Another amazing thriller from Karen Rose, who defines romantic suspense, wonderfully narrated by Hilary Huber. As always some old characters appear alongside the new ones. Couldn't put it down, I've thoroughly enjoyed every one of Karen Rose's books. No spoilers here though. I listened to the Audible edition which added greatly to the enjoyment while reading along with the Kindle edition. Great ending (as usual). ( )

Previously in our series Agent Kate Coppola drops down from a tree taking out then undercover Agent Griffin "Decker" Davenport......would this first meeting be a clue as to how the two of them are going to get along.

Now we find Kate sitting at Decker's bedside knitting, folding origami animals and playing Disney songs on her laptop....not that she wants anyone to know about that last vice of hers.

Well half of the bad guys have been taken care of but no one knows that since Decker is in a medically induced coma to help him heal after his multiple gunshot wounds. Why is Kate playing guard...now even she is sure what draws her to this man....unconscious but the pull to him is strong.

Decker can hear her and he feels it when she holds his hand or brushes his forehead....but why does she do it?

These are questions they will address once Decker "wakes up". Oh but wait, there's something else he's trying to remember. What was it that's so important? Why won't it come to him? Oh that's right....they may have taken down some drug dealers and child pornographers but they weren't alone. There's another partner! He has more kids! Time is running out....wake up dammit.

And that's just the first few pages. We also meet Mallory, a scared shell of a girl who is accosted at a grocery store by a man who recognizes her as Sunshine Suzie. SS is a very popular kiddie porn star. Her videos makes lots of money to this day even though she hasn't been forced to make one it almost 3 years. Police officers Kendra Cullen sees something wrong about this couple and breaks it up. Instinctively she knows he is lying and this teen-aged girl is scared out of her whits. Denying anything is wrong she gets in her car and leaves.

The Professor is next. He's been dealing drugs, making movies and keeping Mallory in line for years. In his own twisted mind...he's brilliant and untouchable. He's been hiding in plain sight for years and yet no one knows what he really does for a living. The coke he makes is so good that his customers protect him, come back for more and are willing to do anything to have their next hit...how do you think he recruits the new talent for his movies? And some stars get sold to privileged customers for the right price.

We get a bit of catch up back story to let us know Alice, one of the major baddies from the previous book, has ended up in jail. Who's all is dead...most of the bad guys and what information they may have had. It becomes important once Decker wakes up and tells Kate, the FBI and the local PD about a conversation he taped and what is one those CD's he recorded. Thus begins the hunt for the Professor, but they didn't even know he existed until a few hours ago so this is going to be fun. (Insert heavy sarcasm on that last line)

As usual the plot is full of twists, clues and moments of dark humor that when dealing with the subject of child abuse, pornography and human trafficking...well let's just say you need a light moment (or dozen) to let you remain semi-sane. (this would be why Kate knits and creates origami objects. Another detective is convinced to give coloring, yes coloring, a try as a way to de-stress.)

I will say that the professor is well connected. Intelligent. And warped but from what you see on news reports about some of the serial criminals out there....he fits. It's realistic, this professor and how he does things, in fact so realistic that it scared me. I almost wanted to start researching the people who live in my neighborhood to make sure they aren't closet psychos.

There is a string in the book of people who suffered abuse and molestation, those folks telling their stories and breaking down....straight to my heart. Detective Adam Kimball, the one who had a breakdown a book or so back because of all he had seen with these kinds of situations....I wanted to hug him and never let go every time he had to look through yet another file or video to see if he could find clues as to where the kids are being held or who might have been the ones holding them.

As you can tell I loved this book. The good guys win and the very very bad man loses. Children are saved and broken men find a healing in saving them.

Yes, there is a bit of a cliffhanger but you know what...I don't mind it. I can wait for the next one seeing as I will probably re-visist this series again and again. Gritty but such good characters and the dialogue between all of them...enjoyed it so much. ( )

I won this Advance Reader Copy in a GIVEAWAY *** This book was intense. It was well written. It placed me "live-action" in the moments; my heart was racing with her's and this was only page 16! There were snipers, poison, FBI, cops, drugs, romance, terror, love, fear, violence, kindness, chocolate brownies, betrayal, redemption, six pounds of M&Ms, and even a game of horse-shoes! Wow! The conclusion was just as intense! This was a GREAT READ! I had kept this at work to read at lunch... should have brought home to finish sooner. Holey-Moley! ( )

I don't know if I just wasn't in a reading mood, if the migraine of the day threw me off, or what, but I was simply not able to get into this story. I gave it 50 pages and nothing, which is rare because Ms. Rose is one of my favorite authors. Guess I'll be putting this back on the shelf and I'll try to read it again in a few months.

Every Dark Corner by Karen Rose is a 2017 Headline publication.

Unyielding suspense, Sizzling romance!

This third installment in the ‘Cincinnati’ series is a continuance of the second book, with two new leads, Kate Coppola and Decker Davenport, picking up on a deeper thread resulting from the investigation that took place in the previous installment.

As the story begins, Decker is in a coma and Kate, who saved his life, has never left his side. The horrific child pornography ring that Marcus and Scarlett had uncovered runs deeper than originally thought, and becomes the first case Kate tackles in Cincinnati, where she has moved after the death of her husband and brother-in-law.

Kate and her new team have their hands full, and time is of the essence as Decker informs them there are a new group of kids in serious danger.

On a personal note, the connection Decker makes with Kate during his recovery forges a deep emotional bond between them, but both are carrying heavy burdens and secrets, that if revealed, could change the course of their relationship and end their careers in the process.

Everyone knows romantic suspense has long been my favorite genre, and Karen Rose is one of my very favorite RS authors. I have never been disappointed with her work and after reading this book, I am once again reminded of what an incredible crime author she is.

This book is a dark, gritty crime drama, with a complex plot, and super edgy suspense. It is also features deep and intense interpersonal relationships, and red-hot romance. Decker and Kate start off having a kind of mental connection with each other, which develops quickly with a breathtaking impact.

Getting inside the mind of a predator and a killer is really creepy and watching his victims fight for their lives and those around them is compelling, but had me feeling pretty agitated. The long term affect working on these sickening crimes is also examined as Kate’s team must find a way to do the job without it taking a heavy toll.

Overall, this is yet another outstanding novel by Karen Rose and is a must read for those following this particular arc. This book could be read as a stand alone, but I do recommend reading ‘Alone in the Dark’ first, if you can. I’m not sure if there will be further installments in this series or if this was a wrap. Either way, I’m totally satisfied with the outcome. 4.5 stars ( )