Book Review: Monster in the Closet by Karen Rose

---

MONSTER IN THE CLOSET
Romantic Suspense #19
Author: Karen Rose
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Released: August 29, 2017
Review Source: Netgalley

The Sunday Times bestselling author of Every Dark Corner returns with an exclusive novel celebrating ten years of Karen Rose's thrillers in the UK. MONSTER IN THE CLOSET reunites readers with characters from Karen Rose's bestselling Baltimore series.

A mother is dead, and now her killer hunts the child that witnessed the brutal crime...

Private Investigator Clay Maynard locates missing children for clients, but has nearly given up hope of finding his own daughter, cruelly stolen from him by his ex-wife twenty-three years ago.

Equine therapist Taylor Dawson has chosen to intern at Daphne Montgomery-Carter's stables so that she can observe the program's security director - her father, Clay Maynard. Trying to reconcile the wonderful man she's getting to know with the monster her mother always described, Taylor never expects to become the target of a real monster, the man who murdered the mother of the little girls she works with at the stable. Neither does she expect to fall for Ford Elkhart, Daphne's handsome son, who is dealing with his own demons. As family and friends gather for a wedding, Taylor starts to imagine a permanent life in Baltimore.

But not if the real monster gets to her first...

Monster in the Closet is the first book I have ever read from Karen Rose and I have to say that I really enjoyed it.  Although it is book 19 in the Romantic Suspense series, I was able to read it as a standalone.  I will probably go back at some point and read through the whole series, however, because I really liked Karen's writing.  This book took over my life while I was reading it, as thrillers tend to do.

Jazzie Jarvis, which I love her name by the way, experiences the worst trauma a child could experience.  She is an 11 year old little girl, thinking her mom forgot to pick her up from school, she walks home only to discover her mom has been brutally murdered.  The even worse part is the killer is still in the house looking for something.  Jazzie quickly hides to stay safe, doesn't utter a single word, and remains silent for fear that the killer will find her even in the weeks to come.  Due to her silence, she joins a horse therapy program to help heal her trauma.  There she meets Taylor Dawson, an intern at the program who wants to help Jazzie but is harboring some secrets.

I am rating this book 4 trees because it kept me at the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading.  I really connected with the characters and thought that Karen Rose did a really great job with character development.  I recommend this book and have plans to read the whole series.