Loved this book. !!! This is the first book I have read by this author and it was a thrill ride read. Lots of plot twists and turns. I was on the edge of my seat till the last page. Just enough police procedure and an interesting plot that combined made for a exciting book. Looking forward to the next book.

DS Kate Hart #3

The ody of a man has been discovered in the woods. He has been bludgeoned to death and left unrecognisable. The only thing he had on his person was a beer matfrom a local pub with a date and time written on it. Karen had had dealings in the past with the landlords of the pub. Karen is teamed up with DI Morgan who was at her family bbq when the call came in.

This is a complex plot that revolves around people smuggling, slavery and police corruption. The pace is fast in this well written and gripping police procedural. There is quite a lot of characters to follow. This is suspense packed and full of twists. There is enough backstory to keep you up to speed so the book could be read as a standalone. But it is always best to read a series in the order they were written in.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author D.S. Butler for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Karen Hart, still grieving the deaths of her husband and daughter, is called to investigate the horrific beating and murder of an unidentified man.

When investigating, Karen and her team find a tenuous link to a possible modern day slave operation. Key witnesses start to disappear ... and their prime suspects were killed in a house fire .. the victims of arson.

It's a small village where everyone knows everyone else ... but there are also dark secrets that are firmly buried. And someone doesn't want those secrets exposed. Karen doesn't know who to trust ... someone close to her may be at the heart of these crimes.

This is a page-turner, lots of twists and turns, and plenty of suspects to watch out for. Not everyone is who they say they are. The characters are deftly drawn and remain memorable even after reaching the unexpected conclusion. Although 3rd in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone.

Many thanks to the author / Amazon Publishing UK / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Don't Turn Back is the third instalment in the Detective Superintendent Karen Hart series, based in Lincolnshire. Although perhaps preferable it certainly isn't essential to have read the preceding books before jumping into this one as Ms Butler provides plenty of backstory to catch new readers up with important prior developments. When the bludgeoned body of a man is discovered in the woodland that surrounds the stunning and seemingly picture-perfect village of Canwick, local residents are shocked to their core. DS Hart is immediately assigned to investigate the brutal murder and swiftly uncovers evidence that the victim had ostensibly been involved in what was a modern slavery ring hiding in plain sight under villagers noses. Despite her still being deeply affected by the tragic loss of both her husband and young daughter in a fatal accident five years earlier, Karen knows she must set aside her personal feelings in order to think clearly in what becomes a complex case. It complicates things further when she finds a possible link between this thriving small-town criminal fraternity and the accident that had taken away all she loved.

This is a thoroughly riveting, action-packed and absorbing thriller and from the opening pages, it had me hook, line and sinker. Based around a criminal conspiracy and the topical issues of people trafficking, slavery and police corruption I must admit I was on the edge of my seat, despite it being cliche, but I really found it tense and brilliantly twisty. It moves at a rapid-fire pace and proves that no matter the size of the local community population despicable criminals can be using it as a hub for their nefarious operations without a single resident batting an eyelid. It's an impeccably crafted story and I thought beginning the narrative with what seems like two separate strands to the plot and then proceeding to merge the two as the plot unravelled was cleverly done. An immensely gripping and highly entertaining police procedural with an engrossing high stakes race against time. Strap yourself in and enjoy the nail-biting ride. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Amazon Publishing for an ARC.

I do believe I would have enjoyed this more had I read the two preceding books in the Karen Hart series. Like back when her husband and child were killed. Karen has had suspicions that a certain couple who own a local bar, the Red Lions, could have been involved in their deaths, especially after a remark made when she questions them about a recent murder. Before leaving the property, she finds vagrant-type men locked in a garage which leads to an all-out investigation of a slavery ring. Before long, two different cases meld into one.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

DS Karen Hart is brought in to investigate, when a man’s body is found in the woods. The only clue on the body is a pub coaster with a date and time written on it. When the police go to the pub, they discover some undocumented immigrants living there. After a Mysterious fire at the pub, the team starts to try to link up all of the events together. Hindered when an outside team is brought it to share the load, DS Hart and her lead DI Morgan must find the truth. When corruption seems to lead back to the police force, the investigation leads them all the way back to Karen’s past, where her family was destroyed by tragedy.

The narrative, characters, and storyline were all well thought out and executed. This was a great British mystery.

Detective Karen Hart is called to investigate the bludgeoning death of an unidentified man in the village of Canwick. Karen soon finds connections to a case she worked years ago that she never was able to prosecute. The earlier case happened around the time of the death of her husband and only child in a traffic accident. As Karen puts the clues together, witnesses keep disappearing. Karen begins to wonder if the death of her family was really accidental. The investigation moves from town to town and even into the police department itself.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I stayed interested during the entire story. It is a stand alone in a series. However, I often felt like I was missing some information when the story went back to the investigation and accident from the earlier case. I will go back and read those books.

The next installment of the Karen Hart series delivers. I really enjoyed the first two in the series because of the balance between the tedium of police work and the quick, out of nowhere, revelations. I like the characters and the interactions. This book was less condescending to the underlings and I enjoyed the new characters brought in.

Without giving too many things away, there was a story that could be followed without having read the previous works but enough that rounded back to previous stories in a satisfying way. My one pet peeve is the over explanation at the end.

Wow another great book by Dani! It keeps you enthralled from page one to the end. I loved it and would recommend it to everyone! A woman walking her dog discovers a body of a murdered man and DS Karen Hart in the village of Canwick investigates and is plunged into world of slavery.

A man is found bludgeoned in the woods and Detective Karen Hart is brought in to investigate. With long-held suspicions of a modern day slavery ring and police corruption, Karen starts to connect the dots while unearthing the ghosts of her past.

The story was fast paced and I felt that the characters had really interesting stories behind them. An easy read and enjoyable, however, there was just something missing for me and I think I would have liked a bit more information around the slavery ring.

While this was the third book in this series, I haven’t read the first two but didn’t see that as essential to the overarching story.

Thank you to D.S. Butler, NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the ARC.

I loved this book. great plot and character development,.. highly recommend it. very enjoyable.. great cover.

I haven't had the pleasure of reading the first two books in this series featuring Karen Hart, a detective in Canwick, a seemingly calm town.
Hart, who is still feeling the effects of the loss of her husband and daughter, finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation that soon leads her to suspect that there might be a slavery ring in the village.
It's obvious that a dark secret runs through the village right through to the police department. Hart isn't sure if she can trust anyone. This book is full of interesting characters, and I had no trouble keeping up with all of them even though I hadn't read the first two books.
I will be on the lookout for the next book in the series, and try to go back and read the others if I can.

Brilliant. This story is as great as the rest of the series. Karen is an interesting character who I keep wanting to know more about. The plot and characters makes this book a compelling read. Slavery and corrupt police are an interesting and thought provoking read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Five years ago Detective Sergeant Karen Hart's life came crashing down with the death of her beloved husband and daughter in a car accident. This occurs shortly after she began investigating an exploiting worker claim against the Red Lion Pub. She has always been suspicious of the circumstances shrouding the so-called accident and suspected foul play and even possibly a police cover-up .... but why? She could not prove anything, but yet a smothering cloud hovered over her work and everyday life.
This third tale of D.S. Hart begins with a man running for his life with dogs and men close on his heels. He momentarily stops and with his hands hastily digs a hole and buries a ledger and continues his flight. He is found brutally bludgeoned to death with his face completely obliterated in the woods by a passing woman with her dog. Karen is tasked with the investigation of his murder ... with the only clue being a bar coaster found in his back pocket containing a date and time. Surprisingly it is from the infamous Red Lion Pub. She and her partner follow up at the pub and are met with a chilling reception by the surly woman owner ... her husband is supposedly not available to talk. Not giving up, they explore the adjacent garage and find it inhabited by three disheveled men ... are they homeless or the result of a trafficking operation? Further deaths occur in their attempt to make sense of the situation.
D.S. Butler weaves a compelling narrative in this suspenseful British police procedural packed with twists and turns and unexpected revelations. This can be enjoyed as a standalone because of the seamless expert insertion of relevant back story. Throughout this gem percolates the possibility of police corruption. Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publications UK for providing an Electronic Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. Excuse me while I go download the first two books in this thoroughly enjoyable series.

Don’t Turn Back is the gripping tale of a woman named Karen, that lost her husband and daughter to human traffickers that would kill to hide their secret.
Where the police covered up the details and she didn’t know who she could trust anymore.
Solid four stars

This was an enjoyable police procedural. DS Hart and her colleagues were likable characters with interesting backstories. The book starts out with a murder, but soon delves into modern slavery/human trafficking and exploitation of workers. There is also an undercurrent of possible police corruption. Adding to the tension is that five years ago, DS Hart's husband and daughter died in a car accident. She did not believe it was an accident and raised the possibility of a cover-up, which did not sit well with some of her colleagues on the force, especially her superiors. However, the current investigation required her to talk to a couple she had been investigating for possible exploitation of workers five years ago, right before the accident. During their present-day conversation, the wife commented that DS Hart should have learned her lesson five years ago. This comment caused DS Hart to rethink her prior concerns and colored her approach to the current investigation. The plot was creative and well-crafted. There were some good surprises in the book. I am definitely interested in reading the other books in the DS Hart series.

I received a copy of the e-book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

4 stars / This review has been posted at BookwormishMe.com.


Here I go again, jumping into a book series midstream! DS Karen Hart #3, otherwise known as “Don’t Turn Back” finds our detective investigating the murder of an unknown man in a public park. Since this is my first book with DS Hart, it was possible I wouldn’t know or understand what was going on, but that was not the case. I was easily able to jump in and follow the story. Butler gives us plenty of background info to pick up the series or read this as a standalone.

A woman and her dog uncover a body in a wooded area of a public park. DS Hart is called to investigate, but then an object is found that could tie the murder to a previous case of hers. DS Hart is called off the murder investigation and put back into the fire with the previous case. The owners of a local pub are the focus of the old case, and DS Hart has always had a feeling that they were involved in the deaths of her husband and daughter.

Organized crime and police corruption abound in this novel. A very well written crime story that also tugs at the heartstrings. There are a lot of characters to follow, but each is unique and makes it a bit easier to keep up with the story. I always find that series are better when started from the beginning. Still, I truly enjoyed this story and would love to read more of Butler’s writing and find out where DS Hart ends up next. Perhaps also read numbers one and two and catch up.

A fantastic & edge of your seat thriller. It is exceptionally well written & the twists and turns are genuinely surprising & shocking . If you are looking to have your mind taken off isolation & the Corona virus then this is the perfect escape

Gripping suspense.

This book had me on the bitting nails edge. Love suspense and mystery and D.S. Butler provided it in spades within this story. Twist and turns that keep you guessing. Amazing book. I am grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book in advance.

This was a great thriller, I was hooked from the start. I hadn't read any of the preceding books but it didn't matter. I thoroughly enjoyed this real. The slavery ring, the conspiracy, the murders, it all made for a really exciting story. I will definitely seek out more from D.S. Butler in the future. This kind of writing is right up my street. It would incidentally make a great TV detective series also along the lines of Line of Duty which I absolutely adore!!!!