When Becks blows the whistle on a fellow cop, she gets dumped on the cold case desk, essentially relegated to doing data entry. Macy, a journalist, blows into her life, determined to find out what happened when her friend was murdered years ago and convinces Becks to open up the cold case. The two women work together, thanks to Macy's persistence, getting closer and closer to solving the case, and becoming closer to giving into their attraction day by day.

This has been one of my favourite books in a while from Carsen Taite. I do enjoy the friendship heavy trilogies, but DAMN when you get back into the nitty gritty of cases such as the cold case in this book its on a whole other level. The tension in the romance of this book was so good. I thought Macy was a brilliant character and Becks was another side of detective work I've never seen in a book. I did feel the ending came a little rushing at the end, but I enjoyed the majority of the book so much that it is one I will likely re-read.


I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars. This book is about Detective Beck Ramsey who is a whistleblower on her partner who shot an unarmed man. She is sent to the cold case unit, where she is supposed to just be scanning documents and keeping busy. A lot of her fellow officers do not want to work with a whistleblower. She meets journalist Macy Moran, who is obsessed with a cold case about a serial killer. This serial killer killed her best friend and Macy wants to solve this case and avenge her friend. She teams up with Beck, when she convinces her that Beck is better than just sitting at a desk.

I enjoyed this book. It had an average mystery to it, which is why I only gave it three stars. I also did not like there was not enough build up to the relationship. I felt like they did not have that many interactions overall in the novel. The story, overall was not bad, but it was not my favorite novel, but it was not a bad novel.

Macy Moran is a journalist who has been chasing a serial killer for 10 years. When she thinks they’re at it again she ropes Detective Beck Ramsey into helping her solve the case.

This was disappointing for me. I really enjoy Carsen Taite’s writing and how she is one of the few sapphic writers that writes blended romances (a romance with a mystery/suspense/thriller) but this one just didn’t do it for me.

I’ve had issues with Tait’s last few books in that everything feels rushed. This one was no different. For the romance, Beck and Macy only meet a few times and their attraction seemed to come out of nowhere. One minute they’re discussing the case the before you know it they’re overcome by their feelings and the timing was just off for me. As for the mystery aspect, that worked a bit better for me but still wasn’t great. I figured out the mystery almost straight away and thought the end of it was rushed and anticlimactic.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I shouldn't have waited so long to read a mystery by Carsen Taite. I don't really have a good reason why I haven't before now but at least there's a large back catalogue that I can dive into, right?

I love the premise of Perilous Obsession: honorable cop shunned because she told the truth about her partner murdering an unarmed citizen connects - in more ways than one - with a reporter who is obsessed with finding the serial killer who took her college best friend's life and got away. I do enjoy crime stories with a little love added to brighten up the darkness. This book struck a great balance between the murders and relationship building.

One thing I definitely liked was the author's voice and writing. I know this sounds strange but I've been DNFing books left and right over the past week or two because of one reason or another having to do with storytelling, tone, believability, or some other writing issue. But I was drawn in immediately to Perilous Obsession and was a little disappointed every time I had to take my headphones off (I used a text-to-speech reader) to take a meeting or some other task that prevented me from paying attention. And I didn't figure out who the killer was until 80% in which is lovely! I had no clue and then it hit me.

This is a solid 4.5 stars for me but I'm rounding up.

Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Carsen Taite is one of my favorite authors. Because of her background in law, many of her books are mysteries and thrillers with a focus on the legal system. In this book readers will get the inside view of what happens when a police officer is a “whistle blower” on another officer.

Detective Beck Ramsey has reported to her superiors that one of her officers has committed a crime. As a result, she is being shunned by her fellow officers and is transferred to a desk job covering cold cases until the internal investigation is completed.

The other main character is Marcy Morgan, a journalist. She has a reputation of being a thorough and aggressive reporter when digging into a story. One such mystery was the murder of her best friend.

When Marcy meets Beck, she convinces her to reopen the murder case. Through their investigation and time together, they become attracted to each other.

Ms. Taite presents readers with a very interesting story. I found the pace of the book to be good and the buildup of the intrigue while solving this horrendous murder case was captivating. Although I felt that the ending seemed rushed, the characters were fascinating and well developed.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it as a good mystery.

I received this ARC from Bold Strokes Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A cleverly written book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Some good plot twists and engaging, likeable characters. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

I have a soft spot for Carson Taite novels. She always delivers strong, badass females and this was no exception. I really liked both Macy and Beck as characters. Macy is a tad obsessed with finding her best friend's killer (although I feel as though this is completely justified) and Beck has just stood up for justice but has had to endure some serious ramifications. I really liked the way they meet, get to know each other and then pair up but I also liked them both as individuals too.

Unfortunately though, both storylines outside of the romance (Beck's work dilemma and Macy's search for her BF's killer) weren't concluded in a way that left me satisfied with the novel. It felt very rushed and there were quite a few loose ends to both storylines. I think this novel needed a bit more in the plot development to truly shine.

Regardless, I still enjoyed this novel and looking forward to reading Carsen Taite's next novel.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publishers for the opportunity to read and review Carsen Taite's "Perilous Obsession"

I loved this. It's a great, engrosing fast-paced read. I couldn't put it down.. There are lots of different strands which added depth to the story and the characters were all well-drawn. The interactions worked well and combining the different elements worked well. The subtlety of detail in the backdrops, the connections the two main characters kept discovering about each other, all assed to the story ad gave credence to the connectin between them.

It's an easy 5* from me. Loved it and to date probably my favourite Carsen Taite novel.

Loved the mystery part of this book, but the romance fell flat for me. I usually really enjoy Carsen's books, but this wasn't one of my favorites.

Carsen Taite is a must-read author for me. Her law stories are unparalleled, and I always appreciate when she steps outside the safe zone. I can usually read her books in four hours, which means a lot of single-sitting reading. Perilous Obsession kept me reading, but it's not one of my favorites. I wasn't totally sold on the chemistry, and I thought the ending was rushed. I still recommend it for the multitudes of Carsen Taite fans.

3/5 stars

This was a very enjoyable mystery romance book. I was definitely more impressed by the mystery side, which is what truly kept me hooked on the story. I don't often read traditional crime novels, let alone one centering lgbt women, so I was very much engaged with the story. It wasn't necessarily a groundbreaking mystery, focusing on a mysterious serial killer that might be back in action, but it was definitely an intriguing story. And I was completely shocked by the reveal towards the end, which is definitely a good sign for a mystery. It made sense, and yet was unexpected enough to give me a thrill when I read it.

While I really did enjoy the mystery aspect of the book, the romance really let it down. Our two main characters didn't really have great chemistry, it felt more like they were just expected to get together. Their dialogue felt somewhat stilted when it should have been flirty, and I didn't really buy any emotional or romantic connection between them. For me, they made a good time when it came to trying to unravel the mystery, but that is where their relationship should have ended. This is a real bummer for me, as someone who is often in the story purely for the romance. In one aspect, this book allowed me to delve more into the mystery and crime aspect rather than the romance, but it would have felt more well-rounded if both these parts of the story were well-crafted.

Really good story. Beck and Macy were a really good crime duo. Beck a detective on desk duty doing cold case filings because she turned a fellow officer in for being a dirty cop and Macy a Reporter for a newspaper who was still on the trail of a killer that took her best friends life 10 years before, decide to team up to catch this person and in the long run start to fall for each other. I got the sense that the author decided to concentrate more on the police and news drama of this story and the mystery surrounding the murders than the actual romance which there's very little of. The two do have some intimate moments, but it's more tell than show.I figured out who the murderer was halfway through this book, but was still entertained, because there was so much more going on in this story to keep me engaged. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family, I look forward to what this author writes next.

This was a read about job security and passion. Beck Ramsey, police officer/detective, looking forward to a career doing good work serving in law enforcement. In the meantime, she is embattled in a situation where she is an outcast because she blew the whistle on a fellow police officer. Macy Moran, journalist, focused on finding a serial killer. Neither Beck nor Macy are looking for a relationship. What both women are looking for is justice while solving a decade old case. I enjoyed the interaction between Beck and Macy. There passion for what they do is admirable. I especially appreciated how they listened to each other for the most part, and worked together to solve the crime. I also really liked the house that Macy lived in. I wanted to hear more about it. I like old houses especially when they have a story to tell.

Macy Moran has been obsessed for the last ten years. Ever since the Parcs & Rec Killer (if I

don’t make the joke, I know someone else will) took her best friend as their last victim. Avoidant of authority (over herself, at least). She’s an extrovert, and quite skilled at influencing others around to her side. She seems flighty at times, easily distracted, but she has a strong will that keeps pulling her back to her purpose. When a new murder is discovered at one of the killer’s old trails, Macy gets a glimpse and recognises the signatures. The killer is back for their 10th anniversary tour.

Beck Ramsey is a good cop. An honest cop. But when she turns her partner in after he guns down a civilian, the force – her family – want nothing to do with her. Shiny new Detective badge in hand, she is busted down to the worst of the worst: cold cases, where careers go to die. We don’t get much feel for her right away, as even her narration has walls up, but when we do get through, it’s to a woman who is searching for a way to turn an awful event into something that has meaning. She’s a woman of stoicism, lonelier than she realises, but when she makes her mind up she sees it through – and she couldn’t stay quiet after seeing her partner shoot someone they should never have pulled over to begin with.

After a quick first meeting at the crime scene, where Beck quietly gives Macy a piece of information she wasn’t meant to have shred, Macy is asked by her paper editor to cover the initial court hearing about the shooting, where Beck is the star witness.

The book almost manages to make a statement here. The police sit on one side – all supporting their brother in blue despite his murder. On the other, behind Beck’s lawyer, sit civilians, many with Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police on clothing and signs. But the opportunity is missed, as our two protagonists eyes meet across the crowded courtroom.

It’s Chapter 5 when we actually find out the details of Macy’s case, right as I’m about to get annoyed (nice timing from Taite, there).

What follows is more plot than I’m going to give you, so just expect a lot of “but we cannot possibly have sex for we are professionals!”, and a reminder every of the plot every few lines. Which, to be fair, is mostly the only plot we see for much of the book.

Lost in the inevitability of the lesbians pretending they’re not going to lesbian, the plot spools slowly, but it needs to because there isn’t much of it. Until about 14 kindle-sized pages from the end, the perilous side of the obsession doesn’t show itself, and then it’s a sprint to the finish with the entirety of the plot showing up at once.

Chapters are fairly short, which keeps the text snappy. However, they are still often split into sections, between which the narrative voice moves, and this sometimes required a reread until I got the sudden switch sorted in my head, before diving back in.

Those issues aside, though, it’s well-written and Taite is clearly in her comfort zone here. I went in looking for a suspenseful crime novel with some lesbian romance, but if you go in looking instead for a lesbian romance book with some crime in it, you won’t be quite as thrown as I was.

Even so, the romance was meandering and frustrating. I feel like the romance and crime plots could have been much more woven together for a more satisfactory story, but my personal preference rules on that one.

I’ll say for the romance, though, that it’s just really nice to read two lesbians flirting, having sex, then acting like normal people the next day. No awkwardness or shyness. They’re open about what’s happened, what it means, and that they enjoyed it. Adult lesbians being adult lesbians is thing I could definitely stand to read more of!

And all of my issues with the plot aside, it was nice to get in my head after finishing, and having a nice amble back to pick up the clues I missed. I’m not a great one for solving as I read, so a book that lets me do that is always a bonus. Plus, Taite is kind enough to give the reader some moments that are, in retrospect, very creepy!

I think Taite has herself a good niche, here, with her stories. Open enough for others to join, with enough readership that the space isn’t flooded (actually, let’s face it, the space is flooded with readers desperately seeking good lesbian stories). I enjoyed Perilous Obsession, and if you’ve a penchant for crime and lesbians, I’d say definitely give it a shot.

A cop being ostracised for turning her partner in and a well meaning, earnest journalist obsessively chasing a story are both standard storylines, but this book cleverly weaves their romance alongside a smart and engaging whodunnit. The writing seems effortless as the author leads you along comfortably holding your hand down familiar pathways, and then bam major plot twist. So smart and subtle.

3.5 stars. Carsen Taite is an excellent writer and this book immediately grabbed my attention. I already knew this was not featuring a lawyer, which was quite surprising to hear, but it’s still close to the law featuring a cop and a reporter. I enjoyed reading this, only the last 20% is where the book totally lost me, hence the downrating.

There are two storylines in this book, the romance between Beck (the cop) and Macy (the reporter) and a cold case about a serial killer which intertwines with an investigative story that Macy has been after for years. Beck is “banned” to the cold case department after turning her partner in and after having read a couple of these type of stories (cops turning in their corrupt partners and being sidelined and hated for it by the entire force) makes you wonder about the objectivity and functionality of the force. I know this is a sensitive topic especially in the US and I do not want to start a debate here, but stories like these are disturbing to read.

Back to the story, as I mentioned it easily held my attention, the romance is light, but I kept having this feeling of unease towards Macy. There was attraction to Beck, but it was difficult to figure out her priorities. It was still fine though, I just needed some reassurance and this is where the story went downhill for me in the last part of the book. Macy makes some decisions that confirmed my feelings of unease, she also showed to be a bad reporter, which is strange because she supposedly is one of the best. What bothered me most, however, is that she was totally unapologetic about it. Beck deserved better than Macy in my view.

The cold case was entertaining and there was even a bit of suspense which I like, but, also here, the ending put a damper on it. As others have mentioned before, the ending felt rushed. The case, which slowly unfolds, accelerates all of the sudden leaving some loose ends and I think the suspense could have been cranked up were the book a bit longer (and also the romance would have benefited from some extra pages).

Most of this book I enjoyed very much, but I was disappointed with how it ended and part of this comes down to an “it’s me” thing of not liking one of the MC’s. This does not seem to bother others, so I recommend reading some other reviews as well.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am always a Taite fan. I will read whatever she writes. Perilous Obsession is a bit different from previous books, but I liked the idea of a journalist and a detective working together. This book is a consistent one, but I felt it a bit rushed in its end.

A slightly different pairing from Carsen Taite with Beck Ramsey, a police officer relegated to the cold case unit after blowing the whistle on her partner and Macy Moran, an investigative reporter slightly obsessed with a serial killer from 10 years ago who killed her best friend.
It works though, I liked the way their working together is set up and it is, as always, a nice read. The book would have benefitted from being a little longer though, just to focus some more on the developing relationship since that was sorta just there all of a sudden without being able to sense the chemistry as a reader. Another thing that could have used more pages was the motive of the serial killer and what happened afterwards. But nevertheless is this a book I would recommend.

***Thank you Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for giving me the chance to read and review this book***

Carson Taite is great. I love all her books and they just keep getting better and better. This is one of those better novels. It is up and down and back up with Beck and Maya. you know how it is..

Perilous Obsession features Beck Ramsey as a Dallas police officer who turns in her partner, Staples, after he guns down a man during a traffic stop that they never needed to make. All of her fellow officers now despise her for turning in a fellow officer. Beck is relegated to the cold case division entering case files in a log.

Macy Moran is a journalist who has a personal stake in trying to help solve a ten year Parks and Rec serial killer case. Her best friend from college was one of the killer’s victims. Now the killer may be back at it during the anniversary as a similar victim has been found. Macy meets Beck at the scene, and Macy initially engages Beck for a story that her publication wants to run on the upcoming Staples trial. Macy eventually gets assistance from Beck in the form of information about the Parks and Rec victims in the cold case files. They become friends and more along the way.

The story flowed well and kept me interested. I wish there had been more of a relationship storyline between Beck and Macy though. The last 15% of the book also seemed quite rushed to the conclusion and the reveal of the serial killer. There were also no reasons mentioned why the person did what they did, which was a letdown. 3.5 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.