Article and Interview by Elise Cooper
Edge of Darkness by Karen Rose is the fourth book of the famous suspenseful Cincinnati series. As with most of her books she explores relevant issues centered around friends and colleagues. This one is no different since the current issues of abuse and addiction become the main theme of the novel.
Meredith Fallon counsels sexually abused women like Mallory Martin to help them reintegrate into the world. But not everyone sees it as honorable and decides to eliminate her by hiring a killer. Detective Adam Kimble doesn’t even hesitate when his boss orders him to investigate. Old feelings come to the surface since the two had a brief relationship earlier. But Adam pulled away as he struggled with events that were truly harrowing. Knowing he is a recovering alcoholic he feels he doesn’t want to depend on the relationship with Meredith, essentially moving from one addiction to another. This becomes a tale of damaged people who re-connect during a violent and frightening time of their life. They must struggle with their demons, getting the relationship to work, and finding the killer.
Elise Cooper: Why the Cincinnati setting?
Karen Rose: I wanted a big city set in the Midwest, and I knew about it since I lived there for fifteen years. Because I include issues about women in my books I knew that this was the perfect area to set my stories. Ohio is one the biggest states where human trafficking goes on, mostly because of Highway I-75. As I was considering who the series would be centered around I remembered that Meredith, the heroine of this novel, was in a book from a previous series and lived in Cincinnati.
EC: Rumor has it this will be the last book in the series?
KR: Not true, and I want to reassure readers this is not the last book. The next book will come out in about a year and a half. It will focus on my characters Diesel and Dani. For those who do not know, Diesel, whose real name is Elvis, is this big tattooed guy who looks really mean, but isn’t. Because he has PTSD he has a phobia about doctors. Even though Dani is a doctor he still worships her, but from afar.
EC: You explore Adam Kimble’s backstory in this novel?
KR: In the first book of the series he appears as a belligerent jerk. As the series progresses we see him changing and having to deal with something terrible that happened to him, which throws him off the rails. Now he is a recovering alcoholic who is learning to face his demons. Even though he feels very connected to Meredith, Adam understands she cannot be his reason for sobriety. He knows he must get better on his own, and not be dependent on her. Readers see that Adam is capable of surviving without Meredith, but also knows he will be happy if they are together. As with most people, they do not have charmed lives and have some source of pain. During several points in this book I cried because it is what many of my friends experienced. They needed to understand you must live your life for yourself, not for others. My characters are banged up by life, but can still hold their own.
EC: This story emphasizes the non-traditional family?
KR: All my characters are strong on their own, but stronger with others. The family they were born into either doesn’t exist or they are estranged so they made a new family of friends. These characters are survivors with Meredith as the hub who keeps all her friends together. This circle of friends come together for support. The family they now have is the family they have made.
EC: You delve into abuse?
KR: Abuse of women is a big theme in my books. I continued the story from the previous book, Every Dark Corner. It dealt with Mallory Martin who was abused and now in this book she is recovering. I think there is a fine line between actively showing abuse on the page and being too provocative. I don’t want to provide any material that will be too salacious.
EC: Did you know anyone who was abused?
KR: I had my own ‘#MeToo’ moment. At nineteen I had to quit a job that was good paying and one I liked because I did not see any way out of the situation. I did not think anyone would believe me. Almost every woman I talked to had a Me Too incident. It is a big part of my books because it is a big part of our lives.
EC: Can you give us a heads up about your next book projects?
KR: Right now I am in California researching my next series that will be set in Sacramento. I will pull a few characters from previous books and there will definitely be murders happening.
The last book in the Baltimore series titled, Death Is Not Enough, will highlight Thorne and Gwyn. This is the sequel to Monster In The Closet. This is the story of Gwyn taking her life back and Thorne, a defense attorney trying to find who out who is framing him.
EC: THANK YOU!!
