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Romantic Suspense #21
Todesnächte
Ein Mordanschlag, den sie nur knapp überlebt hat, hat Strafverteidigerin Gwyn Weaver zu einer toughen Frau werden lassen. Trotzdem ist sie kurz davor, ihrem Freund und Kollegen Thomas Thorne ihre Gefühle zu offenbaren. Doch dann findet man den Anwalt neben der Leiche einer Frau, ihr Blut an seinen Händen. Thomas kann sich an nichts erinnern.
Gwyn, die an seine Unschuld glaubt, setzt alles daran, ihrem Freund zu helfen. Keiner von beiden ahnt, dass dies erst der Anfang eines gnadenlosen Rachefeldzugs ist: Jemand ist gekommen, um Thomas alles zu nehmen – vor allem jene, die er liebt …
Gwyn, die an seine Unschuld glaubt, setzt alles daran, ihrem Freund zu helfen. Keiner von beiden ahnt, dass dies erst der Anfang eines gnadenlosen Rachefeldzugs ist: Jemand ist gekommen, um Thomas alles zu nehmen – vor allem jene, die er liebt …
704 pages, Hardcover
First published May 17, 2018
569 people are currently reading
2184 people want to read
About the author
Karen Rose
61 books5,447 followersOFFICIAL WEBSITE:
www.karenrosebooks.com
Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”
Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published fifteen more novels and two novellas. Her seventeenth novel, ALONE IN THE DARK, will be released in 2016.
Karen's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London's Sunday Times, and Germany's der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!
Her novels, I'M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into twenty-four languages.
A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, her two daughters, two dogs, and a cat.
www.karenrosebooks.com
Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”
Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published fifteen more novels and two novellas. Her seventeenth novel, ALONE IN THE DARK, will be released in 2016.
Karen's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London's Sunday Times, and Germany's der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!
Her novels, I'M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into twenty-four languages.
A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, her two daughters, two dogs, and a cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
June 2, 2019
We’re back in Baltimore and this time the focus is on Thomas Thorne and Gwyn Weaver. You may recall that they are both Lucy Fitzpatrick’s partners in Sheidalin, the nightclub they jointly own. He’s a defense attorney and she’s the club manager. It’s been four years since the attacks on Lucy and Gwyn and Thorne is finally gathering up the courage to express his true feelings to Gwyn. Before that happens, she discovers him unconscious in his bed with another woman. The problem is the woman is dead and her blood is all over him. His last memory doesn’t include her at all.
As with most of the stories in this series, the answers aren’t made clear initially but this one is a bit different in that we get the villain’s point of view early on though not the identity. I love this approach as it keeps the mystery going but we don’t quite have all the information. Just about every earlier character from the previous books set in Baltimore have active roles here, which I really like as we get updates on what’s going on in their lives.
The person behind Thorne’s problems is beyond diabolical and the attacks are brutal. I just wanted the team to solve this thing but it wasn’t easy. Entanglements from Thorne’s childhood are a major factor so it got gnarly. The focus wasn’t entirely on Thorne as the prickly Gwyn got equal page time. I really liked getting to know her and her backstory. The romance didn’t take a backseat but the mystery certainly was what captivated me. Be prepared for the usual high body count as this wasn’t pretty. It’s a huge cast of characters with intriguing secondary storylines. Marguerite Gavin narrated this one and she delivered a fine performance, especially with so many to give distinctive voices. I continue to love listening to this series and being back here, no matter what city!
While this book can stand alone pretty well, the better experience is to read it in order. Also, there are spoilers from the earlier Baltimore book so if you plan to go back and start from the beginning, which I highly recommend, don’t begin here. Quite frankly, there are connections throughout the entire 21 books.
As with most of the stories in this series, the answers aren’t made clear initially but this one is a bit different in that we get the villain’s point of view early on though not the identity. I love this approach as it keeps the mystery going but we don’t quite have all the information. Just about every earlier character from the previous books set in Baltimore have active roles here, which I really like as we get updates on what’s going on in their lives.
The person behind Thorne’s problems is beyond diabolical and the attacks are brutal. I just wanted the team to solve this thing but it wasn’t easy. Entanglements from Thorne’s childhood are a major factor so it got gnarly. The focus wasn’t entirely on Thorne as the prickly Gwyn got equal page time. I really liked getting to know her and her backstory. The romance didn’t take a backseat but the mystery certainly was what captivated me. Be prepared for the usual high body count as this wasn’t pretty. It’s a huge cast of characters with intriguing secondary storylines. Marguerite Gavin narrated this one and she delivered a fine performance, especially with so many to give distinctive voices. I continue to love listening to this series and being back here, no matter what city!
While this book can stand alone pretty well, the better experience is to read it in order. Also, there are spoilers from the earlier Baltimore book so if you plan to go back and start from the beginning, which I highly recommend, don’t begin here. Quite frankly, there are connections throughout the entire 21 books.
December 30, 2018
This book was full of suspense and intrigue with the perfect sprinkling of romance!
Karen Rose really is the queen of romantic suspense! Her books are full of amazing characters that become like friend throughout the course of the book/series... The mystery/thriller/ suspense aspect of the books are full of the perfect amount of thrills and chills and twists and turns... The romance is sweet and slow with a touch of sizzle, just enough to keep your heart happy! This is the sixth book in the Baltimore series, it can be read as a standalone, although you might miss some of the characters backstory, and miss out on seeing some familiar faces... her next series will be set in Seattle and I am really looking forward to that!
For fans of the series, Thomas thorn finally gets his story (I know you’ve been waiting)! BUT when he wakes up next to a dead body with the girl’s blood on his hands, it looks like he might not get his HEA after all.... nothing like a dead body to throw a wrench into the love life, right? Fortunately for Thomas he has a plethora of good friends and a lot of them have some legal savvy... but can friendship and savvy find this psycho killer with a vendetta against Thomas in time? And will Thomas and Gwen get that happily ever after?
Such a well done book that will absolutely make fans of the romantic suspense genre very delighted! Recommend!
*** huge thank you to Berkley for my copy of this book ***
Karen Rose really is the queen of romantic suspense! Her books are full of amazing characters that become like friend throughout the course of the book/series... The mystery/thriller/ suspense aspect of the books are full of the perfect amount of thrills and chills and twists and turns... The romance is sweet and slow with a touch of sizzle, just enough to keep your heart happy! This is the sixth book in the Baltimore series, it can be read as a standalone, although you might miss some of the characters backstory, and miss out on seeing some familiar faces... her next series will be set in Seattle and I am really looking forward to that!
For fans of the series, Thomas thorn finally gets his story (I know you’ve been waiting)! BUT when he wakes up next to a dead body with the girl’s blood on his hands, it looks like he might not get his HEA after all.... nothing like a dead body to throw a wrench into the love life, right? Fortunately for Thomas he has a plethora of good friends and a lot of them have some legal savvy... but can friendship and savvy find this psycho killer with a vendetta against Thomas in time? And will Thomas and Gwen get that happily ever after?
Such a well done book that will absolutely make fans of the romantic suspense genre very delighted! Recommend!
*** huge thank you to Berkley for my copy of this book ***
July 30, 2018
Won an advance copy of this book and it was AMAZING!!!!!!! I enjoyed reading about Thorne and Gwen and catching up on other characters....Karen Rose has done another awesome job on this book!!!
November 18, 2018
I've given this at C+ at AAR, so 3.5 stars.
As a fan of romantic suspense novels, I should probably hang my head in shame when confessing that I’ve never read a novel by Karen Rose. But I have to say right off the bat, that I found Death is Not Enough, the sixth book in her Baltimore series, to be something of a slog. I went into the read knowing that it was part of a series and I was fine with that; as a reviewer, it’s not uncommon to pick up a book mid-series. Most of the time, authors design such books to work as standalones, and supply enough relevant information to get the newbie up to speed, and Ms. Rose does this – but the trouble is that she gives so much information about what is a pretty large cast of characters and events that I felt overwhelmed and had trouble keeping track of who was who, and who was married and/or related to whom; and in the first few chapters, especially, the potted history that accompanies the introduction of each new character is info-dumpy and completely interrupts the narrative flow.
The story itself is a very good one and had the first three-quarters of the book proceeded at the pace of the last quarter, would have made an exciting and engaging thriller. Defence attorney Thomas Thorne – an all-round good guy who worked hard to make something of himself after a pretty bad start in life – is discovered naked in his bed with a dead woman next to him. He has no idea who she is or how either of them got there; she’s not only dead but her body has been practically eviscerated, and Thomas was pumped so full of GHB that he’s lucky he survived. Everyone who knows Thorne knows there is absolutely no way he’s guilty of murder and that he’s been set up; even law enforcement don’t believe in his guit – and the story follows him and his close-knit group of friends and colleagues as they start to piece together a trail of evidence that links back to a twenty-year-old crime. In the course of their investigations, it becomes apparent that while Thorne is the target, whoever is behind the various attacks on his friends, his business and his reputation is not actually out to kill him; instead they are going after everything he holds dear, clearly intending to destroy him by taking away everything he values.
The book starts off at a slow crawl and more or less continues that way until the later stages when we at last break free of the almost constant explanations of every single plot point or detail of the investigation. The characters have frequent meetings in which everyone sets forth their latest findings – even though in many cases, the reader has been present for those conversations or the information has already been relayed. Every discovery, every action is described in unnecessary detail; even down to something like this:
That’s just one instance – did we really need to know Sam dug in his computer bag, or that Alec caught the thing with one hand? And given what happens immediately before this exchange it’s obvious WHY Alec wants the drive. I’m capable of working out why people are doing things – I don’t need blow-by-blow descriptions all the damn time. I’m sure that had there been a scene in which pizza was delivered, it would have been accompanied by a complete backstory for the delivery guy and possibly an explanation as to how the pizza was prepared!
As I said at the outset, it’s on me that I haven’t read any of the earlier books in the series, and I fully accept that may account for some of the issues I had with this one. Maybe I’d have had more patience with the ensemble cast (and I’m usually quite well disposed towards ensemble pieces), the constant references to past events that often had very little relevance to the plot of this book, and the snail-crawling-through-molasses pacing of the story. But being prepared to take part of the blame for the fact that this book didn’t work for me doesn’t mean that the flaws I’ve identified aren’t real. Too many interruptions, too many characters, too little romance and very little suspense – the book is twice as long as it needed to be to tell this particular story – and as a result there’s little tension, sexual or otherwise. The secondary cast is great – we should all be so fortunate to have people in our lives who would rally round like this at times of real trouble – but there are too many of them and the frequent tangential detours into What Happened in Book X take time and attention away from the principal storyline. It wasn’t until the 40% mark on my Kindle that the Scooby Gang finally figured out who was most likely behind the plot against Thorne, and there’s a lot of time devoted to the villain’s PoV, much of which was superfluous.
I like friends-to-lovers romances, and the long-standing unrequited nature of this one was one of the things that most drew me to the book. A bit of UST goes a long way when done well, but here it’s so drawn out as to have become annoying, and at times, I had to remind myself I was reading about two people in their late thirties instead of a pair of awkward teens. At the very beginning of the book, Gwyn Weaver discovers that Thorne has been deliberately warning off the guys she’s been planning to date and is understandably pissed off with him. This turns out to have very fortunate consequences, as it’s her need to confront him about it that leads Gwyn to Thorne’s home on the morning of the set-up; it’s she who finds him and is able to do what’s necessary to both save his life, and document the crime scene. Given all the crap going down, it’s no wonder that she decides it’s not the best time to confront him about his interference – but she does bring it up some time later and Thorne is (finally) honest with her and admits that yes, it was stupid, but that he did it because he didn’t want her seeing anyone else. Leaving aside the caveman mentality, he’s thirty-six years old. Not twelve. Even so, Gwyn can’t deny that she’s attracted to Thorne and has been for some time, but her traumatic experience with a murderous stalker four years earlier has made her cautious, so it’s quite understandable that she doesn’t just fall into Thorne’s arms and bed. Instead, we’re subjected to pages of mental hand-wringing and internal monologuing about how he\she shouldn’t be thinking about the other ‘that way’ or how Gwyn is scared to take the next step for fear of ruining their friendship, or how Thorne doesn’t want to do anything out of turn… I’m not trying to downplay what happened to Gwyn – which was truly awful – just the way it’s used as a delaying device in a way that is tedious and not at all romantic or sexy. In fact, after a while I wanted them to bang their heads together rather than… er… any other parts of their bodies.
I am sure there will be fans of Ms. Rose’s books reading this uttering howls of protest, and to you I say, “Good luck to you – I hope you enjoy the book!”. You don’t need a recommendation from me or anyone to pick up a book by a favourite author. And to those who aren’t long-time fans, I’ll say that I can’t recommend Death is Not Enough for all the reasons I’ve outlined, and that maybe if you’re interested in trying this author, you might consider checking out some of our reviews and then going back to try some of her earlier novels.
As a fan of romantic suspense novels, I should probably hang my head in shame when confessing that I’ve never read a novel by Karen Rose. But I have to say right off the bat, that I found Death is Not Enough, the sixth book in her Baltimore series, to be something of a slog. I went into the read knowing that it was part of a series and I was fine with that; as a reviewer, it’s not uncommon to pick up a book mid-series. Most of the time, authors design such books to work as standalones, and supply enough relevant information to get the newbie up to speed, and Ms. Rose does this – but the trouble is that she gives so much information about what is a pretty large cast of characters and events that I felt overwhelmed and had trouble keeping track of who was who, and who was married and/or related to whom; and in the first few chapters, especially, the potted history that accompanies the introduction of each new character is info-dumpy and completely interrupts the narrative flow.
The story itself is a very good one and had the first three-quarters of the book proceeded at the pace of the last quarter, would have made an exciting and engaging thriller. Defence attorney Thomas Thorne – an all-round good guy who worked hard to make something of himself after a pretty bad start in life – is discovered naked in his bed with a dead woman next to him. He has no idea who she is or how either of them got there; she’s not only dead but her body has been practically eviscerated, and Thomas was pumped so full of GHB that he’s lucky he survived. Everyone who knows Thorne knows there is absolutely no way he’s guilty of murder and that he’s been set up; even law enforcement don’t believe in his guit – and the story follows him and his close-knit group of friends and colleagues as they start to piece together a trail of evidence that links back to a twenty-year-old crime. In the course of their investigations, it becomes apparent that while Thorne is the target, whoever is behind the various attacks on his friends, his business and his reputation is not actually out to kill him; instead they are going after everything he holds dear, clearly intending to destroy him by taking away everything he values.
The book starts off at a slow crawl and more or less continues that way until the later stages when we at last break free of the almost constant explanations of every single plot point or detail of the investigation. The characters have frequent meetings in which everyone sets forth their latest findings – even though in many cases, the reader has been present for those conversations or the information has already been relayed. Every discovery, every action is described in unnecessary detail; even down to something like this:
“Can you give me those files, Sam? I’ll see if I can clean up the video at all. Maybe we can get descriptions on the drive and his sidekick.”
Sam dug in his computer bag and tossed Alec a thumb drive. “They’re all there.”
Alec caught it with one hand. “Thanks.”
That’s just one instance – did we really need to know Sam dug in his computer bag, or that Alec caught the thing with one hand? And given what happens immediately before this exchange it’s obvious WHY Alec wants the drive. I’m capable of working out why people are doing things – I don’t need blow-by-blow descriptions all the damn time. I’m sure that had there been a scene in which pizza was delivered, it would have been accompanied by a complete backstory for the delivery guy and possibly an explanation as to how the pizza was prepared!
As I said at the outset, it’s on me that I haven’t read any of the earlier books in the series, and I fully accept that may account for some of the issues I had with this one. Maybe I’d have had more patience with the ensemble cast (and I’m usually quite well disposed towards ensemble pieces), the constant references to past events that often had very little relevance to the plot of this book, and the snail-crawling-through-molasses pacing of the story. But being prepared to take part of the blame for the fact that this book didn’t work for me doesn’t mean that the flaws I’ve identified aren’t real. Too many interruptions, too many characters, too little romance and very little suspense – the book is twice as long as it needed to be to tell this particular story – and as a result there’s little tension, sexual or otherwise. The secondary cast is great – we should all be so fortunate to have people in our lives who would rally round like this at times of real trouble – but there are too many of them and the frequent tangential detours into What Happened in Book X take time and attention away from the principal storyline. It wasn’t until the 40% mark on my Kindle that the Scooby Gang finally figured out who was most likely behind the plot against Thorne, and there’s a lot of time devoted to the villain’s PoV, much of which was superfluous.
I like friends-to-lovers romances, and the long-standing unrequited nature of this one was one of the things that most drew me to the book. A bit of UST goes a long way when done well, but here it’s so drawn out as to have become annoying, and at times, I had to remind myself I was reading about two people in their late thirties instead of a pair of awkward teens. At the very beginning of the book, Gwyn Weaver discovers that Thorne has been deliberately warning off the guys she’s been planning to date and is understandably pissed off with him. This turns out to have very fortunate consequences, as it’s her need to confront him about it that leads Gwyn to Thorne’s home on the morning of the set-up; it’s she who finds him and is able to do what’s necessary to both save his life, and document the crime scene. Given all the crap going down, it’s no wonder that she decides it’s not the best time to confront him about his interference – but she does bring it up some time later and Thorne is (finally) honest with her and admits that yes, it was stupid, but that he did it because he didn’t want her seeing anyone else. Leaving aside the caveman mentality, he’s thirty-six years old. Not twelve. Even so, Gwyn can’t deny that she’s attracted to Thorne and has been for some time, but her traumatic experience with a murderous stalker four years earlier has made her cautious, so it’s quite understandable that she doesn’t just fall into Thorne’s arms and bed. Instead, we’re subjected to pages of mental hand-wringing and internal monologuing about how he\she shouldn’t be thinking about the other ‘that way’ or how Gwyn is scared to take the next step for fear of ruining their friendship, or how Thorne doesn’t want to do anything out of turn… I’m not trying to downplay what happened to Gwyn – which was truly awful – just the way it’s used as a delaying device in a way that is tedious and not at all romantic or sexy. In fact, after a while I wanted them to bang their heads together rather than… er… any other parts of their bodies.
I am sure there will be fans of Ms. Rose’s books reading this uttering howls of protest, and to you I say, “Good luck to you – I hope you enjoy the book!”. You don’t need a recommendation from me or anyone to pick up a book by a favourite author. And to those who aren’t long-time fans, I’ll say that I can’t recommend Death is Not Enough for all the reasons I’ve outlined, and that maybe if you’re interested in trying this author, you might consider checking out some of our reviews and then going back to try some of her earlier novels.
May 11, 2018
I've read a few of Karen's books (although not all but I will at some point) and she doesn't disappoint. Excellently describes characters full of personality. And there are a lot of them in this book! The cast of secondary characters could fill the lawyers court room and each one is for the most part instantly recognisable. I loved the plat and the book flows really well. I loved the way Tavilla tries to systematically pick apart Thorne's life and drive him to despair. Rose is very inventive!
It's difficult to explain one of the things I really liked without possibly sounding a bit insane but I loved the depravity of Tavilla's wife and daughter-in-law. So many times you read a crime novel and the wife of the bad guy is downtrodden and abused. These two are just as sick as Tavilla himself. It's equal rights for women but probably not in a way I'd want to condone! But I do like the fact they have such a major role and imaginations even if those imaginations are evil. Told you it was a bit of an insane opinion!
The good-guy females are equally strong. I'm UK based so I don't really understand America's obsession with guns but I did like the fact that these women were armed and ready to fight for their family. The mothers may have eventually gone off somewhere safe to protect their children but they all had the ability to kick some arse when needed and often did.
I couldn't put this book down and can't wait for the next one
Thank you to netgalley and Headline publishing for the ARC and the chance to take part in my first blog tour.
It's difficult to explain one of the things I really liked without possibly sounding a bit insane but I loved the depravity of Tavilla's wife and daughter-in-law. So many times you read a crime novel and the wife of the bad guy is downtrodden and abused. These two are just as sick as Tavilla himself. It's equal rights for women but probably not in a way I'd want to condone! But I do like the fact they have such a major role and imaginations even if those imaginations are evil. Told you it was a bit of an insane opinion!
The good-guy females are equally strong. I'm UK based so I don't really understand America's obsession with guns but I did like the fact that these women were armed and ready to fight for their family. The mothers may have eventually gone off somewhere safe to protect their children but they all had the ability to kick some arse when needed and often did.
I couldn't put this book down and can't wait for the next one
Thank you to netgalley and Headline publishing for the ARC and the chance to take part in my first blog tour.
October 26, 2018
Gwyn and Thorne!!! When I found out that this book would by Gwyn and Thorne's story, I didn't quite know what to expect. What I got was a picture of them that was very different than the characters in the previous books. I also got a lot more angst than the other books too, but given their backstories, that was to be expected. The whole Baltimore Gang makes appearances in the book, so if you want to make sense of the relationships, I strongly recommend reading at least the Baltimore books first. 600+ pages just flew by. Bodies galore and everyone around Thorne is in danger is this twisty, turney plot by one of the masters of the genre.
Delving into Thomas Thorne's youth and past is intriguing. He was such a mystery in the prior books. A successful defense attorney and part owner of the nightclub Sheidalin with Gwyn and Lucy, Thorne was a complex character who Karen Rose kept elusive and now we find out why. His past as a scholarship student who was tried for murder 19 years ago, and acquitted, has come back to haunt his present. He is found with a dead woman in his bed, murdered in the same way as the victim 19 years ago. That murder was never solved and it appears that someone close to that case is involved in the murder in the present. Not the best of times to try and start a relationship with the woman who has haunted your dreams for 7 years, but sometimes the timing is not yours to choose.
Gwyn is just starting to forgive herself for letting a serial killer use her 4 1/2 years ago. That experience left her broken and she is just now putting the pieces of her life back together. She has always used Thorne as her rock and support, never acknowledging her deeper attraction for him. Thorne has "sabotaged" any date that Gwyn has made and it is affecting her remerging self confidence. She goes to Thorne's to confront him and finds the staged murder scene. She knows it's a setup, but someone is out for Thorne and Gwyn is not going to let anyone hurt him again.
Delving into Thomas Thorne's youth and past is intriguing. He was such a mystery in the prior books. A successful defense attorney and part owner of the nightclub Sheidalin with Gwyn and Lucy, Thorne was a complex character who Karen Rose kept elusive and now we find out why. His past as a scholarship student who was tried for murder 19 years ago, and acquitted, has come back to haunt his present. He is found with a dead woman in his bed, murdered in the same way as the victim 19 years ago. That murder was never solved and it appears that someone close to that case is involved in the murder in the present. Not the best of times to try and start a relationship with the woman who has haunted your dreams for 7 years, but sometimes the timing is not yours to choose.
Gwyn is just starting to forgive herself for letting a serial killer use her 4 1/2 years ago. That experience left her broken and she is just now putting the pieces of her life back together. She has always used Thorne as her rock and support, never acknowledging her deeper attraction for him. Thorne has "sabotaged" any date that Gwyn has made and it is affecting her remerging self confidence. She goes to Thorne's to confront him and finds the staged murder scene. She knows it's a setup, but someone is out for Thorne and Gwyn is not going to let anyone hurt him again.
October 26, 2018
Whoa, wow, wowza. This book is intense and complex. A plot to destroy a particular person. Not kill him. But kill all his friends, his lover and all the people who have put their faith in him. I am now a Karen Rose fan: want to immediately read more of her books.
September 21, 2018
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Well everything I said in my review for Edge of Darkness is still true. Karen Rose does write amazing characters grabbing my heart and stomping on it, a frighteningly realistic world of criminals, law enforcement, and those who help the victims. It was great to go to Baltimore and see all the people and circle of friends with their changes, and babies! since the previous book there.
I loved learning more about Thorne and Gwyn and their backgrounds. Particularly, the story is entangled with Thorne's past and present. There is more detail on his defining life choices than on Gwyn's history. Primarily, Gwyn had a boyfriend gone bad, very bad; and before that, as a teen, she decided to do what she wanted rather than her parent's path. Thorne and Gwyn are partners with Lucy in a nightclub. I enjoyed seeing JD and Lucy in this story, also.
It is a little difficult to see so many people who have had horrific childhoods (or events) and the depraved minds of some of the villains. Why do the bad guys think they should be able to do whatever they want? At least, there is a balance here of people who are truly caring and have sacrificed much to help others. I cried a few times during Death is Not Enough because of the wonderfulness of some people.
I highly recommend this Romantic Suspense series . I look forward to every book, knowing each one will be very good, if not amazing. I love how smart and careful and trained these characters are. Each one is a new couple we get to know and love but often we also get to see old favorite people. The romances are carefully crafted with realistic human feelings and issues. I went right on after finishing this book to Say You're Sorry, which I am so lucky to have, and is releasing February 2019. It is about a family member we meet briefly in this book and starts a new Sacramento California set of stories.
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Well everything I said in my review for Edge of Darkness is still true. Karen Rose does write amazing characters grabbing my heart and stomping on it, a frighteningly realistic world of criminals, law enforcement, and those who help the victims. It was great to go to Baltimore and see all the people and circle of friends with their changes, and babies! since the previous book there.
I loved learning more about Thorne and Gwyn and their backgrounds. Particularly, the story is entangled with Thorne's past and present. There is more detail on his defining life choices than on Gwyn's history. Primarily, Gwyn had a boyfriend gone bad, very bad; and before that, as a teen, she decided to do what she wanted rather than her parent's path. Thorne and Gwyn are partners with Lucy in a nightclub. I enjoyed seeing JD and Lucy in this story, also.
It is a little difficult to see so many people who have had horrific childhoods (or events) and the depraved minds of some of the villains. Why do the bad guys think they should be able to do whatever they want? At least, there is a balance here of people who are truly caring and have sacrificed much to help others. I cried a few times during Death is Not Enough because of the wonderfulness of some people.
I highly recommend this Romantic Suspense series . I look forward to every book, knowing each one will be very good, if not amazing. I love how smart and careful and trained these characters are. Each one is a new couple we get to know and love but often we also get to see old favorite people. The romances are carefully crafted with realistic human feelings and issues. I went right on after finishing this book to Say You're Sorry, which I am so lucky to have, and is releasing February 2019. It is about a family member we meet briefly in this book and starts a new Sacramento California set of stories.
October 30, 2018
2.5 stars rounded up...
Karen Rose has been a favorite author but this story was not an enjoyable read for me.
The revenge plot was very convoluted and violent. After a while all the dead bodies and connections became a bore versus an edge of your seat thriller and I lost interest on who else would be killed or hurt. You could say it was overkill.
Too many past characters (especially at the beginning) and having the down load of who they were and what their story was didn't advance the current plot.
I never bought the Gwyn/Thorne romance which was disappointing.
With so much going on the plot just wasn't as tight as I would have liked and after about 1/2 way through I seemed to be just pushing to get it read.
Karen Rose is an excellent writer with a great editing team so the writing and editing was top notch. Will I read her next book...yes!
Karen Rose has been a favorite author but this story was not an enjoyable read for me.
The revenge plot was very convoluted and violent. After a while all the dead bodies and connections became a bore versus an edge of your seat thriller and I lost interest on who else would be killed or hurt. You could say it was overkill.
Too many past characters (especially at the beginning) and having the down load of who they were and what their story was didn't advance the current plot.
I never bought the Gwyn/Thorne romance which was disappointing.
With so much going on the plot just wasn't as tight as I would have liked and after about 1/2 way through I seemed to be just pushing to get it read.
Karen Rose is an excellent writer with a great editing team so the writing and editing was top notch. Will I read her next book...yes!
May 17, 2018
I have been a fan of Karen Rose for a fair few years. I have to get and read each new book that she brings out. I have loved each book that she has written and her new book, ‘Death Is Not Enough’ is no exception but more about that in a bit.
I have to say that I really felt for the character of Thomas Thorne. We meet him in the prologue and it’s fair to say that he is going through hell because he tried to do the right thing. He tried to stand up for a fellow student when she was being attacked and yet he is the one on suspension. Thomas is further put through the mill when he discovers an injured person and it appears that somebody has framed him because he is then arrested. Just when Thomas has lost all hope, he is touched to find out that somebody cares about him enough to stick up for him and to believe in him. Then in the first chapter we find Thomas as an adult and 19 years after the events in the prologue. Thomas is still sticking up for those who are unable to stick up for themselves but it appears that he has still got his enemies because somebody is trying to frame him again. It soon becomes clear that his enemies won’t rest until they have completely destroyed him. Is Thomas innocent? Will his friend and potential lover Gwyn Weaver manage to help him clear his name? Will those who want to destroy Thomas be stopped and brought to justice? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Blimey oh riley, what a rollercoaster of a read this proved to be. The prologue of the book hit the ground with a bang and the pace was maintained throughout the rest of the book. I was hooked from the moment I picked the book up and I binge read this book. ‘Death Is Not Enough’ is one of those books that I just couldn’t put down and it proved to be a real page turner. The book wasn’t glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it came everywhere with me. I just needed to read on to see if Thomas survived and if he managed to clear his name. I managed to totally immerse myself in this book. At times the story is quite intense and I felt my heart rate quicken and my blood pressure rise because I genuinely feared what was going to happen next and what was in store for Thomas. When you pick up a book by Karen Rose you are guaranteed drama, suspense, violence and romance.
In conclusion I have to say that I really enjoyed reading ‘Death Is Not Enough’ and I wholeheartedly recommend it to other readers. I can’t wait to read what comes next from this fabulous writer. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long a wait in store. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
I have to say that I really felt for the character of Thomas Thorne. We meet him in the prologue and it’s fair to say that he is going through hell because he tried to do the right thing. He tried to stand up for a fellow student when she was being attacked and yet he is the one on suspension. Thomas is further put through the mill when he discovers an injured person and it appears that somebody has framed him because he is then arrested. Just when Thomas has lost all hope, he is touched to find out that somebody cares about him enough to stick up for him and to believe in him. Then in the first chapter we find Thomas as an adult and 19 years after the events in the prologue. Thomas is still sticking up for those who are unable to stick up for themselves but it appears that he has still got his enemies because somebody is trying to frame him again. It soon becomes clear that his enemies won’t rest until they have completely destroyed him. Is Thomas innocent? Will his friend and potential lover Gwyn Weaver manage to help him clear his name? Will those who want to destroy Thomas be stopped and brought to justice? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Blimey oh riley, what a rollercoaster of a read this proved to be. The prologue of the book hit the ground with a bang and the pace was maintained throughout the rest of the book. I was hooked from the moment I picked the book up and I binge read this book. ‘Death Is Not Enough’ is one of those books that I just couldn’t put down and it proved to be a real page turner. The book wasn’t glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it came everywhere with me. I just needed to read on to see if Thomas survived and if he managed to clear his name. I managed to totally immerse myself in this book. At times the story is quite intense and I felt my heart rate quicken and my blood pressure rise because I genuinely feared what was going to happen next and what was in store for Thomas. When you pick up a book by Karen Rose you are guaranteed drama, suspense, violence and romance.
In conclusion I have to say that I really enjoyed reading ‘Death Is Not Enough’ and I wholeheartedly recommend it to other readers. I can’t wait to read what comes next from this fabulous writer. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long a wait in store. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.
September 20, 2018
I have read all of Karen Rose’s books and they always cause me sleepless nights and this one was no different. I just couldn’t make myself put the book down and stop reading!!
I was especially looking forward to this one as Thorne has always been one of my favourite characters throughout this series – he is my ideal man! Shame he’s not real 🙂
This book is slightly different from the others as with this one we know who the bad guy is from the start almost, but there are still revelations to be had throughout the book and the reasons behind the “Why?” all fall into place and some of the reasons were unexpected!!
Told between Thorne, Gwyn and their tormentor Tavilla’s view really added depth to the characters and the storyline and they are all brilliant characters.
Tavilla is such a great bad guy – violent, psychopathic, and willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goal – destroy Thorne by going after everyone he loves and framing him for murder! Clever!!
Thorne’s friends and family all come together to clear his name putting themselves in danger to save him from himself as much as from Tavilla as well as protecting their own from becoming victims. This book brings back characters from previous books and its great to see how Clay and Taylor are getting along now they have been reunited as well as Daphne, Ford, J.D, Lucy and Stevie since we last saw them.
And of course, there is the romance element! The relationship between Thorne and Gywn gets taken to the next level, from friends and business partners to romance and some pretty steamy sex!! But both have their own demons and secrets that have an impact on both of them. It was about time these two got some luck in the love department!!
I hope there will be a continuation in this series but Karen Rose has a new book out on February 21, 2019 ( Yes I know – ages to wait!! ) Say You’re Sorry (The Sacramento Series Book 1) so it looks like we will be meeting new people with a new series.
If you are a fan of Karen Rose you are in for a real treat with this one and although I wouldn’t recommend reading this without reading the other books prior to this one but saying that, it will work as a stand alone novel. But if this is your first Karen Rose book, after reading it you will be desperate to read the rest!!
Absolutely compelling reading that you won’t want to put down!!
Death is Not Enough was published on 17 May 2018 in hardcover and digital format. The paperback edition is due to be published on 2 October 2018 in the UK
Thank you Netgalley and Headline for my advance copy of Death Is Not Enough.
I was especially looking forward to this one as Thorne has always been one of my favourite characters throughout this series – he is my ideal man! Shame he’s not real 🙂
This book is slightly different from the others as with this one we know who the bad guy is from the start almost, but there are still revelations to be had throughout the book and the reasons behind the “Why?” all fall into place and some of the reasons were unexpected!!
Told between Thorne, Gwyn and their tormentor Tavilla’s view really added depth to the characters and the storyline and they are all brilliant characters.
Tavilla is such a great bad guy – violent, psychopathic, and willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goal – destroy Thorne by going after everyone he loves and framing him for murder! Clever!!
Thorne’s friends and family all come together to clear his name putting themselves in danger to save him from himself as much as from Tavilla as well as protecting their own from becoming victims. This book brings back characters from previous books and its great to see how Clay and Taylor are getting along now they have been reunited as well as Daphne, Ford, J.D, Lucy and Stevie since we last saw them.
And of course, there is the romance element! The relationship between Thorne and Gywn gets taken to the next level, from friends and business partners to romance and some pretty steamy sex!! But both have their own demons and secrets that have an impact on both of them. It was about time these two got some luck in the love department!!
I hope there will be a continuation in this series but Karen Rose has a new book out on February 21, 2019 ( Yes I know – ages to wait!! ) Say You’re Sorry (The Sacramento Series Book 1) so it looks like we will be meeting new people with a new series.
If you are a fan of Karen Rose you are in for a real treat with this one and although I wouldn’t recommend reading this without reading the other books prior to this one but saying that, it will work as a stand alone novel. But if this is your first Karen Rose book, after reading it you will be desperate to read the rest!!
Absolutely compelling reading that you won’t want to put down!!
Death is Not Enough was published on 17 May 2018 in hardcover and digital format. The paperback edition is due to be published on 2 October 2018 in the UK
Thank you Netgalley and Headline for my advance copy of Death Is Not Enough.
October 15, 2018
I pre ordered this book months, and months, and months ago. Then two weeks before the paperback publication it pops up on NetGalley. I request and cross my fingers, toes, eyes, anything that will cross. I get friend on standby for when it doesn't get approved. Then the approval email comes through, and I squeal with delight to my office - who have no idea what I'm talking about and dismiss my drama by getting back to work without a word.
So I got it. And I was so super excited to start it, I downloaded it at my desk and started reading on my lunch break. I love Karen Rose and all her books. There isn't one that I haven't liked. I have said before, that the thing I like most about her books is the character development. I love how we get to know a group of characters and then we see them again and again in each instalment. It is like revisiting old friends, and who doesn't like that?
The story : Thomas Thorne is a Lawyer who defends the young troubled defendants that remind him much of himself when he was younger. He fights injustice and does a damn good job of it too. He owns a bar with his two best friends Lucy and Gwyn, Gwyn who he loves desperately...... and secretly. A girl ends up dead in Thorne's bed, and ultimately he is accused of her murder - well yeh there's a dead woman in his bed?! Can he fight to clear his name, and can he also tell the one woman he truly loves, how he feels?
This had all the usual Karen Rose hallmarks - love and friendship, romance and passion, gruesome murder and frustrating injustice. The writing was excellent, it all flowed well and time flew as I was reading. It was that same old problem of rushing through because it is so good, but not wanting it to end - and it is a BIG book.
I was on the edge of my seat waiting for Thorne (*swoon*) and Gwyn to actually get it together and kiss, and every time they looked like they were going to and didn't, I just had to read on to make sure they did in fact get together. After all they have been through, I am glad they found some happiness together. And gave a little cheer when it finally happened.
Tevilla is a baddie. Plain and simple. We know early on that he is the guy causing Thorne all this trouble. He is such a psycho. He enjoys the kill, the pain and the blood. He relishes in controlling his people and getting them to do all sorts of things for him. We have seen him before, in earlier stories, and when he turned up here I was a little glad that we could finally put him down, like the dog he is. (No offence doggies!)
I do have the tiniest quibble with this one, Lucy goes on a lot about breastfeeding - pumping, exploding - it was quite often, in the first 20-25% of the book. But this is minor. Didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book, just something I noticed as unnecessary for the story. Once would have been enough to remind us that Lucy and JD had a baby! It kind of fades away after the first quarter of the book though, so all good!
If you enjoy romantic suspense then this is for you. All Rose's books are fantastic, this was no exception. Go out and buy it when it comes out next week. I can't wait for mine to arrive in the post so I can add it to my Karen Rose shelf, ready for re-reading when the time comes! - - - - this is not coming out until 18/10/2018? I had 02/10/2018 in my diary as that is what Amazon told me! Noooooo!!
www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com
So I got it. And I was so super excited to start it, I downloaded it at my desk and started reading on my lunch break. I love Karen Rose and all her books. There isn't one that I haven't liked. I have said before, that the thing I like most about her books is the character development. I love how we get to know a group of characters and then we see them again and again in each instalment. It is like revisiting old friends, and who doesn't like that?
The story : Thomas Thorne is a Lawyer who defends the young troubled defendants that remind him much of himself when he was younger. He fights injustice and does a damn good job of it too. He owns a bar with his two best friends Lucy and Gwyn, Gwyn who he loves desperately...... and secretly. A girl ends up dead in Thorne's bed, and ultimately he is accused of her murder - well yeh there's a dead woman in his bed?! Can he fight to clear his name, and can he also tell the one woman he truly loves, how he feels?
This had all the usual Karen Rose hallmarks - love and friendship, romance and passion, gruesome murder and frustrating injustice. The writing was excellent, it all flowed well and time flew as I was reading. It was that same old problem of rushing through because it is so good, but not wanting it to end - and it is a BIG book.
I was on the edge of my seat waiting for Thorne (*swoon*) and Gwyn to actually get it together and kiss, and every time they looked like they were going to and didn't, I just had to read on to make sure they did in fact get together. After all they have been through, I am glad they found some happiness together. And gave a little cheer when it finally happened.
Tevilla is a baddie. Plain and simple. We know early on that he is the guy causing Thorne all this trouble. He is such a psycho. He enjoys the kill, the pain and the blood. He relishes in controlling his people and getting them to do all sorts of things for him. We have seen him before, in earlier stories, and when he turned up here I was a little glad that we could finally put him down, like the dog he is. (No offence doggies!)
I do have the tiniest quibble with this one, Lucy goes on a lot about breastfeeding - pumping, exploding - it was quite often, in the first 20-25% of the book. But this is minor. Didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book, just something I noticed as unnecessary for the story. Once would have been enough to remind us that Lucy and JD had a baby! It kind of fades away after the first quarter of the book though, so all good!
If you enjoy romantic suspense then this is for you. All Rose's books are fantastic, this was no exception. Go out and buy it when it comes out next week. I can't wait for mine to arrive in the post so I can add it to my Karen Rose shelf, ready for re-reading when the time comes! - - - - this is not coming out until 18/10/2018? I had 02/10/2018 in my diary as that is what Amazon told me! Noooooo!!
www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com
February 2, 2020
When a crime from the past creeps into the present, a tale full of secrets, lies and violent revenge will keep you guessing until the end. And it’s those acts of terror, remorseless bloodshed and the brutal rampages that will keep you up nights. It left me with chills and nightmares. I was glued to every page, and I’m not sure what to make of my reaction or the difficulty I’m having going near my kitchen knives or any knife for that matter.
This story was certainly addictive with its well-constructed pages of dynamite. A story featuring Thomas Thorne and Gwyn Weaver, who have appeared in other books, along with a big cast of former characters as well. The gang stays close as they fight the evil enemy. I was immediately hooked. Fast-paced, unexpected twists and turns in Rose’s usual well-drawn writing style. I guess it sums up exactly what a thriller is expected to be. I am continually amazed by her ability to brilliantly maps out the number of characters who crisscross paths from book to book as she does once again in this virtual bloodbath.
Whew! To date, I do believe this is Karen Rose’s darkest and most carnage-filled book. It was a little heavy on the explicit detailing for my preferences. I’m ready to head back to Sacramento in July and meet some additional new characters. SO GLAD to finally be caught up in all Rose’s series. Although, after this wild and wickedly bloody month spent with her books, I’m in search of something light, funny and happily-ever-afters. Oh! I almost forgot to mention that the good guys win – but not without some losses, pain and agony.
This story was certainly addictive with its well-constructed pages of dynamite. A story featuring Thomas Thorne and Gwyn Weaver, who have appeared in other books, along with a big cast of former characters as well. The gang stays close as they fight the evil enemy. I was immediately hooked. Fast-paced, unexpected twists and turns in Rose’s usual well-drawn writing style. I guess it sums up exactly what a thriller is expected to be. I am continually amazed by her ability to brilliantly maps out the number of characters who crisscross paths from book to book as she does once again in this virtual bloodbath.
Whew! To date, I do believe this is Karen Rose’s darkest and most carnage-filled book. It was a little heavy on the explicit detailing for my preferences. I’m ready to head back to Sacramento in July and meet some additional new characters. SO GLAD to finally be caught up in all Rose’s series. Although, after this wild and wickedly bloody month spent with her books, I’m in search of something light, funny and happily-ever-afters. Oh! I almost forgot to mention that the good guys win – but not without some losses, pain and agony.
December 8, 2018
İlk kitaptan beri Thomas ve Gwyn'in hikayesini merak ediyordum.
Karen Rose hiç de beni şaşırtmadı her zaman ki gibi muhteşemdi.
Thomas Thorne yaklaşık 20 yıl önce okuldaki serserilerden birinin ölümü üzerine kalmış ve zorlu bir mahkeme sürecinden sonra ismini aklamıştır ama ne yazık ki çok sevdiği sevgilisini aynı gün kaybetmiştir.
20 yıl sonra ölen seraerinin kardeşi kendi yatağında ölü bulunmuştur üstelik kendisi de yanında kendinden geçmiş bir halde önceki geceyle ilgili hiç birşey hatırlamıyordur.
Gwyn ise 4 yıl önceki Evan felaketini hala atlatamamıştır. Hayatı Evan mahvetmeden önce ve sonra olarak ayrılmıştır.
O andan itibaren av başlamıştır. Thorne kendi susuzluğunu kanıtlamaya çalışırken bu sefer sevdiği kadını korumak için elinden geleni ardına koymaz.
Serinin devamının çevrilmemesi çok yazık oldu.
Karen Rose hiç de beni şaşırtmadı her zaman ki gibi muhteşemdi.
Thomas Thorne yaklaşık 20 yıl önce okuldaki serserilerden birinin ölümü üzerine kalmış ve zorlu bir mahkeme sürecinden sonra ismini aklamıştır ama ne yazık ki çok sevdiği sevgilisini aynı gün kaybetmiştir.
20 yıl sonra ölen seraerinin kardeşi kendi yatağında ölü bulunmuştur üstelik kendisi de yanında kendinden geçmiş bir halde önceki geceyle ilgili hiç birşey hatırlamıyordur.
Gwyn ise 4 yıl önceki Evan felaketini hala atlatamamıştır. Hayatı Evan mahvetmeden önce ve sonra olarak ayrılmıştır.
O andan itibaren av başlamıştır. Thorne kendi susuzluğunu kanıtlamaya çalışırken bu sefer sevdiği kadını korumak için elinden geleni ardına koymaz.
Serinin devamının çevrilmemesi çok yazık oldu.
May 25, 2018
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...
As soon as I read the blurb for this book I knew that I wanted to get my hands on a copy and having read it I can tell you now I certainly wasn't disappointed - it is a fantastic story!! It is really well written and the different characters are great.
Everything about this book worked for me. It didn't take me long to read as I was hooked in by the story right from the start and the ending was perfect!
Five stars from me for this one - a brilliant story that I cannot recommend highly enough -make sure you grab your copy now!!
As soon as I read the blurb for this book I knew that I wanted to get my hands on a copy and having read it I can tell you now I certainly wasn't disappointed - it is a fantastic story!! It is really well written and the different characters are great.
Everything about this book worked for me. It didn't take me long to read as I was hooked in by the story right from the start and the ending was perfect!
Five stars from me for this one - a brilliant story that I cannot recommend highly enough -make sure you grab your copy now!!
June 1, 2018
Karen rose has done it again with death is not enough with plenty of crime, death, suspense and the most important a bit of romance.
It's about time we had a Thomas Thorne and Gwyn weaver book I've waited for ever and I'm glad it came as the last of the Baltimore series because it ends this series just as it started heart pounding and edge of your seat stuff.
I recommend this for anyone who enjoys a fast easy read.
(Can't wait for the next series to start)
It's about time we had a Thomas Thorne and Gwyn weaver book I've waited for ever and I'm glad it came as the last of the Baltimore series because it ends this series just as it started heart pounding and edge of your seat stuff.
I recommend this for anyone who enjoys a fast easy read.
(Can't wait for the next series to start)
June 26, 2020
So sad this series is done
September 28, 2018
Ever wonder how powerful and dark revenge can be when wielded by psychotic killer with tons of resources at his disposal? Thomas Thorne, a regular character from the Baltimore series is about to find out when his past rises up to engulf him and everything he loves. This was a heavy hitter from the opening pages and left me gutted at times and quite exhausted by the end.
Death is Not Enough is #21 in the overall Romantic Suspense series and #6 in the Baltimore sub-series. The story ties to the earlier books through the characters and where their lives are at right now. It doesn't make for a good one out of order, but an intuitive reader would probably be able to get by.
So, defense attorney and champion for the rights of the young and defenseless by day and night club owner with two of his good friends by night, Thomas Thorne is working up to telling Gwyn his feelings when his life explodes on him. He's found in his bed drugged senseless with a murdered woman. Oh, and hey his fingerprints are on the weapon. Things are not looking good, but his friends who are all from the law enforcement community rally round and get busy doing what they do best. Thomas has to watch his friends be put in danger even as they all follow the twisty trails through evidence and his past to the shocking truth or should I say truths.
This was one, like others where the cold and calculating vicious villain gets plenty of scenes and narration time right along with Thomas and Gwyn and others, but he is known to the reader from the beginning. Don't let this revelation deflate your interest because that takes nothing away when the tantalizing 'why' and 'how' are still on the table. The why was he going after Thomas offered up the big aha moments that stunned me. Or maybe I was too busy being riveted to the immediate hard-hitting scenes as they unrolled that I didn't give much thought to those thoughts.
While the romance was not at the forefront, it was there and things did heat up nicely between Thomas and Gwyn. She might have gone through a really bad experience that she is still not quiet healed from, but she is right there for Thomas in his need and doesn't play around when it comes to their attraction.
I've said it before, but I love all the details, setting, and situation that is just right for a cop procedural style thriller. I love tracking with the experts as they work the case from all angles. And, I love the team of people who came together- past and newer types- to do what had to be done.
Thomas was an engaging hero and an amazing man. I was glad to see him get the spotlight and for him to have his shot at Gwyn. There is room for more stories set in Baltimore, but it will be fun to head to Sacramento next for a new set of characters and thriller situations.
For those who enjoy grittier romantic suspense or thriller romances, I can highly recommend this series.
My thanks to Penguin-Random House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Death is Not Enough is #21 in the overall Romantic Suspense series and #6 in the Baltimore sub-series. The story ties to the earlier books through the characters and where their lives are at right now. It doesn't make for a good one out of order, but an intuitive reader would probably be able to get by.
So, defense attorney and champion for the rights of the young and defenseless by day and night club owner with two of his good friends by night, Thomas Thorne is working up to telling Gwyn his feelings when his life explodes on him. He's found in his bed drugged senseless with a murdered woman. Oh, and hey his fingerprints are on the weapon. Things are not looking good, but his friends who are all from the law enforcement community rally round and get busy doing what they do best. Thomas has to watch his friends be put in danger even as they all follow the twisty trails through evidence and his past to the shocking truth or should I say truths.
This was one, like others where the cold and calculating vicious villain gets plenty of scenes and narration time right along with Thomas and Gwyn and others, but he is known to the reader from the beginning. Don't let this revelation deflate your interest because that takes nothing away when the tantalizing 'why' and 'how' are still on the table. The why was he going after Thomas offered up the big aha moments that stunned me. Or maybe I was too busy being riveted to the immediate hard-hitting scenes as they unrolled that I didn't give much thought to those thoughts.
While the romance was not at the forefront, it was there and things did heat up nicely between Thomas and Gwyn. She might have gone through a really bad experience that she is still not quiet healed from, but she is right there for Thomas in his need and doesn't play around when it comes to their attraction.
I've said it before, but I love all the details, setting, and situation that is just right for a cop procedural style thriller. I love tracking with the experts as they work the case from all angles. And, I love the team of people who came together- past and newer types- to do what had to be done.
Thomas was an engaging hero and an amazing man. I was glad to see him get the spotlight and for him to have his shot at Gwyn. There is room for more stories set in Baltimore, but it will be fun to head to Sacramento next for a new set of characters and thriller situations.
For those who enjoy grittier romantic suspense or thriller romances, I can highly recommend this series.
My thanks to Penguin-Random House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2018
Death is not Enough by Karen Rose is the 6th book in her Baltimore series, which is part of her overall Romance Suspense series, that is now at 21 books. In the Karen Rose fashion, Death is Not Enough was an exciting, action-packed intense thriller.
In previous books of the Baltimore arc, we had met our two heroes, Thomas Thorne and Gwyn Weaver. Gwyn decides to visit Thomas at his house to complain about his behavior in ruining her dates with other men. What she finds is Thomas unconscious, and a woman dead next to him on the bed.
Gwyn will gather all their close friends to rally around Thorne, and help him find who is behind the murder and framing him. We learn more about Thorne early life, where at 18 years old, he was also framed for a murder of a fellow student. Some of the people close to Thorne, are still with him and together they will begin to see that what happened years ago may have some ties to this murder.
Thorne is a great hero, a strong, smart and loyal man, who fears for the lives of his family & friends, as more murders are happening. But his team will not allow him to do this on his own; convincing him that all of them will stand beside him, despite his concerns.
I loved seeing all those we met in the Baltimore arc playing such big roles in this story. A fabulous group of secondary characters, such as Lucy, Clay, Taylor, Frederick, JD, Stevie, Ford, Jamie, etc. The team effort, especially with many of them facing danger and attacks, made this a great story.
What follows is an intense story, where someone is targeting all of Thorne’s friends, one by one. No matter where they hide, the murderer is a step ahead, targeting those he cares about. There are a number of betrayals along way that are surprises for them. Who can they trust?
We do know who the culprit is early on, and his intent is to destroy Thorne, hurting those close to him. The chapters revolve around Thorne, Gwyn and Tavilla (villain)’s POV. The villain was an evil bad guy, who was also a psycho, and he was relentless. We never had a moment to breathe, as Thorne begins to realize who is behind the attacks, and in time the team will tie in things from the past, but not why this villain is determined to kill. I thought Tavilla was a depraved and violent murderer.
There were a number of twists and turns along the way, that were surprising. With each revelation, they race against time to save others. In the midst of this thriller, was a sweet friends to lovers romance developing between Thorne and Gwyn, which was nicely done, not taking anything away from the suspenseful story. They both had their own issues that left them scarred, but together they work to get past them.
Death is Not Enough is an intense thriller a minute, with nonstop action all the way. Once again, I am in awe of Karen Rose, and her ability to create such masterful suspense stories, with fantastic characters you care about, as well as very evil villains. If you love suspense, with a touch of romance and a thriller all the way, you should be reading anything by Karen Rose. I know I will.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
In previous books of the Baltimore arc, we had met our two heroes, Thomas Thorne and Gwyn Weaver. Gwyn decides to visit Thomas at his house to complain about his behavior in ruining her dates with other men. What she finds is Thomas unconscious, and a woman dead next to him on the bed.
Gwyn will gather all their close friends to rally around Thorne, and help him find who is behind the murder and framing him. We learn more about Thorne early life, where at 18 years old, he was also framed for a murder of a fellow student. Some of the people close to Thorne, are still with him and together they will begin to see that what happened years ago may have some ties to this murder.
Thorne is a great hero, a strong, smart and loyal man, who fears for the lives of his family & friends, as more murders are happening. But his team will not allow him to do this on his own; convincing him that all of them will stand beside him, despite his concerns.
I loved seeing all those we met in the Baltimore arc playing such big roles in this story. A fabulous group of secondary characters, such as Lucy, Clay, Taylor, Frederick, JD, Stevie, Ford, Jamie, etc. The team effort, especially with many of them facing danger and attacks, made this a great story.
What follows is an intense story, where someone is targeting all of Thorne’s friends, one by one. No matter where they hide, the murderer is a step ahead, targeting those he cares about. There are a number of betrayals along way that are surprises for them. Who can they trust?
We do know who the culprit is early on, and his intent is to destroy Thorne, hurting those close to him. The chapters revolve around Thorne, Gwyn and Tavilla (villain)’s POV. The villain was an evil bad guy, who was also a psycho, and he was relentless. We never had a moment to breathe, as Thorne begins to realize who is behind the attacks, and in time the team will tie in things from the past, but not why this villain is determined to kill. I thought Tavilla was a depraved and violent murderer.
There were a number of twists and turns along the way, that were surprising. With each revelation, they race against time to save others. In the midst of this thriller, was a sweet friends to lovers romance developing between Thorne and Gwyn, which was nicely done, not taking anything away from the suspenseful story. They both had their own issues that left them scarred, but together they work to get past them.
Death is Not Enough is an intense thriller a minute, with nonstop action all the way. Once again, I am in awe of Karen Rose, and her ability to create such masterful suspense stories, with fantastic characters you care about, as well as very evil villains. If you love suspense, with a touch of romance and a thriller all the way, you should be reading anything by Karen Rose. I know I will.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
September 20, 2018
I have read all of Karen Rose’s books and they always cause me sleepless nights and this one was no different. I just couldn’t make myself put the book down and stop reading!!
I was especially looking forward to this one as Thorne has always been one of my favourite characters throughout this series – he is my ideal man! Shame he’s not real 🙂
This book is slightly different from the others as with this one we know who the bad guy is from the start almost, but there are still revelations to be had throughout the book and the reasons behind the “Why?” all fall into place and some of the reasons were unexpected!!
Told between Thorne, Gwyn and their tormentor Tavilla’s view really added depth to the characters and the storyline and they are all brilliant characters.
Tavilla is such a great bad guy – violent, psychopathic, and willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goal – destroy Thorne by going after everyone he loves and framing him for murder! Clever!!
Thorne’s friends and family all come together to clear his name putting themselves in danger to save him from himself as much as from Tavilla as well as protecting their own from becoming victims. This book brings back characters from previous books and its great to see how Clay and Taylor are getting along now they have been reunited as well as Daphne, Ford, J.D, Lucy and Stevie since we last saw them.
And of course, there is the romance element! The relationship between Thorne and Gywn gets taken to the next level, from friends and business partners to romance and some pretty steamy sex!! But both have their own demons and secrets that have an impact on both of them. It was about time these two got some luck in the love department!!
I hope there will be a continuation in this series but Karen Rose has a new book out on February 21, 2019 ( Yes I know – ages to wait!! ) Say You’re Sorry (The Sacramento Series Book 1) so it looks like we will be meeting new people with a new series.
If you are a fan of Karen Rose you are in for a real treat with this one and although I wouldn’t recommend reading this without reading the other books prior to this one but saying that, it will work as a stand alone novel. But if this is your first Karen Rose book, after reading it you will be desperate to read the rest!!
Absolutely compelling reading that you won’t want to put down!!
Death is Not Enough was published on 17 May 2018 in hardcover and digital format. The paperback edition is due to be published on 2 October 2018 in the UK
Thank you Netgalley and Headline for my advance copy of Death Is Not Enough.
I was especially looking forward to this one as Thorne has always been one of my favourite characters throughout this series – he is my ideal man! Shame he’s not real 🙂
This book is slightly different from the others as with this one we know who the bad guy is from the start almost, but there are still revelations to be had throughout the book and the reasons behind the “Why?” all fall into place and some of the reasons were unexpected!!
Told between Thorne, Gwyn and their tormentor Tavilla’s view really added depth to the characters and the storyline and they are all brilliant characters.
Tavilla is such a great bad guy – violent, psychopathic, and willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goal – destroy Thorne by going after everyone he loves and framing him for murder! Clever!!
Thorne’s friends and family all come together to clear his name putting themselves in danger to save him from himself as much as from Tavilla as well as protecting their own from becoming victims. This book brings back characters from previous books and its great to see how Clay and Taylor are getting along now they have been reunited as well as Daphne, Ford, J.D, Lucy and Stevie since we last saw them.
And of course, there is the romance element! The relationship between Thorne and Gywn gets taken to the next level, from friends and business partners to romance and some pretty steamy sex!! But both have their own demons and secrets that have an impact on both of them. It was about time these two got some luck in the love department!!
I hope there will be a continuation in this series but Karen Rose has a new book out on February 21, 2019 ( Yes I know – ages to wait!! ) Say You’re Sorry (The Sacramento Series Book 1) so it looks like we will be meeting new people with a new series.
If you are a fan of Karen Rose you are in for a real treat with this one and although I wouldn’t recommend reading this without reading the other books prior to this one but saying that, it will work as a stand alone novel. But if this is your first Karen Rose book, after reading it you will be desperate to read the rest!!
Absolutely compelling reading that you won’t want to put down!!
Death is Not Enough was published on 17 May 2018 in hardcover and digital format. The paperback edition is due to be published on 2 October 2018 in the UK
Thank you Netgalley and Headline for my advance copy of Death Is Not Enough.
October 8, 2018
This is the first book by this author I have read. After finishing Death Is Not Enough and leaving it a few hours I'm still unsure of my feelings.
The book didn't jump out of me at all. I had no connection to any of the characters. This had a lot to do with their being so many characters and not enough desciption on them. Even after finishing the book I'm still unsure of the characters and their relationships to each other.
The story is very slow going and only really got good in the last 20-30%. The book seems to drag on and it was mostly a information dump that didn't develop the story anymore.
Everyone that had information, no matter how small seemed to get killed as soon as Thorne and his gang needed to speak to them.
The story was written in 3rd person and had mulitpule POV's which didn't help me get into the story at all.
I didn't feel the connection and chemistry between Thorne and Gwyn, they didn't seem to click. They both were very much still stuck in the past and couldn't get over it. Both kept scrects from each other and family members, but they were secrets that could of helped their investigation which just made it pointless to me.
The book felt dragged out to me.
There was something about the book that kept me reading until the end, there was a few times I felt like giving up but I had to know what would happen because I wasn't sure that there would be a good ending. I would be interested in reading the authors other books!
The book didn't jump out of me at all. I had no connection to any of the characters. This had a lot to do with their being so many characters and not enough desciption on them. Even after finishing the book I'm still unsure of the characters and their relationships to each other.
The story is very slow going and only really got good in the last 20-30%. The book seems to drag on and it was mostly a information dump that didn't develop the story anymore.
Everyone that had information, no matter how small seemed to get killed as soon as Thorne and his gang needed to speak to them.
The story was written in 3rd person and had mulitpule POV's which didn't help me get into the story at all.
I didn't feel the connection and chemistry between Thorne and Gwyn, they didn't seem to click. They both were very much still stuck in the past and couldn't get over it. Both kept scrects from each other and family members, but they were secrets that could of helped their investigation which just made it pointless to me.
The book felt dragged out to me.
There was something about the book that kept me reading until the end, there was a few times I felt like giving up but I had to know what would happen because I wasn't sure that there would be a good ending. I would be interested in reading the authors other books!
October 14, 2018
Overall a good romantic suspense with lots of complex events. I liked the support the series characters gave the hero. I also liked how the hero and heroine were good friends for years. At the start it was heavy with details, however, they made the end more absorbing. Thorne is found in bed with a dead woman and his business partner friend Gwyn helps him investigate the crime.
July 22, 2018
Absolutely loved this book.
October 5, 2018
Death is Not Enough continues the stories of Rose's Baltimore characters but you don't have to have read the previous books. You can read these as stand alones!
You aren't wondering who the bad guy is or what his plan is. The suspense comes from the 'how' aspect and its GOOD. Thorne was nearly framed for a murder as a teenager. He was found not guilty, but the real killer was never caught. Now, many years later he is being framed again. He is a successful defense lawyer, so there is no shortage of possible suspects and there is a connection to the original murder as well. No one weaves an intricate plot like Rose. She really is masterful at romantic suspense. Because the story is told in 3rd person, the reader gets to see multiple views-the good guys and the bad guys! I love this style-its so engaging!
Interlaced with the murder mystery is a friends to lovers romance between Thorne and Gwyn. Gwyn is one of Thorne's partners in a nightclub and she also works as a paralegal in his firm. They have been friends for almost a decade, and Thorne has had feeling for her for most of that time! Gwyn barely survived a serial killer and is only now starting to get back to her life. She starts dating and Thorne realizes that he has to tell her how he feels. So, amidst the murder plots, scheming mob guys, and serious peril, Thorne and Gwyn realize they don't want to face their lives alone any more. Its impossible NOT to like them-both are good, kind people who care deeply for those around them. Its easy to want them to get their HEA (and not get murdered or framed for murder)!
Death is Not Enough will keep you on your toes throughout and its a wild ride! If you enjoy romantic suspense that keeps you guessing, this is a great pick! There is enough romance to remind you its a romance novel, but it blends so seamlessly with the plot and danger!
POV: 3rd
Tears: no
Trope: friends to lovers
Triggers:
Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series
Cliffhanger:
HEA:
The Tracers series by Laura Griffin, Killer Instincts series by Cynthia Eden, Cold Justice series by Toni Anderson...then you will probably like Death is Not Enough!
Death is Not Enough
See full review on The Book Disciple
May 1, 2023
Death is Not Enough is book 21 in the romantic suspense series by Karen Rose. Thomas Thorne thought it was time to tell Gwyn Weaver he loved her. Before declaring his love to Gwyn Weaver, Thomas Thorne's life changed. However, Gwyn Weaver and his friends did not believe law enforcement or the evidence and started investigating to clear his name. The readers of Death is Not Enough will continue to follow Thomas Thorne and Gwyn Weaver to discover what happens.
I usually find Karen Rose notable; however, I had trouble engaging with Death is Not Enough and eventually committed about halfway through the book. Once I was involved with the story and characters, I did enjoy reading this book. I did enjoy reading it. I like Karen Rose's portrayal of her characters and their inaction throughout this book. Death is Not Enough is well-written and researched by Karen Rose. The description of the settings of Death is Not Enough is done excellently by Karen Rose, which complements the book.
The readers of Death is Not Enough will understand the discrimination against students who have scholarships to private schools. Also, the readers will learn that happiness and revenge are not good bed partners.
I recommend this school.
I usually find Karen Rose notable; however, I had trouble engaging with Death is Not Enough and eventually committed about halfway through the book. Once I was involved with the story and characters, I did enjoy reading this book. I did enjoy reading it. I like Karen Rose's portrayal of her characters and their inaction throughout this book. Death is Not Enough is well-written and researched by Karen Rose. The description of the settings of Death is Not Enough is done excellently by Karen Rose, which complements the book.
The readers of Death is Not Enough will understand the discrimination against students who have scholarships to private schools. Also, the readers will learn that happiness and revenge are not good bed partners.
I recommend this school.
November 28, 2018
I was trying to think of a term for the collective of villains after I read this book. They are many and varied.
Karen Rose writes her usual 500+ pages of turn-the-page suspense, sprinkled with a bit of TSTL men or women, some romantic angst, and loaded with characters who must be kept in mind. My suggestion: don't begin this book at night as I did. Sleep deprivation warning!
I would give this sixth Baltimore book about 4.5 stars, so rounding it to 5 stars. Familiar characters and story lines intersect with new ones. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Good thing I'm a fast reader, or more than one night's sleep would be curtailed :-)
Karen Rose writes her usual 500+ pages of turn-the-page suspense, sprinkled with a bit of TSTL men or women, some romantic angst, and loaded with characters who must be kept in mind. My suggestion: don't begin this book at night as I did. Sleep deprivation warning!
I would give this sixth Baltimore book about 4.5 stars, so rounding it to 5 stars. Familiar characters and story lines intersect with new ones. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Good thing I'm a fast reader, or more than one night's sleep would be curtailed :-)
June 19, 2021
Een goeie thriller, veel actie en aangename personages. Wel veel verschillende personages waardoor het niet altijd even vlot leest op sommige momenten.
Maar zeker de moeite waard.
Maar zeker de moeite waard.
December 15, 2021
He can't believe it's happening again! Nineteen years ago, Thomas Thorne, now a well-known defense attorney, was accused and charged with murdering a fellow high school student. He was lucky ... there were people who absolutely refused to believe he was guilty and went to the wall for him. He was found not guilty and his life changed forever.
This morning, his best friend and business partner, Gwen Weaver, discovers Thorne in bed with a dead woman and Thorne near dead himself. When Thorne comes to, he's in the hospital with no memory of who the woman was or how she wound up in his bed or how her blood was on his hands.
Whoever is trying to frame Thorne is about to lead him down the rabbit hole of his past, something he thought he had outran long ago. How far will they go in their quest for vengeance? And who else will die?
Karen Rose is my go-to author when i want a well-written Romantic Suspense with a nice blend of both romance and suspense. I want a mystery that I can lose myself in. This author's character development and story lines and intricate plots have never disappointed. Although 6th in the series, this is easily read as a stand-alone. Several characters from previous books are involved, but there are no spoilers to those.
This morning, his best friend and business partner, Gwen Weaver, discovers Thorne in bed with a dead woman and Thorne near dead himself. When Thorne comes to, he's in the hospital with no memory of who the woman was or how she wound up in his bed or how her blood was on his hands.
Whoever is trying to frame Thorne is about to lead him down the rabbit hole of his past, something he thought he had outran long ago. How far will they go in their quest for vengeance? And who else will die?
Karen Rose is my go-to author when i want a well-written Romantic Suspense with a nice blend of both romance and suspense. I want a mystery that I can lose myself in. This author's character development and story lines and intricate plots have never disappointed. Although 6th in the series, this is easily read as a stand-alone. Several characters from previous books are involved, but there are no spoilers to those.
September 25, 2018
Karen Rose never lets me down and Death is Not Enough is no exception! I was glad to come back to the Baltimore clan! They almost feel like family!
Rose is a phenomenal author who keeps your on your toes from the first page to the last page!
Rose is a phenomenal author who keeps your on your toes from the first page to the last page!
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