This is a complex story with many strands but they all come together by the dramatic finale. Be aware that there are many shootings and murders in a week of investigations. The clue to the whole thing is a five year old boy, Xavier, stranded in his house during the Katrina foods in New Orleans. He sees a man with a scar murdering someone who turns out to be an assistant district attorney and the woman’s lover. The boy is haunted by what he saw but he was rescued by a policeman Rocky Hebert who takes a fatherly interest in him after he is rescued but motherless. When Rocky dies, his son believes him to have been murdered and wants to find out what his father knew that required someone to murder him. That leads to the uncovering of other murders as the story is pieced together. The book is well written and keeps the reader wanting to know if all the goodies survive. The background in Louisiana is important as is the extent of corruption in the police force. I recommend it.

I have read all her previous books and enjoyed them all but this one had just something missing for me which was disappointing as I was really looking forward to reading it. Took me longer to finish than normal . Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

Gabriel's father dies in mysterious circumstances. Gabriel hires a P.I because he doesn't trust the cops. This leads them to Xavier in Texas. What is the relationship between Xavier and his father? Who is out to get them and silence them for good? Full of romance and intrigue. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Can Karen Rose start a new series from scratch? YES. I was wondering what would happen when the last series concluded and was so glad to see that she was writing a new book. I was then thrilled when Netgalley gifted me an advance copy to review and started reading straight away. If you have read any of Karens books in the past the formula will be familiar as she does not deviate away from the tried and tested. But the read is still thrilling and fast paced, it is easy to forget the book takes place over a few days. Because Quarter to Midnight is full of new characters it does take a while to get going but that is only because we are used to previously knowing the names from novel to novel and being invested in the outcome. I have no doubt that once this series ramps up it will be exactly the same. I look forward to more from these characters.

Another exciting read from Rose. Gripping storyline with twists and turns. I have ready many books by this author and she never let's me down, guaranteed page turners.

Another great read from Karen rose. Her books never disappoint . A real page turner that you can't put down well worth a read defiantly .

I simply love Karen Rose's book and I am a great fan of hers. I have read her whole collection and could not wait for this new series which really sounds promising. Quarter to midnight starts a new Karen Rose world full of fantastic characters that we will no doubt be exploring in the future.
I simply loved this book, the whodunit mystery is easy to follow and as ever the romance is a nice softening of the crime/mystery theme.
I would whole hearty recommend this book to whoever likes this genre, indeed I would recommend this author and any of her books as she is consistent with the quality of her stories and character developments.
I can't wait for her next book in this series...

This new series is going to be another cracker, if the first book is anything to go by. Even with little back story to the main characters, there is plenty of chemistry in their first forage to suck you in. With family and friends rooting for success in solving a murder committed during New Orleans worst natural disaster with links to Gabe’s fathers recent death, the story quickly gathers pace

I really enjoyed getting to know the main characters in Quarter to Midnight and look forward to meeting them again sometime soon. In the main they are pretty relateable although the romantic streak is a bit cheesey for my liking.
This book has a very high body count . a lot of side stories and just enough twists and turns to keep you interested. A typical Karen Rose book really and I recommend it.

Gabe Hebert can’t believe that his father, Rocky, killed himself, and he’s determined to prove it. He hires private investigators to find out the truth. But he gets more than he bargained for, in more ways than one.

I really enjoyed this book, the main characters were interestIng, and while it was a bit predictable in parts, there were lots of twists and turns that kept me reading late into the night. The setting of New Orleans, and the back story of Hurricane Katrina was interesting, and it blended into the story really well. A really good start to a new series by this author,

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Oh dear Took forever to really get going. So long winded. Found my attention wandering more than once. The storyline was a tried and tested one but expanded so much it lost the plot and so did I. Such a shame as a thriller set in New Orleans sounded great. Got bored I'm afraid. Ending was OK but predictable
With my Kindle copy there were significant formatting issues with random numbers scattered through the text after virtually every sentence

The queen of romantic suspense has done it again!
A new series and some new faces that all come with her trademark loveable characters.
I wish I could meet a man like the ones she creates. She has certainly set the bar for dating expectations 😹
Absolutely loved it and can’t wait for the next instalment!

The queen of romantic suspense is back and has done it again, another blockbuster of a book!
A new series with new characters that she brings to life before your eyes and it isn’t long before you become invested in their lives and the troubles they find themselves in.
A brilliant start to a new series, I can’t wait to meet this cast of characters again.

This book takes a while to get going but it's worth sticking with it. It's not that it has a particularly exciting plot, in some ways it's a bit predictable. Instead it's the wonderful cast of characters, from the hapless xbox playing Carlos to the serial knitter and lawyer extraordinaire Miss Willa Mae Collins, that make this a great read. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of Quarter to Midnight. I have read every single one of Karen Roses previous books and was more than excited for the start of a new series set in New Orleans.
Gabe Hebert doesn’t believe that his father, a retired police officer, killed himself. Despite the official coroners ruling of same. Gabe orders a private autopsy of his father’s body and finds out many things that the New Orleans police and coroner failed to mention…things that definitely do not point to suicide. He contacts his father’s best friend and former partner Burke Broussard for help. Burke left the police force after watching corrupt officers get away with whatever they wanted, he opened his own Private investigation firm and Gabe hopes that with Burkes help they can find out what really happened to his father.
With the help of Molly Burke’s right hand investigator Gabe starts uncovering information including a monthly payment to a teenage boy, hidden SIM cards and a police force that does not want Gabe to succeed.
I adored the characters in this book, the two main characters Gabe and Molly were so likeable, and I rooted for them the whole way through. There were also a ton of side characters that were fantastic and I’m really hoping that, as with her previous books, these characters are given a story of their own.
The book had so many little stories woven in and out of the main plot and they all tied together in a fantastic bow at the end. This was, as is the case with all her previous books a five-star read.

A wonderful outing from Karen Rose again. I always enjoy her books, but I'm afraid this time, I really couldn't warm up to main male character (Gabe). I found him a tad boring if I'm blunt!

That being said, the rest of the characters, story and writing was wonderful. Maybe Gabe just wasn't my type :-)

It's still a 5/5 from me though

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this exciting new series, and i now want to go to new orleans....

wow set in new orleans and with a few mouth watering meals...looked them up on google, this is a new series for the author and one that is very exciting to read....

this is a rollercoaster of a ride with many leads all heading in the one direction, with corrupt cops and corrupt ada's abound and with the bayou being used as a dumping ground for dead bodies to disappear....

i for one cant wait for the next book in this new series if its anything like this one

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of Quarter to Midnight, the first novel in a new romantic suspense series set in New Orleans.

Gabriel Hebert contacts Broussard’s Private Investigations for help in finding his father Rocky’s killer. The official verdict is suicide, but Gabe doesn’t believe it and has proof of murder. Molly Sutton is assigned to work the case and they soon realise that Rocky was looking in to corruption in the city and the key may lie with Xavier Morrow, a young man with a past.

I had been looking forward to starting this new series and wasn’t disappointed as I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like Ms Rose’s formula of romance and engrossing mystery, so a new location and characters brings a freshness to it.

This is a long read so be prepared to set some time aside and gird your concentration, because it is full of interconnections that need to be kept up with. So the novel opens with Rocky’s death then moves on to Gabe requesting help. After that various characters make appearances and it becomes quite a whirl of information with competing agendas and motives. Bottom line, there is a high body count, a psychopathic bad guy who seems to think murder is the only solution and several characters trying to stay alive, all while Molly and Gabe are developing a relationship. It is exciting, tense and full of twists.

The main characters who will appear in the series are all nice, courageous people, interested in truth, justice and the American way. It is satisfying to see these kinds of people succeed in their fight for survival and even more satisfying to see the bad guys brought down. I don’t think that saying this is a spoiler as it’s a mainstay of the author’s writing. The hint of romance adds an extra frisson, but I tend to skip the sex scenes.

Quarter to Midnight is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Quarter to Midnight is the first thrilling novel in a brand new series. I enjoyed this story, it was well written, had good narrative and good pacing and the characters were well developed and relatable. I read this quickly and would definitely recommend it!

Thanks Netgalley, I have not read anything from this author for a while. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters but was just an average read for me.