This was a slow burner of a book- there were a lot of characters and plot strands at the beginning but once I got everything straight in my head I just couldn’t put it down and I raced through it despite its length. In fact I enjoyed having a long book to get my teeth into.
I read the first book in this series which is set in New Orleans and I was really pleased to see the author had written a follow up. The same characters appear but this one focuses on Val Sorensen who works for Burke Broussard’s investigation and protection agency.
When ADA Kaj Cardozo’s 10 year old son, Elijah, is nearly kidnapped, he hires Burke’s agency to protect him. Val is assigned to the case and immediately develops a rapport with Elijah and something more for Kaj.
However there are several bad guys out there and Val and her friends are hard pressed to keep Elijah and his father safe, particularly as Kaj is trying a major assault case and the accused wants it stopped and will go to any lengths.
One of my favourite characters was the teenager, Jace, youngest brother in a criminal family who is badly treated by his older siblings. He has a good heart and tries to stop some of the awful things his older brothers are perpetrating. I was really hoping he would have a happy ending.
I loved the burgeoning romance between Kaj and Val and also Val’s backstory which is gradually revealed.
I can’t believe I read so many pages in such a short time- the book really must have been good.
I’m definitely looking forward to the next one in this excellent New Orleans series- I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the “Quarter” and the bayous. I almost felt like I was there! Definitely recommend this to fans of this author and crime thriller aficionados.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance review copy.

Another great book from Karen Rose. This can be read as a stand alone, or read the previous book in this series before it
Lots of twists and turns, but a very strong story, I enjoyed all the characters and the way it was written
Can’t wait for the next book in the series

Another brilliant book by Karen Rose! At times I had tears in my eyes, but that was down to the quality of the characters. The plot moved along at a steady pace, without hiding who most of the 'bad guys' were (a few twists there) but with plenty of action. I also like that the romance isn't OTT. I think it could be read as a standalone book, rather than as part of the series as enough background is given to each character. I thoroughly enjoyed this book

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this exciting new book by this author

what do you do when your son is nearly kidnapped by 2 thugs.... you hire some protection and thats exactly what J.P. "Kaj" Cardozo

Val Sorensen is that person.. she has started working at Broussard Investigations and her next assignment is ten-year-old Elijah Cardozo

what an high octane explosive book this is .... corruption and betrayals are abound in this book which keeps you on the edge of your seat... with some of the action taking place in the swamps around the Louisiana bayou ....

i cant get enough of karen rose books... you always know you are in for a good read with any of her books and now i cant wait the next book....

Huge thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this Karen Rose book!!
I love all Karen Rose’s books and this did not fail in being another great one!
The characters, the suspense and mixed in with romance! Fantastic summer read I would highly recommend!!


Assistant District Attorney Kaj Cordozo's life is thrown upside down when two masked men attempt to kidnap his son, Elijah. Given the high-profile case Kaj is working on, he's not about to take any more risks.

When Val Sorensen of Burke Broussard Private Investigation Agency is assigned as Elijah's bodyguard, she realises she also has a very personal connection to the gang thought to be behind the attempted kidnap - a run in with Sixth Day cost her brother his life.

As Kaj and Val work together to prevent a second kidnap attempt, they uncover a trail of violence and deception leading back to brothers Aaron and Corey Gates. Aaron is in prison, but Corey is dangerous, at large and about to threaten everything Kaj holds dear.

Will the revelation of involvement from the other Gates brothers lead to answers, or by placing their trust in them will Kaj and Val be putting themselves in even more danger?

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of Beneath Dark Waters, the second novel in the New Orleans series featuring the Burke Broussard Private Investigation Agency.

When two armed men attempt to kidnap Assistant District Attorney Kaj Cardozo’s son Elijah he engages the Broussard Agency to keep him safe. Val Sorensen is given the job because she has a personal connection to the gang believed to be behind the attempted kidnapping. While trying to prevent a second attempt Val and Kaj find that all roads lead to the Gates brothers and with the eldest, Aaron, in jail that means that Corey is behind all the violence and leaves them mistrusting the motives of the two youngest brothers, teenagers Ricky and Jace.

I thoroughly enjoyed Beneath Dark Waters, which has a long, sprawling plot and several unexpected twists and turns. It is not a novel of suspense as all sides are covered, more a case of waiting to see what will come next and how it will be dealt with. It also has quite a large cast of characters, so there is also the question of how they relate and what is motivating their behaviour. I think I’m trying to say that deciding who to trust plays a large part in proceedings.

It goes without saying that there is a simmering attraction between Val and Kaj that undergirds the novel, but there is so much more as well. For a long novel there is no end to the action and, it must be admitted, violence. There is a high body count and countless scenes of mayhem and physical damage, so it’s not for the faint hearted. When you are dealing with stone cold, mission orientated killers this is to be expected. As I said the novel covers all sides, so there is no doubt about the bad guys’ motive or what they are going to do. Obviously Val and Kaj don’t have that insight, so it’s how they combat the onslaught and keep themselves safe. I found it quite riveting.

The novel rushes along at a fast pace with thrills, tension and excitement but it doesn’t neglect characterisation. This is mostly Val’s story as she has to examine past trauma and, at times, re-evaluate what she thought was the truth to be able to do her job in the present. It’s well done.

Beneath Dark Waters is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Oh what a wonderful novel, loved every minute and didn’t want it to end!
Great mix of romance, drugs, murder, love, violence and most of all family!
Val is a bodyguard with an awful history, she faces the demons of her past and struggles to keep the nightmares at bay,
She starts to work for a single Dad Kaj and his son Elijah, protecting them from a family of baddies,
So many twists and turns and all fabulously written, every page is written with so much detail. Definitely one of my favourite Authors.

I loved this book, longtime Karen Rose fan so very excited to receive this ARC and it didn't disappoint. The build up of the suspense was brilliant and i found myself fully invested in the characters.
Love the dog! Love the close knit friends and the extended families. All in all a really enjoyable read, i hope this is just the start for Val and we'll be seeing more of her and Kaj in the future.
The story was so well intertwined, what could have been beyond the realms of belief seemed absolutely possible. Can't wait for the next one.

This is the second book in the New Orleans series, with a lot of new characters and a few from the first book, however unlike previous series I did not think this book tied in as seamless as other novels in previous series have. I think this may be the reason I’m a bit disappointed in this book.
I found this a hard read for the first two chapters, I did not like any character, even the kid was annoying! where usually the main protagonists have a strong appeal. The romance, alway expected but I didn’t ‘feel’ this hook up at all!
I love Karen Rose’s books. I have read all of them. And all series in order. This book I really struggled with. This is my personal opinion only.

Beneath Dark Waters is the second book in the New Orleans series, with some characters seen in the first book and a few new ones. Val Sorenssen is assigned to protect Elijah, son of the District Attorney after a violent and shocking attempted abduction when he is out with his heavily pregnant Aunt. When she learns more, she finds she has a very personal attachment to the gang behind the assault.
Val is a complicated character, with a military background and unbelievable trauma in her past, yet she is perfect for the job and while she quickly becomes attatched to Elijah (and his dad), she is 100% focused on keeping him safe and investigating what has happened to prevent further danger.
This is another top notch book from Karen, and she has yet another winning series on her hands.

Once again Karen Rose has smashed it out of the park. My favourite thing about her books is the characters and the New Orleans series is turning out to be no exception. Val and Kaj are strong characters in this book and it was nice to see other characters from the first book as well, hopefully as with other series we will see more of them in future. My favourite character was Jace though, he pulled at my heartstrings so much. There is a lot of story to this book, lots of characters and a lot going on so it’s best to read with plenty of time and no distractions but trust me, it is so worth it!

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC copy.
That said I was a bit disappointed with this Novel. Unlike other books by Karen Rose, this one took me ages to get into. I struggled to take to any of the characters (other than Elijah). It wasn't until I got about half way through the book that the pace picked up and the twists started coming thick and fast. The romance was a bit predictable too. Overall, I gave the book 3 stars because if it wasn't for the fact that I was reviewing it, I probably would have stopped reading before the story really got going properly. If this is your 1st read of a Karen Rose book, please don't let it put you off trying her others which are, in my opinion, much better reads than this one.

Karen Rose doing what Karen Rose does best. Fast paced, a bit of romance chucked in, characters that are not 'stereo-typical' and a right rollicking story!
Wanting to read constantly and late into the night just to get to the end did leave me a bit confused with the twists and links between characters but that was my fault because I just wanted to find out what was going to happen. I cant wait to read the next characters story.... I just can't work out who it is going to be, there are a few hopefuls!!!

Thank you to Karen Rose and Netgalley for the privilage of reading this ARC.

Karen Rose books just never disappoint! As always it's a fast past story that completely consumes you. There are characters you easily become invested in and it's a complex thriller that keeps you guessing. The writing style is just perfect and so easy to get lost in and the story itsself is original and a breath of fresh air. Must read

I absolutely love Karen rose writing style & this book was no exception. I was hooked from the first page. Amazing characters, well written, fast paced.

It took me a bit of time to really get into this story which isn't usually the case with Karen Rose, I couldn't really feel any connection to the characters but thankfully that thankfully I persevered because it turned into a really exciting story. It was a case of shocker after shocker from about halfway through the story and from that point I was completely hooked. As always there was a romance and this one is really sweet. Sadly I feel I have to knock a star off because of the slow start.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

Always a great story featuring some excellent characters. Fast paced and exciting but also heartwarming and caring. A great story.

Another fantastic story from Karen.

Following ADA Kai Cardozo and his son Elijah through a traumatic experience was emotional. Having children of my own, I don’t even know what I would do if someone tried to kidnap them.

As always, there are mentions of previous characters, a favourite of mine, Scarlet.

Val is super badass. She has now become another of my favourite characters, along with so many others.

Can’t wait for the next book!

Karen Rose back at her very best!

Back in New Orleans we catch up with some of her favourite characters and fan favourites, Burke Broussard and his Private Investigation Agency, but surprise surprise, it’s not for anything good!

After a fumbled kidnapping of Assistant District Attorney Kaj Cordozo’s son, Elijah, Burke assigns one of his best agents, Val Sorensen, to take on the job as the boy’s personal bodyguard until the threat has passed and the high profile court case Kaj has ended.

But there are people out there that will go to any lengths to stop the court case from taking place, starting with kidnapping the DA’s son to use as blackmail.

How far will these people go to get what they want and how far will Burke’s employees and friends have to go to keep not only Elijah safe, but Kaj and Val as well?

In this book Karen Rose has returned to her old formulation, steamy romance on top of heart racing adrenaline from the thrill of the chase, making it yet another one of her books that you just can’t put down so be prepared to loose some sleep reading this one!

Beneath Cold Water by Karen Rose will be published in the UK on 17 August 2023 and is available to preorder now from your local bookshop