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? * James Patterson Praise for Knife in the Back : “[A] suspenseful, intriguing, dramatic and entertaining novel with characters that had great chemistry, a splendid setting, and a story that kept me turning the pages rapidly.” -- Mystery and Suspense Magazine “Karen Rose writes heroines like no other—they’re fiercely intelligent, brave, and strong, and like Naomi, they don’t miss much…Set aside the weekend for Knife in the Back because you won’t want to stop reading.” -- Criminal Element Karen Rose writes: "The kind of high-wire suspense that keeps you riveted."— New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner "A high-octane thrill ride that kept me on the edge of my seat and up far too late at night!"— New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson "Fierce suspense and compelling romance."— New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz “A fast-paced, high-intensity story that’ll carry you along on an amazing journey.”— New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster “Blistering, high-octane suspense that never lets up.”— New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards “An up-all-night, unforgettable tale of secrets, lies, and taut suspense.”— New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers Karen Rose is the award-winning, #1 international bestselling author of more than twenty-five novels, including the bestselling San Diego Case Files and Cincinnati series. She has been translated into twenty-three languages, with more than eleven million books in print worldwide, and has appeared on the New York Times , the Sunday Times (UK), and Germany's der Spiegel bestseller lists. 1 The Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana Monday, February 24, 8:45 a.m. Burke Broussard placed the papers he'd just reviewed into a drawer in his desk at Broussard Investigations. Business completed, he wanted to spend a few minutes with the man he'd called brother since they were teenagers. "Everything looks good, as usual, Kaleb. Thank you." Kaleb accepted the thanks with a nod and the smile Burke had grown up seeing. It was a bittersweet connection to better times, because he and Kaleb were the only ones left now. Burke's mother, his uncle Larry. And Kyra, of course. All gone these twenty-five years. Even Kaleb's father, Uncle Larry's dear friend and business partner, was gone now. It was just Burke and Kaleb. "Now that the business is out of the way," Kaleb said, "how the hell are you?" The "business" was Kaleb's quarterly presentation of their company's profit and loss statement, along with the new initiatives that kept Fontenot Industries at the top of its game. Burke didn't always understand the software that the engineers were designing, but he could read a P&L. Their company was doing very well. Kaleb Marchand was the genius behind all the tech. As the owner, Burke mostly just signed the checks. The profits he made from Fontenot allowed him to fund the work he really loved-getting justice for those who'd been let down by the law. Some of the people he aided didn't have the money to pay them. Because of Uncle Larry and his gift that kept on giving year after year, Burke could do a lot of pro bono work. "Oh, you know," Burke said with a shrug. "Same old, same old." Kaleb shook his head fondly. "Meaning you have loads of cases you can't tell me anything about." He looked over his shoulder to the closed office door. "Glad to see Joy looking so healthy." "You and me both." Burke's office administrator had been shot two years before and had taken eighteen months to come back to her job full-time. Rehab took a lot longer with age. Joy wasn't all that old-only thirteen years older than Burke's forty-three-but her body had taken a real beating. She'd nearly died. However, she was back at her desk, and he couldn't be happier. "How are Juliette and the kids?" "Juliette's got the ho