Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose – Review & Excerpt
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Description:
San Diego homicide detective Kit McKittrick loves the water. She lives on a boat, and when she’s not solving crimes with the SDPD, she’s assisting her foster sister with her charter fishing business, scuba diving, or playing with her poodle. But there’s nothing that intrigues Kit more than a cold case, so when an anonymous caller leads her on the path of a wanted killer, she’s determined to end the decade-long manhunt.
Sam is soon released but goes home with both a newfound distaste for the SDPD and a resolve—not unlike Kit’s—to uncover the truth. Kit and Sam repeatedly butt heads in their separate investigations but are forced to work together to find one of the deadliest serial killers the city has faced in a decade.
Review:
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.
Reviewed by Barb
Copy provided by Publisher
COLD-BLOODED LIAR by Karen Rose
Berkley Hardcover | On sale February 28, 2023
Excerpt
Longview Park, San Diego, California
Monday, April 4, 5:30 p.m.
Kit pulled the handkerchief across her nose and mouth as she watched the two CSU techs meticulously uncovering what was, indeed, a grave. Based on the odor, the body had been there awhile.
They’d arrived at the mystery caller’s coordinates to find that the ground had settled somewhat, creating a slight depression that measured five and a half by two and a half feet.
Ground-penetrating radar had shown a body.
The victim had been small.
Kit slipped her hand into her pocket, finding the little cat-bird figurine. Stroking it with her thumb. Please don’t be a child.
“I hope it’s not a kid,” Baz murmured, echoing her thoughts.
All homicides were difficult. Even drug dealers murdered on the street had been loved by someone. Were missed by someone.
But the child homicides were a completely different level of hell.
She looked away from the grave to where Sergeant Ryland, the CSU leader, was making a plaster cast of the only footprint they’d found in the area. It was a man’s shoe, size eleven.
“You got anything for us, Ryland?” she called.
“I just might.”
She and Baz walked from the grave site to where someone had stepped off the asphalt path, leaving the single footprint in the strip of ground between the path and the field of grass.
Ryland finished pouring the plaster over the footprint, smoothed it out, then set the timer on his phone. “Thirty minutes for the plaster to set. Come see the photos I took of the print while I wait.” He retrieved his camera and beckoned them closer. “There was lettering on the sole of the shoe-likely a brand name. I can’t quite make it out in the photo, but I’m hoping to get detail from the plaster cast.”
“So it’ll be seventy-two hours or so,” Baz said and Ryland nodded.
Kit leaned closer to the screen. “Can you zoom in on it?”
Ryland did, handing the camera to Kit. “I can make out what looks like a Y at the end of the brand name, but-“
“Sperry,” Kit said. “Sorry to interrupt, Sergeant. I recognize the logo. They’re Sperry Top-Siders.” She gave him back his camera. “My sister runs a charter fishing business and sometimes I first mate for her on my days off. A lot of her customers wear them.”
Ryland studied the photo. “You could be right.”
She was, Kit was certain. “Trouble is, that’s a popular shoe. I’ve even got a pair.”
“So do I,” Baz said. “Tracking those will be nearly impossible.”
Kit shrugged. “But when we find the guy who owns these shoes, we can put him at the scene. Any way to get a weight estimate on the wearer?”
Ryland shook his head. “Ground’s too hard. Barely enough sinkage to get the plaster cast. I’ll let you know when I have something definite.”
“Detectives?” one of the techs at the grave called, his tone urgent. “Something over here you need to see.”
“Thank you, Sergeant,” Kit said, then approached the grave alongside Baz, schooling her expression. If it was a child’s grave, she would maintain her professionalism. She’d let herself react later, when she was alone.
“Victim’s a postpubescent female,” the tech said when they were graveside. “The ME will be able to give you a better age than I can, but I’m guessing somewhere between fourteen and eighteen.”
Feeling Baz’s eyes on her, Kit reassured him with a quick glance. She was fine.
He always worried about her reaction when the victim was the same age that Wren had been when she’d been murdered, but after four years as a homicide detective, Kit had seen far too many victims who’d been Wren’s age. It never got easier.
She hoped that it never would.
Excerpted from Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose Copyright © 2023 by Karen Rose. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved.
