Say You're Sorry by Karen Rose

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.

Reviewed by ibeforem on

4 of 5 stars

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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.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 May, 2020: Finished reading
  • 14 May, 2020: Reviewed