I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Cora has been looking for her father for years. When she learns what happened, she goes to a detective agency for assistance. With Phins help she learns her father was a completely different person than who she thought he was. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to read her next one.

Karen Rose writes a strong story, it had everything that I enjoyed from the New Orleans series. The concept was perfect and had that suspenseful feel going on through the story. The characters were everything that I wanted and enjoyed the overall way they worked in this world. It had that writing style that I was hoping for from Karen Rose and glad it was so well done.

Sometimes there is just an author, series, or even a title that draws me to a book, and reading the blurb is unnecessary. So, right when I was ready to write this book review, I noticed how many times I highlighted this phrase on my Kindle device - Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead. As it turns out, this phrase is the most appropriate tagline for this third book in Karen Rose's New Orleans series.

Broussard Private Investigations is an elite personal security firm, and the firm's bodyguards offer the best of protection. For Phineas Bishop, his story is a bit different. Suffering greatly from PTSD, the Broussard team really looks out for Phin. When an office break-in occurs and Phineas becomes the NOPD's prime suspect. Not only does Phin want to clear his name, but he also is determined to find the perpetrator. This is what leads to Phin's meeting and helping to protect Cora Winslow, a town librarian.

As it turns out, Phin is not the only one in need for answers. In fact, Cora's father went missing over two decades ago, and it is only when his body is discovered, that it is more than apparent that it was a case of murder. This shocks Cora to her core because she had been receiving yearly handwritten letters from her father ever since his disappearance. Yet the body that was found is indeed that of Cora's father. So, who had written her all of those letters. And why has the discovery of her father's body placed Cora's very life in danger? Despite his PTSD, Phin is one of the bodyguards set in place to keep Cora safe.

Buried Too Deep just might have been my favorite of the Karen Rose books I have read so far. Although reading about PTSD is never easy, Phin and his relationship with his relatively new service dog SodaPop was utterly heartwarming. Any time I read a book when an officer has a K-9 partner or as in this case, a service dog, I am drawn much more deeply into the story. But of course the relationship between Phin and SodaPop is not the only relationship in this book. There is the growing attraction between Phin and Cora that really completed the story, especially when her compassion and empathy came into play.

Many thanks to Berkley Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Phin was in the army and suffers from PTSD. He is now a night watchman at Broussard Private Investigations. He has just returned to New Orleans after being gone for a little while. When he starts to “spiral” he takes off. He hasn’t seen or talked to his family in five years. Phin and his buddy Stone go to the office, they walk into mayhem. The receptionist has been shot and they saw a woman running away.
Cora is a librarian and went to Broussard’s to get some help. Her father has been discovered in a demolished building. Dead. He went missing twenty three years ago but someone had been sending her letters by him. Someone is after her and the team are trying to figure out what is going on. She has two bodyguards and Phin.
Someone keeps breaking into her house and they set up cameras and security. They are trying to put the pieces together and find out who killed her dad and why they are after her.
Secrets. Phin thinks he’s broken and no good for anyone. Cora has lost all her family and sets out to prove to Phin that he is fine the way he is. Action. Mystery. A little sex. I absolutely loved this story. It kept me turning the page from the very beginning.

* Voluntarily read and reviewed for Netgalley*

The description of this book on Goodreads does not give it justice to be honest. There are a few reasons that I chose a 4 star rating instead of a 5 star rating. First off, based off of the description of the book I absolutely would pick this up and buy it. I think the description is a little over the top for what it actually is.

That being said, it is not a terrible read. I really did LIKE the book. Phin is the MMC and is suffering from PTSD after going into the military at the age of 18 while depressed. During his stint in the military he experiences an unspeakable trauma. This led to extreme PTSD symptoms. He is finally on the mend when he returns to the Broussard office where he was working before his most recent stint of PTSD. When he arrives there has been a shooting and he is initially fingered by the police. Phin sets out to clear his name, working with Broussard to find the real culprit.

During this time they meet Cora Winslow. She was believed to be the target at the shooting of the office. She was bringing letters in to have them looked at and find who had written them. This leads to a deep dive into her past, and family secrets that have been buried and forgotten about for years.

During this time Phin and Cora develop a strong connection as they are both broken in their own separate ways. They stick together and develop a relationship. During this time, Cora is under protection from the PI's of the Broussard office. She experiences a break in, and stalking. They do not know who the stalker is.

During the book you also get to read from the point of view of a preacher and his grandson who also have secrets hiding in their family closet. Sage, the grandson, discovers many things about his grandfather during the book, and ultimately has to decide who has his loyalty.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
The author, Karen Rose, does a wonderful job of building the characters and plot. I did not get lost during the book at all, and was able to keep up with the multiple POVs. The reason I am not rating this 5 stars is because it took forever to pull me in. The first half of the book was very slow as it was mostly setting the scene/character building. I understand that this has to occur, but it was very slow.

About mid-novel it picks up the pace quite a bit, and I couldn't put it down. This is a thriller that I would definitely recommend to friends and family, but it is not something that I would re-read. If you are considering it, I say "pick it up!". It is worth the read for sure, it's just not as pulse pounding as I would have liked it to be, and I feel like the description is partly to blame for that. I wanted more than it gave. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future!

I savoured each and every word of this book, and I don’t want to spoil it but this is the type of book where I was constantly asking myself, "how did the author think of this"? Also, I enjoyed the development of the protagonist, throughout the entire book.

Phineas “Phin” Bishop works as a handyman and nighttime security for a PI firm. He wants to become a private investigator; however, his PTSD makes him a flight risk. When a colleague is hurt during a break in, Phin steps forward to help find the one responsible. Their investigation brings them to Cora Winslow. Something about her helps Phin calm his mental demons. He will do anything, even face his inner issues, to keep Cora safe. Can Phin overcome his PTSD to protect Cora? Or will it jeopardize the entire case?

Cora Winslow is a competent librarian in the Garden District of New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father’s discovered body raises a lot of questions like “Who killed him?” and “Who exactly is writing letters to her signed by him?” Cora also needs help catching the person breaking into her home. She soon finds herself entangled in something far more troubling than she bargained for. Cora cannot help but feel safe around Phin. Can she help the Broussard team in their investigation? Or will Cora end up just like her father?

It is no secret that I have a weakness for the wounded/tortured hero types. Phin piqued my interest since his part in BENEATH DARK WATERS, book two. When I learned this novel was his story, I could not hit “request” fast enough. Phineas made quite the impression on me. He is a broken man still grappling with his PTSD, especially the effect it has on his family and friends. My heart hurt for him. I only have one small nitpick. I desperately wanted a reuniting scene between Phin and Jace. He had been so good to the teen in the previous book. It disappointed me when there was not one.

Cora really impressed me. I admire how easily she empathized with Phineas. From the moment they first met, Cora never once saw him as broken or lacking. Instead, Cora saw a man struggling with his PTSD. I also like how she tried to bolster Phineas’ confidence whenever they flagged. Cora refused to allow him to buckle beneath his mental demons.

BURIED TOO DEEP is the third book in Karen Rose’s romantic suspense series, NEW ORLEANS. It is also the twenty-ninth book in her ROMANTIC SUSPENSE series. I have not read all of Karen Rose’s books, just a few here or there. The ones I did read, I enjoyed immensely. The author meshes crime stories with romance effortlessly. Yes, the romance element takes a back seat to the suspense of the plot.

I browsed through the books listed under the ROMANTIC SUSPENSE series. I suspected that many of the side characters, mostly the couples, had books. I never realized that I read Phineas’ sister’s book, even wrote a review for it. It is understandable that I forgot about it since I read ALONE IN THE DARK back in 2015. I have been searching for a book involving Stone and Delores. They did play a role in AITD because I remarked on it in the review.

Oh wow what a fantastic book. Murder, mystery, friendship and love. This book had it all. I loved all the characters Phin, Cora and especially Sodapop. And of course the people from the Broussard Private Investigation team. It’s like catching up with people you already know. I highly recommend this book to lovers of romantic suspense.