Staged: A Thriller

by Caitlin Rother

In this thrilling sequel to Hooked, the secret leaders of a deadly cabal prove to be a veritable match for the determined reporter and the insightful surfing detective who double down to expose them.

Investigative reporter Katrina Chopin is back home in San Diego on a mission (or two). The first is reheating the cold case of her parents’ murder and investigating her brother’s reported suicide. The second involves a new spate of deaths with alleged causes that just don’t smell right. She and Detective Ken Goode need each other’s help for both. But she has to keep the sexy surfer at arm’s length, because dating him is off limits. For now.

Teaming up, they make coordinated progress down each path. Digging deeper into La Jolla’s corrupt network of elites, they uncover a pattern of lies, depravity, and greed. And with every new discovery, Katrina is pulled closer to danger…and to Goode.

Sharing sexy phone calls and sunset drinks isn’t exactly following the rules, but fully crossing that line could jeopardize the case. As they start to connect the dots, they realize they must risk everything to bring down the shadowy cabal that kills to keep its secrets.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 16, 2026

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 14 books, ranging from narrative non-fiction crime to mystery and memoir. Her newest book is DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case (April 27, 2021). Her backlist includes HUNTING CHARLES MANSON; SECRETS, LIES, AND SHOELACES; LOVE GONE WRONG; DEAD RECKONING; THEN NO ONE CAN HAVE HER; I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU; NAKED ADDICTION; POISONED LOVE; BODY PARTS; TWISTED TRIANGLE; LOST GIRLS; WHERE HOPE BEGINS and MY LIFE, DELETED. A Pulitzer Prize nominee, Rother worked as an investigative reporter at daily newspapers for 19 years before quitting the news biz in 2006 to write books full-time. Her journalism has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Daily Beast. She has done more than 200 appearances as a crime commentator on TV, radio and podcasts, ranging from "20/20," "People Magazine Investigates," "Nancy Grace," and "Crime Watch Daily," to shows on HLN, Oxygen Network, Investigation Discovery, C-SPAN, XM Radio and PBS affiliates. She also works as a writing-research-promotions coach and consultant.

Reviews

[Page Escapes by J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Staged is a sharp, adrenaline-laced thriller that hooked me from the very first chapter. Katrina Chopin’s return to San Diego is packed with emotional weight, and watching her dig into the cold cases surrounding her parents and brother adds a personal depth that raises every stake. The investigation is gritty, layered, and full of twists—exactly the kind of slow-burn unraveling I love in thrillers.

The dynamic between Katrina and surfing detective Ken Goode is a standout. Their chemistry simmers through every shared lead, every late-night call, every line they shouldn’t cross. It never overwhelms the mystery, but it absolutely enriches it.

As they peel back the secrets of La Jolla’s elite, the story turns darker, sharper, and harder to put down. The cabal at the center of it all is chilling, and the last act delivers tension, danger, and payoff.

Fast-paced, atmospheric, and emotionally charged, Staged is a gripping sequel that blends investigative suspense with just the right touch of slow-burn heat. I tore through it.

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series, Hooked was the first book, and the beginning of introducing the main characters, along with those whom we believed at the time were involved in the first murder! This is where we first meet Katrina and Ken Goode.
This can be read alone, the author does a great job of filling in the all the information, but for the full enjoyment you might want to read the first.
Why are people dying? There is an answer, greed, and those that get in the way, well, they can be disposed of! Sad, but when seemingly unrelated cases start to resemble and connect, questions are asked. Are there answers?
This is a page tuner of a read, you need answers, and they do come, along with some big surprises.
Can there be justice, things are being thwarted at the highest level.
A read that will keep you up late, and with a surprise ending!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas & Mercer, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Lauren Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Staged was an exciting thriller with a fantastic group of supporting characters. Katrina and Goode were a great team and easy to love and root for as the core characters of the story. The book is full of twists and turns and shock and awe. There are a lot of moving parts and back stories so it is a book you have to concentrate and pay attention to or you will get left behind. I think I would also like to experience it in audiobook as it would be just wonderful.