Karen Rose knows how to hook readers with a prologue and keep them engaged throughout a novel. Cheater , the second book in her San Diego Case Files series, is no different. It combines a police procedural with a hint of romantic suspense. Featuring homicide detective Kit McKittrick and criminal psychologist and profiler Dr. Sam Reeves, the story is a great crime thriller that keeps readers on an emotional rollercoaster.

Kit and Connor are called to the Shady Oaks Retirement Village where a resident’s body was found stabbed and his apartment ransacked. It turns out that Sam volunteers there by playing the piano and taking song requests. Kit and Sam met in book one in the series, but Kit has been avoiding him. Now, with his rapport within the retirement community, they find themselves working together once again.

Kit and Sam are both able and relatable characters. Kit is focused, dedicated, hardworking, and is a rising star in the homicide department with her high closure rate. She loves the water and lives on a boat she’s renting from an older brother along with her poodle, Snickerdoodle. While she occasionally helps one of her foster sisters with her charter fishing business on weekends, she’s mainly solving crimes with the San Diego Police Department along with her new partner Detective Connor Robinson. She’s fearful of a romantic relationship, feels things deeply, and often puts up a wall between herself and others.

Sam has a private practice, but also works part-time with the police as a profiler. He’s kind, calming, compassionate, patient, observant, trustworthy, and has a soothing way about him. He’s also good at getting people to talk. While both go through transformations during the story, there’s still room for these dynamic characters to continue to grow in future books. The supporting characters have varying depths, but provide support or conflict to enrich the reading experience. It was great to see Harlan, Betsy, and Rita again and catch up with them.

The writing is fluid and descriptive which helps readers envision the scenes without disrupting or slowing the flow. It’s well-plotted with a few twists, and the storyline is gripping at times and heartwarming at other times. Add to that plenty of conflict and a strong but vulnerable protagonist who has a keen sense of justice, and readers will be on the edge of their seats. The ending brings several surprises and plenty of action. Themes include foster care, elder care, adoption, trust, found family, greed, murder, secrets, grief, curiosity, friendship, volunteerism, and much more.

Overall, this was intriguing, entertaining, suspenseful, and had an action-packed ending with compelling characters that kept me turning the pages. With exciting scenes and a fascinating story line, this fantastic thriller kept me fully engaged. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. As a police procedural and murder mystery, this was great. Will the romance finally take off in book three?

Berkley Publishing Group and Karen Rose provided a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be March 26, 2024.
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My 4.36 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.mystery-thriller-suspense netgalley-2024 read-2024 ...more105 s16 comments Chris C - A Midlife Wife1,615 328

Great murder mystery but that romance cannot be any slower
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