Book review: Cheater by Karen Rose

Cheater by Karen Rose was the first book I’d read by the popular author for quite some time. I was a Rose devotee back when I borrowed books from the library (pre-seachange) and recall at one point downloading a diagram setting out the relationship between loosely-linked books and characters. Coincidentally I noticed Rose publish something on her Facebook page just a few days ago listing her books and series for those wanting to read them in order. And certainly when I retire they are books I’d potentially read in a systematic way if I could get hold of them all.

Death is not an unfamiliar visitor to Shady Oaks Retirement Village, which provides San Diego with premier elderly support from independent retiree housing to full-time hospice care. 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, after she’d avoided the criminal psychologist—and the emotions he evokes—for the last six months.

Sam’s rapport within the retirement village proves vital to the case, and the pair find themselves working together once again—much to Kit’s dismay. But she is determined to apprehend the shadow of death lurking around Shady Oaks...and equally determined to ignore the feelings she’s developing for a certain psychologist.

I was unsure who readers may have met before here (in the first book of this San Diego Case Files series). Kit and Sam obviously and I’m assuming Kit’s work partner Connor have all featured previously along with some of Kit’s extended family.

There are a few factors at play here including the obvious murder of a retired and celebrated cop, the death of one of his friends also residing at the retirement centre and theft of that friend’s rare coin collection. Throw on top of that the supposed suicide of the retirement centre’s security boss and disappearance of the IT guy and there are questions aplenty. Kit and Connor are forced to consider whether everything is linked and stems from the theft of the coins, or is there something else sinister happening. And surely the latter is too coincidental though of course something can be correlated but not causal. Or is that vice versa?

With the focus on the investigation(s) Rose also offers up colour in the shape of Kit’s delightful family (foster parents and foster siblings, including the arrival of some newcomers). We also meet some eccentric retirement centre residents, and then there’s the hint of a romance between Kit and Sam, though the somewhat prickly cop has made it clear in the past it’s something she’s not yet ready for.

I’ve always enjoyed Rose’s romantic suspense as she gets a good balance between the two – similar to the likes of Nora Roberts, and Australia’s Fleur McDonald. It also doesn’t matter if you’re like me and haven’t read related books, as Rose is able to easily offer up fully-formed and engaging characters.  This reminded me how much I enjoy Rose’s work so I must make more of a concerted effort to get her books back on my reading list.