Member Reviews

Love the Karen Rose novels. Great writing and premise. Amazing characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing..Definitely looking forward to the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

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Cold Blooded Liar is the first book in a new series for Karen Rose. Sam Reeves is a psychologist who often works with criminals who are on court mandated therapy. One of his patients, Colton Driscoll, has begun to really concern Sam. Colton is a consummate liar who weaves webs of ridiculous lies and fantasies they he will not be challenged over. One of his neighbours challenged him and ended up severely injured with life long injuries. However, there is one lie that Colton really concerns Sam and with the support of his colleague and mentor, he phones in an anonymous tip, then sits and waits for the news to share that a body has been found.

Detective Kit McKittrick has worked in homicide in the hope that one day she will find out what happened to her foster sister, Wren. When Sam’s tip comes in, it leads her to the body of a girl whose murder has the hallmarks of a serial killer that has gone unstopped for almost twenty years. It also leads her to Dr Sam Reeves.

This wonderful new novel from Karen Rose does not disappoint. Wonderful characters that you immediately feel you know, a plot that keeps you hooked from the start. An excellent read from this wonderful author.

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Another thrilling read from one on the queens of the genre. Karen Rose's books never disappoint, on any level, I can't wait to read the next one

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Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for another excellent read.

5/5 and a must for any die hard romantic thriller fan

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I really enjoyed this book. The first novel in the San Diego series which follows Detective Kit McKittrick and psychologist Sam Reeves.
It is an engrossing murder investigation with great twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down. The plot is great and the characters are well written. I loved the developing relationship between Kit and Sam. It has plenty of action, mystery and potential suspects to keep you guessing. I love this authors style of writing. It’s so easy to read with loads of in-depth description along the way.
This is a brilliant crime drama read and i definitely recommend to police procedural fans. I’m looking forward to book two in the series.
Thanks to #NetGallery #Headline for an arc of #ColdBloodedLiar in exchange for an honest review.

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A brand new series from this fantastic author.

Psychologist Dr Sam is a court appointed therapist. When one of his clients, a pathological liar, starts talking in detail about a murder and a new "friend" Sam is convinced this isn't a simple fantasy. Feeling compelled to warn the police but torn because of his professional responsibilities he decides to do it anonymously.


When an anonymous tip comes in to SFPD Detective McKittrick and her partner Baz fear they have another victim in a decades old search for a vicious killer. Checking out the details from the call they are devastated to discover a body.

Is the caller the killer?

With fantastic characters and trademark intricate plot this is a brilliant start to a great new series.

I flew through this book in 2 sittings as I just didn't want to put it down

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And Karen Rose does it again! She never disappoints me. Her storytelling and writing style are perfect in my opinion. She sets a fast pace that doesn’t let up until the killer is revealed. I always feel like I’m just on the cusp of working out who it is and then just like that I get a curve ball or red herring - I love it!

Cold-Blooded Liar was slightly different to her other books in that the romance was a very slow burn. Instead the story is much more focused on the relationships between the various characters. As always I was routing for the main protagonists and hoping they would get the happy ending they deserve.

All of Karen Rose’s books focus heavily on the crimes but this one felt like it went even further and I really enjoyed the suspense. It fascinates me how the details are all weaved together in such a clever way, keeping you invested without spoiling the anticipation.

Yet another fantastic read by Karen Rose and another example of why she will always be one of my favourite authors.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (rounded up)

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Karen Rose writes compelling crime fiction with characters that feel read. A brilliant read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

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You know what you are getting with a Karen Rose thriller, an unputdownable really good read, and this first book in her new series doesn’t disappoint. I loved the characters and can’t wait to read more n the next book.

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A fantastic read that I couldn't put down. It was well written with a great cast of characters that were well developed and a storyline that had me gripped from the start

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A great start to a new series. I've read most of Karen Rose books so was looking forward to reading this one and was not disappointed.
Kit is a homicide detective looking into a cold case when Dr Sam Reeves a councillor reports on one of his clients as knowing details of a recent murder but his client is found murdered and he becomes a suspect.
Great characters can't wait for the next one.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC

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Another awesome book from Karen Rose. I love the background of the characters, I feel like I know the families involved, spectacular storytelling, pulled in me and got me hooked - I cannot wait to read more about Kit, her adopted family, her cop family and her work - she can be a little prickly, but her warmness and empathy shines through. Sam is a psychiatrist with a sad past, he is wonderfully naive - believing the best in everyone. They are conducting interviews and trying to find a child murderer, the web of baddies, evidence, witnesses and innocents kept me hooked. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

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Absolutely brilliant book I couldn't put it down . Karen roses books just keep you booked from the very first page this is a must read . Hope there is more to come with these characters .

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The first book by Karen Rose I've read and it won't be my last. It's Cold Blooded Liar and I got it from Headline via Netgalley. It will be out on the second of March.

What would you do if you suspect one of your clients to have committed a murder? And that he might do it again? The problem is that he is also a pathological liar. That's the dilemma psychologist Sam Reeves struggles with. He decides to call in an anonymous tip in which he specifically asks for detective Kit McKittrick. She works homicide and is a very thorough and dedicated detective, because of her past. Will she be able to find out the truth? Can she even trust this Sam?

The book starts out great. You are immediately hooked because of the first chapter - some kind of origin story for Kit. Then, it's just a whirlwind of events leading up to an inevitable and unpredictable climax. The characters are well worked out and you really understand and feel their emotions flowing from the pages. The plot is very detailed and perfectly worked out. The shock I had when I found it out; I had no clue whatsoever!

A great book and most definitely a recommendation!

5/5⭐

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As ever, Karen Rose never fails to deliver. With Cold Blooded Liar she once again gives us a thrilling plot full of twists, turns and intrigue; fully rounded relateable characters with insights into their backgrounds and thought processes along with a low level touch of romance. What more could you ask for?
My thanks to Netgalley for my early copy in return for an honest review. I highly recommend this book.

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If you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you’ll know that I love Karen Rose books. I’ve been reading her books for years; I loved some of them, some of them not so much; but you know something that has continued during these years? That they intrigued me, kept me reading and wanting to know more about the story.
Cold Blooded Liar is a thriller; with mystery, intrigue and interesting characters. Maybe one of my favourite books from the last few years by Karen Rose!
I loved the main characters; Sam Reeves and Kit McKittrick, their chemistry is intense and keeps you wanting to know more about them. Don’t expect a high voltage romance, it is a thriller and with a good mystery! And that’s why I loved this story so much; you know that Sam is a good person, but at the same time you can understand Kit’s reticence to trust him, to work with him. We all have our own baggage that influences our acting to the world and people that surround us. Kit’s story is sad and shows us how stubborn and intelligent she is, but at the same time her fear to trust. Sam has to make a difficult decision as a psychologist; showing us the difficult line in life sometimes we are. Do the right thing knowing that it can hurt us or keep silent knowing that it will hurt someone? As you can see there are a lot of questions and mysteries in this book. If you want to know all the answers you have to read it!I hope this book will be the first one of a series, I can’t wait to know more about Sam and Kit!Are you ready to enter the “Cold Blooded”?

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Brilliant love this book please do more with the same characters!! Thriller book based upon a number of murders being uncovered. Kit the main character has a complex background but is brilliant. Couldn’t put it down loved it!

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A great introduction to the first book in the brand new San Diego Case Files series by Karen Rose.
The details used to describe the characters and how they talk, feel and mix with others are so vivid it is as if they are real people, and this is the common theme in Rose’s books.
Love the characters of Kit, Sam, and the introduction of close family and friends. Both have there own demons, Kit with the death of her foster sister and Sam has had a traumatic event which shaped his life.
Book is reasonably paced early on, with good depth into the story and people. But really picks up in the second half and we have a good cat and mouse thriller feel to the story as we hunt down a villain.
Definitely I think we will find out more about Wren and her disappearance/death storyline in a future book in the series, that alone would be a reason to read the next books. This was cleverly entwined in Kit’s backstory to intrigue you, and with it not being part of the main story in this book (clever!) you know you’ll want to find out more.
I can also see Joel playing a main character/ love interest at some point in this series.
A brilliant suspenseful read, Karen Rose has done it again!

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I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of Cold Blooded Liar, the first novel in the San Diego series featuring Detective Kit McKittrick and psychologist Sam Reeves.

Sam thinks that his patient, Colton Driscoll may be a murderer, based on some of their conversations and although Colton is a compulsive liar there is enough there for him to phone the police anonymously. Kit is investigating a serial murder case and Sam’s tip leads her to another body and a conundrum- is Sam the killer or is he genuine?

I thoroughly enjoyed Cold Blooded Liar, which is an engrossing murder investigation with some great twists. Surprisingly there are no sizzling sex scenes and or raging hormones, which have become a feature of Ms Rose’s work, instead there is a low key attraction, which will continue in future novels, I assume. I like it as it seems more realistic to me and there is no distraction from the plot.

The plot is great and compulsive reading. It is full of really unexpected twists with Sam coming under suspicion several times for different reasons. I was so invested that I found that tense and I was seriously annoyed at Kit for entertaining the notion, not that she really does, but procedure dictates it. He undertakes his own investigation to clear his name and breaks the case wide open. There is so much going on there is never a dull moment.

I think that much of the strength of the novel lies in the characterisation. Sam is a lovely, gentle man with tragedy in his past and a desire to do good. Kit is a product of the foster system, who was finally adopted by the McKittricks as a teenager. She has never got over the death of her foster sister, Wren, who was murdered as a 16 year old and joined the police to find her killer. She’s still looking. She’s an intense workaholic who trusts very few people. Sam and Kit are attracted to each other, but she’s not ready to trust. To be continued.

Cold Blooded Liar is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

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Another great read by Karen Rose. New characters have been introduced and I can’t wait for the next installment. A page turner which kept me guessing almost to the end.

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