A New Orleans Novel: Book 4
Publication Date: August 12, 2025
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose comes another “intense, complex, and unforgettable”* novel.
Officer Naomi Cranston was framed for stealing cocaine from the evidence locker and coerced—through threats to her young son—into not fighting the charges. After five years in prison, she has tried to put the ordeal behind her, but the crooks who framed her have returned, this time demanding she move drugs along with her flower shop’s deliveries. They threaten her son once again, but this time she’s not capitulating quietly. She hires Broussard Investigations to protect her and her son, to prove her innocence, and to put the real bad guys away.
As a former cop, Burke Broussard is well aware of the corruption in the New Orleans police department. He had always believed Naomi Cranston to be guilty and isn’t inclined to take her case. Until he sits down to listen to her side of things. Until he sees her tortured innocence written all over her beautiful face…
A relationship born amid an investigation is a fragile thing. Will it survive the danger and the threats? Will it survive the truth?
Released from prison after five years for a crime she didn’t commit, all former officer Naomi Cranston wants is to rebuild the relationship with her teen son. That vulnerability is exactly what the dirty cop is counting on when he says he has a job for her—or her son will pay.
Author Karen Rose knows how to create a cast of compelling characters while juggling multiple offshoots of a central storyline. She demonstrates this skill once again in Knife in the Back. As the fourth installment in the New Orleans series, it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone.
Naomi turns to Broussard Investigations for protection, kicking off a series of high-octane adventures. As a former police officer, Burke doesn’t have much use for someone like Naomi, who betrayed the badge. However, Naomi’s story stirs his sense of justice.
The author successfully weaves in enough backstory about the supporting cast of characters to catch up those of us joining the series late. This also helps to reinforce the family concept when it comes to Broussard and his team. And when the target shifts to seemingly include anyone connected to them, efforts to put the clues together intensifies.
Why was Naomi targeted? What is her ex-husband’s involvement? Who is the mystery man giving the orders? Be ready to duck the bullets, flee from the random house fires, and watch what you drink.
Knife in the Back demonstrates the author’s trademark blend of suspense and romance wrapped up with some intriguing twists.
Karen Rose is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the bestselling New Orleans, Sacramento, Baltimore, and Cincinnati series. She has been translated into twenty-three languages, and her books have placed on the New York Times, the Sunday Times (UK), and Germany’s der Spiegel bestseller lists.
