Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher. I really like this author and have read all her previous books and this one was just as good.

The Baltimore series has been one of my favourites, each of the characters have been so well drawn, the reader, well, I certainly have, feel like you know them as friends.
I have read and loved every single book written by Karen Rose, and look forward to every new book she writes.
In the fifth book in the series, Clay´s search for the daughter he has been looking for for many years is finally over when she comes looking for the truth about her dad.
Obviously this is a huge part of the book, but there are other sub plots all interweaved to cleverly bring the story together.
Altogether, another brilliant book and I really hope Karen Rose doesn't keep us waiting too long before we read the next one.

Monster in the closet by Karen Rose.
Private Investigator Clay Maynard locates missing children for clients, but has nearly given up hope of finding his own daughter, cruelly stolen from him by his ex-wife twenty-three years ago.

Equine therapist Taylor Dawson has chosen to intern at Daphne Montgomery-Carter's stables so that she can observe the program's security director - her father, Clay Maynard. Trying to reconcile the wonderful man she's getting to know with the monster her mother always described, Taylor never expects to become the target of a real monster, the man who murdered the mother of the little girls she works with at the stable. Neither does she expect to fall for Ford Elkhart, Daphne's handsome son, who is dealing with his own demons. As family and friends gather for the wedding of Joseph Carter's sister Holly, Taylor starts to imagine a permanent life in Baltimore with her newfound father and Ford.
Absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. Loved Taylor. I really felt for Jazzie and Janie. I was hooked from page one. Couldn't put it down. 5*. Highly recommended. Netgalley and headline.

Karen Rose is an auto-buy author for me. I have loved every book she's written and this one didn't disappoint. It was great to revisit old characters and find out how they're doing. I just wish I could keep reading about every character as they feel like old friends! This is another great romantic suspense book and I would definitely recommend it.

Yet again, a really enjoyable thriller with romance throughout. My only complaint was the simplicity of the main crime, although the story about Taylor was complicated enough to balance.

If you enjoy romantic suspense then this author is a must read. She's an author with a knack for weaving threads within her stories that tie her characters together. Sometimes the stories can be so dark it's a wonder readers can see as they peak from behind the hands hypothetically shielding their eyes but no matter how disturbing or stomach churning her ideas somehow the good guys get through.
This particular book brings together so many characters from previous novels that my poor head was spinning trying to remember everything that had previously happened! If new to the authors work then don't worry as I did think this book worked fine as a standalone but it's obviously a reward of sorts, a celebration that readers can share and possibly the beginning of a whole new chapter.
So I'm obviously a huge fan and adore the way the author usually manages to wrap the suspense and crime element around a solid and adult romance. This particular story has two children floundering after the murder of their mother which brings them into contact with Taylor a young woman with a secret that connects her to what as a reader I perceive as a very extended family! I mentioned young and it's almost a new adult romance happening here which if honest didn't really set the pages on fire . However towards the end ( !) the pace gathered momentum and the drama finally had a lot more action. For me personally it seemed to meander a little too much at times and yes I can see that the sub plots and family dynamics helped flesh out the story but I missed the tension and often horror that I normally associate with these books. Not a bad book but not that typical of the usual fare I enjoy from this author although if you find some of her previous stories too dark then this should be a welcome relief.
A copy of this was provided for me with no requirement to review. I've voluntarily read it and these thoughts and comments are I believe a fair opinion

I've read all of the Karen Rose books but can honestly say this was the best yet. Think you need to know the background stories because there are so many characters but I absolutely loved it

Fantastic read! I was totally gripped the whole way through, and found the characters easy to like and identify with.

Although I have read Karen Rose books before I have never read any of this Romantic Suspense series and therefor did not know any of the characters from the other books in this series. However The Monster in the Closet can be read as a stand alone novel. I enjoyed reading this book, there were lots of different sub plots that kept me interested. I would like to thank NetGalley for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

''Monster In The Closet'' proved just why I'm right to have Karen Rose on my must-read list; it's a beauty of a book.

Putting aside the thriller aspect for just a minute, this was a much more tender story than I was expecting. The relationships built up are actually really touching and I'm not afraid to say that I shed tears several times whilst reading it. The nuances of what it takes to make a family, and the heartbreak of loss and pure joy of discovery managed to hit a real nerve with me, they were so exposed and honestly written that the emotion was heart-warming to read. On the other hand the burgeoning romance between Taylor and Ford brings an altogether different sort of energy to proceedings. For established fans of the Baltimore series like me, it was good to see Ford having a successful roman at last; it definitely brings a heat to the storyline and there's an air of (pleasant!) raunchiness that runs throughout. And whilst the actual thriller part is what drives the plot, I felt this was much more a book about taking the characters forwards, and the relationships, both forged and existing, are what makes this book so special.

Then so to Jazzie and Janie, and their devious and evil Father, Gage, who opens the books by killing their 'mama'. Whilst despicable obviously, it all felt plausible and realistic, and as usual, gripping. The fact that pretty much all of the 'Healing Hearts with Horses' family gets involved in the action just makes it even more thrilling, with most in some kind of danger if not physically then certainly emotionally. And whilst I don't want to put myself in the line of danger, I can't help but feeling just how lovely it would be to be part of this extended family.

So once gain Karen Rose show why her books are so popular with this latest, ''Monster In The Closet''. I loved every word.

What can I say? FABULOUS. As a die hard Karen Rose fan, this book doesn't fail to measure up with her other novels. It's the story of Clay Maynard and his (finally) reunion with his long-lost daughter Sienna. I'm not going to spoil anything but the emotion Ms Rose invokes in this book had me crying.....twice! A must read and a must buy. I was going to save it for summer hols but couldn't stop myself from starting it sooner!! The only problem I have with her books is the waiting for the next one. Well done Ms Rose on another excellent read.

Another great story. Always a pleasure to catch up with previous characters.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of The Monster in the Closet, the fifth romantic suspense novel in Ms Rose's Baltimore series.

Jazzie returns home to find her mother dead and the murderer still in the house. Very few people know that she can identify the killer, especially as she has been mute since that day. The stakes are raised when she manages to say thank you to Taylor Williamson, an intern at a therapy centre. In a separate plotline Taylor turns out to be series regular Clay Maynard's long list daughter.

I have been reading Ms Rose's work for many years and generally look forward to the exciting plots and sizzling romance she serves up but I must admit to being disappointed in The Monster in the Closet. The crime plot is lacklustre and has none of the edge of your seat tension I've come to expect and Taylor's situation, both romantically and with her 2 fathers, lacks credibility and seems a bit repetitious. For me the balance between crime and personal life is wrong with too much emphasis on family and friends and not enough on the crime.

This is, by no means, a bad novel as Ms Rose has a knack for drawing the reader in, moving her plot along in a timely manner and creating very likeable characters, it just doesn't concentrate enough on the crime aspects for my taste.

I have read the entirety of her crime novels every single one, and they never disappoint, it was nice seeing old characters and meeting new ones. Daphne was one of my favourite characters after Mia, so it was nice to go back into her world. Really loved this book and cant wait for the next.

I was really excited to receive an ARC of this novel as I love the Romantic Suspense series.

Monster in the Closet is the 19th book in the Romantic Suspense series and the 5th in the Baltimore series. The Romantic Suspense series follows a makeshift family made up of a group of friends. There may be some spoilers here for the other books in the series but not this one, only because I can't talk about any of the other characters without spoilers for previous books!

We see old favourites in this novel such as Detective JD Fitzpatrick and his partner Lucy a medical examiner, who we were first introduced to in You Belong to Me.

Paige Holden & Grayson Smith the private investigators from No One Left to Tell although they don't feature heavily in this one.

State attorney Daphne Montgomery & Special Agent Joseph Carter from Did you Miss Me? As well as Daphne's son Ford.

Clay Maynard & Detective Stevie Mazetti from Watch Your Back.

Faith Corcoran & Special agent Deacon Novak from Cincinnati 1 Closer Than You Think.

I love the way that Karen Rose expertly blends all of the characters into a relationship with each other. If you haven't read the Romantic Suspense series before, each book focuses on one couple, how they get together and their romance, but alongside that runs a thriller element with a murder and the couple's attempts to solve the murder and catch the killer.

Monster in the Closet sees 2 children Jazzie & Janie in therapy at Daphne's equine therapy centre. Their mother has been violently murdered and Jazzie hasn't spoken since. But she's finally opening up to the new intern therapist Taylor Dawson, but she's got secrets of her own that she's hiding and this is where the romance and suspense comes in.

The difference with this one is that we know who the killer is right from the beginning and this creates an immediate frustration as we watch the characters attempt to discover who the killer is and gather evidence.

Overall this was a great novel, picking up with the younger generation of the friend/family group. Once again it was fast paced and unputdownable and most importantly thoroughly enjoyable!

I would like to thank Headline and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Monster In The Closet’ by Karen Rose in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Taylor Dawson leaves her home in California to take up an internship at 'Healing Hearts With Horses' in Baltimore, but her main reason is to find her father, Clay Maynard, whom her mother had taken her away from at an early age and had always lied about. Whilst working at 'Healing Hearts', twelve-year-old Jazzie speaks to Taylor, the first person she’s got close to since witnessing the murder of her whose own mother Valerie who’d been beaten to death, and the police hope Jazzie will confide in Taylor so that they can discover the identity of the murderer. Added to this, Taylor falls in love with Ford, the son of Daphne Montgomery who owns 'Healing Hearts'.
I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed all of Karen Rose’s novels and although I enjoyed ‘Monster In The Closet’ I was slightly disappointed that the crime of Jazzie’s mother’s murder was only a small part of the story and that it mostly centred on Taylor and her meeting with the extended family of her newly found father. I thought there was also too much written about her sexual attraction to Ford.

Fantastic book. Unlike a lot of rose's previous books that bad guy was always known in this. Which I found a refreshing change. This book dealt with a lot of emotional issues, that were handled brilliantly. I loved the reconnection of all the older characters. The interplay between ford and sienna/ Taylor was sweet. It made me laugh, smile and sad in equal measures. I loved seeing Alec again- can't wait to see what rose comes up with next.

A woman is brutally murdered ....unknown to the killer , her elder daughter has come home early and witnessed the attack .
Only selected police officials know that the young girl is a witness , the information is being kept under wraps as they have a leak somewhere in the system ......the hope is that the killer can be found before he realises the police are on his trail .
Daphne Montgomery-Carter's stables are renowned for helping traumatised children ....two young girls have been admitted to the program , the younger finds riding horses helps but her older sister has not spoken since witnessing the attack on her mother .
Equine therapist Taylor Dawson is an intern at the Center and manages to get the girl to speak for the first time - her words are 'Thank You' . The girls Aunt and the police feel that they will soon have a description of the killer BUT someone speaks out of turn and the killer becomes aware of the witness .
The Police ask Taylor to work with the girl in the hope that she will reveal information , but Taylor has her own reason for working at the stables ..........
She is trying to find her father - her life has been lived in terror of him finding her first and killing her. Because on the death of her mother she finds that everything she thinks she knows is all lies , her mother has lied to everyone including her own husband .
Taylor finds that her world as she has known it about to come crashing down- she knew that her father was connected to the Stables , but others around begin to suspect who she really is !
With the help and support of Daphne's son Ford , for whom she is beginning to have feelings , she begins to see that she might have a future in Baltimore - IF - she can keep both herself and the young girl out of the clutches of the murderer .

Another enjoyable book by this Author .