Cardozo is working on two high profile cases. A man has beaten a doctor who specialized in childhood cancer to death because he blamed him for the death of his young son. The second case is that of a famous actress who has accused a film director of rape. It turns out that the cases have some connections that aren't obvious at first. I discovered Karen Rose at the library about 16 years ago. I devoured every book they had and waited patiently each year for her new release.

Beneath Dark Waters by Karen Rose | Goodreads Beneath Dark Waters by Karen Rose | Goodreads

Val is assigned to keep Elijah safe, and she takes her responsibilities very seriously. She arranges to have a delicious dinner cooked for the household. Kaj thanks her for everything she’s doing: “You bring all kinds of perks,” he added with a smile. “Dogs, roller derby, and friends who make good food.” Val deflects his praise, but he thanks her again. The two main characters, Val and Kaj, were developed with heart and kindness, plus the growth of steamy heat and simmering love interest tempered the ugliness surrounding them. This is a disturbing, violent, visceral tug-at-your-heart-strings book. Former Marine Val Sorensen works as an investigator and sometime bodyguard for Broussard Investigations. Her work team is like family. J. P. “Kaj” Cardozo is a widower with a son who is infinitely precious to him. Elijah is preternaturally smart. A diagnosis of childhood diabetes hasn’t crimped his sails. Kaj (“spelled K-a-j, but pronounced Kai , rhyming with pie ”) is a public prosecutor who has made a name for himself in the six months he’s lived in New Orleans. There are folks in NOLA who will stop at nothing to prevent Kaj’s “high-profile celebrity sexual assault case” from ever reaching court. They try to kidnap Elijah, hoping his father will drop the case to ensure his son’s safety. Instead Kaj turns to Broussard Investigations, a private investigation firm that is famous for its ability to protect its clients, for help.The romance develops between Broussard's agent, Val and the ADA, Kaj. They bond over Elijah and protecting his safety, as well as desire to capture the criminals. We do see some characters from the previous book in New Orleans. Beneath Dark Waters is a standalone second book in the New Orleans sub-series and the twenty-eighth entry in the overall Romantic Suspense series. There are connections to the previous book, but not in such a way that new readers couldn’t grab this one and appreciate all they were getting. Bottom line, this was a great addition to Ms. Rose's world and another story that I heavily enjoyed by her. I can't wait to see what else New Orleans will give us. A fast-paced, high-intensity story that’ll carry you along on an amazing journey.”— New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster I found this a hard read for the first two chapters, I did not like any character, even the kid was annoying! where usually the main protagonists have a strong appeal. The romance, alway expected but I didn’t ‘feel’ this hook up at all!

Goodreads New Orleans Series by Karen Rose - Goodreads

I read the first book of the New Orleans series before reading Beneath Dark Waters, and I found that the same patterns/themes carried across. This made the story quite predictable. Will the revelation of involvement from the other Gates brothers lead to answers, or by placing their trust in them will Kaj and Val be putting themselves in even more danger? Beyond Dark Waters is the 2nd novel in the New Orleans series. (Rose even references Scarlett from the Cincinnati series, which, for me, was one of my favorite parts of the book.) That's what Kaj has employed Burke Brossard Private Investigation Agency to find out and also to keep his son safe and Val Sorenson is tasked with the job. But Val has a personal connection. As her brother Van was murdered by a member of Sixth Day four years ago. Assistant District Attorney Kaj Cardozo has only lived in New Orleans for six months, but he is known in both New York and in his new home city for his fight against corruption. He’s also working a high-profile celebrity assault case that is getting publicity across the country. When his son Elijah becomes the target of a kidnapping attempt, Kaj hires Broussard Investigations to protect Elijah. Val Sorensen is the person assigned to be his bodyguard and the firm is hired to investigate the incident. The investigation reveals more than they bargained for, as drugs, corruption, and murder are discovered.BENEATH DARK WATERS is book 2 in Rose's New Orleans series and book #28 in the Romantic Suspense series. Karen Rose's signature style is evident with a long, compelling, intricately woven plot line spanning a relatively short amount of time revolving around a large cast of characters. Pay attention to the small details as they always prove to be clues in Rose's books. Yet, as the danger mounts Val is more determined than ever to do whatever is needed to keep Elijah and Kaj safe. Veteran Marine, Val Sorensen works as a bodyguard, and sometimes investigator, for Broussard Investigations. She is specifically chosen to protect ADA Cardozo’s ten-year-old son. Val cannot help but grow attached to the boy and his attractive father, but she refuses to act on her attraction while on the job. When she and her associates investigate the kidnapping attempt, they discover something even more sinister and dangerous. Can Val protect Kaj’s son from all the threats? Or will her past incapacitate her from the job?

Beneath Dark Waters by Karen Rose - Books - Hachette

As I always say, I believe books need trigger warnings so my warnings here are drug abuse, child neglect and sexual assault. These are mostly just referred to and dealt with care and are quite brief so would not have put me off the book but I just believe readers should have that knowledge before reading. Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. When his son Elijah becomes the target of a kidnapping he hires Broussard Investigations to protect his son. Val is the assigned bodyguard. When Prosecutor Kaj Cardozo needs a bodyguard for his nearly kidnapped ten-year-old son Elijah, he goes to Broussard because he doesn't trust the New Orleans Police Department. Broussard assigns former Marine Val Sorenson to the case because she's good with kids and has a connection to the drug gang that was implicated in the attempted kidnapping. Review copy was received fromMy heart ached for the innocent here because these bad guys were awful! I didn’t want anyone landing in their hands at all! My heart pounded as the events unfolded! Thankfully, Val and Kaj were smart and didn’t take unnecessary risks. Still…