Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Audiobook: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

by @KarenRoseBooks – Thank you to @PRHaudio for the gifted copy of this outstanding audiobook! I grabbed this first book in the San Diego crime thriller series in anticipation of reading Cheater, the second book, which comes out on March 26, 2024, and I’m so glad I decided to start at the beginning of this series.

Kit had experienced enough sorrow for a lifetime, even before she became a homicide detective. Between the loss of her parents and the still unsolved murder of her sister, Kit’s life could have turned dark, but her adoptive parents and detective partner have helped her focus her pain into solving crime – and she is very, very good at it. Kit’s reputation is why, when court-appointed psychologist Sam believes one of his patients might be a murderer, he anonymously contacts Kit. Unfortunately, kind and caring Sam finds himself as the prime suspect in the crimes he tried to report anonymously, and although Kit doesn’t believe he’s guilty, she isn’t convinced of his innocence. Sam realizes the only way out of an impossible situation is to track down the facts himself. Sam and Kit chase similar leads, and Sam is infinitely better at coaxing the truth out of witnesses. As the body count rises and one of the city’s most notorious serial killers continues to terrorize young women, Kit and Sam must uncover the shocking truth behind the deaths of even more women than they had imagined.

This book was packed with unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Each character had a personal stake in the case, and their individual backstories added depth to the narrative. The entire cast of characters, from Sam’s best friend and ex-girlfriend to Kit’s family and detective squad, felt like essential elements of the story. Rose developed these secondary characters perfectly, making them integral to the story in various ways. The audiobook was a delight, and I’m excited to dive straight into the second book in the series.