Thank you to Bookouture & NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

This is a slow burn police procedural that takes you on a ride. While this is the second book in a series, you can absolutely read this as a standalone, as Carla Kovach does a great job of explaining just enough of Detective Gina Hart's backstory, so you are able to connect with who she is and why she doing what she is.

I do enjoy Gina as a character, considering I am a big fan of flawed, broken characters. I think getting to see her character continue to grow as the series progresses will be excellent, as there is so much potential in her.

While this plot was slow to unravel for me, I really enjoyed the premise of the plot and the idea that an average suburban housewife (who has turned up murdered) might not have had such a blasé, beige life that everyone thought she did. I loved how the various characters intersected in this story, and more than that, I enjoyed how everyone seemed to remain a suspect right through the end.

This is the makings of a classic drama driven police series and I am excited to see where GIna goes next!

From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the second book in the Detective Gina Harte series and I am hooked! OMG, this series is so addicting and compelling...I just love when I find these crime fiction/police procedural series with a strong female lead.

This is a twisty, dark installment, but I have to say, I really liked it. It definitely kept me glued to the pages as I tried to figure out what was going on and I loved just how determined Detective Gina Harte was to get to the bottom of things. I think she is really what makes this series and while it is much more plot driven than character-driven, we still are slowly learning all about Gina Harte as the series progresses. But so far - she is one tough cookie who will stop at nothing to solve a case. And it seemed with this one that the deeper she and her team got into the case, the more complicated it became.

I loved all the twists and turns this book took - it really kept me on my toes as I was trying to figure out where things were headed and who was doing what. And I loved that the tension was ever so slowly building as the book progressed...this is one book that the deeper you got into it, the harder it becomes to put down! It becomes quite suspenseful as the layers start to come undone and you slowly get the bigger picture of what is really happening.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment in this series and am already looking forward to the next book - I cannot wait to learn more about Gina herself and see what type of case she finds herself working on next!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an ARC of this book.

Loved the story-line, the characters and how easy these books are to read.

If you're a fan of Lynda la Plante's Jane Tennison or Martina Cole's Kate Burrows, then you'll love DI Gina Harte!

She's vulnerable, feisty and kicks a%% all at the same time!

Highly recommended

I haven't read the previous book in the Gina Harte series so I wasn't sure what to expect but I was really impressed by this book. I liked Gina's character a lot, although I did feel I'd missed something about her backstory so maybe a little bit about this would be good in future books for anyone who hasn't read the whole series. That didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book though. I was hooked from the very beginning, when we first meet Melissa (albeit very briefly!) and there was lots of suspense. Although I thought there was something "off" about one of the characters, I didn't actually see the twist coming.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* This is the second book in the Gina Harte detective series and whilst I thoroughly enjoyed book number 1, 'The Next Girl', I did not find the follow up novel as engaging and reluctantly gave it only 3 stars. Having said that, assuming there is a third book in the series, I will still probably read it, as I think that there is a great deal of potential in Kovach's writing. 'Her Final Hour' focusses on the murder of a young mother, whose body is found in her home, whilst her young daughter is also in the house. More is revealed about Gina Harte, the lead detective's back story and I did enjoy those elements. I just found the murder investigation a little more disjointed than the previous book. Still an enjoyable enough and engaging read, though.

I absolutely adored this book, I love Gina, the main character, and the people around her are so believable too! Carla is fantastic at weaving a story, just like a web, I wish it was never ending! It took 2 days to read this book, it is the 2nd in a series, although you can also read as a stand alone.I am so glad I was allowed to read this book, I feel so privileged to be able to review as well.Cannot wait for her 3rd book now, this was that good!

Having not read the first in the series, I wasn't sure what to expect from Detective Gina Harte. I quickly realized that I will be wanting to read the first book and look forward to the next installment! When a man comes home to find his wife brutally murdered in their own kitchen, Detective Harte quickly recognizes that there are also signs of terrible abuse of both the mother as well as their young daughter. While the husband has a solid alibi, she's not about the allow him to have his daughter back. Meanwhile, a young woman goes missing and there are evidence connections that cannot be ignored. As she tries to puzzle the connection, she herself becomes a target of the same killer or killers who come very close to killing her twice. Pieces start to slowly fall together as the murdered woman's husband's friends are questioned along with their "Stepford" like spouses. One spouse however, controlled by her husband through mental, physical and chemically induced means, learns the truth about her husband when, after she tries to help her escape, she witnesses his killing of her and makes clear that she will follow the same fate. As Detective Harte battles her own traumatic history as well as her would-be killer, she only becomes more determined to find him and whomever he is involved with and bring them to justice. Exciting, well-paced read!

Thankyou to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author, Carla Kovach, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Her Final Hour in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I was hooked. I found the storyline to be well thought out and fast paced. The suspense was high throughout until the stunning conclusion. This was a book that keeps you guessing while you turn the pages.
Definitely well worth a read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC of Her Final Hour.

From the beginning of Her Final Hour until the end, the suspense was high! I couldn't put this book down! At first I was slightly confused at who the characters were, but just a little ways in, everything started piecing together nicely.

The attacks are graphic and left me heartbroken for the victims. The cast of characters left me unsettled; the "stepford wives" and the creepy husbands with their perfect alibis. I rooted along with the investigators to find the attacker(s). You can tell something dark is brewing against the lead detective, SOI Gina. When Gina gets brutally attacked, the story takes an even darker turn. I found myself looking over my shoulder and jumping at random noises!

Although the book is a bit predictable about who all is involved with the attacks/murders, it is still very in-depth and a great page turner! Make sure to read this one during the day and check your locks before bed!

Very well written book. Full of suspense, drama and twists. A great detective story for those who love that kind of books.. Felt like I knew the characters personally.

So, I didn't read the first book in this series (or if I did, I don't remember it), but this definitely works as a standalone.

Though we have a little bit of a slow start, things ramp up into a gripping and fast-paced mystery!

I really liked Gina Harte and would happily read more books starring her. She's definitely not your same old/same old detective.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

A woman is murdered in her own home. She is discovered by her husband who was out at the time as he often is!! Loads of shady characters in this one. And all is definitely not as it seems! Really enjoyed this one as i did the first. Thanks Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book.

One of the best thrillers I have read this year! It was so hard to put down. This was the 1st book I have read by Kovach, and I can't wait to pick up another one! Thank you netgalley for this free eARC.

What a page turner! This is a great addition to a promising series and I can't wait to read what the author comes up with next for Detective Harte!

HER FINAL HOUR by Carla Kovach is a great suspense novel. I had never read any of Kovach's novels before but I will be on the hunt to read more from this great author.

Second installment in the Detective Gina Harte series had me reading a darker plot. Gina is called in to investigate Melissa's murder in her own kitchen. On examination, Melissa's body shows signs of chronic abuse, so does her daughter.
Carla Kovach has created a darker atmosphere in this book with the theme of abuse. Gina is still struggling to find a middle ground with her daughter and a relationship with her granddaughter
The story had its own unlikable characters especially the husband and his weird friends. The story works a detective thriller, though abuse is not a topic I want to read again.

I enjoyed the first book featuring Gina Harte so I was delighted to see another one in the series. Although it is the second in the series it could be read quite satisfyingly as a stand-alone.

Gine has not even had time to unpack her bags after a short break away when she gets a call to attend a murder scene.

Melissa seemed to have it all, a beautiful home, a lovely two year old daughter & a successful husband. Why then was she murdered in her own kitchen? Gina doesn't believe all is as it seems. Melissa's body show signs of long term abuse & her daughter has some suspicious bruises. Her husband seems to have an airtight alibi but something about his circle of friends makes Gina uneasy.

Carla Kovach creates some very unpleasant characters. This book is not comfortable reading but it does keep you glued to the page. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this.

This book is the second in the Gina Harte series by Kovach. In the first book, we are introduced to DI Harte and learn that she has had a violent and troubling past. This theme continues in this installment. Harte is a dedicated police officer, who sacrifices her own happiness for the job. Chased by a past marriage to an abusive husband, Harte dedicates all of her life to protecting others from violent perpetrators, often at the expense of her relationship to her grown daughter and her grand-daughter. In a very bizarre string of murders and attacks, Harte and her crew chase multiple leads and are confronted with a very shocking conclusion. Harte's drive to solve the mystery also puts herself in harm's way. The story is intriguing and the plot twists are plentiful. I look forward to the next installment of this series.

This is the second book in the DI Gina Harte series and having really enjoyed the first book, I was really keen to get my hands on Her Final Hour!

The story is very well written, it has great pace and really well developed characters. The plot has plenty of twists and it is quite dark in places, but I thought it was a thoroughly enjoyable story.

Four stars from me, I really enjoyed it – highly recommended!

DI Gina Harte and her team investigate the murder of Melissa Sanderson, who seemingly had an ideal marriage, a perfect house, and a darling two-year-old daughter. At the same time, Ellie Redfern has returned to Cleevesford to confront the demons of her past. As these two cases converge, and Harte is attacked by an ominous man in a forensics suit and red mask, the investigative team wonders what is behind the veil of perfection portrayed by Darrel Sanderson, Melissa's widow, and his friends.

This is the second book in the DI Gina Harte series, and the members of Harte's team are the same, but it is not necessary to read The Next Girl to understand the plot. Gina is a determined, scrappy detective who was abused in a past relationship. I was thankful that her daughter, Hannah, was less present in this book because I found her annoying and unsympathetic in the previous entry to the series. When Melissa's autopsy shows signs of past abuse, her history comes to the fore and provides even greater motivation for her to solve the case. Her co-workers, DCI Briggs, DS Wyre, DS Driscoll, and DS O'Connell receive little characterization.

The crimes themselves are creepy and somewhat intriguing, though what ties the cabal of friends surrounding the murder is not explained enough to fulfill my curiosity. I found the book an easy "clear the palate" read, but some aspects of the writing were not to my taste. For example, there are several sections with long lists of questions, and if you read my reviews, you know this is one of my biggest pet peeves. I also found that some of the writing was undeveloped with characteristics including not using contractions in dialogue when it would be appropriate, overlying on phrases like "how dare you!," or having characters engage in knee-jerk reactions to anger or frustration with violence or thoughts of violence.

If you are looking for a quick, non-taxing read, Her Final Hour might be for you. Otherwise, there are more sophisticated options in the genre.