Book review: The One Who Walked Away by Karen Rose

The One Who Walked Away by Karen Rose reminded me why I used to be such a fan of romantic suspense. I read a stack of her books back in the early 2000s, along with Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Elizabeth Lowell, Jayne Ann Krentz and Suzanne Brockmann. Although I’m not a fan of straight romance (ie. solely romance, not non-gay romance!) romantic suspense kinda ticks a few boxes for me, those books becoming a comfort-read of sorts. This is marked as Mendocino #1 so presumably the start of a new linked series… our main characters here being a family lawyer turned bounty hunter and a small town detective.

About this book

Bounty hunter Elle Randolph takes on every case she can, in an effort to outrun herself. Three years ago, she was the only one who walked away from a car crash that killed her husband and two others. Although she was cleared of any wrongdoing, she is fueled by guilt and dedicated to solving other people’s problems. But her running is over when she’s identified as a person of interest in a murder investigation.

Detective Ronan Clarke, a single dad for fifteen years, has been laser-focused on raising his daughter and serving the people of Mendocino County, California. He’s got everything under control—until a bounty hunter enters his jurisdiction, keeping secrets and bringing murder to his quiet town. The hunter is definitely involved in his current case, but exactly how is his question. Could she be his killer? As he unravels her secrets, he becomes increasingly troubled by what he finds. While Elle is forced to reexamine every painful memory of the life she left behind, Ronan grows more and more sure of her innocence. But can he trust himself to uncover the truth amid their growing attraction?

My thoughts

Rose includes a prologue here which gives us Elle’s ‘origin story’ in that we learn she was in an abusive marriage (despite representing and advocating for victims of domestic violence as a family lawyer) when she is in an accident killing her husband and two others. Although it helps her conscience little, police cleared her of any wrongdoing as her very drunk husband caused the accident.

We then fast forward a few years and Elle no longer practices law but is working with old college friends as a bounty hunter. Here however, she’s starting to have some doubts about that choice of career, particularly thanks to her colleague’s penchant for breaking rules and keeping things from police.

They’re in Mendocino County looking for someone who skipped bail and much of the early part of the novel involves them following clues and traces of the skipper’s* wife who not-cleverly is using his credit card. Ronan is a very likeable detective who left big city life after his wife left him and their young daughter. He comes across Elle and her partner after he learns they visited a woman who was later murdered. They assume it was the skipper who knew the bounty hunters talked to the victim, his former teacher, and he retaliated.

Despite her partner’s reluctance Elle finds herself helping Ronan… the pair becoming increasingly attracted to each other. Unfortunately for Elle more bodies stack up and evidence is found that indicates she’s guilty of the crimes.

This is kinda predictable. I guessed the ‘why’ early on but I enjoyed the book a lot so didn’t mind how long it took us (and Ronan and Elle) to get there. As someone who prefers shorter books, like Rose’s other reads, at 500+ pages this again was a smidge long. That aside I also liked both lead characters and some of the support cast who I assume will feature in future books in the series.

The One Who Walked Away by Karen Rose was published by Headline and is now available.

I received an electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

* I had never heard the term ‘skipper’ used for someone who skips out on bail. It makes complete sense though.