Val Sorenson, an ex-marine, is leading the protection duty and it’s not long before Kaj and Elijah dig out a special place in her heart. Little does Val know though that she’s got a personal connection to the thugs gunning for Elijiah and Kaj. It’ll take all of Broussard Investigations to head off these determined villains!

When Val Sorensen of Burke Broussard Private Investigation Agency is assigned as Elijah’s bodyguard, she realises she also has a very personal connection to the gang thought to be behind the attempted kidnap – a run in with Sixth Day cost her brother his life. This riveting crime thriller, police procedural, and romantic suspense novel keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The novel builds suspense in a way that pulls readers into the lives of the characters. The plot is full of chasing down leads and interviewing people as well as plenty of danger for those involved. I enjoyed how the author provided unpredictable moments and a little humor, which offset some gruesome spots in this tale. Themes include murder, abduction, relationships, families, drugs, friendship, secrets, trust, assault, torture, corruption, and much more. Prosecutor Kaj Jean-Pierre Cardoza and his son ten-year-old son Elijah are new to the New Orleans area, only being there six months. Kaj knows there is corruption in the police department and the Prosecutor’s office has had their hands full cleaning up a past ADA’s shady dealings. Kaj has been assigned two high profile cases, one where a movie star was allegedly raped by the director and one where a drug dealer beat his son’s oncologist to death when he failed to save him. Unfortunately, both put him and his son in danger. When Elijah narrowly escapes an attempted kidnapping, Kaj doesn’t trust the police to guard them and instead hires Broussard Investigations to keep them safe. The romance develops between Broussard's agent, Val and the ADA, Kaj. They bond over Elijah and protecting his safety, as well as desire to capture the criminals. We do see some characters from the previous book in New Orleans.That man is Aaron Gates. Who it turns out is connected to a gang Sixth Day. Whom NOPD believe long disbanded but now believe are targeting Kaj's son. The best part of this story is the character development. She perfected the bad guys with all of the creepiness and meanness that draws you into the depths of the story. The supporting characters are wonderful as well. With a range of depth and conviction, Rose grabs your interest throughout this massive book.

Beyond Dark Waters is the 2nd novel in the New Orleans series. (Rose even references Scarlett from the Cincinnati series, which, for me, was one of my favorite parts of the book.) Dark Waters follows the chart-breaking Apocalypse & Chill (2020), integrating the most refined sounds in the genre. DELAIN’s renowned orchestral arrangements, highlighted by modern shadings, set new standards and manifest the five-piece on top of the scene. A sonic rollercoaster ride of catchy tunes with explosive elements - ranging from pop to film score-inspired to blistering metal - merge perfectly with Diana’s fantastic voice, showcasing her incredible talent and musical sophistication.I read the first book of the New Orleans series before reading Beneath Dark Waters, and I found that the same patterns/themes carried across. This made the story quite predictable. ELLIJAH is awesome but unbelievable at 9 years old. So definitely suspend your beliefs in this novel and just enjoy what you can. Everything lays out a bit too easily and some of the connections are OTT Another minor thing which impacted the flow of the story were giving characters names that were somewhat difficult to know how to pronounce, only for the character to explain how to pronounce their oddly spelled name. This was consistent with the first book too and something which I found quite annoying 😅. When there is an attempt to kidnap his son, Elijiah, J.P. "Kaj" Cardozo, a New Orleans ADA, is forced to admit that there are only a few people in the city he trusts. Being in the city for only six months, he has few friends on the police force, especially as his focus has been police corruption. Kaj hires Broussard Investigations to protect his son and Val Sorensen is assigned to the case. Karen Rose has written another top-notch thriller! Grab this book. You won’t be able to put it down.”— New York Times bestselling author, Brenda Novak