Count to Ten

I picked up Karen Rose's 'Count to Ten' after noticing that someone who had bought my novel Divine Intervention also bought Count to Ten. :) Karen Rose is a new author for me and I thought I should check her out since she's also writing about a deadly arsonist. I was hoping it would keep me up all night, maybe give me nightmares. And I wasn't disappointed. Since recent posts here go into plot and I don't want to rehash it, I'll say that Rose's characters ring true. They are multi-dimensional in humor and spirit. The relationships between the characters will sometimes frustrate, but will definitely make you remember them. I have to give this 5/5 stars. Count to Ten is a fast read, a great read for the car or a trip...and a great escape. The scenes are vivid and gruesome; the romance sizzles! And the main protagonist Mia Mitchell is admirable. Very reminiscent of Kay Hooper's series! Now I'll have to go back and read the preceding novels. Thanks, Karen! :) ~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif Author of Divine Intervention

This is the first book by Karen Rose I have read and I intend to read more of her books! The book begins with a prologue taking place in Springdale, Indiana on Thanksgiving night, November 23rd. A murderer/arsonist is watching a home he set on fire go up in flames and the apparently two people he trapped in it die. He is intensely glad he did it as he is full of rage for what those people did to his younger brother Shane. Why after eleven years was he full of rage? He thinks "because of the boy." Someone did the same thing to another boy. This arsonist/murderer is feeling vulnerable with this rage so he feels everyone that caused it or stood by and did nothing to help must go so that he can feel good again. This is the premise for "Count to Ten". The reader is taken to Chicago where a young college student is dog-sitting and has come back to the house to study away from her friends who want to party as she is concerned about flunking out. She is viciously murdered and burned by someone. Enter in Lt. Reed Solliday, a fire marshall, called to the scene. He begins the investigation which is clearly arson and murder although the victim is burned beyond recognition. Due to the homicide a detectice, Mia Mitchell of the Chicago PD, is assigned to be Reed's partner and he assigned to be hers. She is back -- maybe too early -- from being shot and is still hot to get the criminals who shot her and her partner, Abe, almost fatally. The last thing she wants as a woman who avoids entanglements is the hot-looking Lr. Solliday. Mia is careless with her appearance and is actually mistaken for a homelss person by Solliday when he arrives at the police station! Mia has to deal with her partner's wife being angry -- not that Mia was there when Abe was shot or not protecting him well -- but that Mia hasn't visited him in the hospital or answered phone calls and has basically hidden away for several weeks. Mia is relieved that neither Abe nor his wife hold her at fault but she holds herself at fault. Mia is very tough on herself as her father who died three weeks ago was also a cop and he was tough on her and abusive as well. Lt. Solliday and Mia rub each other the wrong way right off the bat but soon come to admire each other's skill and integrity. Solliday's wife passed away ten years ago and he still wears his wedding band on a chain around his neck and reads a notebook of poetry she wrote. Neither he nor Mia are interested in doing anything but finding the murderer/arsonist whose crimes and victims are escalating at a very rapid pace and whose motives are unclear. The thrills and mystery as Mia and Solliday and the other police work to find the murderer/arsonist as well as find the shooters of Mia and her partners are well detailed and suspenseful. Also how Mia and Reed grow to admire each other and become entangled in each other's lives even while claiming they want "no strings," is warm, touching and romantic with a bit of humor thrown i

Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant Reed Solliday investigates a series of arsons when a homicide is added to the crimes. The police assign Detective Mia Mitchell to look into the murder aspects of the case. Neither the fire inspector nor the homicide cop is pleased with their superiors teaming them up to catch a deadly arsonist. Mia is dissatisfied to be pulled off her current investigation into finding the culprit whose actions has left her partner hospitalized while Reed thinks she is too preoccupied with the inquires into her partner's injuries and grieving the death of her father to be of any use on his case. As they overcome their doubts about each other, they begin to uncover an attraction to one another while their adversary remains just out of reach. However, neither expected the serial arsonist-killer would begin making the cat and mouse game personal choosing Mia as the epicenter of the next inferno. Fans of Karen Rose's fine romantic mysteries will recognize the heroine as a tough chip off the old block police detective from tales like I'M WATCHING YOU, NOTHING TO FEAR and YOU CAN'T HIDE; this time she is the star. The story line is filled with plenty of fiery action, but what keeps it fresh is the changing relationship between the two new partners as each has a reason to disbelieve the creditability of the other, but slowly come around in more ways than just a police-fire procedural focused on stopping a serial killing arsonist. Readers will appreciate this warm (no pun intended) romantic whodunit starring two independent fiery lead protagonists. Harriet Klausner

Mia Mitchell is a detective with the Chicago Police Dept, she is the partner of Abe Reagan from I'M WATCHING YOU. Abe and Mia have been shot while on duty and Mia blames herself for not firing sooner. She thinks Abe will blame her too. Imagine her surprise when his wife jumps her not because she did not save him, but because she has not visited him in the hospital. He has been worrying non stop about his friend and partner. Mia was raised by an abusive father, who was a cop, and she has never revealed the story to anyone. Her sister is in jail for armed robbery and only she knows the horror both lived thorough. Mia has found it hard to trust a man and at 34 has pretty much given up hope of finding a man she can love and trust. Lt. Reed Solliday is with the fire dept. He is a widower, who has turned his home into a shrine for the woman he lost, He has a 14 yr old daughter and his adopted sister lives close by to take care of them. In the last eleven yrs he hasn't met anyone like Mia. She sets off feelings he has not had in a long time. Both are determined not to let the fires of passion confuse them and push them into a deeper relationship. Maybe they can enjoy the fire without paying the price. They have a seriel firebug who is murdering and raping the women then burning them up in the houses. At first it is not considered a seriel. But shortly after the first body is found another house and woman are burned and raped. The problem is finding the connection, they know there has to be one. The writing is wonderful, the police procedures fully explained, and the basic rules that all cops follow finally lead them to their suspect. But he blames them for the fact that he has been unable to complete his circle of revenge. Then he sets out to punish Mia and Reed for their interference. This is a one sit reader. You will not be able to put it down. I really enjoyed it.

I love this author! I would give her book six stars if possible! After being called to the scene of a horrific house fire, Lt. Reed Solliday quickly realizes that he has more than a case of arson on his hands. When they find a body inside, they quickly surmise that not only was the fire arson, but the person inside was murdered. Because of the homicide, Reed is forced to partner with Detective Mia Mitchell. At first Reed isn't too sure about Mia's capabilities as a Detective. He soon realizes that his first impressions of her were as far off the mark as possible. Detective Mia Mitchell has come back to work after a stint on disability. In a shooting that almost turned deadly, Mia took a shot to the arm while her partner almost died. Convinced that she is at fault for not protecting her partner, Mia has punished herself for weeks while avoiding her friends and family. When she is paired up with Reed Solliday, she is determined that he will never be more than a temporary partner. Together, Mia and Reed race to stop a killer whose violence is escalating by the day. In a series of horrifying murders, they both know that the killer won't stop until they stop him. In her usual way, Karen Rose brings the killer to life in the readers eyes, giving us insight into his thoughts. The suspense in this book will grab you from the first page and won't let you go until you finish the book. The romance adds to the book, rather than detracting from it. I finished it in one day because I could not put it down. There are many twists and turns in COUNT TO TEN. Even the secondary characters, including both Mia and Reed's family and friends, don't take away from the plot of the book. Instead, they add to it making the book even better. Karen Rose gets better with every book she writes. Do not pass this one up!