Say You’re Sorry, By Karen Rose

Publication: Berkley Publishing; February 12, 2019

Say you're sorry About the book:

Introducing the first novel in the pulse-pounding Sacramento series 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 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.

My Review

Say You’re Sorry is the latest mystery/thriller from author Karen Rose about Daisy Dawson – recovering alcoholic, radio host, difficult childhood, and so on. A serial killer has decided that Daisy will be his next victim, but when he attempts to abduct her, she fights back and gets away, while also grabbing a necklace off of her attacker’s neck. Enter Gideon Reynolds, a Special Agent in the FBI that also has a sad and difficult background, including escaping from a cult. Daisy’s attack and the necklace are what bring her and Gideon together, but they soon find themselves drawn into each other and almost filling the empty holes within the other. The problem? The serial killer is now after them both.

I’m ashamed to admit that this one is another that has been on my NetGalley shelf for a while, but I finally decided to knock it out. And it takes a long time to read this one. For those of you not familiar with my reading habits and style, I typically start and finish a book within 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours at most. I started and stopped this one about 5 or 6 times to where my Kindle said I was at about 26%. When I picked up at that 26% mark and finally decided to commit to it, it took about 4 1/2 hours to finish.

Besides this one being so lengthy, it also felt weighed down with a lot of unnecessary “stuff.” But much of that “stuff” left me with questions. Like Brutus, for example… What an odd therapy dog relationship… I don’t even remember how or why she got Brutus but I think he could have better-served another person really in need of and wanting to utilize a therapy dog.

Moving on, I found this plot unique and it was refreshing to find something different than everything else that is out there. A shortened and perhaps more suspenseful version would have been nice, but the parts about the killer were at times, fascinating. They were also disturbing at times, but not so much that I wouldn’t push through it.

I’ve read a great deal of character-driven novels lately, and even discussed these novels in reviews, with fellow bloggers, and with other authors. I’ve come to the realization that it’s just not my thing, for lack of a better phrase. I love in-depth characterization and I love the opportunity to connect with and grow attached to characters. But when their dialogue overtakes the entire novel (whether internal or external), becoming more prominent than action and events, I find myself bored to death. My point? I didn’t love this one, but it doesn’t mean that you won’t. If you like knowing every word every character thinks or says throughout a novel, then you may love this. I liked Daisy’s character and almost had a crush on Gideon, but at the end of the day, I didn’t find them memorable.

Say You’re Sorry was my first time reading Karen Rose. Although I didn’t love it, I will most likely read another one of her novels in the future.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing this copy in exchange for my honest review.