Karen Rose returns readers to New Orleans with another compelling story featuring PI Burke Broussard, and this time, Burke himself takes center stage. When disgraced former NOPD officer Naomi Cranston and her boss Sylvi approach Burke for help, with a situation that quickly becomes dire. As Naomi has been approached by a corrupt detective who is demanding she deliver drugs for him or risk the life of her sixteen-year-old son. Given that this detective was part of the conspiracy that led to her wrongful conviction for stealing drugs from the evidence locker six years ago, Naomi knows this is no idle threat. And determined to protect her son Everett, Naomi is willing to go to extreme lengths, including returning to jail or taking drastic actions, if she can’t persuade Burke to help her.

Yet, Burke is initially hesitant, but his attitude shifts as he hears Naomi's story and experiences her desperation. And is ultimately convinced to assist her after she shares a troubling threat she received. However, gaining the belief and trust of others in Naomi’s plight poses additional challenges. But undeterred, Burke and his team delve into the investigation, uncovering evidence that suggests someone is intent on ruining Naomi's life.
But why?

And the stakes escalate when the individuals behind Naomi's wrongful conviction begin to target those Burke holds dear, bringing additional risks, especially for the children involved. Nevertheless, Burke and his team are resolute in their mission to uncover the truth, driven by a strong commitment to protect not only their loved ones but to stop the corrupt officers and the people backing them.

And with clever twists and turns Knife in the Back is a captivating read, full of suspense and tension. Not to mention a little romance. But I did have an inkling of the main antagonist’s identity early on. Yet, this did not detract from my enjoyment. As I was eager to see how the plot would unfold and whether everyone would emerge safely once the truth came to light.

5* I thought this would have a lot of a shrinking female lead, but wow, there were a bunch of kick butt women in this!!

Thank goodness this isn't a Mills and Boon type of romsusp where the feisty but ultimately needy female lead goes all soft and mushy. Despite a brief moment where Naomi has an understandable moment of 'what if I...', she was the strong and silent female lead type. As were most the women in this tale, each in their organic role.

Burke wasn't an uptight alpha male, didn't posture or parade or spout stuff just for the sake of it, but he got his head out of his butt - with a little help from a woman - and got to work. Of course, it helped that he was built, loaded, an ex-forces type, but he had no toxic masculinity, it seemed. Nor did the other males in the tale. Everett, Naomi's son, had to be given the plain hard truth before he got his head out of his butt, but he got a pass due to his age.

The tale was very well done, with the reason Naomi got victimised not coming out until the very end. Said reason was plausible, if a bit not-bigged-up enough, but I just wish she'd had her eureka! moment a bit sooner.

The romance wasn't at all prominent and the leads didn't absolutely have to find a place and time for sex whilst in the midst of danger. Thank goodness. They thought with their actual heads. The tale was barely a romsusp in my book, no pun intended, and could've worked without the tiny bit of chemistry between the leads. What it was, was a horrible tale of very believable events, corrupt LEO types, and all too true forms of the darkness that exists in our western world.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Headline, for my reading pleasure.

Knife in the Back Karen Rose

5 stars
This series just keeps getting better

I just love this series of books by Karen Rose. Each book has a different story to tell but the characters all remain part of the plot and it is fascinating to follow their lives. The last book in the series featured Phin Bishop and Cora and their burgeoning romance. It was lovely to hear that they are now married and soon to become parents.

This story is about Naomi Cranston, an ex-New Orleans police officer who has just spent five years in prison unjustly convicted of stealing drugs. She has just been released on a technicality and has spent a year working in Sylvie's flower shop when she is approached by a corrupt police officer threatening her son, Everett if she does not agree to deliver drugs,.However, Naomi is determined not to do this and when Sylvie discovers what has happened she takes Naomi to her friend, Burke Broussard's Investigation agency.

Once Burke is convinced of her innocence he agrees to help which opens the floodgates as kidnap attempts threaten everyone around him. As the book progresses we learn more about the original reason Naomi has been targeted and why this is still happening.

Karen Rose is a master at creating addictive stories that you just have to keep reading and I love the way previous characters from this series are all involved one way or another. Of course it would not be a Karen Rose story without a romance but this time it involves Burke himself and about time too!

I did wonder about the title of this book but when you realise who is behind the whole organisation targeting Burke and his friends you immediately understand and what a shock it was. The scene is also set for further books involving Burke and Naomi and I personally cannot wait to read them.


Karen Deborah

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this phenomenal book

naomi cranston life was never going to be the same again
she was sentenced to 30 years in jail....
that she hadnt done the crime didnt matter
nobody believe her innocence only her mom who managed to get a lawyer who got her out on a technicality

but now she was being blackmailed and that would send her back to jail if she was caught and she would be caught

Burke Broussard was her only hope and his life would never be the same again....
that he hadnt wanted to listen to her in the beginning but with only a few words she had uttered he knew she was innocent of all crimes

and now he was going to try and get her life back.....

ohhh man karen rose has done it again this book has it all ... i was so gripped by this book i didnt want it to end....so many red herrings and twists and turn that you cant see...i thought i knew but i knew nothing...and at the big reveal you are left stunned

cant wait for the next book by this author

Wow another fantastic read from Karen rose I couldn't put this book down it was absolutely brilliant. Love all of Karen's books can't wait for the next book .

Another brilliant book from Karen Rose. Yes, if you have read any of her other works you know what you are going to be in for, but that is no bad thing. Set aside time because this is another long one, but engrossing. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Absolutely brilliant.. The plot grabs you from the first page and keeps you hooked until the very last page. I have never read a Karen Rose book that didn't keep me enthralled. Loved it. I thought I'd guessed the main player but as usual I was wrong. Can't wait to read more from this fantastic author.

Naomi Cranston's five years in jail for something she didn't do were the worst of her life. Now the former NOPD cop is being targeted again by the people who framed her for stealing evidence. If she doesn't comply with their demands to deliver drugs, they'll hurt her teenage son, Everett.

When she arrives at the Burke Broussard Investigation Agency asking for help, Burke is reluctant to assist a convicted cop. But her story and her courage in standing up to the criminals touch him to the core. Even if taking on the case puts him and the rest of his team in grave danger.

As they try to work out who is responsible for framing Naomi, they must do all they can to keep their families safe. There might be something far more sinister at play than a drugs enterprise - and someone would do anything to stop Burke and the team finding out what. And there's one question they all need to grapple with: why was Naomi targeted in the first place?

My thanks to Headline and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Knife In The Back’, book 4 in the New Orleans series written by Karen Rose, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Six years ago former New Orleans police officer Naomi Cranston was convicted of stealing evidence that she knows she wasn’t guilty of and after spending five years in jail was released on a technicality. After being free for a year and now working in a floristry shop, someone in the police department wants her back behind bars and is threatening to harm her son if she doesn’t delivery packages for him. Naomi has no intention of doing what he says and approaches Burke Broussard’s Investigation Agency. Burke believes in her innocence and offers to help her, not knowing that he’s putting at risk the lives of all who work for him including their families.

‘Knife In The Back’ in the fourth in this very addictive series set in New Orleans that gets increasingly exciting as the story progresses. From page one I’ve been totally engrossed in this ingenious plot with characters who aren’t just believable but likeable too. The story contains intrigue, suspense, drama and twists, all the ingredients needed to keep me glued to my Kindle and unable to stop reading, as the plot evolves to something far more shocking than I’d expected. As the final pages approach there’s a humdinger of a climax that prepares the way for the two main characters of Burke and Naomi to work together in the future. I’m so looking forward to reading the next in the series to see where their relationship leads and have no hesitation in recommending this brilliantly written thriller that’s worth far more than five stars.

we all know Karen Rose is good. better than good. but each time she goes and tops it and proves it tenfold just to make sure we all REALLY know she is good. this book was brilliant. i was hooked and gripped and lying back when i should be lying down to sleep. lights turned off but i didn't stop reading, i couldn't, i wouldn't. a fab emotional in all sorts of ways book.
the characters are al brilliant and i was fully invested and fully caring about what was going to happen.
i got more and more tense for the story and people involved. it was thriller with capital T. the tension built all the way through constantly watching it up but also emotionally the hits kept coming.
Burke is fab. just one of the best. oh didn't we all fall for him??? i would go into more detail about him but i'd go on for far too long and it would seem like i have a weird character crush. okay i do...
Naomi is a power. a forces. and she's also a must read characters.
both characters are fleshed out and told to perfection. they ignite this book off the pages.
all the side characters are important to the plot and it never feel over whelming or too much to follow which again is a skill and one we know Karen has in spades.
i was on edge for some of this and fully absorbed for all of it.
cant say enough about how much i loved this book. its getting all the stars and frankly needs more.
Karen is a talent. a very special writing talent and I'm thankful she shares that with us everyday.

Sorry to say this but as a huge Karen Rose fan, I just cant read any more of her books. Boring, woke, and predictable. She no longer writes the gritty thrillers she wowed with from the beginning of her career.

I was so excited to read the next instalment of the New Orleans series, the team really touched me and I couldn’t wait to see what was next.

This book, focusing mainly on the lead Burke Broussard this time, but bringing in the whole team was exciting, emotional and eventful.

Starting with Naomi Cranston, an ex police officer, who has spent five years in jail for a crime she didn’t commit, appealing for Burke’s help protecting her awkward and angry teenager from danger.

When the danger turns to the team and their families, it felt like someone was stirring up a hornets nest and the action / investigation and excitement snowballs from there. Who do you trust when the police are not straight?

I was totally addicted to reading this, eager to see how each member of the team had progressed since the last book. You don’t need to have read the previous books, as the reader is reminded briefly of what has gone before, but it is so much better if you have! I particularly enjoyed catching up with Jace and Elijah, who made me smile!

Honestly the characterisation is superb, the team bonding and accepting of new ‘rescues’ like the inimitable Eleanor!

For me, this book has it all, pace, investigations, dangers, surprises, bonding, family, justice and from me some (surprising) tears - didn’t see those coming!

Been a long time since I read anything by Karen Rose and looking forward to this one I was certainly not disappointed.
An excellent read from start to finish and is highly recommended.

I’ve read the previous book in the series but had forgotten who was who in honesty but I found this did a good job of explaining the relationships between the characters without over explaining either. This has a complex plot bit as it’s unravelled over time it’s easy to follow but a lot happens in a short time frame. The characters are well developed and there’s there’s good camaraderie and relationships between them. This starts with ex coo Naomi being betrayed by some of her former colleagues but the true extend of betrayal because increasingly apparent as the story progresses. This was an absorbing read with plenty of action but mostly the characters really held this together and I do hope there’s another in the series.

You can always rely on KR to deliver the goods when it comes to romantic suspense. This new one doesn't disappoint and I loved the character of Naomi. Such depth and grit to her.
Loved going back to characters we already know, and the storyline was fresh as always.
5 easy stars.

Naomi Cranston, an ex-cop who served five years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit, is back, and targeted once more by the criminals who framed her. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Karen Rose’s story balances nail-biting suspense with an intimate emotional core, exploring what it means to fight for family when the odds are stacked against you.

The novel’s strength lies in its characters. Naomi’s fierce determination and vulnerability make her compelling and relatable, while Burke Broussard grounds the story with his unwavering resolve and moral complexity. Their slow-burning romance adds genuine warmth amid the tension, providing moments of hope in an otherwise grim battle. Supporting characters, from Burke’s investigation team to the shadowy antagonists, enrich the narrative with varied perspectives and motives, adding layers to the mystery.

Karen Rose excels at weaving a tightly paced plot full of twists and turns that keep you guessing. The story deftly explores themes of corruption and loyalty, showing how no one can be truly trusted, and how betrayal can come from the closest quarters. While some plot threads feel slightly rushed near the end, the overall suspense and emotional investment never waver, making it a satisfying conclusion to this arc.

Fans of crime thrillers with complex characters, high stakes, and a touch of romance will find Knife in the Back a rewarding read. It’s a tense, heartfelt story about fighting back against darkness, and about how sometimes, the most dangerous battles are the ones fought for those we love.

As a big fan of Karen Rose and the Burke Broussard series, I was delighted to be given the chance to read this ARC. I must say it did not disappoint.

The storyline was dark, suspenseful and twisted. There was a major twist toward the end that I didn't see coming at all.

I loved the character of Naomi Cranston, she was a strong, determined woman, who fought even through adversity to protect her son. She was very relatable.

For fans of Karen Rose or someone who loves a good mystery, this book is a must read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a pleasure to be back in Louisiana! Naomi Cranston was jailed for 5 years and is set free one year ago. The one day, outside of her new job, she is approached. But she doen't want to comply! Her boss helps her with introducing her to the Burke Broussard Investigation Agency. What follows next is a dangerpus game of cat and mouse! No one realises how much more there is to the framing of Naomi and what they will do to protecting their loved ones from the bad guys! It was full of twists and turns, gripping, horrifying and a rollercoaster of a read! All the subplots came together with a surprising ending.

Standard Karen Rose fare. Predictable, dramatic but fun regardless. Or, as fun as a relatively dark thriller can be.

A tense and emotionally charged mix of thriller and romantic suspense. Well plotted, a page turner featuring strong and fleshed out characters, the right pace and a rollercoaster of actions and emotions.
Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Knife in the Back is a very, VERY good and entertaining read. I am a fan of this authors books and this latest one does not disapppoint at all, it has everything I like - great writing, and an all too believeable plot line that deals with the sensitive issue of child trafficking with care. I really like Naomi who asks Broussard to help her find out why and who framed her for a crime she didn't commit and spent 5 years in jail for. Is she putting herself and those close to her in more danger though? As always Karen Rose delivers a cracker of a read full of thrills, suspense, mystery and tension with a touch of romance. She is one of my go to authors who has me wanting to continue reading to find out more, and always grabs my attention and interest from the first page and holds it all the way through to the end. I love her writing style and that the story is told through different characters, some good, some bad who I either love and root for or loathe and can't wait for them to be found out. I always like the brief mentions and catch up with characters from previous books and enjoy seeing how they are getting on.

This is the 4th book in a series so if you're new to this author you need to read the books in order to know the characters and their backgrounds from the beginning. If you like crime thrillers from a PI perspective then this is for you and I'd recommend it.

This is one of my top reads so far this year
4.5 stars