Karen Rose Books in Order
Karen Rose is an American romantic suspense author best known for her Romantic Suspense universe, with connected crime-and-romance novels set across U.S. cities including Chicago, Raleigh, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Sacramento, New Orleans, and San Diego. She is a New York Times and #1 international bestselling author whose books have also appeared on the Sunday Times, Irish Times, Der Spiegel, South African, and Australian bestseller lists ever since her debut novel, Don’t Tell, was published in 2003.
What makes Karen Rose’s booklist useful to read in order is the way the books are set in one shared world. Each subseries has its own location, its own main case and romantic couple, but investigators, survivors, relatives, partners, and friends appear in other series as well.
This page lists all Karen Rose books in order, including the full Romantic Suspense series, location-based subseries, novellas, short stories, anthologies, and standalone books.
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Latest Karen Rose Books
More upcoming releases:
- Fatal Twist (March 2027)
Where to Start with Karen Rose
→ New to Karen Rose? Start with Don’t Tell (Chicago #1). It is the first book in the connected universe and the easiest way to start if you want to meet characters who return later.
→ Want a smaller arc first? Try Die for Me (Philadelphia/Atlanta #1). That trilogy has one of the clearest internal arcs and is best read in order.
→ Prefer a newer entry point? Start with Say You’re Sorry (Sacramento #1), Quarter to Midnight (New Orleans #1), or Cold Blooded Liar (San Diego Case Files #1). Each begins a newer city arc, though returning characters may appear.
→ The city arcs can be read separately, but publication order gives the fullest picture because the world keeps expanding in the background.
How the Series Connect
Karen Rose writes one connected romantic suspense universe. Each city arc has its own main characters, investigation, and central romance, but earlier characters often cross into later books, sometimes as background support and sometimes become more important as the series go on.
Most city arcs are independent enough to start without having read a previous one. The exception is within each arc: the Philadelphia/Atlanta trilogy (Die for Me, Scream for Me, Kill for Me) and the Sacramento trilogy (Say You’re Sorry, Say No More, Say Goodbye) each have an ongoing story thread across all three books, so those are best read in sequence within the same subseries, even if you haven’t read the previous city arcs.
Romantic Suspense Series (Books in Order)
The Romantic Suspense series takes place in a shared universe, with recurring characters and storylines connecting more than 30 novels and short stories set in multiple cities. Although each city-based subseries has its own story arc, the best reading order follows the overall chronology rather than grouping the books by setting.
Reading Order
- Don’t Tell, 2003
- Have You Seen Her?, 2004
- I’m Watching You, 2004
- Nothing to Fear, 2005
- Dirty Secrets, 2014
- You Can’t Hide, 2006
- Count to Ten, 2007
- Die For Me, 2007
- Scream For Me, 2008
- Kill For Me, 2009
- I Can See You, 2009
- Silent Scream, 2010
- You Belong To Me, 2011
- No One Left To Tell, 2012
- Did You Miss Me?, 2012
- Broken Silence, 2013
- Watch Your Back, 2013
- Closer Than You Think, 2014
- Alone in the Dark, 2015
- Every Dark Corner, 2016
- Monster in the Closet, 2017
- Edge of Darkness, 2017
- Death is Not Enough, 2018
- Say You’re Sorry, 2019
- Into the Dark, 2019
- Say No More, 2020
- Say Goodbye, 2021
- Quarter to Midnight, 2022
- Cold Blooded Liar, 2023
- Beneath Dark Waters, 2023
- Cheater, 2024
- Buried Too Deep, 2024
- The White Picket Fence, 2024
- Dead Man’s List, 2025
- Knife in the Back, 2025
- Family Lies, 2026
Reading notes:
- Dirty Secrets (#4.5) is a standalone novella set in St. Petersburg, Florida. It is not part of any location-based subseries but fits chronologically here in the overall reading order.
Chicago Series (Books in Order)
The Chicago series is the beginning of Karen Rose’s Romantic Suspense universe. The books follow detectives, lawyers, and survivors in Chicago’s underworld. Each book has its own pair of investigators with a central romance theme. The characters have to leave their risky pasts behind if they want to survive. It’s best to start with “Don’t Tell” since it introduces key characters who appear throughout the series.
- Don’t Tell, 2003
- I’m Watching You, 2004
- Nothing to Fear, 2005
- You Can’t Hide, 2006
- Count to Ten, 2007
Raleigh Series (Books in Order)
The Raleigh book follows State Bureau of Investigation agent Steven Thatcher in North Carolina as he works a serial-murder case involving abducted teenage girls. Technically, it is a standalone novel set in a separate location, but it is part of Karen Rose’s larger Romantic Suspense universe.
- Have You Seen Her?, 2004
Philadelphia / Atlanta Series (Books in Order)
The Philadelphia/Atlanta series follows Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Special Agent Daniel Vartanian and Philadelphia homicide detective Vito Ciccotelli as they work separate but connected cases that involve elaborate, ritualized murders. The first book is set in Philadelphia, while the following two move to Atlanta as Vartanian’s storyline becomes more prominent here. The three-book arc is best read in order, as Daniel Vartanian’s storyline continues in all three novels. A later short story, The White Picket Fence, revisits the Ciccotelli family through Vito’s brother Tino.
- Die For Me, 2007
- Scream For Me, 2008
- Kill For Me, 2009
- The White Picket Fence, 2024
Minneapolis Series (Books in Order)
The Minneapolis series follows investigators dealing with crimes where technology, online identities, surveillance, and digital evidence are important in the case. The two books still have the author’s usual mix of crime investigation and romance, but this small arc is more focused on high-tech threats than the earlier Chicago and Philadelphia/Atlanta books. Each case stands on its own, though reading in order gives better background for the recurring characters.
- I Can See You, 2009
- Silent Scream, 2010
Baltimore Series (Books in Order)
The Baltimore series follows cops, defense attorneys, and investigators pursuing ruthless criminals in Baltimore with cases that often involve organized crime, trafficking, and long-buried secrets,while at the same time dealing with their own personal struggles. It has some of the strongest character connection in Karen Rose’s Romantic Suspense universe, as characters from Chicago and Philadelphia/Atlanta appear here, and meaningful relationships and emotional struggles develop across multiple books.
- You Belong To Me, 2011
- No One Left To Tell, 2012
- Did You Miss Me?, 2012
- Broken Silence, 2013
- Watch Your Back, 2013
- Monster in the Closet, 2017
- Death is Not Enough, 2018
Cincinnati Series (Books in Order)
The Cincinnati series follows FBI and law enforcement working out of the Cincinnati office, with cases that are more about serial killers, trafficking networks, and crimes with ties to the characters’ own pasts.
- Closer Than You Think, 2014
- Alone in the Dark, 2015
- Every Dark Corner, 2016
- Monster in the Closet, 2017
- Edge of Darkness, 2017
- Death is Not Enough, 2018
Sacramento Series (Books in Order)
The Sacramento trilogy follows FBI Special Agent Gideon Reynolds, who was raised in a violent Northern California cult called Eden, as he works together with his sister Mercy and a team of police officers to take down the cult while tracking its survivors. The series has one main villain and the investigations in each book focuses on finding and taking him down. Characters from Cincinnati and Baltimore appear in this series, but it can be read without reading previous series.
- Say You’re Sorry, 2019
- Say No More, 2020
- Say Goodbye, 2021
New Orleans Series (Books in Order)
The New Orleans series follows former Marine Molly Sutton and her team at a private investigative firm run by ex-NOPD officer Burke Broussard. The focus here is more on private investigators who take on cases for people who couldn’t get justice with the help of the police. The characters in this series show a closer connection to each other, which feels like a real family compared to some of the earlier series. Each book can be read on it own, but with the character relationship building so strongly across the series, it’s best to read the books in publication order.
- Quarter to Midnight, 2022
- Beneath Dark Waters, 2023
- Buried Too Deep, 2024
- Knife in the Back, 2025
San Diego Case Files Series (Books in Order)
The San Diego Case Files series follows homicide detective Kit McKittrick and court-appointed psychologist Sam Reeves. The first book, Cold Blooded Liar, brings them together after one of Sam’s clients, a compulsive liar, claims to know details about an unsolved serial murder involving a serial killer that he says he knows. The series reads more like a detective story than some of Karen Rose’s earlier series, and the Kit/Sam relationship develops slowly across the books, whereas in other series each book has a separate new romantic pairing.
- Cold Blooded Liar, 2023
- Cheater, 2024
- Dead Man’s List, 2025
- Family Lies, 2026
- Fatal Twist, 2027
Standalone Novels
- The One Who Walked Away, 2026
Short Story Anthologies
- Hot Pursuit, 2004 (with Annie Solomon, and Carla Cassidy)
Karen Rose Biography
Karen Rose is an American romantic suspense author who wrote more than 30 novels, novellas, and short stories published since 2003 in the connected Romantic Suspense universe, the San Diego Case Files, the New Orleans books, and several location-based subseries set across the United State. She is a two-time RITA Award winner and an international #1 bestseller, with books translated into more than 20 languages.
Official website: karenrosebooks.com
She was born Karen Rose Hafer in 1964 in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in a small town near Washington D.C. At 17, she met her future husband, Martin, on a blind date. They both went to study at the University of Maryland, where Karen earned a degree in chemical engineering. After graduating they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where she worked as an engineer. During this time, she filed two patents both related to improving the palatability of the fiber supplement Metamucil. She also taught high school chemistry and physics. While that science background is not part of her stories, it did influence her books with her careful plotting and procedural detail that is a major part of all her books.
Karen Rose started writing in her late twenties, while working as an engineer, initially just to quiet the scenes that kept interrupting her concentration at work so she could focus on her job. Her debut novel, Don’t Tell, was published in July 2003, and introduced the Chicago part of what became her larger Romantic Suspense universe. The books soon grew to reach other locations like Raleigh, Philadelphia/Atlanta, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Sacramento, New Orleans, and San Diego, with characters appearing in multiple storylines as the universe grew.
Her third novel, I’m Watching You (2004), won the RITA Award for Best Romantic Suspense in 2005, which is the Romance Writers of America’s top prize in the category. She won a second RITA in 2011 for Silent Scream. Other titles have been RITA finalists, and her books have appeared on major bestseller lists in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, South Africa, and Australia.. The RT Reviewers’ Choice Award recognized Die for Me for Best Romantic Suspense in 2007 and Kill for Me for Best Contemporary Mystery in 2009, and Penguin Random House describes her as a #1 international bestselling author whose books have been translated into 23 languages.
In 2025, Columbia University reported that television writer Blair Singer is writing a one-hour murder mystery show for Fox based on Karen Rose’s book, Cold Blooded Liar.
Karen Rose currently lives in Florida with her family and continues to write, including newer books in the San Diego Case Files and standalone romantic suspense novels..
Karen Rose Awards and Honors
Awards
- I’m Watching You – RITA Award for Best Romantic Suspense (2005)
- Die for Me – RT Reviewers Choice Award for Best Romantic Suspense (2007)
- Kill for Me – RT Reviewers Choice Award for Contemporary Mystery (2009)
- Silent Scream – RITA Award for Best Romantic Suspense (2011)
Nominations and Shortlists
- Scream for Me – RITA Award, Best Romantic Suspense (2008)
- Kill for Me – RITA Award, Best Romantic Suspense (2009)
- Die for Me – RITA Award, Best Romantic Suspense (2007)
- You Belong to Me – Suspense Magazine Award, Best Romantic Suspense (2011)
- Say You’re Sorry – Suspense Magazine Award, Best Romantic Suspense (2019)
- Say Goodbye – Suspense Magazine Award, Best Romantic Suspense (2021)
Ik luister graag naar de boeken van Karen Rose bevallen mij uitstekend.
Hoop dat zij blijft doorgaan.
Thought I had read them all and just realized a couple more have been published. Love them all and have re-read them all. Thank you Karen Rose for many enjoyable reads
Only recently started ready her books.Love it
Have read all the books. Mainly in series order,but have them in numerical order.
Love all the characters and other than Mia (count to 10), have sort of got them in order in my mind.
Hoping there are more to come with these characters.
Just introduced to Karen Rose books……I hope I can continue to find them …she kept me involved from beginning to end!
Have read all the books in order and find that some stories are almost a rehash of others! Don’t get me wrong, love the books but the crimes are all solved within a few days and most of the couples to fall for each other way too quickly – just spread it out further – yes it happens but not at this level. Some of the men come across as sexual predators with the thoughts and the way they pursue the women. Most of the characters have ridiculous backgrounds end up with equally dysfunctional partners
I love all of her books, don’t really have a favourite book but love Deacon and Faith also Danni. i have read all of them but haven’tread all of them in order which was a bit annoying did manage to catch up with who the characters were and which books they were from. I’ve just finished Say no more and can’t wait to get her new book and find out which characters old and new are in it.
He leído hasta el libro 21 … los demás desafortunadamente no los he podido leer porque ko están en español.
Dicen que han sido traducidos a más de 20 lenguas … me gustaría saber donde puedo obtenerlos en español. Desde hace años tengo una banda reservada en el librero esperando que publiquen (todos) los libros de Laren en español.
I have read all her books! Just purchased Say No More. Would love to read the two in kindle form but I am hearing impaired. Love, love her style!
Karen Rose – excellent read and I have nearly read all of them, can’t wait for her next book
I am just starting the last book in the series. I enjoyed the series completely. Hoping another book is in the works. I love all the characters.
straight into the bin,to many people, to complicated,couldnt keep up,ripped two books up and into the bin,and hardly got started,read reviews on 2nd karen rose book,same said,to many complicated people,that went in bin.now reading reviews saying must read in order has put me right off,ive about 10 other karen rose books thinking of just putting them in bin,but may give them away,to much like hard work,better things to do in life,wanted to get back into reading and i must say her books have put me right off,prologue was good in death is not enough,but then 19 years later i just lost the plot within a few pages and thought,no Dave this is to complicated,ripped it up and in the bin.try another writer to suit my simple needs.
I have read every book written by Karen Rose. Loved them all. Yes these should be read in order as the characters become almost like family. They are the type of reading that you can’t put down. Waited & waited for Dani & Diesel’s, excellent as expected. Enjoying new Sacramento series too.
I have walked many miles listening to her books. I am just finishing Dani and Diesels story and all I can say is Wow and ahhhhhhhhh. Have already preordered Say No More. Have loved her books from the very first one I read. Highly recommended and must read in order.
I really really enjoy Karen Rose books and have 18 so far. I do have a question though, is it normal practice for the ME to contact the detectives when he/she has c found something and have them drop everything and rush to the mortuary to get news they could have got over the phone ?
My favorite series of books! I’m so glad Karen Rose was recommended to me!
Please bring back
Deacon and Faith. I presume they get married as I read that Faith was pregnant. I love all the books and Closer than you Think is the latest one I have read. Are there more in the Cincinnati Series?
Totally love her style of writing… you can feel the emotional electricity between her characters … Karen you are awesome.. my favourite so far and I’ve read a few is Don’t tell … just wow.. Almost finished, You Belong to Me, and have it sitting on top of Alone in the Dark, hoping it’s as fabulous as You Belong to Me is .. off to the book store today as my husband has read all of the Karen Rose books we have in the house, a firm favourite author.. if you haven’t read them, why not? Must reads
Love all her books. Thank you for the list, it really helps to keep them all in sequence. Can’t wait to get more.
I have all the books now, just started Nothing to Fear,
Absolutely love Karen Rose.
I loved Nothing to Fear as well.
I absolutely love Karen’s books, I feel as if I am in the book, I get so engrossed in them, and nothing else matters,i love the characters, and all their personalities, and I just can’t wait until the next book finally comes out,thank you Karen rose.
Just started reading Karen Rose on my second book and can’t put it down .If the rest of the books are as good there will be no sleep for a long time
These sound like an interesing read. I haven’t had the chance to check them out yet.
They are great reads well worth the it
I am listening to Watch Your Back as I write. I have read others out of order so this list is just what I was looking for. The names Ethan and Faith ring bells – my memory has waved bye-bye so I can re-read books or listen to CD’s
I have read all her books except the latest one “Alone in the Dark.” I hope Ms Rose can see these comments because i’m begging her to bring back Deacon and Faith again. I can’t get enough of those two, they light up the pages and Faith is such a comical character. Please please bring back Deacon and Faith (Closer than you Think). Thank you for all the sleepless nights that i couldn’t put your books down, that is a compliment not a complaint.
I am addicted to Karen Rose Books and am currently reading “Alone in the Dark”. I am so worried that I have only one more to read then I will be waiting for Karen to get cracking on another one. Please hurry Karen !!!
Just finished reading “Every dark corner” Karen Rose books are a don’t put down pleasure, They draw you in, the
characters are human and flawed, which makes them so addictive.
I love Karen Rose and have read loads of her books – but randomly. Recently Die for me, Scream for me, Kill for me. Its more than a trilogy…its like one massive book. So addictive and indulgent. Big question is should I now read others in a sequel? Are there any other fixed trilogy type series?
I have read all her books. Just loved everyone, especially the Baltimore series! Keep on writing please!!!
And yes, read them in order.
When is the next new book out as I’m suffering from withdrawal symptoms xx
I love Karen Rose books & am waiting for the newest one to e released! She is a terrific writer & all her books are well worth waiting for!
One of a few authors where I would find it difficult to pick a favourite book. I have enjoyed all of them and can’t wait for the next book to be released.
I’ve read them all and am on the last book, really enjoyed them. When is the next one please?
The next one is called Every Dark Corner and it will come out early next year, in 2017.
I am a avid fan having read all her books always waiting for the next new book.
read 1 book, absolutey glued to every page, have since bought everything else I can find. Her books are gripping & I can’t put them down until I’ve read the last page, then I just want to start the next 1!
Just finished Did you miss me. I want to point out an error. Page 500 of 534 says Too late she saw …….punctured her sons neck. Later on page 515 it says Suv…….the needle in his arm???? Was it arm or neck. I adore this author and have almost finished all of her books so I hope she’s busy writing 🙂 Cheers Jo
I love reading all of your novels. where can I buy ” kill for me”..
Karen your books have been great up until the last book. Closer than you think–had too much filler that you smothered the story. Forget what Faith says. Leave out the junk and keep writing the same way did before the last book. All that extra stuff is boring and unnecessary. We all love the way you have been writing not with all the stuff that has nothing to do with the story except fill pages.
I’M In love with Karen Rose books . I have read all her books.I am looking for The book title Broken Silence any ideas where I CAN get it from . I need this book badly .
Try looking for it on Amazon or EBay. You an also ask your neighborhood book store to order a copy for you.
just read my first book closer than you think, can’t put in down love her style of writing. Read every day and can’t wait to read more of her books.
I have just seen ‘Closer than you think’ and will buy it next week, I have read all Karen Rose books in order and can’t wait to read the latest, they are easy to follow, I carry a list of all the books, cross them off when read, add new ones when published, cross them off when read, that way you don’t miss any if you get muddled with the titles, like me.
I absolutely love all Karen Rose books and have just treated myself to ‘closer than you think’ which isn’t on the list and I didn’t know it was coming out 🙂 happy reading.
just seen ‘closer than you think’ will buy it next week, have read all the others in order, loved every one, can’t wait.
I’m a bit confused in what order to read these books have read several Karen Rose books but don’t seem to flow as I would like can you please let me know the order ? Cheers
I have read 4 of Karen’s books. I read” I can see you” first as I was visiting my husband at work in Saudi Arabia. Picked it up and couldn’t put it down. No more of hers in works library. Couldn’t wait to get home to download more onto my Kindle. Tend to alternate them with Lesley Pearse a very diverse author. Thanks and keep up the good work
I love karen rose books. The stories are amazing , you are sat on the edge of your seat. I’ve seen myself stay awake till 3 am just to finish her books. Roll on the next book x
I love her books but I should love a map of the relationships. I come across Abe or David or Dana etc and know I have met them before!
If you haven’t read a Karen rose book you haven’t lived love them all fantastic reading
I have read every book written by Karen Rose, I am getting impatient waiting for the next one.
I have read 95% of her books and absolutely adore her. I love her characters and of course the romantic side is very enjoyable.
I just read my first book by Karen about 1 month ago, have read 6 since and have picked up more until I get every one. I just love her!! I just wished it hadn’t taken me so long to find her.
I have all Karen Rose Books, they just get better and better their fab, I have just finished her latest book Closer than you think wow what a read, I can’t wait for her new book Alone in the Dark which is a continuation of Closer Than You Think.
I enjoy your books when is your next book please
Where’s the next book???????
Read everything……………………
C’mon now, hanging here………….
“Watch Your Back” was the first Karen Rose book I’ve read. I’m a fairly eclectic reader, reading everything from car manuals and cookbooks (like a novel) to history and suspense thrillers, so I don’t always go back and read everything that one author has written. However, Karen Rose will be an exception. I can’t wait to find a copy of “Don’t Tell” and get my 16 book marathon started.