Their Silent Graves by Carla Kovach is the 7th in the Detective Gina Harte series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background: (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)

DI Gina Harte works homicides. Her team consists of: DS Jacob Driscoll, DC Harry O’Connor and DC Paula Wyre, with a lot of assistance from PC Smith, and now PC Kapoor. Gina is a stubborn lady, and a determined detective. She has had a rough life, which has led to an uneasy relationship with her daughter and grand-daughter.  It has also led to a lack of real friends, and an on-again/off-again relationship with her boss, DCI Chris Briggs. It is not common knowledge that her husband was abusive, and no one knows that she helped him fall to his death many years ago.


My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

It is the Halloween season, and two teenage girls take a short-cut through a wooded area on the way to a party.  One of the girl trips, and from there the evening goes downhill.   Seeing a bell hanging from the tree above them, they follow the rope down to the ground, where they find a shallow grave, complete with coffin.

Detective Gina Harte and her team must first try to identify the body in this grave, and then try and figure out why someone would want to torture someone by burying them alive.

Meanwhile, Gina is receiving messages from the killer. This killer seems to know Gina, and know her past.  The past that Gina has kept secret for so long, the fact that her husband was abusive.  It almost feels like Terry is back and taunting her.


My Opinions:

I've really enjoyed this series, but I am getting a little tired of the main female character's past coming back to haunt her, or interfere with her work, etc.  I am ready for a strong female character who isn't carrying this big chip on her shoulder.  Okay, done ranting.

First, this could probably be read as a stand-alone novel, but I think you will understand Gina better if you start at the beginning.

I really think this is a good series, and although the plot was a little dark, it is Halloween, so it can be expected.  The plot, even if a little predictable, and the perpetrator obvious, was still good.  Kovach took a look at bullying, and how it can affect a person later in life.  It also looked at when bullying is taken to the extreme.  That was really interesting.

Anyway, bottom line, it was a good addition to the series and I will continue to follow Gina Harte!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This is the 7th book in the Detective Gina Harte series; it would be great as a stand alone book but I think you should read the whole series as I just love these characters. Gina is flawed but strong and honest; she has a past that she can’t let go of, a secret past that tries to rear its ugly head and she feels like this secret would ruin her life if it gets out. When a body is found buried alive in a coffin, the killer starts sending personal letters to Gina; since ghosts can’t come back to actually haunt her, she needs to solve this mystery and find the killer before they ruin the future she has worked so hard to create.

I really enjoy this series, it was a quick read that kept my attention and kept me reading into the night. I love the characters and cannot wait to see where this series go next.

DI Gina Harte was back with another intriguing case which took all of her determination and calm to get it solved, especially when there were creepy notes being sent to her. Someone knew her past. Author Carla Kovach had all the plot lines on a string where suspense was used to tighten them up.

Having read a few of this author’s works, I was completely engrossed in this deadly tale of being buried alive in a grave with the bell on the outside as they used to do in the olden times. It was claustrophobic and creepy, to say the least.

Gina was tough and vulnerable with memories of her abusive past hitting her at times, making me want to soothe her. The villain was smooth and knew enough about Gina to keep one step ahead of her. It was nice to get the cat and mouse vibe here.

Book 7 this was, the murder mystery could be read alone, but knowing Gina intimately would require brushing up with the rest of the books. Her team too had more of an input to allow me to get to them further. I would have loved the story to be slightly fast-paced.

But like all murder mysteries I read, I like donning the Detective hat to get to the killer. This time too gave me a rollicking time trying to solve it.

Secrets and suspense were the core of this book, getting to the killer was the aim, and only author Carla Kovach could achieve this in such a smooth manner. A fun read.

Terrific series! Lots of twists and suspense with Halloween being the back drop. Gina is drawn into a case of people being buried alive, reminding her of her trials as an abused wife. Enjoyed totally/recommend highly! Thanks to Bookouture & NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This is the 7th book in the DI Gina Harte series, this is a solid series which you will easily be captivated by.

Firstly I must acknowledge the dedication at the beginning of the book for all those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to the pandemic.

Having read all of the series so far I'm always in great anticipation when a new one is released and like the other six before this one didn't disappoint great to be reacquainted with Gina and the gang and although it can be read as a stand alone novel to get the full picture it would help to read the previous books and you won't be disappointed.

This book reminds me of a previous novel that I have read with the coffin bell ringing but i'm at a loss as to remember which book (that's the issue with being a book worm)

This is a solidly written and engaging tense crime thriller full of suspense and anticipation now the wait for book 8 starts.

"Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour...but sometimes your enemy isn't all they seem."

Teenagers. Bodies buried alive in bespoke coffins. Cryptic notes. Unreliable witnesses. A serial killer on the loose? DI Gina Harte has her hands full as she and her team investigate the murders. They are having a hard time coming up with a motive but hope that they can solve this crime before the press goes crazy and before another body is discovered. NO SPOILERS.

There are two flashbacks that start this 7th in the series. The first is 24 years ago and the second is 12 years ago on a frosty Halloween night so it seems fitting that this murder spree starts right around that time in present day. This was a straight forward police procedural featuring Gina Harte as the lead and I must confess that I was pretty disappointed in the whole story once the reveals had been made. It all seemed pretty weak as a basis for the crimes and resultant criminal charges but I don't know UK law. I'm tired of Gina and her obsession with her past history and I don't think this should be read without having followed the series from the beginning. Why are so many of these female leads in detective series so damaged? I've come this far in the series having read them all to date, but just not sure if I want to continue as I've seen no evidence of personal growth and the rest of the team barely get a mention much less fleshed out to develop individual personalities. Also, how is it possible that many of these leads always end up being some sort of victim themselves? This was not a bad book, but it certainly didn't provide a lot of gripping suspense or twists that I didn't see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this e-book ARC for me to read and review.

This is the first book i read in this series and won't surely be the last as I loved it.
It's a fast paced, well written and highly entertaining police procedural that kept me hooked till the last.
I loved the well thought cast of interesting characters, the solid mystery that kept me guessing and the excellent storytelling.
Even if it's the 7th in this series I had no issue with the plot or the characters.
It's an excellent read that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This is the 7th book in the Detective Gina Harte series, but it is the first I have read. I know there is a lot of back story, but I was still fully engrossed in this story and had no problem following the action. This is a gripping police procedural, set in the fictional Midlands town of Cleevesford. I was gripped right from the first page and did not take a breath until I had almost reached the end. The story opens with two teens stumbling upon a grave in the woods. It turns out that someone was buried alive and Gina along with her team are tasked with finding out who the victim is, what happened to them and who is responsible. Along with that, there are flashbacks to Gina's life as a young mother and wife. When another body turns up and Gina begins receiving letters, the tension and suspense builds. This book is a fast-paced police procedural with a well-developed plot and an interesting and intriguing cast of characters. It's well written with several twists and red herrings that had me guessing and twisting in the wind. I had no idea who the culprit was until the reveal. The story is mainly told from Gina's POV, but the culprit's POV is shared at times, as well as flashbacks to what happened to her, but we do not know who it is. It was a great, tense ending and I was quite pleased with how it all came together. This is a highly entertaining and engrossing police procedural, which I highly recommend.

I didn’t realise that this was book 7 of the Detective Gina Harte series but my mistake didn’t take from the storyline in any way and can definitely be read as a stand alone. There are some references to the past but it’s no different to reading a book where your only getting snippets of the history. Your thrown into it from the first word and I couldn’t put it down. Loved the character of DI Gina Harte. The author portrays her as such a likeable character that you can identify with on a personal level that has her own history. Storyline was a page turner with great twists. Definitely interested to read the next instalment.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC and review that was published on the 17th of Sept.

WoW! This book was Just amazing and so creepy! especially as this book is set in the halloween season. Their Silent Graves by Carla Kovach is the Seventh book in the brilliant Detective Gina Harte series. I was hooked from the very first few pages just like all Carla's previous books.

What's your worst nightmare??? but this one may come true.....................being buried alive! 2 girls are on their way to a school halloween party........all dressed up in halloween costumes they take a shortcut through the dense woodland and they make an gruesome discovery. They discover shallow grave with a decaying corpse inside. Detective Gina Harte has been called to the scene and it's up to her and her team to find out who this person is, how they got there and who murdered them! whilst investigating the coffin they find a coffin nail indentations which indicates that the person has possibly been buried alive and there were 3 burnt out matches.

Before Detective Gina Harte can take a breath another coffin is found......

Can Detective Gina Harte and her team catch this killer before he kills again and what is the link between them.

One thing I will say about this series, you will need to read the previous books within this series so you get an understanding of Detective Gina Harte as she is a complicated and exciting character who I love! nad you will warm to her.


I highly recommend them. If I could give Carla Kovach 10 stars I would.......So looking forward to the next book within this amazing series. You will not be disappointed!

Big Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

I adore this series and love everything about Gina Harte, her police investigations and the team around her. I feel as if I know her in her role as detective as well as identifying with her as a woman.
Their Silent Graves is just as well written, deftly plotted and reads at a great pace, like all the preceding books charting Gina's professional and personal life.
Littered with the trademark suspicion and hidden secrets that the keepers of them will do anything they can to prevent exposure, this is an unsettling and claustrophobic story about a killer who buries their victims alive.
It is sinister and eerie, being set in woodland, and the vicar's house intensified the sense of isolation and things that go bump in the night!
As always Kovach knows her characters inside out, producing real, likeable and unlikeable players in the story that gives it background, piques the reader's interest and also adds a satisfying depth to the thriller.
When I picked up Their Silent Graves I knew that I would be hooked and finish the book way too quickly, leaving me waiting for the next book in the series! It is always wonderful to have authors one can always turn to, guaranteed of a terrific read.
I love the psychological thriller combined with police investigations genre but some stand out more than others. Kovach has got it just right with Giba Harte and so I would always readily recommend her books and this series to others.
Please can we have the next book soon?!

Two things attracted me to this book before I even read the description! The first was that the publisher was the Bookouture. I’ve read many of their books and they have all been good reads, so I knew that was a plus! The second thing was the beautiful cover! I love butterflies, so any book with a butterfly on the cover stops me. Then, I read the description of the book and knew I had to read it!! I haven’t read any of the other six books in the series, but I will be going back and catching up. This one can be read as a standalone with no problem because there is just enough insight into the previous books to understand the storyline.

Their Silent Graves has a nice Halloween vibe so it is being published at just the right time! The story is about two girls running in the woods on their way to a Halloween party and discover a shallow grave. In another few days, another grave is discovered. It is now up to DI Detective Gina Harte and her team to solve what appears to be the murders of a serial killer!

I love the who-done-it kind of psychological thrillers that keep you turning pages and guessing throughout the book. This one has the added bonus of a shock factor in the end!! You are in for a ride with this one!

I would definitely recommend This book to anyone that enjoys a good mystery/psychological thriller. I know I’ll be going back to Carla Kovach's first book and reading the series in order!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

I have to admit I didn’t read the previous books in the series and, sadly, this one did not make me want to read them.

I found the story and plot to be highly confusing at times, with too many references to past books for a new reader to feel involved in what was happening.

The characters got all mixed up in my mind, and this just wasn’t a book for me.

Their Silent Graves by Carla Kovach is the latest story in the DI Gina Harte series.I have been a Carla Kovach fan since I won copy of Whispers Beneath The Pines a number of years ago. The Gina Harte series, I have been an avid follower of. I was extemely lucky I was offered a place on this tour.
This time DI Gina Harte is really having it tough. Her past, dark and brutal at times is always on the cusp of her mind. This investigation we see her being tipped to the edge.
There is a murder, commited at Halloween, with the method being one of everyone's worse possible thing to happen, being buried alive! this is only the beginning.The first time anyone was killed like this was 25 years ago and now someone is doing the same again.
At the same time as Gina is investigating these murders she begins to receive threats...threats that could only logically be from her dead husband, or, is someone else aware of Gina's past. We see Gina deal with both the investigation and her fears in this book.
I love Gina, have done since the very first book. Carla has created a character that jumps of the page for me. A fabulous woman, who carries her past behind her eyes and through the need to be independant to a fault. Fiesty and clever she always gets to the bottom of a case, no matter the costs.I always look forward to a new Carla Kovach book and this one was well worth waiting for!
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of this wonderful book for my review today.

A cracking story that plays on two of our primordial fears. Being buried alive and hearing from the dead
Kovach has written an intense psychological thriller wrapped in a Police procedural, and it works really well
Whilst investigating the latest in a series of murders where the victims are buried alive DI Harte starts to receive messages that could only come from her dead husband, the husband she killed years ago.
This is a stunning read.

In my review of the previous book, Her Last Mistake, I wrote that “there were a few times I felt that Gina’s memories bogged the plot down. I wanted to get back to the action of the story.”

Well, I got my wish. This time Gina’s past actually becomes more of the story (more on that in just a minute).
As with previous books, the author jumps right into the action, giving the reader a peek into an event in the past, 24 year ago…but of whose past we’re not quite sure. We then jump forward 12 years to another incident, but still with no real clue as to the connections.

I love the way this author set all of that up, because when we get to present day, we have some sort of background on current events; we know more than the police do, anyway. Not that it helps too much, because as always, this is a clever plot that keeps the reader guessing.

I will also mention now that it’s set around the end of October, so it’s excellent reading for this time of year. While it’s still a cracking good investigation, there’s a spooky element to it that fits the season perfectly.
As always, the team works together smoothly. We get a few more insights into their dynamics, but for the most part, it’s just good, steady investigative work from everyone.

As to Gina’s personal matter, we know from past books that Gina has some traumas that have left her scarred and shaken. This time, one surfaces in the most unexpected way. As she is busy with the case at hand, she also has to determine what the truth is about this new twist from her past.

It all weaves together for a page-turning crime thriller.

Sometimes it’s difficult to write a review about a series, especially when it gets to later books, because the “newness” may wear off. When that happens, later books can seem repetitive.

However, there is something to be said about knowing that you are going to get a solid criminal investigation with interesting plot points (and twists), engaging characters, and a ruthless killer.

That’s what you get here, and it’s another winner.

"Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) After I finished reading the book, I turned to my Bible study guide (provides me with a prayer for the night) and this scripture came up! Did I get scared to see this after it was quoted in the book? Oh yeah!

I will break this book like this: Addictive, frightening, suspenseful, overwhelming! The twists and turns had me going. The fear was there and I just couldn't put the book down. And yes, I had nightmares that night!

This was my first introduction to Carla Kovach, and it won't be the last! I'm ready for more!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an AC read! Loved it!

Another fantastic Di Gina Harte book, I love reading this series, it gets better with every book. It's a mystery full of twists with the creepy aspect of Halloween.

This is another fascinating crime thriller, set around Hallowe'en and featuring Detective Gina Harte and her team who are endeavouring to identify and arrest a serial killer before they can strike again. The twist this time is that the killer seems to know all about Gina's past and her abusive relationship with her now deceased husband . . . something that Gina has only shared with one person. To add to the mystique, the journalist who always seems to have Gina as her target is back in town and reporting on the events and again endeavouring to put Gina in a negative light. With all this going on, can Gina and her team discover who the killer is before they bury someone alive in a coffin again? What is the connection between the victims? Why are they being killed?

This is a brilliant, suspense filled read that had me keeping turning the pages. The author is fantastic at bringing the suspense to the fore and immersing readers in the unfolding drama. It is a superb detective story with great characters, plenty of twists and clues to keep you guessing. The relationship between Gina and Briggs is fraught with problems, too - will they ever get a happily ever after together? I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book and this series to anyone who enjoys police detective crime thrillers - and can't wait to read more stories in this series in future!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I voluntarily read and have honestly reviewed.

Their Silent Graves is the seventh instalment of the DI Gina Harte series by Carla Kovach set in Cleevesford, a fictional town in the Midlands, England.

Gina is called to the scene when two teenage girls stumble across a shallow grave. Dressed in Halloween costumes, the girls are on their way to a party and, taking a shortcut through dense woodland, they find a coffin in the grave with a decaying corpse inside. Nail indentations indicate that a person has possibly been buried alive, and then another similar grave is found...

Although Their Silent Graves is deep into the series, it can be read as a standalone. I have cherry picked instalments in this series and have not read all of the seven novels, however there is enough backstory provided to really enjoy this particular one. Carla Kovach has written a really clever and fascinating police procedural that drew me in right from the very first page. Feisty and down-to-earth, protagonist Gina Harte makes a brilliant Detective Inspector. The fabulous plotting and great pacing by the author also contributed to my huge enjoyment of the story. Overall, a brilliant book filled with twists and a satisfying ending.

If you love a good detective series and psychological thriller with plenty of shocks then Their Silent Graves is for you. Very highly recommended. Rating: five stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.