I've read lots of Karen Rose books in the past and thoroughly enjoyed them - she has a knack for serial killer stories that still have an element of romance! I have not read anything by her for a few years, so this was my introduction back in.

This is a chunky story, with plenty of detail given to the side stories which play out alongside the main character's tale - everyone is filled out, there are no characters that felt poorly drawn. Backstories are filled in, histories are explained and the complex tale is cleverly spun from multiple detailed threads. Karen is very skilled at what she does and this book is no exception.

It is a little frustrating that I struggled to get through the book at times - I think the issue is more with me though. I found it hard to stay engaged as the main villain of the piece decided to just kill anyone/everyone who got in his way. It took the edge off and became more of an expectation than a shock when yet another person met their end.

Perhaps this was not the best book to use to get back into Karen's writing - maybe a shorter one would have given the bang for my buck I was looking for faster. Overall it is a well written very detailed story and I have no doubt plenty of people will be thrilled with it - I was just glad to get to the end.

I was looking forward to reading this book, but sadly I do feel able to complete it. At over 9 hours reading it is just far too long for a story that was not grabbing me in any way. I have enjoyed several other books by Karen Rose, unfortunately this was not one of them.

How have I not read this author before?! I am about to splurge on this author's catalog!
Molly Sutton left the Marines, tried the police force only to find herself disillusioned. She moves to New Orleans, teaming up with her former CO, working as a Private Investigator.
Sexy chef Gabe hires Molly's firm - his dad's suicide seems suspicious to Gabe, though the police are not interested. Determined to find the truth, Gabe and Molly work together.
Suspense. Heat between main characters. Great read!

Quarter to midnight is this first book in Karen Rose’s new series set in New Orleans. The novel begins with retired police officer Rocky Herbert is found dead from a gunshot wound with a large bottle of vodka next to him, supposedly showing that Rocky had ‘fallen off the wagon’ got drunk and killed himself.. However, his son , the famous Chef Gabe Herbert knows something is off and asks his father's friend an ex-police officer turned Private Investigator, Burke Broussard to investigate. . Burke knows that the police department in New Orleans is a hive of corruption going right to the top of the chain. With this in mind Burke assigns his best investigator ex-marine Molly Sutton to investigate, simultaneously allowing Gabe to be part of the investigation. However, Burke is unaware of the volatile sparks of attraction that have flitted between Gabe and Molly since she started visiting his restaurant. Within hours of starting the investigation things take a turn for the worst. As Molly and Gabe begin to piece together Rocky’s secrets’ they discover the true reason for his murder, racing against the clock whilst the killer leaves a trail of dead bodies behind.
Once again Karen Rose has produced a fast paced psychological thriller that has you sitting on the edge of your seat. The writing keeps you engaged with a roller coaster of emotions form laughing out loud to weeping uncontrollably. A fabulous read and I look forward to the next instalment of this wonderful new series.

Karen Rose is a great author and one of my go to suspense writers. I especially love a romance / suspense. This book really got it with both and clearly the love and research for New Orleans was there, I felt like I was there, the imagery and atmosphere details were vivid!
What I didn’t like was how whenever the bad guy found someone to be in his way he just had them killed…. With his never ending list of people who were able or could be bribed into it…. It started to feel a little ridiculous and was frustrating

I love everything Karen Rose does and this is no exception. The author has a way or drawing you into to story so well that you can’t help but forget you are reading. So good

This is a truly epic book (over 600 pages) and my first by Karen Rose. I was intrigued from the moment I started reading.

The story is a tangled ball of wool, consisting of many fascinating, brilliantly plotted layers which need to be unravelled.

There is a massive cast of characters, all depicted brilliantly, the core characters being quirky, brave and engaging, well developed and all uniquely original. The ‘bad ‘un’ is clear from the outset and is totally loathsome, along with his team of undesirable accomplices. The story is told from several perspectives, allowing the reader to follow the plot with clearer understanding as the story progresses.

It is set in and around New Orleans and the flavour of the city and the ‘sounds’ of the area are colourfully evoked.

This book is a great balance of a dark and gritty crime thriller, with a touch of underlying contemporary romance intertwined to give you small respites from the frenetic action. It is full of suspense and tension, racing along with barely a pause for breath.

The investigation takes place over a few very intense weeks but make sure you pay careful attention to the events. It is complicated, eventful and exhausting but brilliantly plotted!

I am delighted it is the first book in a new series, so that I can look forward to rejoining this inspirational team for more adventures. A strong 5🌟 from me .

I only discovered Karen Rose earlier this year and I am slowly working my way through her backlist. I was going to pass on this as it would have meant reading out of order (I know I do that a lot but I’m trying to stop) but then I discovered that this was the first in a new series so it would be rude not to right?

This is a huge book coming in somewhere around 600 pages, I got the audio and it was over 21 hours!!! Luckily for me, I don’t listen to it on 1x speed (seriously, does anyone really speak that slowly?) I found that 1.75x was the perfect speed for me with this and I read it over 3 days.

This was a bit of a weird book for me as it was all about the investigation, we know who was killed and we know who by. As the story unfolds we find out the why. The beauty of the story is in the process of what Gabe and Molly go through to avoid being killed themselves and to identify and catch the killer. I got so invested in this story and where it was going to go. There was non stop action and a bit of romance thrown in. It really didn’t feel like it was overly long, something which had worried me a little when I first looked at it.

I particularly like Xavier and his motley crew of family and friends. I thought they made a great addition to the storyline. They were so down to earth and likeable.

This is classified as romantic suspense, rather than the thriller that I know from her earlier books. While I enjoyed it, I definitely prefer a book with more thriller/suspense and less romance. But that is a personal preference of mine and as romantic suspense goes this was really good

Good cops. Bad cops. Only one will win.
After completing her tours with the Marines in Iraq, Molly Sutton knew she could take down any bad guy she met. But when a family tragedy exposes the dark side of her local police, she joined up with her former CO Burke Broussard, who left New Orleans PD to set up a private investigative service for people who couldn’t find justice elsewhere.
Gabe Hebert saw the toll that working for the NOPD took on his dad and decided instead to make a name for himself as one of the best young chefs in the French Quarter. But when his father’s death is ruled a suicide after a deliberately botched investigation by his former captain, Gabe knows his dad stumbled onto a truth that someone wants silenced.
Gabe goes to his father’s best friend, Burke, for help. Burke assigns the toughest member of his team, Molly, to the case. Molly can’t believe she’s being asked to work with the smoking hot chef whose chocolate cake is not the only thing that makes her mouth water. Sparks fly as they follow the leads Gabe’s dad left them, unraveling a web of crimes, corruption, and murder that runs all the way to the top.

This is a gripping read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first in a series based in New Orleans. I love the series by this author in every book she’s introducing to a new family and community. I don’t know how many there is going to be in this series bu5 I can’t wait to read the others.
This one is all about chef Gabe who is trying to deal with the sudden murder of his father, an ex cop. He asks for help and PI Molly Sutton starts the investigation.
This was a great read and I can’t wait for book two. You know you’ve already met the characters who will take a starring role in the next books but who will be first?
#QuartertoMidnight #NetGalley

Former Marine Molly Sutton left North Carolina for New Orleans when tragedy struck her family. Now she is working for a private investigative service helping people find justice who couldn’t find it elsewhere.

Gabe Herbert owns one of New Orleans most celebrated restaurants but his life is turned upside down after his father supposedly commits suicide. After witnessing the questionable investigation into his death by the NOPD department his father worked for, he starts to suspect foul play and turns to a private agency. Molly is assigned the case and together they unravel a complicated web of murder, cover ups and deceit that involves some prominent people.

Karen Rose is the Queen of romantic suspense, she manages to get the balance just right between the romance and the action and her plots are always well thought through and not just a way for the main characters to fall in love.

Her characters are always fully developed and even though there are a lot of them in this book, you never get confused as to who is who. As always, there is a strong theme of found family in this book. Disparate people from all walks of life come together and create a sense of belonging regardless of their personal history.
The action scenes are always well written with a sense of drama and tension and the twists and turns will keep you guessing throughout. If you like your thrillers with a touch of romance then I recommend you check this series out.

Quarter to Midnight starts off in a shocking and tension seeped scene where the reader is confronted with two murders. What makes it shocking for the reader is that we learn a lot about the second victim, Rocky, as events unfold and he becomes important to us. As readers, we want to find justice for him.
We are already invested in finding the killer by the time Gabe hires a PI to find out the truth. They discover that the key to everything is an unsolved murder that occurred during Hurricane Katrina. As the body count rapidly climbs and attempts on their lives increase it becomes a race against time to put a stop to it once and for all.
There are a lot of characters in this book but they are all important and connected. There are quite a few that I hope will feature in the series as it progresses.
Molly and Gabe made a good team and I like that Molly was capable and smart. Her backstory is as equally compelling as the main storyline.

A thrilling and exciting new read from Karen Rose.

This was a fast paced novel which held my attention completely despite its length of well over 600 pages,
Molly is a private eye and former Marine who has moved to New Orleans to work for her former comrade Burke Broussard who owns a Detective Agency.
Molly has a difficult past which is gradually revealed but the main focus of the novel is the death of Rocky Herbert, a retired police detective. He is found at home and the autopsy rules that he committed suicide. However his son, Gabe, a chef with his own restaurant, does not believe the evidence and hires Burke and Molly to investigate.
They begin to discover a complicated tale of murder and cover ups stretching to the highest echelons of New Orleans society.
The “ bad guy”, Lamont, is revealed early on but it is not clear exactly who he is, nor the extent nor reasons for his despicable deeds. The book moves between various viewpoints including Molly and Gabe’s as well as Lamont’s. We also hear from X, a mysterious witness whom Rocky had been hiding and this all serves to ratchet up the tension.
I really liked the character of Molly who is brave and fearless, ready to do anything to protect those she loves and those in her care.
The setting of New Orleans was great- I enjoyed reading about the area and the Quarter including information on local food and the surrounding bayous.
What I found particularly interesting were the references to Hurricane Katrina and the tales of rescue during that terrible time which were obviously well researched by the author. This all forms a wonderful backdrop to the novel.
I definitely recommend this book as a five star read and I’m hopeful that the author will write a further novel containing these characters as I’d definitely like to read more about them in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for my arc.

This is the first book I have read by Karen Rose and it was a great read. Nice and long and something to get my teeth into. I haven't enjoyed a weekend so much for a while, curled up with Gabriel, Molly, Xavier and the rest. A story that began over a decade previously during Storm Katrina in New Orleans. 5 year old Xavier Morrow witnessed a horrific crime, and his rescuer from the floods, Police Officer Rocky Hebert checks it out but the body is gone. Rocky never gave up on this and puts himself in real danger by never letting it go. He falls victim to the corrupt police force and those higher up. His son Gabe, a celebrity chef, realises something is seriously amiss and calls in Private Invetsigators, who also used to be Rocky's police partner. Lives are in danger, a motley crew of characters assemble, it's fun, it's hold your breath time, relationships develop, it's just an all round great read. I'm so pleased to see that this is the first in a new series - I'll be looking out for the next instalment. #netgalley #quartertomidnight

Read lot`s of Karen Rose`s book so was looking forward to this one but was disappointed.
Far too long for me with unnecessary details and characters which just prolonged it with too much going on and the amount of murders was ridiculous.
Gabe`s father was a retired police officer and was found dead at home looking like he had shot himself though Gabe believes otherwise and employs his dads old friend Broussard and his assistant Molly to find out the truth of what happened to him.
A good storyline but could be cut in half if you removed all the unnecessary details.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

Either book 26 in Karen Rose's Romantic Suspense series or book #1 in her New Orleans series (you choose) I found Quarter to Midnight highly compelling and stylishly written.

PI Molly Sutton is a former marine who has moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. Her former Marine Commanding Officer, Burke Broussard left the New Orleans police department and set up a private investigator company, Broussard's Private Investigations, LLC. Molly takes a case when Gabe Herbert's (pronounced Ay-bear) dad, Rocky dies at 11.45 pm and his death is ruled a suicide. Gabe can't accept this.

Molly is a great character; she is strong-willed and works well with Gabe. There's lots of excitement, intensity and various killings. The story moves at a fair rate of knots and there are frequent changes in viewpoints. There's no boredom or flat periods even though it's a long (around 600 page) novel. I'm keen to pick up the next instalment.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Headline via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

t's been a while since I've picked up a Karen Rose book, so when I saw this, I thought as it's the first in a series set in New Orleans, it would be the perfect place to pick up from.

Rocky Herbet's son Gabe can't accept the fact his dad committed suicide, so he goes to his old partner, turned PI Burke Broussard, to investigate. Burke, feeling too close to the investigation, hands it over his employee Molly. Sparks file between the pair, but they must put that aside to solve the case.

It becomes obvious that Rocky had been doing his own investigating, which leads them to young med student Xavier Morrow, who witnessed a murder when he was a child. The bodies start dropping and it's clear that Molly and Gabe need to solve the case and keep Xavier safe.

Quarter to midnight is a romantic suspense, with no shortage of murders to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Molly and Gabe are likeable characters who I rooted for throughout. Molly is a former marine, on the surface, is unruffled, calm and organised, but underneath she's carrying pain from her and her family's past. Gabe is a minor celebrity chef, who, like many in his profession, is a bit of a hothead, but his caring nature shines through.

We know quite early on who the bad guy is, but there's still a bit of mystery in regards to his full identity.

The book is 600 pages long, which is around the usual amount for Karen Rose's books, but the snappy pace always makes them feel much shorter, although I felt this one was a bit more slow burn than usual.

There's also a wealth of side characters with the potential to be the lead in future books which I'm looking forward to.

If you're looking for a book full of murder, mayhem and some steamy romance, then I'd highly recommend this book to you!

Sorry I couldn’t review this book. The formatting was very bad with half sentences and numbers on each line.

This is my review of Quarter to Midnight by Karen Rose
Thank you to #NetGalley for the advance copy of #QuarterToMidnight by #KarenRose
When Gabes father commits suicide he cannot believe it, he pretends to have his father cremated but sends him for a private autopsy that shows ex cop Rocky was murdered.
Gabe goes to his fathers best friend Burke for help and Molly is assigned to his case.
Things soon heat up and the tensions rise throughout the book to the fabulous finish.
Another winner from this terrific author.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow what a whirlwind! Amazing story fabulous characters, each personable, likeable and in depth - loved getting to know everyone, and the story that unfolded blew me away! So well written, no holes or dull bits just a great novel about a group of private detectives, an ex police officer, and a chef! An untimely death and a massive conspiracy! Definitely worth a read