Book Review: Cheater by Karen Rose

Cheater
Author: Karen Rose
Series: The San Diego Case Files (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley (March 26, 2024)

Description: A shocking murder leaves an affluent retirement community reeling in this riveting, high-stakes second installment of the San Diego Case Files, from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose.

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.

My Thoughts: The second book in the San Diego Case Files series reunites Detective Kit McKittrick and Dr. Sam Reeves. Kit is called to the Shady Oaks Retirement village when a resident is found dead with a butcher knife in his chest. Sam is already there since he has volunteered there for a number of years. Kit has managed to avoid Sam for some months because he frightens her by the depth of her feelings for him. Now they have to work together. 

The first victim is Frankie Flynn who was a good friend of Sam's since he reminds him of the grandfather he lost. It is discovered that Frankie was a former homicide lieutenant in San Diego who left at age 55 to marry his long-time male lover Ryan. The two build a life and career in the antiques business in San Francisco but returned to move to the retirement community when Ryan's sister and brother-in-law Benny moved in and remained there when both Ryan and his sister died. 

Kit and Sam need to find out who wanted Frankie dead and, along the way, discover that there are lots shady going on in the retirement community. The director of security is found dead in a cheap hotel in a supposed suicide, the IT guy disappears, and Benny dies of a supposed heart attack after his $4 million is found missing. 

And while being deep in their investigation, Kit needs to come to terms with her feeling for Sam before it is too late for both of them.

This was an excellent thriller. I enjoyed the twisty plot and the wonderful characters. 

I bought this one January 2, 2025. You can buy your copy here.