*Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

Sam Reeves is a kindhearted psychologist who treats court-ordered clients. After one of his patients—a pathological liar—starts revealing plausible new details from a long-unsolved serial murder case, he’s compelled to report anonymously to the SDPD tip line, though his attempts to respect patient confidentiality land him facedown and cuffed by the aggressive (and cute) Detective McKittrick.

San Diego homicide detective Kit McKittrick loves the water. She lives on a boat, and when she’s not solving crimes with the SDPD, she’s assisting her foster sister with her charter fishing business or playing with her poodle. But there’s nothing that intrigues Kit more than a cold case, so when an anonymous caller leads her on the path of a wanted killer, she’s determined to end the decade-long manhunt.

Sam is soon released but goes home with both a newfound distaste for the SDPD and a resolve—not unlike Kit’s—to uncover the truth. Kit and Sam repeatedly butt heads in their separate investigations but are forced to work together to find one of the deadliest serial killers the city has faced in years.

Cold-Blooded Liar is a fast paced, thrilling ride. It is filled with colorful and entertaining characters, and I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. I was quickly turning the pages because I needed to know what would happen next in this intriguing story.

The main character in the story is Kit, a homicide detective. She works hard on all her cases and also tries to solve many cold cases when she has some free time. She has a good reputation and is respected by her peers.

Kit meets Dr. Sam Reeves, a psychologist when he becomes a suspect in a serial murder case she is working on. Sam is a good guy who gets in trouble trying to do the right thing.

There is an immediate attraction between Sam and Kit but neither of them take the next step while trying to solve the case. This is a slow burn romance with an unresolved ending to Sam and Kit’s romance. I wish there was an epilogue at the end of the story letting me know how everything worked out between them.

I love reading suspenseful stories and I like everything Karen Rose writes. She knows how to paint a picture with intricate plot weaving. The characters in this story are believable and easy to relate to and I found myself devouring every word.