Broken Silence by Karen Rose (Romantic Suspense #14.5)

Having read all the previous books by Karen Rose, I only had to catch up with two more: the novella Broken Silence published in October 2013, followed by the author’s latest novels called Watch Your Back, published one month later, in November 2013.

I bought the novella (it was only around $3 at Amazon) and got reading. I am usually not a major fan of novellas because not many authors can pack a great story in only a few pages, however, I knew Karen Rose can deliver – and deliver she did.

The story focuses on Daphne Montgomery, whom we’ve already met in Did You Miss Me. Daphne is an Assistant State’s Attorney, who has quite the baggage with her due to her traumatic past. After a recent traumatic event (to read in the previous novel), she is on forced holiday. However, she is brought back to work by FBI Special Agent Joseph Carter, who is also her soon to be fiance.

Joseph is pretty much the only one who believes that Daphne is ready to work – and due to her childhood events she can even help a confused and hurt little girl who seems to have gone through the very same things she went through as a youngster herself: seeing her family members murdered in front of her eyes.

Daphne could be, indeed, the only person who can get the child to open up and tell the FBI who killed her parents. Angel, as they call her since nobody knows her name, is beyond frightened, and with good reason: if she says anything, the killers can, and will hurt her little sister, whom they kidnapped while butchering her parents.

The novella really packs a punch despite the plot being concentrated in such a short number of pages. It is a story in its own right and if you leave up character continuity, you can even read it as a standalone novel – it has a beginning and a satisfying end with catching the killers.

As for character development, I really enjoyed reading about Daphne, learning more about her and what drives her. She has overcome her past and having that sensitivity in her, knows just how to help other traumatized kids to open up.

There is not much romance in this book, although we get a glimpse into her relationship with Joseph. We also get some glimpses into how much her close and real friends care for Daphne. She is one lucky lady to be surrounded by folks who love her so much.

As usual with Karen Roses’s books, I was fully immersed in what was going on and literally forgot the time. And contrary to what I was expecting, I didn’t feel the need for the story to go on and on. The novella ended on the right note with a real closure to Daphne’s story, with us being now allowed to move on to Stevie, Daphne’s friend, who will feature in the next book, Watch Your Back, which I am reading right now, and will be reviewing next.

Broken Silence by Karen Rose
Series: Romantic Suspense #4.5
Published by InterMix
Published 2013
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Source: Purchased
Also by this author: Watch Your Back, Edge of Darkness