billed as romantic suspense and it is. But it also examines the notion that family can extend beyond relatives—Val and Kaj and those in their orbit create a self-chosen family over the course of some agonizing weeks. Let’s hope this isn’t the last of Karen Rose’s New Orleans novels.

Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for the gifted copy of Beneath Dark Waters {partner}

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date:  8.15.2023
Pages: 581
Star Rating: ☆☆☆

Oh boy, I wanted to love this book. I was first introduced to the romantic suspense genre a few years ago, and I can’t seem to get enough of it. But Beneath Dark Waters was not the book for me. 

I tried reading it in the morning, afternoon, and evening and through different formats, but I needed help understanding the story. It dragged so slowly in the first 30% that it took me several occasions and restarting the book to get past that point. It picked up a bit once the story arc started, but then it would quickly slow down and lose my interest. So, it may have been more of a pacing than a content issue for me.

I love a good police procedural, and Karen Rose always delivers, so I will definitely be reading more from her in the future.

Beneath the dark waters is definitely a page turner, and had me sat in the edge of my seat. I wanted to keep reading to find out and get to the big reveal. There were so many clues and moments that seemed suspicious. I couldn’t put it down, this definitely makes for a great romantic thriller.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this in exchange for my honest review!

Here I am, just a girl, once again standing in front of you to tell everyone who will listen that if you love romantic suspense.....READ KAREN ROSE. I've been loyally reading every book she's ever written for over 15 years at this point, and there's a reason for that.

We go back to the Louisiana bayou in this one, and see some familiar faces in Val, a kick ass bodyguard, and Kaj, a prosecutor whose job led to someone attempting to kidnap his son.

Let me tell you, that hits different for me now as a parent, and the visceral fear of the situation really came through in Karen Rose's writing. She always delivers a steamy, twisty, delightful romance, and the added emotional weight hit a different note for me this time. I loved this, as ever, and will keep reading anything she writes as long as she is writing!

The first book in this New Orleans series is Quarter to Midnight, which introduced Broussard Investigations, run by Burke Broussard. The firm is instrumental in helping victims find justice. As Karen Rose continues the series with Beneath Dark Waters, Val Sorensen, a former Marine just as her boss is, has been assigned to protecting the young son of public prosecutor Kaj Cardozo. Kaj's newest case has placed his son Elijah in danger, so he hires the firm to protect Elijah, especially when he is nearly kidnapped.

As Kaj's case involves a high profile celebrity sexual assault, the case as well as Kaj, has garnered the attention of the press, and Kaj will do everything in his power to keep Elijah safe. In true Karen Rose style, she brings danger, intrigue and romance to her readers in a fashion where this book was impossible to put down.

As Val works to protect Elijah and Kaj, it is hard to imagine how much is packed into the story as it takes place over the course of five days. With the style of writing, as well the fast pace of this story, it is so full of suspense, but also shines the light on corruption deep in the NOPD, and brings in nefarious characters who present clear danger.

One thing about this book is that there is a secondary protagonist that was even more touching than the ever-wise, knowledgeable beyond his years, Elijah. There was another young character who really touched my heart - and Val's as well.

I really love how Karen Rose brings so many elements together in her novels. It is hard to believe that this book was nearly 600 pages. I flew through it, and will mention again, it took place over five days! Such skill! Such talent! In fact, I was so pulled into this New Orleans series that I had to read book three in this series, Buried Too Deep, which won't release until August of this year. Compelling, addicting and more. Now that I have WAY more than a year to wait for the next book in this series, I just might have to reread all three books sometime in the near future.

Many thanks to Berkley Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Kaj is a public prosecutor in New Orleans working on a high-profile case. His son was targeted in a kidnapping, so Kaj hires a bodyguard for him. Val is the body guard. As the investigation into the case reveals more crimes, Kaj, his son, and his client become targets.

Beneath Dark Waters is the 28th book in the Romantic Suspense series by Karen Rose. It is the second book in the New Orleans series. I have read the other books in this series, so I was excited to read this latest book.

The characters are well-developed and realistic. The story is fast paced and intriguing. Beneath Dark Waters is an intense and atmospheric novel.

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

I have been a fan of Karen Rose for quite some time and this book was really well written.

First I need to say that this one being set in New Orleans was wonderful. This is one of my favorite cities and a place that I would love to get back to. It is the most unique city and there are so many layers that go into making it what it is. Outside of the city, the characters and plot are extremely well written. Lots of action to keep you turning the pages, but there are moments where she eases up and gives you a glimpse at a lighter side of things.

Really well done, I enjoyed this one immensely!

Beneath Dark Waters is book 2 of the New Orleans series, but it can totally be read as a stand-alone novel. I did read book 1, Quarter to Midnight (read my review) but I don't really recall much of the story.

Karen Rose is about the only romantic suspense author I read regularly because the suspense and tension is so good that I can usually overlook the more romance novel aspects. However, I struggled with Beneath Dark Waters.

It might be because when I started the book I could only snatch a few minutes of reading time. I got more into the story when I was able to sit down for longer periods of time with the book. Still though, I just wasn't as sucked into the story as I usually am.

The characters well-written, but I didn't really connect with any of them. The descriptive sex scenes were also more annoying and I really could have done with it.

I mentioned in my review of Quarter to Midnight that Rose's stories are a bit formulaic or cookie cutter and I may just be growing tired of the formula. Though I did put her last book Cold Blooded Liar (San Diego series) on my best read of the year list. So it might just be this series that I'm not a fan of.

I didn't feel like the tension was there but again that might be because I didn't really care about the characters.

If you love romantic suspense, you should give the book a chance. There is plenty for fans of the genre to love about this book.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/12/beneath-dark-waters-by-karen-rose-review.html

Special thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I knew I was going to like this book from the first chapter. It just grabbed me with its seamless writing. It is fast paced, stimulating,, well developed characters .

I think this was a tremendously good read. Haha Goodreads literally.

This is my first Karen Rose book - it was REALLY long, kind of predictable, but entertaining and I enjoyed the NOLA setting. I am not a huge fan of police/PI procedurals, but this was well done. Good character development, although we're introduced to the "bad guys" early on.

I do wish I read the first book in the series first for background.

Beneath Dark Waters was an exciting read filled with twists and turns, action and drama, and a fantastic group of characters. I loved the storyline and was hooked from the start as all the details were learned and the dots connected. It was intense and captivating!

I loved Kaj and Val coming together in the middle of an extreme situation. Their romance was pretty low key and they had a subtle slow burn happening that was sweet. I liked learning about them and the hints about Val’s past. I felt for Kaj and what he'd endured in losing his wife and how he wanted what was best for his son.

I loved the overall plot with Kaj’s son Elijah, the bad guys, and all the smaller stories that were woven in. I found it thrilling to read with the different POVs, I was always looking forward to who I would hear from next. I really liked that the bad guys had their own problems, it was fascinating and brutal at times. I loved watching them slowly unravel while things were pieced together. I liked all the connections being made, some shocking, with details building into even bigger discoveries. I loved the action and drama at the end and I couldn't read fast enough. The epilogue was well done and I liked how loose ends were tied up. I thought the pace was good for the most part but there were times it did drag for me.

This story had a lot of things happening that I really enjoyed. I loved the bad guy's internal dynamics, and the good guys bonding and forming new friendships and bringing others into the fold. Add in a news reporter, a case Kaj was working on, and who might possibly be a mole in the police department and it was even more enticing. This was another excellent story from Karen Rose! I’m excited for what’s to come!

Back in the sultry, dark world of Karen Rose’s New Orleans series, the Broussard Investigations is called on once again to face off in an all-out effort against evil villainous criminals. Karen Rose writes amazing loathsome antagonists, but also equally incredible teams of criminal investigators who get the job done without missing a beat in the romance department.

Beneath Dark Waters is a standalone second book in the New Orleans sub-series and the twenty-eighth entry in the overall Romantic Suspense series. There are connections to the previous book, but not in such a way that new readers couldn’t grab this one and appreciate all they were getting.

Beneath Dark Waters opens with a terrible kidnapping attempt that did not succeed, but put New Orleans Assistant District Attorney, JP “Kaj” Cardozo on the alert that one of his cases caused someone to go for his vulnerable son, Elijah. He is guilt-ridden, but doesn’t waste time skipping the dubious protection of NOPD and goes straight to Broussard’s. He’s assigned former Marine, Val Sorensen.

Val has demons of a personal nature she fights after a gang rape back in her military days that she bravely didn’t allow to be swept under the rug. She’s a good security expert and particularly with kids. This shows when she gets herself up to speed on Elijah’s diabetes issue and doesn’t let her mutual attraction with Kaj prevent her from doing her job of protecting and investigating. She also champions Jace who as a teen had a tough lot in life already even down to his part in Elijah’s kidnapping attempt.

It was stomach churning for Val to discover that the gang associated with Elijah’s kidnapping isn’t entirely disconnected from her own past. Everyone at Broussard gets on board with Kaj and Val to work on the situation when they learn what is in back of the connection both his cases share.

And, to hype up the tension, the major villain gets narration time as well. I really wanted some big-time justice there and Karen Rose delivered.

In the end, this story was a blend of dark and light which is the author’s specialty when presenting the dregs of human nature. There were a few lagging moments in the first half as it was setting the table, but it was riveting when it counted. Warnings to those who can’t read about abuse and a past rape which is all handled carefully, but is part of the narrative. There are troubles that come out of the cases and Kaj’s family, but good things from his romance with Val and the teamwork of the expanding Broussard Investigations that go after the powerful evil in New Orleans. Romantic Suspense fans who want a gritty case balanced with a solid romantic pair look no further than this series.

Former Marine Val Sorensen is a bodyguard working with Broussard Investigations in New Orleans. She is called on to protect 10 year old Elijah, who was nearly kidnapped as a threat to his public prosecutor father, Kaj Cardozo, who is prosecuting a high profile sexual assault case.

Things get heated from all sides: NOPD is corrupt and there are leaks, there’s a revived drug gang with a network linked to Val, and the group targeting Kaj goes to more extremes. All the meanwhile, Val and Kaj are getting closer and Val is quickly becoming attached to Elijah.

There is a lot of explosive action in this book, as the book takes place over the course of 5 days. There are many characters that pop up throughout the book and it could get confusing but many are linked to the main protagonists. This is a police procedural romantic suspense that definitely kept me engaged throughout the book and a couple relevations took me by surprise.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC. Beneath Dark Waters is out now.

Prosecutor Kaj Jean-Pierre Cardoza and his son ten-year-old son Elijah are new to the New Orleans area, only being there six months. Kaj knows there is corruption in the police department and the Prosecutor’s office has had their hands full cleaning up a past ADA’s shady dealings. Kaj has been assigned two high profile cases, one where a movie star was allegedly raped by the director and one where a drug dealer beat his son’s oncologist to death when he failed to save him. Unfortunately, both put him and his son in danger. When Elijah narrowly escapes an attempted kidnapping, Kaj doesn’t trust the police to guard them and instead hires Broussard Investigations to keep them safe.

Val Sorenson, an ex-marine, is leading the protection duty and it’s not long before Kaj and Elijah dig out a special place in her heart. Little does Val know though that she’s got a personal connection to the thugs gunning for Elijiah and Kaj. It’ll take all of Broussard Investigations to head off these determined villains!

Beneath Dark Waters was action packed with danger at every turn, but also a character driven story with Val, Kaj, Elijah, and others forming close bonds. They all had some painful past baggage and found solace in each other. Val and Kaj were immediately attracted, having met through mutual friends, and being thrown together just faned those flames.

My heart ached for the innocent here because these bad guys were awful! I didn’t want anyone landing in their hands at all! My heart pounded as the events unfolded! Thankfully, Val and Kaj were smart and didn’t take unnecessary risks. Still…

This has a high page count, but the story really flew by! There are a few repeat characters and I think the group is growing into an extended close family as Broussard operatives form relationships, both romantic and platonic. We’re getting the personality and feel of the group as the series goes on, so I do recommend starting from the beginning (book one of the New Orleans series) but you could read this as a stand-alone and still enjoy the story because it’s focused on Kaj, Val, Elijah and Jace, and the mystery/conflict wraps up here. I’m looking forward to the next one and wonder if it’ll feature Phin. What was revealed about him hints at an interesting backstory!

This is the first time I’ve read a novel by Karen Rose and I have to say that I was immediately drawn into the plot, really liking Val’s character, and loving little Elijah. Val’s back story of a former sexual assault while in the marines added to the tension of an already gripping story. As the plot unfolds and the intricacies are revealed I’m impressed with how the two storylines tie together. Kaj, the prosecutor whom the bad guys are targeting was an interesting character, his role as father, love interest, and prosecutor often conflicting making his reactions both real and unbelievable. Admittedly, his was the only character that I had mixed emotions about because of all of the push and pull with his emotions.

The plot had some rather gruesome moments, so if you’re a bit squeamish, as I am, then you may find yourself skimming those scenes, but this story was fraught with emotion and tension despite my closing my eyes and reading at the same time. The bad guys were truly horrible and I rooted for our heroine to wrap this plot up toot suite! Val was such a warrior that it was easy enough to believe that she would overcome all obstacles, get the bad guys, and win her man. Despite the gruesome bits, this plot flew by!

My favorite character by far was the teen hero, Jace. He was such a sweetie and the horrible life he’d led up to that point made me want to hug him and give him a better life. What a great character.

If you like romantic thrillers this novel was a pretty good one!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and from the publisher, for an honest review and it was honest!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This author never fails to bring suspense and emotion with well developed characters. Beneath Dark Waters is set in New Orleans; it is the second book set there and #28 in the Romantic Suspense series. This is my favorite romance genre by far because their is a mystery and action along with the romance.

In New Orleans, instead of being centered around law enforcement, the stories seem to be characters who work for Broussard's private investigators. Broussard is an ex-cop in New Orleans and has friends on the force who also figure in the events.

The new ADA in town is here partly to start cleaning up the corrupt players on the force which is one of the reasons Broussard left the police. The stakes feel as high as they can get when there is an attempted kidnapping of the ADA's son, Elijah. The emotional angst of that possibility and the situation of other minors kept me in suspense. Not only is there a lot of action, but also many details as the criminals try to accomplish their goals. They want to force the ADA to let them get on with their criminal activities.

The romance develops between Broussard's agent, Val and the ADA, Kaj. They bond over Elijah and protecting his safety, as well as desire to capture the criminals. We do see some characters from the previous book in New Orleans.

I highly recommend and enjoy these stories. I don't think you have to read them all in order, although they are well worth the effort, even though they are often twice the size of a regular book. I would at least read a city in order. There are connections throughout the series beyond each city which are fun for those like me who have read every one.

Wow! This book had me glued to my seat. All noise and distractions fade away as I delve deeper into this all-consuming suspense. Karen Rose is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. This is the second book I have read by her, and they keep me up way too late. Devouring as many pages as possible. This book weaves a seamless story that will make connections between so many characters that your jaw will drop to the floor. It keeps you on your toes, makes your heart race, and your mind feels the anxiety and fear that is racing through the bodies of the characters affected.

When two men attempt to kidnap, ten-year-old Elijah, off the street in broad daylight. Everyone is left in shock, wanting to know why, and who would do such a thing. His father is the public prosecutor and left in fear for his son. He needs his son protected and he hires bodyguard and investigator, Val. The boys who attempted to kidnap Elijah are linked to a crime family who has their fingers in everything dirty. Will they be able to keep Elijah and his family safe?

I was invested from the first chapter. It is fast paced, stimulating, and an all-encompassing read. The characters are well developed, and you will fall in love with Elijah. There is intense family drama, spicy love interests, high octane suspense, and your eyes will be glued to the pages. Thank you to Karen Rose and Berkley Publishing for this phenomenal read.

Beneath Dark Waters is the second book in Karen Rose's New Orleans series and brings readers back to the world of Broussard Investigations. With a lot of familiar faces the story takes us on the journey of an attempted kidnapping, high profile court cases, and the attraction between a bodyguard, and her client.

The story moved at a fast pace and gave us a lot of different players in the game. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect and trying to figure out just what was going to happen before it did. I liked that there were a lot of different parts to the story that came together and connected different pieces of the puzzle. It never felt like too much going on for me even though there were a lot of different things happening at once and even some of the past coming forward and being connected to new parts of the case.

Bottom line, this was a great addition to Ms. Rose's world and another story that I heavily enjoyed by her. I can't wait to see what else New Orleans will give us.

I can always rely on Karen Rose to deliver a fantastic romantic suspense!

This book starts with action and doesn't let up until the very end. I was engaged in the mystery the whole time. While most main characters had their own POV chapters, the story was still unpredictable. There were so many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I was happy to see Val get her own book since I thought she was an interesting character in Quarter to Midnight. I thought Cardozo was a great pairing for her. They were too cute with how they acted liked teenagers with a crush. The romance is a slow burn and very sweet. Elijah, Jace, and Czar were interesting characters too. Rose does a great job creating a villain you can despise and she does so again with her characters. Corey, Bobby and Ed. I couldn't stand them and waited on baited breath for their comeuppance.

This book did take me longer to read since it is quite lengthy (but it's a Karen Rose book so I'm used to that lol). I think this book is a wild ride from start to finish which suspense readers will love.

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Addictive drama and bone chilling danger come knocking in the latest from thriller queen Karen Rose! The very beginning is a tad slow while we get the lay of who the characters are and what's truly going down, but once you get a tight grasp on all of the players this book is highly entertaining and unputdownable! The characters are complicated as the familiar faced saviors are always likable, but there's some complexity to the bad guys here that have even some of them winning us over before the end. I loved every minute and can't wait to see more of these familiar white knights in books to come from Rose!

Val was by far my favorite character. She has a past of her own that makes her relatable and sensitive to those around her, and the drama her family brings to the storyline adds a level of humanity that levels out the starkness of some of the background of crimes.

I highly recommend this read to anyone that enjoys a thriller/mystery that will have you guessing from beginning to end as to who all of the bad guys are.