Publication Date: August 11, 2026
A thrilling new tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose.
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?
Three years after surviving a fatal crash that killed her abusive alcoholic husband, Elle Randolph keeps her demons at bay as a bounty hunter.
Author Karen Rose serves up an action-packed thriller with The One Who Walked Away. Now, living well across the country in California, Elle and her partner are on the trail of a dangerous man.
Detective Ronan Clarke will leave no stone unturned to find out who killed a beloved innkeeper. When the bounty hunter turns up as a suspect, and the body count rises, Ronan digs in to investigate.
What he discovers is an emotionally scarred woman who uses work as a distraction. As their attraction sparks, they must work together to identify who is trying to frame Elle and why.
The One Who Walked Away delivers a romantic suspense story full of surprises.
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.
