I'll be shelving this book for now and hoping to come back to it in the future.

Thank you for the opportunity to read. Hoping to be at a better place to read this one.

A suspenseful thriller like no other, Dark Storm is about Forensic psychologist Claire Markwood. Shee has experienced her share of disaster. But nothing could prepare her for her sister, Darcy, going missing.

As Claire rushes to the butterfly sanctuary where Darcy has been working, she realizes her sister along with her car and some of the sanctuary’s rarest species of butterflies, has seemingly vanished without a trace.

What a great story, captivating!

I liked how the dark mystery sucked me into a nightmare no one would ever want to be in. It was very well written and flowed well together. I really enjoyed this, I gave it a four out of five stars.

Karen Harper writes an entertaining romantic suspense thriller with an edge. This was book six in the South Shores series and even though I have never read any the the previous five, I was happy to dive straight in as the synopsis was very appealing.

Forensic psychologist Claire Markwood's sister, Darcy, has disappeared. Claire rushes to the butterfly sanctuary where Darcy works, prepared to find out what she can. But her sister, along with her car and some of the sanctuary’s rarest species of butterflies, has seemingly vanished without a trace. Claire and her criminal lawyer husband, Nick, set out to find her, but the deeper they dig, the more unsettling the case becomes. As old family secrets are uncovered, Claire learns that some secrets aren’t just threatening—they’re deadly.

Set in Naples, Florida, there were many facets to this story; a disappearance, a traumatised child, and many other goings-on involving family members and friends. However, this was one of those series where the reader needs to start at the beginning to fully appreciate what is on offer (or at least before book six). This is definitely not a standalone, and if you’ve read and enjoyed the rest of the series, it’s very likely you’ll savour this. Karen Harper's characterisation was appreciable and I grew rather fond of Claire and Nick as the story progressed. I thought they were great together as a husband and wife sleuthing team. However, in the opening chapter, I felt snowed under with characters that I would have known if I had previously read the other books.

All in all, Dark Harbour was a super, great read. The mystery kept me guessing, the crime was intense and there was murder, some peculiar plots and a few unexpected surprises. It was entertaining, suspenseful, and fast-paced and I loved the wrap-up and the happy ending. I wholeheartedly recommend reading this book.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from HARLEQUIN - MIRA (U.S. and Canada) via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A mystery that needs to be solved when Claire's sister goes missing... Secrets that begin to surface that not everyone wants coming to light... and something even more sinister might be waiting in the wings... This is all that begins to transpire in Dark Storm by Karen Harper. A master at thrilling suspense, Harper throws caution to the wind with a story of a missing sister and the family secrets that just might undo everything Claire believes in. A perfect story for those long winter nights...

Thanks to Mira for the ARC. This is a great book, but that's only my opinion. Check it out for yourself.

If readers have been following this series, they would have come to known Darcy, Claire Markwood's sister. Claire has a young daughter, and often while dealing with dangerous situations, her sister Darcy would watch her. Darcy has two young children of her own. So, when she turns up missing, everyone is truly concerned.

Darcy was working at a butterfly sanctuary and she simply disappeared. No one can find a single clue. Both Claire and her husband, criminal lawyer Nick, pull out all of the stops to locate Darcy. Shockingly to all involved, Darcy's disappearance brings up long-hidden family secrets. Now that these secrets are being revealed, lives again are in jeopardy.

As this incredible series draws to a close, it was truly rewarding to think that Claire and Nick could have a happy life going forward. However, with Darcy's current situation, that proves hardly possible.

The only odd thing I ran across in this book was Claire's daughter's obsession with a doll. A very strange doll. As a matter of fact, this played greatly into the plot. The story had a tiny bit of a futuristic edge when it came to the extent the doll played in the story, and how this all affected what happened to Darcy.

I have so loved this series! One day I hope to read the entire six books again. I adore Karen Harper's writing and cannot wait to see what else she has in store for readers.

Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.

The elevator pitch:

Claire tries to catch in her net, the person who kidnapped or killed her sister, along with some precious exotic butterflies.

Read/Skip:

Read if you like cozy mysteries. Otherwise skip.


Dark Storm is the final chapter in a six-part series, and unfortunately, this was only the first one I read. Regardless, it was easy to understand, but I kept wondering about the other installments, and the mysteries preceding the finale. They seemed intriguing, and I like to wade in carefully and not jump in at once at the deep end.
I thought this would be right up, my ally. All the Florida based thrillers I read lately were phenomenal. Furthermore, the story revolves around butterflies—my first book as heavily influenced by these creatures, dolphins, who doesn't love dolphins and cryogenics. I had just listened to a hugely entertaining This American life episode about the subject.
Indeed a massive chunk of this book as very enjoyable. A little less entertaining was the fragility of the protagonist, for a forensic psychologist cried a bit too much. For a trained professional having had contact with criminals, she seemed lost and too vulnerable. I know I'm not the ideal reader for Dark Sky, it fits perfectly in the cozy mystery genre, and I'm sure if that's your jam, you'll curl up and devour this one in one sitting.

The Story:

Claire's sister, Darcy, goes missing from the butterfly sanctuary where she works. She left her phone and the door open and Claire, a forensic psychologist and her husband Nick, a criminal lawyer, immediately go into panic mode. But they have to keep their wits about them to find Darcy and unravel the strange tale that led to her disappearance.

Good story, and plot. Very well written and the story flows well. Would highly recommend to others.

Dark mystery that sucks you into a different place. A nightmare where no one wants to be. Good read. Can’t put it down. Wondering where it’s going to go And which way to turn

Dark Storm by Karen Harper
Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for allowing me to read this book and leave my opinion.
This was a slow read for me, not a bad book the story is interesting and the characters were relatable but it seemed to go so slow. I have read many books by this author and she never disappoints.

This is a author I have read before and always enjoy returning to her books. This was a ARC for review Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity. My opinion is my own .
This was a romantic suspense thriller with a edge. It kept me on the edge of my seat. It is a story of a family torn apart and the circumstances they have to fight through to care for each other. I loved the charcter development and how endearing some of the charcters are. I highly recommend this book. It is a exciting read that makes the perfect summer beach read.

This sounded like a terrific mystery unfortunately I just could not get into the story. I read almost 30% but I just couldn't go any further, so this will have to become a DNF on my list for now.

The book was sixth in a series but a stand-alone read yet almost every page it would reference events and information that had occurred in previous books in the series and I found that annoying and distracting and finally gave up. Someday maybe I can try this book again after I read the first book in the series since Karen Harper is a good writer and has a great following.

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher Harlequin - Mira for the opportunity to read this book!

Dark Storm by Karen Harper is a slow burn romantic suspense novel. The characters are quickly introduced and they spring into action. The immediate threat escalates as I dug deeper into the book. The beginning of the plot felt slow. The middle and ending were faster. A family torn apart by betrayal and secrets soon learns a hidden truth. Sisters who fight for each other are separated after one of them has been kidnapped. Plans for torturing the captured sister are in the making. However, the bad guys underestimate the depth in which this family fights for each other and to what lengths they will go. Overall, I loved the sibling bond, the motherhood dilemmas, and the romance between the couples. This was a great read.

The premise for Dark Storm is really interesting, with a couple of unique plot elements focusing on suspended animation, and yet somehow this romantic suspense fails completely at being either romantic or suspenseful. Instead, it’s bloated with characters - about 12 were introduced in the first 5 or so pages, leaving me utterly boggled - and has clunky PoV switches around characters who aren’t actually the focus of the story. Neither Darcy, the woman kidnapped at the beginning of the story, nor any of the ‘bad guys’ ever get to tell any part of the story in their own words. Instead, most of the story is told from the point of view of Claire, Darcy’s sister, with occasional switches to Claire’s husband Nick and completely random people like Claire’s ex-husband, flying a ‘storm-chaser’ plane into a hurricane in an obvious attempt to add more drama to a plot entirely lacking in it.

Honestly, I just didn’t care about Claire and the way she kept recapping all her past dramas (obviously things which happened in the first five books in this series). This is definitely not a standalone, and if you’ve read and enjoyed the rest of the series, it’s possible you’ll eat this one up with relish, but I was totally bored. I only kept reading because I was watching the kids at swimming and didn’t have wifi to download something different to read - hoped the action might pick up at some point but it really didn’t. Not predictable because of that unique premise, but drawn out, lacking in suspense and bloated with characters who didn’t add anything to the plot. Two stars.

An interesting story with many moving parts that come together in a clever and unique way at the end.

Missing butterflies, a missing sister, a death of a dolphin, and a hurricane all sound like different story lines, but somehow they are woven together with the final result being a creative mystery. None of the connections were overly shocking, in fact some of the guilty characters were obvious, but the delivery of their actions and the depth of who all was involved kept me working to solve the mystery until the end. Also, the cover is quite beautiful and caught my attention from the moment I saw it.

There were some parts that I did not understand why the book spent such time in, such as the hurricane pilots, but I do wonder if it had anything to do with previous books in this series. This is the sixth book, but the first I have read. You can read this book and follow along easily, but I also plan on going back and reading the first six because I think it will make Claire’s penchant for finding disaster and the overall relationships more complete for me and this story.

I enjoyed this story and thank you NetGalley, Harlequin, MIRA and Karen Harper for the chance to read this book and share my opinion.

Claire Markwood receives a call from her sister’s employer, stating that Darcy disappeared from her job, leaving no message. Darcy works at a butterfly sanctuary, and certain rare butterflies have gone missing, as well. When days pass, with no trace of Darcy, dread sets in, as family and friends begin to suspect the worst case scenario. Even Darcy’s husband, who was out of town at the time she disappeared, falls under scrutiny.

A week later, Darcy suddenly reappears at Claire’s house, believing it’s still the day she disappeared, and having no memory of the intervening week. Claire and her husband, Nick, investigate and are taken on a wild path which leads them to the lucrative world of cryogenics. All this is happening against the backdrop of a hurricane, plane trouble, a woman in labor trapped by the storm, and a creepy doll which seems to have a mind of its own.

I came into this South Shores series at book number six, but was able to enjoy without having read the previous books. There is a whole circle of friends and relations, who have obviously had their stories told in previous books, but the author provided brief snippets which allowed me to get a feel of how everyone fit together without feeling lost. DARK STORM is a captivating thriller with a whole lot happening. It moves along at a fast pace, and will be a satisfying read for fans of contemporary suspense.

A wonderful and intense story, Dark Storm tells the story of Claire and the disappearance of her sister who vanished from her job at a butterfly farm with some special butterflies. Claire and her husband try to find Darcy. It's a hard search because they have no clues or ideas of what could have happened to her. It's so suspenseful that it pulls you in from beginning to end. I wasn't able to put it down. It's one heck of a ride for our characters. It's definitely full of action, unpredictable and intense. Karen Harper is a master storyteller and I highly recommend this book!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Karen Harper always delivers a great suspense such is the case with Dark Storm. Great plot that pulls you immediately into the action and keeps you guessing. I highly recommend this book to fans of suspense. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc. This is my unbiased review.

Karen Harper concludes her South Shores thrillers in Dark Storm with the terrifying disappearance of Darcy, sister of Claire Markwood, forensic psychologist who has herself survived past horrifying events. As Clare digs up clues with her lawyer husband, a hurricane is barreling down on them. Family secrets and illegal trafficking in butterflies provide leads but the tension keeps mounting. Karen Harper at her best.

Each book in the series is a stand alone but for maximum enjoyment I recommend reading the series in order. Claire is enjoying her summer with her daughter Jilly when her sister Darcy disappears leaving behind no clues except that a some exotic butterflies and butterfly larvae are missing from the butterfly farm where Darcy works. Was their foul play involved?
I really liked how the author channels the dark storm breaking over Claire and her household with the hurricane intensity storm bearing down on South Florida. The true story that emerges is pretty fantastical and I have to give kudos to the author's imagination. The journey to get to this fantastic unveiling is also exciting including the evil voodoo doll which it turns out is spying on Claire's household.
As Claire and her husband Nick start to piece through the clues with their collection of family and friends readers get prepared for a ride and revelations that will leave you gasping.