I love the stories that Karen Rose delivers in the romantic suspense genre. The female lead is a highly flawed detective who is multilayered and tough as nails, making the stories addictive to read.
There are plenty of twists and turns in this one! Check my full review below.
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Family Lies by Karen Rose
ASIN: B0FG6QWNYS
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: March 31, 2026
ISBN-13: 978-0593817216
OVERVIEW:
As an infant, Kit McKittrick’s foster sister Akiko was abandoned at a firehouse. Now 32, Akiko has received an unsettling phone call from a woman who says that she knew her birth mother but refuses to divulge any details except in person. Akiko is nervous but also thrilled at the prospect of finally learning about her blood relations.
Kit has a bad feeling about this and insists on accompanying Akiko to meet the woman. Sure enough, as they stand on Mary Sherman’s doorstep, shots are fired, and Kit is hit…and inside the house is a corpse: Mary Sherman herself.
Although she’s on medical leave and forbidden to work the case, Kit cannot rest. With police psychologist Sam Reeves, she undertakes a covert investigation into the mysterious Mary Sherman. Was she Akiko’s birth mother? Why did she reach out after all these years? And who had a motive to kill her?
As more bodies pile up, Kit starts to put together the pieces of the frightening puzzle that is Akiko’s birth family, and she’ll come to wonder whether some secrets should stay buried after all.
Family Lies by Karen Rose Review
One of the things I enjoy about the way Karyn Rose writes her stories is that she’s not in a hurry to divulge secrets. Her stories are multifaceted and deeply layered.
Now that the main character, Kit, is falling for her love interest, Sam, a police psychologist, we get even more layers to her story.
This particular book is focused on foster sister, Akiko. Rose wraps the story around the mystery of her adoption and who her parents truly are. Family Lies starts off with a bang, and its fast-paced action keeps you on your toes.
We see a lot more of Sam in this story. So much so, I even questioned if this is a normal activity for a Police psychologist. He is one of the few who actually truly understands Kit. The romance continues to build at an extremely slow rate. That can be a major frustration for the reader.
This story also relies on so many characters that you have to try to keep track of them. I lost track. I’m not gonna lie. Not only do you have a new character(s), but you also have name changes within those characters. All of them have to do with Akiko’s family.
I also found the “why” this plot was based on certainly plausible, but not overly strong. That was kind of disappointing.
This is my 12th novel by Karen Rose, so I think it’s safe to say I truly enjoy her writing. This one just didn’t connect enough to the rest of the series for me.
3.5 stars
Disclaimer: Affiliate Links have been included – Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free ebook so she could evaluate and use it for this post. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.
Hi! I’m Chris! Just a Midlife Wife sharing about life’s journey; screaming and kicking through it while supposedly aging gracefully…
Focusing on healthy living, low carb & keto, things I am loving right now, and life in general.