Member Reviews

I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Don’t Turn Back’, the third in the Detective Karen Hart series written by D S Butler, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DC Karen Hart is still getting over the death of her husband and daughter when she’s brought in to investigate the death of a man found in the woodlands near the picturesque village of Canwick. But as Karen digs deeper into the village and its inhabitants she uncovers secrets including slavery, people trafficking and police corruption. Karen will have to put aside her own grief for the time being and find the answers with the help of her loyal team.

‘Don’t Turn Back’ is an exciting and tense thriller with an interesting storyline, fast-paced plot, and twists and turns. It’s good to meet up with Karen and her team again and this latest thriller is just as enjoyable and involving as the previous two in the series. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading it and can definitely recommend it.

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This is the third book in the Detective Karen Hart series and as far as I am concerned it’s the best so far and although it’s part of a series it can equally be read as a stand-alone but I would say that the previous books are far too good to be missed so do yourself a favour and read them all !
So in this read we learn a whole lot more about Karen Hart and DCI Scott Morgan and what a lot is going on here, a man is bludgeoned to death and what’s follows is a complex plot involving people smuggling, corruption and a whole lot more in a mighty fine police procedural that sure kept me gripped throughout.
What I love about D.S. Butlers writing is not only the fact she writes a damn good plot but she also writes with empathy making her characters very real whilst hooking you from the first page making the book an unputdownable and brilliant reading experience and leaves you desperately waiting for the next instalment of a fabulous series.
So many, many thanks to D.S.Butler I loved the read !!
My thanks also to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion,

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Still haunted by the death of her husband and daughter Dc Karen Hart throws everything into her work and with a battered body in woodland,people trafficking and corruption within her force she certainly has a lot to contend with

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D. S. Butler is a new author to me, and what an introduction! I haven't read the first 2 books, so I was a little worried there would be things I couldn't understand or that I'd be missing important information. Thankfully D. S. Butler included important scenes which kept me in the loop and at no point did I feel I'd missed something.
DS Karen Hart has had a rough few years after the loss of her husband and daughter. She lives in a quiet village where the police force are shocked by a grisly discovery; one which quickly leads to suspicions of corruption, slavery, and more.
Fast paced and thrilling from the start, I found myself torn between wondering if DS Hart was a wonderful detective, or in need of some more therapy. Ultimately the twists and turns held many surprises which I didn't see coming. I highly recommend Don't Turn Back.
I'll definitely be indulging in more D. S. Butler very soon. Thank you for the adventure.

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'Don't Turn Back' is my introduction to the D.S. Karen Hart series by D.S. Butler and I will eagerly be keeping an eye out for the next book in the series. Although, there are 3 previous books, it is not essential to have read these in advance of reading 'Don't Turn Back'. The author provides a brief but sufficient account of Karen’s life in various stages and the reader is brought quickly uptodate on her life.

This is an issue that has disrupted my enjoyment of novels in other series – the author either assumes that the audience are well versed in their universe/background, and so opt not to provide sufficient background or seem not to realise how important a few scenario details are to newcomers. Butler deals with the issue well by introducing Karen in a scene with her family and giving the reader a sense from the start that there is a tragic history. Within the next two/three chapters, we gain satisfactory information to enjoy the story.

And this is certainly a tale to enjoy – corruption, human slavery and betrayal are all common threads of the story and provide for a fast paced storyline. There are a few moments where the reader starts to wonder about Karen and her mental health in the past 5 years as the story continues to twist and change sides.
Well worth a read and I will be looking up the first three books in the series.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGallery in return for an honest review.

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Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
This, the 3rd in the DC Karen Hart series, is, in my opinion, the best yet. A really good read with a great ending.
Karen, still traumatized by the accident that took her husband and daughter, is a workaholic, trying to stop her mind from grieving. This particular case starts with the finding of a man's body in woodland, but evolves into people smuggling and police corruption. How can a picture perfect village hide such evil?
Karen and her team are so likeable, it's a perfect counterpoint to the horrific crimes they have to investigate and makes for a thoroughly enjoyable, tense read that's hard to put down. Highly recommended!

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Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I read the other two books in this series previously and just love it. This was a good book, with some good suspense, and twists I did not see coming.

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I just love this book series. I've been following this book from the very first book and I just absolutely loved the characters in it. The same goes for this book, Wonderfully written story which just hooks on to you from the word go and doesn't just let go. Though in this book there was a lot less of Nick and Sophie but more about Karen Hart and DCI Morgan. There were other characters who were in this book who had the desired effect for which they had been created. But the best part about this book was how it ended. I just loved it from the beginning to the end and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to any reader who loves a good police procedural. And finally a big thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me this ARC in exchange of my honest review.

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I really enjoyed this book.I liked the main character, and the pace of the book was good.The story was well told and plausible and was surprised by some of the events.Great book, well worth a read.

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D.S. Butler is a new author to me and one I hope to read more from. Though I haven’t read the previous books in this series, the author does a good job of bringing you up to speed so you are not lost.
Don’t Turn Back is a police procedural about detective Karen Hart. In a previous book,her husband and daughter are killed in a mysterious car crash which continues to haunt her. In this book, she investigates a murder that leads into deeper issues. Get ready for major twists and turns as the story unfolds.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Karen Hart is still in shock after losing both her husband and her daughter, but her job as a detective requires she put personal feelings on hold. The village of Canwick is picture perfect, something off a postcard, that’s way a brutal murder there is so shocking. But as Karen digs into the little village, she discovers that it’s charm is only surface deep. Ugly secrets, including what may be a slavery ring are buried in this town, and Karen will have to try to submerge her own grief to find the answers

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This was an absolutely superb read.From the first page I was completely hooked and that doesn't happen very often. My only irk is that there are two previous books that I haven't read and I do so love to start at the beginning and I'm a bit worried that I might not enjoy books 1 and 2 as I already know what happens.
From the start the plot unfolded at a good pace and I gelled with the writing style. It struck the right balance between giving background detail and moving the plot along. One of the best things about this book is that it is believable. So often we have a one man band maverick police officer who never eats, drinks or sleeps ends up in intensive care only to discharge her/himself and do it all again in the next book.The author skilfully weaves the back story of how Karen's family were killed in a car accident with a current investigation into modern slavery and police corruption. I initially thought the author had taken on too many plot lines but actually it all worked really well and made complete sense and the most important thing- it was believable.. Attention to detail was spot on. The threads all came together very neatly but not contrived
Could I ask that for the Kindle version page numbers are put at the bottom and preferably as Page x of y
Chapters are clearly laid out and a new chapter on a new page-very pleasing
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy- I can't post a review on Amazon yet but it will be 5 stars when I am able. Needless to say I am going back to Amazon to get more books by this author
Excellent book- highly recommended

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I have loved getting to know DC Karen Hart a workaholic since the tragic deaths of her husband and daughter but she gets right into a case and see's then through to the end.When a mans battered body is found in woodland Karen has to try and discover who he is.This is a case that will grip you and keep you wanting more i have really loved it Thank you D S Butler for being a great writer 5*

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Wow what a rollercoaster ride this was. I finished this in one sitting, couldn’t put it down! Great to catch up with all the characters and this latest book brought the whole of Karen’s story from the previous books together. Hoping this isn’t the end of Karen Hart as she is a great character along with her fellow officers. This was a fantastically well written series of books looking forward to more from a great author. Highly recommend that reading the series of three books.

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