Electrifying chemistry and undeniable angst! Karen Rose is taking her reader for a wild ride into the heart of murder and mayhem with the first book in her brand new series, The San Diego Case Files and you won't want to miss a single heart-wrenching moment! The stage is set from the very first page with a backstory filled with despair that leads Kit McKittrick to become a homicide detective who puts her heart and soul into solving as many cases as she can. There's a whole lot of procedural bits about this case as it unravels but there's also so much heart as friendships and familial love shines bright. I loved every minute of this book and cannot wait for more to come in the series!

First time reading this author & all I can say is WOW! Gripping from beginning to end and a shocking end it was. Detective Kit McKittrick is dogged in her homicide investigations and is drawn into a serial killer's 20-year killing cycle by an anonymous tip.

The complex plot and story along with compelling characters made this a book I could not put book down. This author is going on my must read list.

I enjoyed this one.. it wasA quick read However I did not feel connected to the characters. The plot held my attention but the characters were just not clicking with me.

This was only a three star read for me, unfortunately, and I had super high hopes for this one. I think the author was going for a romantic thriller, especially given that it's designation on Goodreads was in fact romance. Though- there isn't much of that honestly. The characters are difficult to relate to, and Kit is just...distant. And it was rather less about Kit being the investigation, and more about Sam doing an investigation and being mad when he was told to stop. I dunno. Probably I'll be walking away from the series.

Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose is a book that is so good it's hard to put down. There is a lot of depth to the characters and the story is a fast paced thriller. The end alludes to a continuation - can't wait!

This book knocked me back in my chair and I did not move until the last page was read. Wow!! This book is fantastic. It has everything that I love. Characters that draw you in, fast action plot, and a well-developed story that keeps you guessing. My head is still spinning from all of the twists and turns. This book is raw and gritty. You can feel the pain and anguish that each of the character projects as you learn about their past experiences.

Kit McKittrick is a detective with the SDPD. The murder of her foster sister has made it a personal mission to be a detective who listens and will go at a case with all that she has. When Dr. Sam Reeves patient begins to reveal information to him during his sessions that makes him call Kit anonymously. He is worried that his patient is about to kill or has done so already. This makes Sam a suspect in the eyes of the police, when in reality the killer is trying to frame him, but why? As Kit and Sam begin to investigate separately the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together. Finally revealing who the killer is. I am telling you my jaw dropped and I had to reread the reveal again. I am telling you this book is worth a read.

Karen Rose does a phenomenal job bringing Kit and Sam to life. You can feel the energy that is drawing the to each other, even though Kit fights it kicking and screaming. The details and facts for the case will make you want dive in and help uncover the killer. It is a book that will make you stay up late. When you do put it down for a second, your mind is still turning over all of the details trying to make sense of the case. Thank you to Karen Rose and Berkley Books for my gifted copy. I will be recommending it to everyone, while I work through Rose's other books.

What's really fun about Karen Rose as an author is that her books always have the same type of vibe and I think it's easy to tell when you're reading a story from her, but they never get too similar. Every book I devour from her feels fun and new and I really enjoy that about her stories.

Cold-Blooded Liar brought in a true crime feeling along with the mystery aspect of the book. We got to see one crime from different perspectives and different investigation tactics and it made the story really fun to read. It also had me guessing doubly hard on who the killer was.

The romance was extra light in this book but honestly it didn't lessen my enjoyment at all. It felt more playful by only giving us hints of a connection between Kit and Sam. Overall, a great read and I really hope we'll be seeing more from these characters in the future.

Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose is an intricately woven & clever mystery full of twists & turns sure to keep everyone second guessing their sleuthing skills until the end!

Cold Blooded Liar follows Detective Kit McKittrick as she investigates the cold case & brutal doings of a decade long serial killer while she tries to heal from her past tragedies & experiences growing up as a foster kid. This case sets her on the path of psychologist, Dr. Sam Reeves when he places an anonymous tip about the potential location of a body, which he received knowledge of from his patient who is a pathological liar. The twisted web of multiple crimes will take you on a rollercoaster as the mystery slowly unravels.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author & even though it’s part of a series, it can easily be read as a standalone & I can happily say this won’t be the last because I throughly enjoyed this book! This book enraptured me to the point I couldn’t put it down because I had to know what happened.

It was extremely detailed & I appreciated how you experienced the investigation in real time, including the different avenues the various information took the case on. I felt like a backseat detective that was trying to solve the case. Even though you witnessed the numerous leads being run done, it never dulled or slowed from its’ quick pace, which was wonderful.

I really enjoyed the multitude of characters along with their relationships, their chemistry & their backgrounds. I immediately connected with them & felt the emotional tug of my heart to their stories. I am so curious about this unresolved side story though. I would love to read more in this world & figure out that other mystery!

This was a fantastic, yet twisted mystery with enough heart & a small dash of romance that created such a captivating story & is one I highly recommend! I rated it 4.5 stars!

Massive thanks to Berkley Publishing for the free arc, which I volunteered read & reviewed.


Trigger Warnjnfs: This book mentions &/or contains murder, violence, rape & kidnapping .

I will post this to GoodReads, Instagram & Amazon on release date & add links once I do.

Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose is the 1st book in her new San Diego Case Files series. I am a big fan of Karen Rose, as she writes fantastic crime drama’s that are exciting and tense from start to finish. I will always read her books.

We meet Kit McKittrick, our heroine, and a San Diego homicide detective, who is considered one of the best in solving crimes. She and her partner, Baz have worked together for many years, and they are currently deep into a cold case, revolving around a serial killer, who has eluded them and recently killed again. Kit is close to her foster parents, who also willingly help other young girls to foster, to give them a better life. 20 years ago, Kit’s sister was found murdered, with no resolution over the years, leaving her with terrible memories; this cold case has her determined to find this killer, who kills only underage young girls.

Sam Reeves, is a psychologist, who treats clients who are court ordered. One of his patients, is a pathological liar, and when this patient begins revealing strange details, Sam decides to anonymously report this to the SDPD hotline, without revealing his identity, especially keeping patient confidentiality. Kit and Baz discover the tipster’s name, and arrest him, thinking he could be the murderer; since he left a clue to where the woman maybe buried. In a short time, Kit knows that Sam is not the killer, and is released. Since he wants to help get more information, he continues to call Kit with some clues he gets from the client’s ex-wives.

What follows was very exciting, intense, mindboggling, suspenseful, and action-packed thriller. The San Diego homicide team was very good, with Baz, Navarro, Connor working closely with Kit to find the killer before he kills again. I liked Kit’s family, and Sam’s friends who were always there for each other. Sam also finds himself attracted to Kit, who she knows is innocent, shying away from any romantic feelings. I suspect that we will see more of Sam and Kit in the next book of this series.

Cold-Blooded Liar was a fantastic thriller, with so much emotional and passionate feelings along the way. Karen Rose once again gives us a fabulous story, with great characters, and a major surprise at the end. I could not put the book down, as it was exciting from start to finish. If you like crime dramas, you should be reading Karen Rose.

This was an entertaining suspense story. San Diego homicide detective Kit McKittridge grew up in foster care and last landed with the McKittricks. Her fifteenth year was particularly traumatic when her foster sister Wren disappears and is later found dead. Fearing that the police are not investigating giving the case enough attention because they've branded Wren as a runaway, Kit and her foster father decide to pursue their own investigation.

Fast forward sixteen years...

Kit McKittridge is now a homicide detective who has a special talent for resolving cold cases. When the body of another young petite, blond girl is found in a shallow grave with her wrists restrained by pink sparkly handcuffs, Kit becomes the latest in her office to try to solve the murders which have spanned over 20 years. They haven't been able to identify all of the young girls and the discoveries of their bodies looks like accidents.

Meanwhile Psychologist Sam Reeves is dealing with a current client who is a pathological liar and who seems to be throwing out hints that he knows something about the deaths of these young girl. When his attempt to report his suspicions anonymously fail, he's arrested by Kit and her partner Baz until he can tell them his connection to the case. Baz is really suspicious but something about Sam convinces Kit that he is just passing on a tip.

Unfortunately, the man identified by Sam is found to be a potential suicide when the police get to his house. Because a reporter is ready to publish the story, the Police Department tries to get ahead of them by announcing that the man was the killer. Kit has reservations which are upheld when the Medical Examiner discovers a fast-acting sedative in his body.

Now Kit and the police are trying to find the real killer who might or might not have been a partner to the suicide victim. And Sam is also investigating since he is still considered a possible suspect and needs to clear his name to save his career.

This story had great characters and a nicely twisty plot. I really enjoyed it.

This was my first read from this author and I was happy to find out that although it is listed as book #28, it is Book #1 in the San Diego series. The premise intrigued me and I am always on the hunt for new mystery/ thrillers to love. THIS WAS IT!!! I was so deeply invested in the story that there were several occasions where I needed to book the book down, walk away and breathe. My husband was slightly concerned that I was so into this plot.

I HIGHLY recommend this book and I will be picking up other books by this author.

When it comes to books, if I see the word "romance" in the description my eyes start to cross, my nose twitches and my lips start puckering up to say "Noooooo." But since I've read and enjoyed a couple of other books by this talented author - and since the other descriptive word is "suspense" - I crossed my fingers and went for it.

And it worked out just fine. Oh, there are hints at romance - mostly, I think, as a lead-in to the second book in the "San Diego Case Files" series - and much of them are to me downright silly. But it's hardly the overarching theme - identifying a longtime serial killer is the real deal here - so it's easy to overlook if your sappy stuff perspective is as jaded as mine. The focus is on Katherine (Kit) McKittrick, an ace detective with the San Diego Police Department. An otherwise competent woman who struggles with trust issues as a result of her past - which includes a long stint in the foster system - Kit is hard-pressed to trust psychologist Dr. Sam Reeves when he risks his professional career by calling the police about one of his patients - a pathological liar. The romance part rears its head when Kit, who is infatuated with Sam (reluctantly of course) can't quite bring herself to consider him a suspect when the body of a young woman is unearthed following his phone tip.

The discovery is gruesome just because of the crime, but it quickly gets even worse when the killer's M.O. matches that of a never-caught serial killer of young women. More ties to Sam turn up, making it even harder for Kit to believe he's innocent - compounded by the fact that her longtime partner and mentor, Basil "Baz" Constantine, thinks she should take off her rose-colored glasses and at least entertain the possibility that he's not the all-around sweetheart he seems to be. Honestly, there's a little too much waffling on Kit's part to suit me, and I think the author was a little too heavy-handed with trying to polish his halo, but happily he - and she - are such likeable characters (Baz even more so) that it matters not.

The story follows the intense investigation as well as insights from Kit's troubled past to her close relationship with her "last" foster parents who are almost too good to be believable, but their relationship with their charges tugged at my heartstrings anyway. The ending brings a surprise - unwelcome to several of the characters for various reasons I can't reveal - and a sigh of disappointment from me just because the whole thing was over and I'll have to wait for the next installment. Meantime, many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one. Well done!

This is my first book by Karen Rose and I might have to pick up some more in the future because it was an interesting story albeit I didn't love the writing style so I'm curious if that's the case with all her books.

The plot was good! I felt like I was in an episode of Criminal Minds for a minute. Where I had issues resided with the characters. I felt the characters were not written well. Reading it I had a hard time believing these characters were all over the age of 30 because they didn't sound like it.
One is a female police officer and the other is a phD therapist yet they both conversed like they were young minded. I don't know how else to explain it besides saying their dialogue was very simple and sounded juvenile especially Sam the therapist, his voice was written very weird. Maybe that was the point?
I'm definitely gonna be checking out some more from this author to get a better perspective.
Huge thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Cold-Blooded Liar was a well researched thriller that kept me hooked from the first page. Detective Kit McKittrick is a well written protagonist who trusts her gut and is not afraid to voice out her opinions. I loved Sam Reeves, the psychologist who goes above and beyond to do what's best for the society. When Sam suspects one of his patients has committed a murder, he doesn't think twice before giving an anonymous tip to the police. But things go wrong when he is arrested for another murder.

Sam is released but he can't sit still knowing that a serial killer is out there. He decides to conduct an investigation of his own. But can Kit and Sam see eye to eye and find the killer before it's too late?

Even the supporting characters like Kit's foster family have been developed so well and leave you wanting more of them!

This is a fast paced thriller and the twist at the end was truly unexpected. I can't wait to read more from Karen Rose.

TW - SA, Violence

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for my eARC!

I've never read anything by this author, but the blurb caught my attention. Sadly, it missed the mark for me. Characters fell flat for me, and they seemed a bit whiney and immature. I didn't connect with them, which made it hard for me to care about the outcome.

Cold Blooded Liar

Unfortunately this one was a DNF for me. I was really intrigued at first by the synopsis and unlikeable messy characters. This gave me major SVU and criminal mind vibes. Multiple perspectives where all storylines connect.

However this one was painfully slow and didn’t feel like it was going anywhere. What made me most turned off by this one was the writing style. It felt dry and lacking. I appreciate the ARC and would still try another book by this author.

A great first book in another new series by one of my favorite authors!!!

I love that its set in San Diego as I've lived in the area for years! I loved the chemistry between the characters, both good and evil. This is a great hunt for the killer with lots of twists/turns, aha moments, some heartbreaking moments, some break-thru moments, some no, no, no, moments, all the while keeping you on the edge of your seat turning the pages.

I can't wait to see what's next for Kit and Sam!!!

#ColdBloodLiar #Kit #Sam #Baz #Snickerdoodle #Siggy #GreatBook #NetGalley

I think you can tell a book is awesome when you just cannot stop reading. This story contains some cross-over characters from other books – Detective Kit and some of her co-workers, like her partner Baz. However, this book can be read as a stand-alone.

This story is unlike any I have read in the past. Rose dives into a serial killer, his crimes, and his victims. She weaves emotions and deep connections between the characters into this story. You get all of the feels right along with the characters.

This story is complex with many facets that will wind you up right along with the plot. Rose is not shy about writing with passion, guts, and the raw feelings involved with crimes. She dives into the personal aspects and we even get hints of a budding romance heating up.

Cold-Blooded Liar includes victims that are women and some are underage, so be aware of that. The plot, the complex storyline, and the characterization are all so compelling, I absorbed this as fast as I could.

I think this is one of my favorite books by her so far and I am really looking forward to more in this new San Diego based series. Amazing and soooo good!

I am always up for a new Karen Rose book. Always. I know, generally speaking, what to expect. I know that I will be taken on a hilly ride that I am not keen to have ended.

Serial killer? Yes, please. Inter-connected characters who are connected in some way which creates a whole new cast for readers to like or love? Yes, please.

I will admit, some of the twists in the book may not be monumental or even surprising, but that's how these stories go. They are a gradual build to the problem solving. They weave in and out as the story needs them to. They create a cadence for the story being told at just the right pace. Nothing happens too fast or too slow. It just happens as the story unfolds.

I sure do hope to get more of these characters soon. I know there will need to be a journey for them that will leave us all even more pleased with their budding relationship. I, for one. am looking forward to it.

𝘗𝘭𝘰𝘵 - Cold-Blooded Liar was basically an episode of Law and Order SVU. There was plenty of action and mystery throughout the whole story, along with tons of potential suspects to keep us guessing. I did figure out the killer before the final reveal, though, so for people who like to be kept hanging until the end this book may be a bit anticlimactic for you.
𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴/𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 - I loved both Kit and Sam. Kit is the no-nonsense detective who is determined to always put the victim first. Sam is the sweetheart psychologist who is just trying to do the right thing. Put them together and you have two stubborn people who slowly realize that its okay to lean on someone else. Kit's relationships with her family and work friends were developed so well. I think this is where the story was the strongest. I would have loved to see more from Sam's relationships, but I think the story was set up for us to learn more in the next book. There was also a hint of romance between Kit and Sam, but this may be continued in the next book as well.
𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘦 - Karen Rose's writing style was very clean and easy to read. I flew through Cold-Blooded Liar and felt that we got plenty of information while also staying focused on the plot and relationships. I'm very interested in reading her other books now.
𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘖𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 - Overall, this was such a fantastic crime drama that I will for sure recommend.
⚠️ 𝘊𝘞𝘴/𝘛𝘞𝘴 - child SA, violence, death, murder