BOOKS | kareneosborne

True Grace

A powerful story about love, courage, sacrifice, resilience, and hope, True Grace, set in 1924 during the Harlem Renaissance and Roaring Twenties, chronicles the journey of an immigrant, mixed-raced woman from The Congo, England, and Jamaica, fighting for her family's survival.

Inspired by real people and events, Grace must navigate the misogyny and racism of the courts, banks, child welfare system, and bad actors to hold her family together. Calling on her grit, determination, and grace, she must overcome harrowing circumstances. Readers will find themselves hooked from the first riveting chapter and cheering for Grace each step of the way.

"From the first masterfully written, throat-clutching chapter, I was wrenched into Grace's glass-shard strewn world. You'll root for Osborne's brilliantly crafted heroine on every high-wire page." --Elizabeth Sumner Wafler, author of A Cleft in the World

Reckonings

Reckonings hooks the reader from the first page. We meet Roxy, a harried mom and writer, who is juggling a job she hates, three young children, a fourth who is pregnant, and an unhappy husband when a dangerous man from her past reappears. This is a page-turning, family saga of suspense, secrets, retribution, and redemption.

"You know those books where you are immediately engrossed in the plot, enamored with the main characters, and eager to find out what happens next? That was what reading Reckonings was like for me. With its fast pace, well-developed characters and plot twists, Reckonings is a story you won't soon forget." - Gail Olmsted, author of Landscape of a Marriage.

Tangled Lies

On an icy day in February, African American grandmother Vera Moon arrives home to find her grown son Charlie brutally murdered. She vows to find the killer who has managed to elude the police. Not knowing where to begin, Vera is involved in a suspicious hit-and-run car accident, witnessed by a young Irish American woman, Dani, on the run from the train-wreck of her own life. As circumstances throw Vera and Dani into an unlikely alliance, the two find themselves embroiled in a web of truths and lies that imperils them both, but also may bring Charlie's murderer to justice.

"Gritty and gripping, Tangled Lies is a murder mystery with a tender heart at its core." -- Jenny Jaeckel, Author of House of Rougeaux

Getting It Right

I'm so grateful that five years later people continue to purchase and review my debut novel. Thank you.

“Osborne’s writing is simply perfect, clean, and drawing the reader into the minds of Kara and Alex, with a well-drawn assemblage of supporting characters, each integral in the exploration of the complex psychologies of the main protagonists. I loved this book. It was lyrical, sad, tragic, and affirming, and it kept me invested in Kara and Alex through every page. I’m looking forward to more from Karen E. Osborne.” -Michael Scott Hopkins, author of The Things in Heaven and Earth

“This novel is a compelling read. The author does an amazing job in weaving together important social issues with love and redemption.” -Amazon Review

“This is a well written story and quite an easy read. The story line makes you stop to think about your own life experiences and how they affect your choices. But even more it causes you to realize how important it is to be gentle with others because you do not know what life has thrown their way. I can’t wait to read Ms. Osborne’s next novel, Tangled Lies!” -Amazon Review