This is the fifth in the Gina Harte series and the third I have read. Guess I’m downloading the other two this weekend as this is a really great series featuring a superb detective, brilliant and flawed, just like I like them. An intricate storyline, great characters and a smashing plot. Thanks Carla Kovach for a wonderful series!

Gripping story which has you hooked from the first page . I couldn't put this book down. I felt emotionally connected to the characters. Twists and turns galore !!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book

This is the first Carla Kovach novel I have read and wow it won't be the last and I know need the ones in the series before this.

I couldn't guess the ending to this book and was quite emotional reading it.

Great book and would recommend.

I really enjoyed this book so much. It has a really great plot, superb main characters and I read it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this book.

Wow, what a great book! I haven't read the previous ones in the series but I certainly will now. This book was dark, gripping and fast-paced. I love to read a book where I can't guess the ending and I couldn't guess it with this one. I felt every emotion possible when reading this and I certainly recommend it.

Another good book in the Gina Harte series. Gina is such a great character and I like how the author continues to let her battle her demons although things seem to be getting easier for her

It was a very insightful novel, with a strong cast of characters. I enjoyed the story line very much and would definitely recommend this book.

Although I am still yet to read the first two, I have now enjoyed the last three books in this series by Carla Kovach and DI Gina Harte is fast becoming one of my favourite detectives. I absolutely loved the previous book "The Liar's House" and I wondered how Kovach could better that one but HER DARK HEART was just as brilliant! And while it is the fifth in the series and it's generally preferable to read them in order, I do believe they can still be read as a standalone. Each mystery is enigmatic, each story is unique...but each book is engaging throughout you will not want to put them down.

The story opens with a prologue that sees Susan Wheeler returning from a reunion amongst old friends at the pub to which her husband Ryan had followed her, convinced she was having an affair. After thumping the male friend of the group, Ryan and Susan returned home where he then started in on her. It was obvious from the beginning that Ryan was a controlling and abusive husband and Susan did her best to shelter her children from the violence.

Five months later, Susan is in the process of divorcing Ryan, living in their marital home with their three children while Ryan has moved to a small two bedroom flat. Since kicking her husband out, Susan has let her hair down, started going out with friends and enjoying the freedom to be herself and relax as she was never allowed to married to Ryan. Her mother Mary babysits for her on these occasions which, in her sister Clare's eyes, are becoming more frequent. It seems Susan is returning to her rebellious teenage years.

So when Susan fails to pick up her two year old son Rory from nursery one afternoon, there are mixed reactions. Her mother Mary is concerned while her sister Clare is not. Then they discover that she hadn't collected her daughters, Phoebe and Jasmine, from her Ryan's place either. Mary is adamant that Susan would never leave her children - she loves them and would not have left them voluntarily. Clare is of the opinion that this is another one of Susan's disappearing acts where she will swan back in after a few days as if nothing has happened. After all, she's done it before.

But Mary is worried and insists on calling the police although Clare maintains that her sister is just attention seeking while her husband Howard placates her with endless cups of tea. The soon-to-be ex-husband Ryan thinks Susan has just run off again and isn't particularly concerned...in fact he lays the blame solely at Susan's feet. Clare, it seems, shares his opinion and also blames her sister for everything that's gone wrong in her own life. But Mary is convinced there is something wrong...

Enter DI Gina Harte. For the initial contact with the Hudson family, Gina takes along PC Kapoor who has incredible instincts as well as a certain empathy. But Gina isn't prepared for the shock that is about to befall her when Mary Hudson opens the door. For Mary is the spitting image of her own mother who died many years ago, sharing even the same mannerisms which throws Gina momentarily when questioning her. I found this an interesting side aspect and wondered if it would be explored further, throwing up the revelation of her mother having had a long lost missing twin or something...but it seemed that Mary was just a doppelganger that spooked Gina each time she came into contact with her.

Mary has enough to deal with at the moment what with Clare having moved back home with her two year old son who, with a vast array of behavioural problems, is beyond difficult. But Susan's little Rory is like a breath of fresh air and is a sweet content little boy. Another bone of contention with Clare - it seems Susan can never do any wrong, and even has the perfect child. This sees a jealous and exasperated Clare continually dumping her often screaming son in her mother's arms and leaving the house to destinations unknown. She may have been the older sibling but Clare often behaved like a spoilt teenager, in my opinion.

From the beginning Gina believes that Mary and her family are keeping secrets and she endeavours to find out what they are and get to the bottom of them. Requesting permission to search Susan's house, Gina and her team are only allowed a cursory look before Mary ushers them out and then sets about cleaning the house from top to bottom. But Mary comes across a notebook that appears to be Susan's diary of sorts and in it, two appointments for the day she disappeared and a post code. Handing them over to the police, Gina then calls on the appointments - both of whom weren't home - and discovers the post code was for a general area nearby...but apparently none of Susan's clients were from that postal code area. And where was her car? Wouldn't it have been parked outside her last appointment?

Then a body is found by a man and his two boys out walking their dog and immediately she fears it to be Susan. However, it turns out the body is male. One Dale Blair - who turned out to be Susan's last appointment. Upon searching his house, Gina's team find a photo of a teenage Dale with an obvious teenage Susan and another teenage girl. It seems Susan and Dale knew each other before the day she disappeared. And then they discover he was the man Ryan had punched in the face for having an affair with his wife some 5 months before. But that was not possible for Dale was openly gay. The mystery deepens as Gina wonders what the hell it means and where it all leads.

Was Susan kidnapped? Or is she guilty of murder?

Gina doesn't know what to believe anymore as she battles with her own guilt and grief over losing her mother and her deepest darkest secret she has carried for more than 20 years.

And then Susan's daughter Phoebe disappears...

A complicated case and a complex thriller, HER DARK HEART is a well-written page turner that will have you reading long into the night - just one more chapter! I love how it's not just a police procedural but a crime thriller as well as we are privy to all aspects of the story - from the police to the victim's family to the villain - with clues given at just the right time.

As the story shifts between perspectives in the search for Susan and Phoebe while at the same time given a glimpse from the villain's viewpoint, HER DARK HEART unfolds at an even pace that soon accelerates gaining momentum as it nears its climax. And even as it did so, I was completely surprised at the revelation, only guessing just moments before.

While HER DARK HEART is the fifth in this series, it is my third having only read the last three. Despite this I am thoroughly enjoying all that I have read so far and Gina Harte is fast becoming a favourite. I know that I will not be disappointed with these books. I do, however, have a slight misgiving I feel I ought to mention.

While I don't like my protagonists to be too perfect, too damaged, too bossy and bitchy or too flaky and irritating, I do feel that Gina does often frustrate me. She has spent the past five books torturing herself about killing her abusive husband in self defense some 20 years ago and ambivalence about her feelings for her boss DCI Chris Briggs, and their non-starter affair. Not to mention the complicated relationship she has with her daughter Hannah. Without fail by the end of each book, she seems to have sorted herself out with promises and placations but by the next one she is back to where she was previously. This oscillating is like watching a ceiling fan as she continues her annoying cycle of self pity and self loathing. I just want to see her sort herself out once and for all and move on. We know what happened, none of us can change the past, so there is nothing to gain by harping on it. I just wish she would move past it and either get together with Briggs or move on. I did like the part near the end where she made a confession to her mother's grave, unburdening herself at last. Maybe now she CAN move on.

I'd also like to know a little more about her team, as all we seem to know about them are their names. And even those are seemingly insignificant at times because none of them has as much depth as Gina herself does in the books. These characters are recurring but without any real development.

Despite those two misgivings, they are but small elements that do not deter my enjoyment of this book or the series. I will happily continue to follow Gina and her team as it really is one of my favourite series.

The plot was dark, the twists were skillful making HER DARK HEART a clever complex and brilliant thriller that kept me intrigued throughout. I have no hesitation in recommending it!

I look forward to seeing what happens next...

I would like to thank #CarlaKovach, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #HerDarkHeart in exchange for an honest review.

I was not a huge fan of the last book in this series. I liked the story but not the main character. I liked this one a little more. I still think the main character is a detective that doesn't so much detect as have a really good group of people around her. I liked the story here again. And...Gina didn't annoy me as much as the previous book. After this one, I would read the next. In a nutshell, I wanted to know what was happening. I wanted to see how it came out. I wanted to find out what happened to Susan. That's enough for me to say that I'd read the rest of the series.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have liked everything this author has written about Gina Harte and this did not disappoint at all. Although not as good as the first 4 still an enjoyable read.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the fifth book in the Detective Gina Harte series and I absolutely believe this series keeps getting better and better with each new installment! It's so addicting and compelling...I just love when I find these crime fiction/police procedural series with a strong female lead.

While this book can definitely be read as a stand-alone - something that I am finding most books in series can be done these days - I will say that I highly recommend reading the previous books first. There is quite a lot of backstory on the characters that I think is helpful in really understanding the characters more fully.

This book is a twisty procedural that is mostly told from Gina's point a view, with a few chapters narrated by an unknown character. This chapters were chilling and disturbing and really help to amp up the tension of the book. I had so many theories as to who was behind everything and yet I never guessed correctly...I was completely blindsided when all was revealed and that's totally ok!

The theme of secrets runs deep in this book, both in the case and in Gina's own life. From the first moment Gina was brought onto this case, when she went to go interview Susan's mother Mary, Gina is confronted with the fact that Mary not only looks like her own mother, but has similar mannerisms and that brings up a whole host of feelings of the past that she would rather not deal with. Will she be able to keep her personal life out of this investigation? Will she be able to look Mary in the eye and not keep thinking of her mother?

I love this series and I love that with each new installment, we get a little bit more about our beloved main character. I think the prime focus in this series is definitely the cases, and I'm ok with that, but I still like that there is some character development and I feel that we did get something here in this book. Now to see what comes next!

#HerDarkHeart #NetGalley This is number 5 in the series and although still a good read, I didn't enjoy it as much as the other books in this series. Its hard to put my finger on exactly why I didn't like it as much other than the fact I found Gina to be a bit irritating and weak -hardly DI material!! the plot was good though with plenty of twists and turns before all is revealed. Will I read the next in the series? Definitely as I hope this was just a little blip!

Her Dark Heart is number five in this series and can be read as a standalone. This is a fantastic series and they are well written. Wonderful characters.

What started as a new series with a female police officer lead and another set of colleagues to remember the names of, this has now become another favourite police procedural series that I can’t get enough of. The Bookouture authors are most certainly dominating the top spots in both crime and thriller fiction in my eyes!

The D.I Gina Harte book five, is another sensational instalment to the series. Her Dark Heart along with the other books in the series have become darker with each one. This is my most favourite so far. The only downside is I now have to wait until next year for the next instalment of book six!

She's done it again!

I have read all of the Gina Harte series so far and every book I read never disappoints and this edition is no different!


Gripping story line with an amazing plot that had me guessing to the very end, lots of twists and turns had me sucked in from beginning to end.

Loved the main characters and that the stories focus on both the professional and personal life of DI Harte and her team

Many readers who have read the Detective Gina Harte series recommended me this book and told me it can be read as standalone. Basically, I am a very immaculate reader who doesn't like reading books whether it can be read as a standalone or not. But I made an exception to two books I saw on Netgalley because of my thirst for good detective books. When I read the synopsis of the book, it succeeded in making me want to read this book. I took three weeks to complete this book, reading a couple of chapters or just one due to personal issues, but the book turned out to be quite good than I expected it to be.

I am going to use the official synopsis. Rory is waiting at the door of the pre-school – a painted picture of his mother Susan in his small hand. But Susan isn’t going to see the picture, because she has vanished. Susan Wheeler is a devoted mother. She would do anything for her three children. She drops them off and picks them up every single day. Until one day when Susan kisses them goodbye and then never comes to pick them up. Susan’s mother Mary is worried. Susan is recently divorced and has been finding things hard recently, but she loves her kids – she’d never leave them. Susan’s sister Clare is furious. It’s just like her to go missing. It’s not the first time, either. Susan has always been a troublemaker. Always seeking attention. She knows Susan has been lying to the family for years. And she knows that Susan has been sneaking out of her family home for weeks… As the hours turn into days, even Clare becomes fearful for Susan. And, when Mary discovers Susan’s diary, she begins to uncover a dark secret from her childhood. Something no one in the family knew. When the final diary entry leads the police to a man who is discovered dead in a local park, they’re left wondering whether Susan has vanished because she is a victim. Or because she is a suspect…

I am going to keep this review simple. I enjoyed the book. I found the plot to be similar mostly to The Sinner series on Netflix but I enjoyed reading the book nevertheless. The plot is narrated with the same intensity from the beginning to end: there are no chapters that will end boring you or make you feel unnecessary. The characters are pretty good and I can sense the fact that they have been developed into who they are now from the very beginning. There is necessary information that is dropped in lightly so that anyone reading the book as a standalone will understand why a character is a way they are. In the beginning, I found Gina pretty annoying because of her 'too many personal feelings". I have normally read about women characters who have gone through lots of abuse that their trauma has made them unemotional. That made me expect this character to be such a cliche. But Gina, she is pretty emotional and I don't blame it on her trauma. Women are emotional and that's what makes us who we are and continue to excel in our respective fields, even when those emotions are very close to home and are waiting to burst out. Carla has done an amazing job showing these two realistic aspects through Gina! Big applause for her for writing every other woman in the book realistically! Also, she has done a good job by weaving every aspect of the plot, be it the good detective job or processes or the forensic terminology.

As a fast-paced and interesting thriller that will keep you hooked from the very beginning, this book felt like a perfect one-time read! I will be keeping an eye out for future works by Carla and check out her past works.

Recommended: Anyone in need of a good thriller!

I've been reading the Gina Harte series since book 1 and they just keep getting better. This book works as a stand alone but reading each book in the series gives readers a richer experience. The story line doesn't sound unique, a woman disappears after her divorce when the stress reaches her breaking point. BUT, we find this is not the case, something, something evil, has caused this woman to flee her life to protect her children. Carla Kovach has developed this cast of characters so well that you'll be shocked when the sudden twists are thrown our way. Another great book that anyone who loves good mysteries should read.

As soon as I finished book 4 in the DI Gina Harte series I started anticipating the release of book 5. I am happy to say that it didn't disappoint. The subject matter was quite upsetting, moving me to tears at one point but the author still managed to add little touches of humour and warmth. As the series progresses I find myself caring just as much about the lives of the investigating team as I do about the case even if it's just finding out what DC O'Connor's wife has baked this week. I can't wait for the next instalment.

Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon

Read it in a single sitting, here is a book whose cover hooks you and whose plot reels you in. Earns 5-stars from me! Looking forward to reading more in the series.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Number five in the series and Gina still struggles with the demons of her past. The main plot simmers as Gina and her team investigate a missing person but it soon comes to light that all is not what it seems. As the plot thickens and starts to effect Gina on a personal level we get taken down lots of false paths and it becomes a race against time to prevent more deaths. Great main plot and oh the ending!!