Review

Beneath Dark Waters is the second novel of the New Orleans which focuses on Assistant District Attorney Kaj Cordozo and Val Sorensen who works as an investigator with Burke Broussard. Kaj approaches the agency when his young son is almost kidnapped and Val is assigned to protect Elijah. Kaj is working on a couple of high profiles cases which have put him in the media spotlight so the threat of a further abduction is all too real. Elijah is a sweet child who has already lost his mother to cancer and is also suffering from juvenile diabetes but he takes an instant liking to Val Sorenson who he thinks is extremely cool as she does roller derby.

Kaj previously met Val, a former marine, at a party held at Gabe Hebert’s restaurant and was immediately attracted to her but his fears for his son are at the foremost of his mind for now. As Val moves into his house to begin her protection detail, Kaj can’t help noticing how good she is with his son and his attraction for her grows. When one of the kidnappers is identified, Kaj realises the threat is connected Aaron Gates who is in prison for beating his son’s doctor to death. Aaron’s brother, Corey, hides behind a construction company he establishes with his former service buddies but they are really drug traffickers and killers for hire. As well as looking for revenue, Aaron has also been hired to kill an actress who is about to testify in a rape case that also involves Kaj.

The plot is a complex one and before long Burke Broussard’s entire agency is involved in the protection detail but they are stretched dangerously thin as Kaj does not trust the police department. While all this is going on, Val actively encourages her bakery friends to deliver goodies to the house on a regular basis which seems an absolute breach of security until you realise it is a plot device to allow the bad guys to gain access to the house. There are quite a few poor decisions made at different points of the story, especially when it appears that Val’s past may be tied in with the Gates family.

Both Val and Kaj are likeable protagonists and there are plenty of sparks between them to make their romance plausible, however the claustrophobic atmosphere of a house under guard leaves them little room to explore their feelings. However, it is not long before Val finds her way into Kaj’s bed and they are not fooling anyone when they try to keep their relationship under wraps. As usual, Rose’s characters have plenty of baggage to overcome and Val has more than most with a rape, an estranged family and a murdered brother in the mix. While Val is as tough as they come, she can be vulnerable too which gives her a softer side.