Loved this book. Karen Hart at her best true saying be careful who you trust. Cant wait to read more books like this

Another book with detective Karen Hart. A brilliant series of books. Tense and thrilling. Next one please.

Don’t Turn Back, by D.S. Butler, is the third book in her series featuring DS Karen Hart.

A man is found bludgeoned to dead. In his pocket, a scribbled beer mat from a pub. Buried not too far from the body, a mysterious ledger. Investigating the Red Lion pub, DS Karen Hart and her boss, DI Scott Morgan, discover undocumented workers hidden in a garage.

What begins as two seemingly separate cases, one allowing DS Hart to prove old suspicions against the Red Lion’s owners, turn into a nationwide investigation in human trafficking. An investigation, quite different from the previous ones, that will bring back ghosts from both DS Hart and DI Morgan’s pasts, and lead to shocking revelations.

Although this book can be read as a standalone, it can only be fully appreciated if you have read the previous entries in the series. D.S. Butler subtly seeded several plot points in her first two novels that all come together in quite a thrilling way in the course of this story.

The author keeps to her usual style of a third person narration alternating the point of views of the multiple characters featured in the story. It’s particularly efficient this time around, as events bring back DS Hart’s paranoia with a vengeance, and push DI Morgan back to keeping to himself. The outside POV of the team’s two young DCs, and of other protagonists (and antagonists), bring us to doubt the two main characters, and ourselves, as to what is really going up with the investigation. Multiple narrators means some, if not all, have to be unreliable.

This time around, more time is spent on the investigation itself, and less on the personal lives of the team. That is, until those personal lives come crashing into the story, all the way to a very satisfying payoff.

Not much more can be written without spoiling anything. Unexpectedly, the three books finally end up forming a trilogy, rewarding the constant reader. Do not worry, however, as a door is left open to more books in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Amazon Publishing for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.


Review of book one : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3202221086

Review of book two : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3213896315

Full review to be published online in early April.


DON’T TURN BACK begins with an unnamed character on the run, and he’s determined to hide a notebook before he is caught. The discovery of his body leads a relieved Karen to leave an awkward family barbecue. She lost her husband and daughter in a tragic accident prior to the first book and although she’s still coming to terms with it, her sister is chivvying her along to start a new relationship! Subsequent events in this book make her recovery process even harder.

Without giving away the plot, parts of it are very believable but I felt the underlying police corruption theme was a bit contrived and to me the ending, and those involved were telegraphed from quite early on.

I did enjoy it but just felt I wasn’t as invested in Karen as I should’ve been - she and her boss seemed to change personalities when the ex colleagues appeared and Karen changed from a strong woman to someone who took orders from a subordinate. I know that the upheaval in her personal life from what she learns doesn’t help but I felt it was a little unbelievable. I enjoyed it enough to continue the series, however.

Third book in a series by J S Butler.

I have read the previous in the series so was looking forward to reading this. It exceeded my expectations and had me hooked right from the start. It can easily be read independently of the others in the series and is a great police procedural with realistic characters.

3rd book in a Detective Karen Hart series, but can easily be read as a stand-alone. This is the first one I have read from this author, and look forward to reading the others. It was a great thriller that I could not put down until the end. All the twists and turns kept me guessing and it was a surprise towards the end!
Set in Lincolnshire, DS Karen Hart is still very much tramatized after the loss of her husband and daughter. The quiet village she lives in is shocked and on edge by a grisly murder and suspicions of police corruption, human slavery and ties with the death of her husband and daughter.
You won't be sorry buying this novel!


Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for the eARC

Great police procedural,mystery. Apparently it is a third book in a series but is easily read independently. I have read one other book of the DS Hart series,but it is not necessary to have ready any of the prior books to enjoy this one.
DS Hart and her boss are investigating human trafficking, murder and a possible connection to the death of her husband and child as well as police corruption. Who is trust worthy??
Characters are conversational and easy to follow so that you feel you are there and can see and feel their experiences. No profanity, blood and it's or raunchy sex.

A good clean mystery read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

I received this book as a complimentary copy for an unbiased reviews.The opinions expressed are my own.
Thanks to the author,publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the first book I've read by this author, need to read the first two in the series now. I loved this book & couldn't put it down, kept you on the edge of your seat wondering what was going to happen next. Thank you to Netgalley for giving me this ARC in return for an honest review.

A tale of modern day slavery and so much more. Detective Karen Hart is gradually putting her life back together again after a devastating car accident took the lives of her husband and young daughter. A body is found beaten to death and a visit to a local pub uncovers three men locked in a garage. And this is only the start. Atmospheric and chilling, it beggars belief what we as a human race can inflict on each other. It is upto Morgan her boss and their team to find answers and uncover the truth no matter the cost. This read had me glued to my seat and tapping my kindle like a demented wood pecker. Action packed and a good police procedural. Can't wait to read more as Karen, Morgan and their team have unfinished business. Another in this gripping and very addictive series.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the ARC.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Amazon Publishing UK for my ARC. I really love this series of books, this is the third book in the DS Karen hart series and it just keeps improving. I really like the character of Karen, who is still struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband and daughter in a car crash. A dead body is found in woods and the investigation uncovers a people trafficking ring in Lincolnshire. The investigation leads to police corruption and there are plenty twists and surprises. I liked the ending with a piece of the puzzle missing and look forward to a fourth book in this series.

Don’t Turn Back is the first book written by D S Butler that I have read but it won’t be the last.

This is the latest book in the DS Karen Hart series which is set in Lincolnshire however without having read the previous book I had no issues with following the story as a stand-alone.

The main storyline also has a further arc that weaves in and out that adds to the reader’s enjoyment and page turning. The story is also nicely left open for the next in the series

This is definitely a book that I would recommend to all police thriller readers

Detective Karen Hart is trying to put a brave face on things even though she is still not coping well with the death of her husband and daughter. She is enjoying a barbecue with her family and finally relaxing a little when she is called to a crime scene which, although she doesn't know it yet, is going to blow apart everything she thought she knew and cause her to doubt everyone.

The battered body of a man found in woodland by a curious dog leads to a family Karen has had dealings with before and a comment that chills her to the bone. When two London detectives known and disliked by her boss Scott Morgan are seconded to their team the tension increases steadily until everyone can see something or someone will have to give before long. Who will survive the fallout is anyone's guess but both Scott and Karen know the case is more important than any one person and keep pressing on despite the danger it could cause.

Once again D S Butler has written an entertaining, fast moving story which covers a great deal of ground. The main characters are sympathetically drawn and although the London officers were a little stereotypical that maybe because they were accurately described for the situation they found themselves in.

There was one piece of unfinished business which I'm not sure will appear in a future storyline but hopefully there will be more from this series of books as they are an entertaining, well written and relevant set of police procedural mysteries.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery with relatable stories and characters.

A complex case of people trafficking and police corruption with a well written narrative and relatable if serious characters.

The third in the Karen Hart series and it's an exceptionally good read. There's lots going on just as Karen likes it, she needs to be occupied and try to move forward after the death of her husband and daughter five years previously. She always has a niggling doubt that the car crash that took their lives was an accident and not a targetted attack that was covered up by colleagues but is she just tormenting herself unnecessarily. The story touches on modern-day slavery, murder and corruption, which adds to it being a thrilling and compelling read.

Another great entry to the Karen Hart police procedural series. Beginning with a man found bludgeoned to death in woodland, a captivating tale of slavery and police corruption follows. Those who have read the previous Karen Hart series will be pleased to hear we finally get some answers about the tragic events of her past, and also some revelations about other characters and events too. D. S. Butler has done a fantastic job again, not just by writing a great story, but by creating these characters that we can get to know and love. Really recommend this series of books - I can't wait for the next one!

Great read. Have not read the others in the series but want to now! The author provides insight into the characters and introduced them well.

A book for those who enjoy a detective thriller, twists turns and police corruption. Would definitely read more from this author 5 stars from me

we had to wait a while for this book in series but worth the wait what a story .a man is found dead and leads Karen back to a public house to a couple she not like but how this story unfolds is just brilliant the story pulls you in from page 1 i so so recomend

I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy of Don’t Turn Back, the third novel to feature DS Karen Hart of the Lincolnshire Police.

When a dead body is found in the Canwick woods certain evidence leads Karen to believe that he may have been involved in a slavery ring. As the team investigates they come to realise that there may be much more to the case than they originally thought, including links to the fatal accident involving Karen’s husband and daughter five years ago.

I thoroughly enjoyed Don’t Turn Back which is a gripping read with plenty of twists and turns. It is mostly told from the investigative point of view so the reader knows as much as the detectives throughout the course of the novel. This is my favourite approach as it allows me to try and work out the solution alongside the detectives, not that I had much room for reflection as it is one big reveal after another with twists thrown in for good measure. There is never a dull moment.

The novel basically follows two threads, the murder/slavery angle and Karen’s re-awakening belief that it was not an accident that killed her family. I liked the way these two gradually came together. It should be noted that this novel is entertainment so there is not much detail on the way these people are treated, in fact they seem remarkably healthy, given their living conditions. This is not a criticism as I prefer to get this kind of information from the news rather than in my lighter moments when I’m seeking escapism.

I found it interesting in the novel that for such a tight knit team Karen and her boss, DI Scott Morrison, kept their thinking secret and seemed to be running parallel investigations although their end goals were the same. Obviously it makes for good reading as it casts a wider net but I’m not sure how realistic it is.

Don’t Turn Back is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Another great story in the D S Karen Hart series. An intriguing plot with lots of twists and turns D S Harts determination kept her digging away to bring this case to a successful climax. Another winner from Ms Butler., recommended read.

Police thriller with some interesting characters and lots of police corruption.Plenty of twists and a fast moving storyline.