Karen Rose Books in Order (Don’t Tell, Quarter to Midnight, Scream for Me)

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Karen Rose is a bestselling award-winning romantic suspense author from Baltimore, Maryland. She used to work as a chemical engineer for a large consumer goods company and started writing for fun. Her debut suspense novel was published in July 2003 and wrote since then more than twenty novels.

Even if Rose’s books are set in different US states, they are connected with characters from previous novels who make appearances. 

How to read Karen Rose’s Books in Order?

Every novel by Karen Rose takes place in a specific city. You can find at the end of this article, the novels in order by city.

1. Don’t Tell (2003) – Set in Chicago. Desperate Mary Grace Winters knew the only way to save herself and her child from her abusive husband was to stage their deaths. Now all that remains of her former life is at the bottom of a lake. As Caroline Stewart, Mary Grace has almost forgotten the nightmare she left behind nine years ago.Then her husband uncovers her hidden trail. Step by step he’s closing in on her and everyone she loves.
2. Have You Seen Her? (2004) – Set in Raleigh. Young girls are disappearing from their beds at night. Each one pretty with long dark hair. Each one found brutally murdered. Special Agent Steven Thatcher knows that a serial killer is at work. Finding the murderer is his sole focus but it doesn’t help that his teenage son, Brad, is behaving strangely.
3. I’m Watching You (2004) – Set in Chicago. Kristen Mayhew, the Chicago Public Defender’s office star prosecutor, is no stranger to success. With success comes danger though and it’s only a matter of time before she herself becomes a victim. A secret admirer is following Kristen’s every move. He kills the criminals she herself is powerless to stop, then sends her letters offering the murders as tokens of his respect.

4. Nothing to Fear (2005) – Set in Chicago. Sue Conway is out for revenge. Recently released from prison, she is determined to find everyone who helped put her there. And kidnapping an eleven-year-old deaf boy is only the first step in her plan. Running to Chicago, they head to Hanover House, an inner-city women’s shelter, run by Dana Dupinsky. Dana safeguards many secrets for those around her but she would never knowingly harbour a kidnapper.
5. Dirty Secrets (2005) – Novella set in St. Petersburg, Florida. Previously published in the anthology Hot Pursuit. For months Emma Townsend has avoided her old house, haunted by its memories of her dead husband. Finding the courage to sort through their possessions, she’s astonished to find an old love letter from friend Chris Walker, and determines to make amends for the past.
6. You Can’t Hide (2006) – Set in Chicago. Someone is tormenting psychiatrist Tess Ciccotelli’s patients, pushing them to commit suicide, and setting her up to take the blame. But even police pressure won’t make her break her oath to protect their secrets. Detective Aidan Reagan understands Tess’s need to safeguard her clients but all the clues suggest that a nameless, faceless enemy is set on destroying her career, her family and, finally, Tess herself.
7. Count to Ten (2007) – Set in Chicago. Chicago Fire department veteran Reed Solliday immediately knows he needs help when an autopsy reveals that a young girl found in the wreckage of an explosion was raped and murdered before fire ripped through the house. Determined to bury herself in work after her partner is shot, Detective Mia Mitchell understands Solliday’s case will be her most challenging to date. An arsonist who has escalated in this way is rare and they both know time to find him is running out…

8. Die for Me (2007) – Set in Philadelphia/Atlanta. The first victim is found in a snow-covered Philadelphia field. Detective Vito Ciccotelli enlists the aid of archaeologist Sophie Johannsen to determine exactly what lies beneath the frozen ground. Despite years of unearthing things long buried, nothing can prepare Sophie for the matrix of graves dug with chilling precision. The victims buried there haunt her. But the empty graves terrify her–the killer isn’t done yet.
9. Scream for Me (2009) – Set in Philadelphia/Atlanta. Special Agent Daniel Vartanian has made a horrific discovery – photographs, taken years ago by his brother Simon, show a gang of teenagers raping young girls. Disgusted, Vartanian vows to bring them all to justice. Alex Fallon’s family fell apart when her sister was murdered thirteen years ago. And history now seems to be repeating itself with her stepsister Bailey’s disappearance. When Vartanian meets Alex, and realises that her dead sister was in the photos, he starts to believe that the rapists may be behind Bailey’s disappearance.
10. Kill for Me (2009) – Set in Philadelphia/Atlanta. Monica Cassidy’s life is under threat. Held in a bunker with ten other teenage girls, she barely escaped with her life when her kidnappers fled, killing five of the girls as they left. Now Monica is the only one free who can identify her abductors, and they know where she is.

11. I Can See You (2009) – Set in Minneapolis. The killer stalks his prey online. He learns about their dreams, their fears and their vulnerabilities. Then he finds them in the real world and for his victims the game is over. Eve Wilson has spent years hiding from the damage inflicted on her by a madman. Retreating into the virtual world, she made a new life for herself on screen. Now Eve is helping others use the virtual world to kick-start their own recovery.
12. Silent Scream (2010) – Set in Minneapolis. An environmental protest turns deadly when a young girl becomes trapped in a burning building. Four students callously leave her to die but have they made the biggest mistake of their lives? For the ruthless blackmailer watching from the shadows, the students’ error is a gift. He’ll do whatever it takes to succeed and now he has the perfect candidates to do his dirty work.
13. You Belong to Me (2011) – Set in Baltimore. Baltimore city Homicide Detective JD Fitzpatrick has seen a lot of horrific violence, both as a cop and during his deployment in Afghanistan, but nothing like the trail of tortured bodies that are turning up throughout the city. He’s up against a brutal killer with a very personal vendetta. And now JD is beginning to suspect that his medical examiner may be shielding some crucial evidence linked to the case.

14. No One Left to Tell (2012) – Set in Baltimore. A car crashes in front of rookie PI Paige Holden’s home. And suddenly, she finds one of her pro bono clients dying in her arms-from a gunshot wound. With her last breath, the woman whispers cryptic words into her ear and hands her a blood-smeared flash drive.
15. Did You Miss Me? (2012) – Set in Baltimore. Baltimore prosecutor Daphne Montgomery pulled herself out of a damaged past to build a solid life for herself and her son. But after she helps to convict a killer, her confidence is shattered once again by the news that her son has been kidnapped.
16. Broken Silence (2013) – Novella set in Baltimore. After a traumatic kidnapping, Daphne’s boss insists that she take time off. But she refuses to sit on the sidelines when she meets a six-year-old girl who the police call Angel. Angel hasn’t spoken a word since they found her four days ago next to a burned out car, frozen with shock, not far from the bodies of two adults who may or may not have been her parents.
17. Watch Your Back (2013) – Set in Baltimore. Baltimore Homicide Detective Stevie Mazzetti has suffered losses no woman should have to endure. And, despite it all, she’s still a fighter. When she learns that her ex-partner might have miscarried justice, she’s determined to put the past to rights, even when she becomes a target.

18. Closer Than You Think (2014) – Set in Cincinnati. Psychologist Faith Corcoran is desperate to escape the stalker who’s made her life a nightmare for the past year-desperate enough to run to the one place that has been her nightmare far longer. Her recent inheritance of her grandmother’s old house in Cincinnati offers sanctuary in which she can start her life anew, but requires that she face the dark memories that still resonate to this day. But she has no idea how close to home her fears still are…
19. Alone in the Dark (2015) – Set in Cincinnati. Homicide Detective Scarlett Bishop has seen enough bad guys slip through the cracks and innocent victims go unavenged to know that good doesn’t always prevail. So far she’s been able to lock away her rage and her vigilante fantasies. That lock is about to break.
20. Every Dark Corner (2016) – Set in Cincinnati. When FBI Special Agent Griffin “Decker” Davenport opens his eyes after several days in a coma, there is unfinished business still on his mind. Decker’s on the cusp of discovering the mastermind behind a human trafficking case, and he and his partner, Special Agent Kate Coppola, are determined to bring the perpetrator to justice. And they’re about to get a surprising new lead from a very unlikely source.

21. Monster in the Closet (2017) – Set in Baltimore. Baltimore PI Clay Maynard routinely locates missing children for clients, but his own daughter-stolen by his ex-wife-has eluded him for years. Until she turns up right under his nose…
22. Edge of Darkness (2018) – Set in Cincinnati. Homicide detective Adam Kimble is no stranger to battling demons. But Meredith Fallon is a different kind of weakness: one that could actually be good for him, if only he would let himself depend on her. Meredith has loved Adam for a year, and seeing how hard he’s worked to deal with his PTSD makes her feelings only stronger, but she respects his needs. Her work keeps her busy anyway: she counsels sexually abused women like Mallory Martin to help them reintegrate into the world.
23. Death Is Not Enough (2018) – Set in Baltimore. In his work as a defense attorney in Baltimore, Thorne has always been noble to a fault–specializing in helping young people in trouble just as someone did for him when he was younger. He plays the part of the bachelor well, but he secretly holds a flame for his best friend and business partner, Gwyn Weaver, a woman struggling to overcome her own demons. After four years, he thinks he might finally be ready to confess his feelings, come what may.

24. Say You’re Sorry (2019) – Set in Sacramento. There is a serial killer on the loose, preying on vulnerable women. The only identifiable mark the killer leaves are letters-sometimes one, sometimes two-all carved into the torsos of his victims. Together they spell “Sydney.” When he grabs Daisy Dawson, he believes he has found his next victim. But despite her small stature, she fights back with an expertise that quickly frees her. Before fleeing the scene, Daisy also manages to grab what proves to be crucial evidence: a necklace from around the killer’s neck.
25. Into the Dark (2019) – Set in Cincinnati. Michael Rowland is not your typical teenager. Deaf from birth, he’s always looked out for his five-year-old brother, Joshua. When his stepfather comes after Joshua, Michael takes the child and runs. He’s determined to protect his brother at all costs, even if that means making himself vulnerable to a danger he can’t hear coming. And the danger intensifies when Michael witnesses a stranger kill his stepfather.
26. Say No More (2020) – Set in Sacramento. Seventeen years ago. That was the last time Mercy Callahan saw Ephraim Burton, the leader of the twisted Eden cult where she was raised. But even though she escaped the abuse and terror, they continue to haunt her. When her brother Gideon discovers new evidence of the cult’s–and their victims’–whereabouts, Mercy goes to Sacramento to reconnect with him. There, she meets Gideon’s closest friend–homicide detective Rafe Sokolov. From Rafe, she receives an offer she never knew she needed: to track down Ephraim and make him pay for everything.

27. Say Goodbye (2021) – Set in Sacramento. For decades, Eden has remained hidden in the remote wilds of the Pacific Northwest, “Pastor” keeping his cult’s followers in thrall for his personal profit and sexual pleasures. But the Founding Elders are splintering, and Pastor’s surrogate son DJ is scheming to make it all his own. When two of Eden’s newest members send out a cry for help, it reaches FBI Special Agent Tom Hunter, whose friend and fellow FBI Special Agent Gideon Reynolds and his sister, Mercy, are themselves escapees of the Eden cult, targeted by the Founding Elders who want them silenced forever. The three have vowed to find the cult and bring it down, and now, they finally have a solid lead.
28. Quarter to Midnight (2022) – Set in New Orleans. After completing her tours with the Marines in Iraq, Molly Sutton knew she could take down any bad guy she met. But when a family tragedy exposes the dark side of her local police, she joined up with her former CO Burke Broussard, who left New Orleans PD to set up a private investigative service for people who couldn’t find justice elsewhere.
29. Cold-Blooded Liar (2023) – Set in San Diego. 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.

30. Beneath Dark Waters (2023) – Set in New Orleans. Public prosecutor J.P. “Kaj” Cardozo has only lived in New Orleans for six months, and he’s already working on a high-profile celebrity sexual assault case that’s made headlines all over the country. But when his son becomes the target of a kidnapping attempt as a threat to Kaj, he is desperate to keep him safe and turns to a private investigative firm famous for their protection services.
31. Cheater (2024) – Set in San Diego. Death is not an unfamiliar visitor to Shady Oaks Retirement Village. But when a resident’s body is found brutally stabbed and his apartment ransacked, it’s clear there’s someone deadly in their community. Detective Katherine “Kit” McKittrick quickly discovers that Shady Oaks is full of skeleton-riddled closets, and most tenants prefer to keep their doors firmly closed to the SDPD. A longtime volunteer at the retirement facility, Dr. Sam Reeves honors his late grandfather’s memory by playing the piano for the residents regularly. So it shouldn’t be such a surprise when Kit crosses paths with him during her investigation.
32. Buried Too Deep (2024) – Set in New Orleans. Employed as the nighttime security guard of Broussard Private Investigations, Phineas Bishop has been working through overwhelming PTSD episodes from his Army service while still utilizing his military skills. But when a violent break-in occurs at the office, the accusatory eyes of the NOPD glance to Phin, and he resolves to track down the intruder and clear his name. Phin’s only lead and witness is Cora Winslow, a spirited librarian who also needs answers. 

33. Dead Man’s List (2025) – Set in San Diego. On a long-anticipated second date with police psychologist Dr. Sam Reeves—right as things are getting steamy—Kit stumbles across the mutilated body of a local San Diego politician. The politician is loved by many of his constituents but is hated and reviled by many more. That the suspect list is long is no surprise to anyone, but exactly who ends up on it stuns Kit and her team. As the SDPD reveal the victim’s sinister dealings, Kit and Sam are forced to navigate the lawless world of the city’s most rich and powerful citizens to find answers. But time is rapidly running out, with their sources of information dropping like flies as the killer methodically eliminates loose ends—and anyone else who stands in the way.

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Karen Rose Books in Order: City by City

Chicago

1. Don’t Tell (2003)
2. I’m Watching You (2004)
3. Nothing to Fear (2005)
4. You Can’t Hide (2006)
5. Count to Ten (2007)

Raleigh

• Have You Seen Her? (2004)

St. Petersburg, Florida

• Dirty Secrets (2005) – Novella.

Philadelphia/Atlanta

1. Die for Me (2007)
2. Scream for Me (2009)
3. Kill for Me (2009)

Minneapolis

1. I Can See You (2009)
2. Silent Scream (2010)

Baltimore

1. You Belong to Me (2011)
2. No One Left to Tell (2012)
3. Did You Miss Me? (2012)
4. Broken Silence (2013) – Novella.
5. Watch Your Back (2013)
6. Monster in the Closet (2017)
7. Death Is Not Enough (2018)

Cincinnati

1. Closer Than You Think (2014)
2. Alone in the Dark (2015)
3. Every Dark Corner (2016)
4. Edge of Darkness (2018)
5. Into the Dark (2019)

Sacramento

1. Say You’re Sorry (2019)
2. Say No More (2020)
3. Say Goodbye (2021)

New Orleans

1. Quarter to Midnight (2022)
2. Beneath Dark Waters (2023)
3. Buried Too Deep (2024)

San Diego

1. Cold-Blooded Liar (2023)
2. Cheater (2024)
3. Dead Man’s List (2025)

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