Say You're Sorry (Sacramento, #1)

by Karen Rose

A serial killer terrorizing the women of Sacramento meets his match in this pulse-pounding novel from New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose.

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. 

The necklace is more than a trivial item—it is a link to a cold case that Special Agent Gideon Reynolds has been tracking for seventeen years. With Daisy’s help, Gideon finally has the opportunity to get closer to the truth than ever before. 

But they might not get the chance, as the serial killer has a new target: Gideon and Daisy.

• ISBN10: 0399586725
• ISBN13: 9780399586729
• Publish Date: 12 February 2019
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 18 September 2020
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Berkley Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 624
• Language: English

Reviews

[ibeforem]

I don't think I've ever read a bad Karen Rose novel.

Daisy Dawson is just walking home from her AA meeting, minding her own business, when she is grabbed by a masked man. Thankfully, her instincts and self-defense training kick in, and she is able to fight him off -- but not before accidentally pulling a locket from around his neck that ends up being connected to another missing woman.

When Detective Rafe Sokolov (who happens to also be Daisy's landlord) sees the locket, he immediately calls his friend, FBI Agent Gideon Reynolds. Because he's seen the design on the locket before -- on Gideon's chest -- and thinks it may be a clue to the location of the cult Gideon escaped from when he was 13.

So you can see, there are a couple of different story lines here. First and primary is finding the serial killer who tried to take Daisy, but along the way Gideon is also trying to find the cult he escaped from, in hopes of saving the other children who are still there, trapped and abused, and of bringing justice to the men who run it.

Don't get me wrong -- this isn't a great work of literature. There is a lot of sharing and rehashing of past traumas between Daisy and Gideon and some of the other characters. There's maybe a few too many characters, in that "this is a romance series so I need to set up the characters for the next books" way. But I find the rhythm and predictability of romantic suspense to be rather comforting, despite the dark subject matter. Karen Rose is a romantic suspense author I'll always pick up.

[Berls]

I LOVED this book and will be hunting down more Karen Rose for sure! First off, it's long - the audiobook was 24 hours and 6 minutes - and that is typically a turn off for me. Thankfully I can read at 2x speed, so that cut it to 12 hours, but still... super long! But look, I read it in 4 days while living my busy life. BECAUSE IT WAS SO GOOD!

What worked for me:
- the characters! they are so complex and full. She used every bit of that length to make characters that really come off the page and to life. They have complicated backgrounds that truly inform their present decisions. Their relationships are beautiful and again, complex. There isn't a character that I wouldn't like to see their entire story - even the serial killers. This isn't one of those books where you like the villain, but man, you do feel SOMETHING for him and you understand how he got so fucked up, even if you still hate him.
- the plot! It was non-stop. I hated every time I had to hit pause to go live my life. There are several story threads and they are all pretty intertwined, but not in a confusing way. Instead, each thread adds to each other and just makes the story more robust.
- the suspense! I know this is like a sub-point for the plot, but I need to emphasize what a page-turner this is. You are seeing the story from multiple points of view and each one only escalates the tension and anticipation.
- The dogs! There are two pretty important dogs in this story and as a dog lover, that really does add a lot to the story for me. And, as a dog lover, any book where a dog is killed does not work for me, so don't worry!
- The romance! So I won't lie, this was kind of background for me and not super important - but it did play into why I liked the characters so much. It was a sweet romance - one that a character had tried to bring together in the past and now is happening because of this awful situation and it was cute seeing them have to admit that person had been right all along. And there's even a really good scene where safe sex is addressed, which is really important to me in my romance books!

What didn't work:
- um, can I have a sequel please? Now?

Narration:
- I have to add that this book was made all the better by Joel Froomkin's narration. You ever finish an audiobook and have to stop and think, "was that 1 narrator or 2?" because you were so oblivious to the narration? That was Joel's narration for me. I just felt like I was watching a movie with a full cast of actors, I think. I wasn't really aware of him - which to me says his narration was fantastic. I didn't ever stop to think something he said or some accent he used was good or bad, it just was there. At one point I actually considered speeding the story up from 2x because I had a book club deadline I wasn't sure I would meet - I decided not to because I didn't want to miss ANYTHING in the book - but his narration was good enough I think I could have.

So basically, if you like romantic suspense I INSIST you put this on your TBR. Like yesterday!

[thebookdisciple]

Say You're Sorry spins off from Rose's Baltimore series; the heroine is the sister of Taylor from Monster in the Closet. Daisy is attacked by an unknown assailant but in the scuffle she manages to get some evidence that startles FBI agent Gideon Reynolds. This event kicks off a series of hide and seek between a serial killer and Daisy, the one who got away.

I love several things about this book:

1.   Gideon grew up in a cult. I find those backstories fascinating!


2.   I love the way Rose layers her story. Written in 3rd person, the reader is given the story in sequential order with time/date stamps. You are constantly aware of what is going on with ALL the characters at any given time. You have a clear idea of when an event occurs in relation to other events. For someone like me who needs visuals, this timeline set up is divine.


3.   Daisy is a recovering addict. Not many authors write stories that feature a recovering addict. Daisy has many imperfections-her childhood lead her to the destructive path of alcoholism and she is working every day to stay clean.


4.   I love getting in the mind of the killer. Its super disturbing and creepy, but it makes the experience of reading feel immersive! I have a weird fascination with true crime, so my addiction to romantic suspense with serial killers is just part of my love for true crime! Rose does a good job of making the killer a developed character in the story. You get his backstory and his motivations. Rose doesn't do this to make you feel anything for him, but so you can get a sense of how he got to this place. Giving the killer a fleshed out story keeps them from being a static, stereotype of 'evil'.

The story does get a bit gory at times and might not be everyone's cup of tea. However, you can always skim the really gory parts because the story is that good!! The relationship between Gideon and Daisy is wonderful and I loved seeing it build amongst the backdrop of a killer on the hunt. Say You're Sorry is a LONG read, but every page is worth it.

 

•   POV: 3rd


•   Tears: no


•   Trope: FBI, dysfunctional family


•   Triggers: Gideon's cult experiences might be difficult for some readers; also, as I mentioned, the killer is pretty gory in his actions


•   Series/Standalone: stand alone


•   Cliffhanger: no


•   HEA: yes

other romantic suspense authors like Toni Anderson, Laura Griffin, Brenda Novak, Christie Craig...then you will probably like Say You're Sorry!

 

Say You're Sorry

 

See full review on The Book Disciple

[layawaydragon]

I really enjoyed this! We find out who's the main villain like half way through, which surprised me. I worried the rest would just be sex. Nope! It went directions I wasn't expecting and I couldn't put it down. I read it all in one night.

Okay, I will admit that I did end up skipping over some of the sexy bits, but I'm always more for the plot. I certainly 'buy' their relationship & connection, but I'm demi & it just gets awkward for me reading those kind of scenes sometimes.