Thank you Netgalley and D.S. Butler for the advance copy. Yet another amazing Detective Karen Hart thriller. Karen is out with her new man Mike when they hear a scream coming from Lincoln Cathedral. She discovers the body of a man with a cross cut into his forehead. As the investigation begins another body is discovered with the same markings. It looks like they are looking for a serial killer. Karen is also involved in a Police corruption investigation. Absolutely brilliant read.

This is the fifth book in the Karen Hart series and another excellent read. I stumbled across this series on my Kindle at the end of last year and was excited to see a new addition.

The story begins with Karen being first on the scene at a murder. This transpires to be the first in a series of brutal killings carried out by 'The Cleanser', a killer who seems to take a sadistic pleasure in his ability to remain undetected.

The ongoing threads of police corruption carry on throughout this book with one of the officers previously accused of corruption being brought alongside Karen to work on the case.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and, once I'd started, found it difficult to put it down. The characters worked as well as ever and the conclusion felt satisfying, although a tad rushed.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy of On Cold Ground, the fifth novel to feature DS Karen Hart of the Lincolnshire Police.

Karen is enjoying a rare day off when she hears a scream from the cathedral, a man has been founded murdered in the chapel with a cross carved into his forehead. Then DI Morgan receives a letter from the killer, signed The Cleanser, which hints at more to come. Are they hunting a potential serial killer? Karen’s job is made more difficult by the arrival of the unpleasant DCI Churchill to take over the case and the lack of progress in the Force’s ongoing corruption investigation.

I thoroughly enjoyed On Cold Ground which is an engrossing procedural with a few interesting and unexpected twists. It is told from two points of view, Karen and the unidentified killer, referred to by the code name Sparrow. For once I enjoyed this juxtaposition as Sparrow is no run of the mill killer as he has another agenda. His point of view is engaging and absorbing and compares with Karen trying to catch him and meeting opposition at every turn, mostly in the form of DCI Churchill who seems to delight in thwarting and belittling her.

The plot isn’t overly complicated- work out the motive, find the killer and arrest him. Easier said than done with little in the way of forensics, or any kind of clues. It is, however, absorbing reading with this plot line and the corruption case that has been part of the entire series still bubbling away in the background. The big action scene at the end takes a bit of swallowing but it’s exciting and fitting. I like the easy, clear writing style that makes it all simple to understand and follow.

On Cold Ground is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

On Cold Ground is book number 5 in the Detective Karen Hart series by D S Butler and after feeling that the previous book didn’t quite hit the mark this is a return to form with a well paced, page turning, police thriller that seems to complete the arc of the series.

Recommended

First book I have read by the author but very impressed. I received this as a review copy from NetGalley so many thanks to them and the publisher. Detective Hart is an excellent character and a very good detective. Unfortunately I did not read the books in order so am not aware of the back story except what is referenced within this book. This was a very easy read and kept me hooked until the end when all was revealed. I will now add previous books to my list for further reading as I have noticed I have four more in the series on my NetGalley shelf. Would recommend this book as a stand alone but I think in hindsight it would be better to read in the order of issue. I knocked a star off my rating as there was a slight hint of inevitability about the ending but maybe on reflection this may just be me being overly critical

Christmas is on the horizon and there is snow in the air. DS Karen Hart is off duty enjoying a day in the centre of Lincoln with new boyfriend Mike. As they walk close to the cathedral a scream breaks the relaxed atmosphere and Karen finds herself the first responding office at the scene of a grisly murder. With not a lot to work with Karen is horrified when a threatening letter linked to the investigation is received and a new team begins working on the case.

When a second body is found, with obvious similarities to the first victim, Karen's worst fears are confirmed, a serial killer is operating on her patch and they have no idea who's responsible. As she locks horns with her new boss and tries to stay on top of everything happening around her Karen begins to wonder who she can really trust but no one guesses just how close to home this investigation will come.

This is an excellent series with a great main protagonist; Karen has been written sympathetically and grown with each investigation. Her life after her devastating losses has gradually become more positive and in this instalment is in a new relationship which adds a new dimension to her story. There is a great deal happening in this book and it was a very satisfying read with both new and familiar characters having an influence on the outcome.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it's a great read.

On Cold Ground by D. S. Butler, (DS Karen Hart #5) brings a sense of closure for one of the most devastating experiences in the personal life of Detective Karen Hart. She has tried to find the answers to the corruption within her department that caused the death of her husband Josh and young daughter, Tilly. The answers she has earnestly sought are revealed as she solves a new serial murder case.
Karen is on a winter walk with Mike, and she hears a scream of distress as she nears the Lincoln Cathedral. She rushes in to find Eunice upset saying "He's dead!" and pointing inside the chapel of the cathedral. Detective Karen Hart goes inside and finds the body of a man on the floor laying between the pews. He has been murdered.
This starts a fast-paced investigation and three more victims. Detective Karen Hart not only has a murder investigation, but she must be willing to work with Churchill and two members of his team as they replace Morgan. She must find the link between all the victims to pursue a suspect who calls himself The Cleanser. Karen will be deeply affected by the death of one of the murder victims, and it is sad for readers who have read the other books in the series.
Publication Date: March 25, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This Series just gets better and better and D.S Butler is fast becoming one of my favourite crime authors. This is book five in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone but best read in order or at least after book four. There is so much going on in the book that I can't begin to say how gripping and thrilling it is. Highly recommend

To begin, I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK for sending me an ARC of this book, and to NetGalley for facilitating. And a HUGE thank you to D.S Butler for writing this- as always - an absolute pleasure.

As always there will be no spoilers in this review.

I make no secret of the fact that I am an immediate reader of D.S Butlers books. And by that I mean I set reminders in my calendar for publication dates so that I can get reading as soon as they’re released! So I was over the moon to see this title on NetGalley and get to read it before my preorder was delivered!

I’ve been following Detective Karen Hart through the 4 previous books so I obviously feel quite invested in her story now and all of the characters within it which meant I felt this book HARD!

What an amazing book this was! And it really did make me feel the full spectrum of emotions. I felt joy, frustration, rage, sadness, humour. Really - this book had it all.

The characters are so well written with brilliant continuity that I feel like I know them and I feel emotionally invested in their outcomes.

As always, the story itself is so tense and exciting, mysterious and chilling. I honestly couldn’t put this down. My only fear is that somehow this will be the end of the DS Hart series - just because of how well certain things were wrapped up. But perhaps thinking about it - there is room for more within the wrapping up of things.

A perfect read once again D.S Butler - keep them coming... please!

A detective story set in and around Lincoln, in the Uk. The main detective is Karen Hart . It starts with a body being discovered in Lincoln cathedral . It took me around a third of the book to get into the story, it did not really grab me and the converstaions between characters were rather lacklustre. I did not particularly care for any of the characters either. Beside the murders, there are a couple of other stories running through the book, the death of a young boy on a bike in a hit and run and an investigation into police corruption. These seemed to not to connect, though as the book progressed, the relevance of each became more apparent.
As I got more into the book, I liked it better and grew to like the characters more as well. Although the conversations were still somewhat mundane at times, this did not irritate me as much ! By the last few chapters the book became a real page nturner and I couldn't put it down . This is number 5 in the series and at first I was probibly at a disadvantage that I have not read any of the others (with little knowledge of the individual detectives) but as the book progressed this became less of an issue and the book is fine to read as a stand alone. Now having complted the book, my opinion is that it is a great read and I shall look out for others by this author
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is a great series. D.S. Butler pulls you right in. I won't redo the summary of the book, the publisher always does a great job of that. This is what I like about the series. Strong main character Detective Karen Hart . The plot in this book, body in a church with cross cut on his forehead...another body...serial killer? A lot of books can start with a great plot (like this one) but to keep you engaged and thinking about the book while you are doing other things..in my eyes that makes a good mystery. A writer has to develop the characters enough for me to want to continue with a series. This is book 5 and I'm grabbing book 6 when it is published. Thank you NetGalley!

Read the jacket cover for a synopsis, it covers the basic story. I haven't read all the books in the series and had no problem reading this one as a stand alone. It is a quick read, faced paced and full of excellent. dialogue and action. A page turner that is hard to put down. An added bonus is it is not full of gorey scenes and has no steamy bedroom scenes or foul language. A really good police procedural mystery read.
I was provided an advanced reader copy of the book and was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

This is the first DS Butler Novel I have read, so even though it was #5 in the Karen Hart series it was still readable as a stand alone.
Karen is still grieving the loss of both her husband and daughter. While out on a date with her current boyfriend Mike, they hear a scream in the cathedral and go to investigate. A brutal murder awaits them, gruesome and with biblical overtones. Her team take on the case, but as the head of the team wakes up the next morning with a note slipped under his door from the alleged killer, sighting himself off as The Cleanser, he is taken off the case and Karen works with the new detectives assigned to the case. She doesn’t get on with the boss, and has suspected him in being one of the leaders in the corruption case that has unfolded in a previous book. Nothing about the murders that ensue make sense, there is no link that they can find. Do we have a serial killer that is just taking randoms as he see’s fit, or is there something much sinister going on.
An excellent plot, I enjoyed the wondering and guessing of how it all came together, and am certainly going to read the previous Karen Hart stories. Recommended reading.
Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon publishing UK for allowing me to read this novel in return for an honest review.

This book is brilliant. It’s quite fast paced and keeps you guessing the whole way through. You are given just enough to make you question characters and their behaviour and there are plenty of twists towards the end.
I really liked how there are two storylines to this book. The murders and the police corruption. That ending completely surprised me.
For me everything flowed really well and not once did anything feel like it didn’t fit.
I enjoyed it so much I want to go back to the first book and read the rest in order.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I really like the Karen Hart books, and i'm really glad she is starting to find some happiness in her life, but why does every cop she works with turn out to be dirty! That is getting a little old to me.....maybe add some new storylines and have some of the cops stop being after each other.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author, D. S. Butler, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of On Cold Ground in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
I thought this book was a good read. The storyline was well written with engaging characters.
A great addition to a great series.
Worth a read.

This is the fifth book in the Detective Karen Hart series and another gripping police procedural thriller from D. S. Butler. This time a serial killer calling himself ‘ The Cleanser’ is murdering random people who have nothing in common or do they? Can they be linked to another case under investigation or even the rumours of a police conspiracy? With no clues or evidence left behind Karen has a very difficult task to find the perpetrator of these horrific crimes. Fast paced and well written with compelling characters this book will have you guessing until the end.

Very well developed characters and an extremely engaging story. Well thought out and very suspenseful story line that keeps the reader guessing until the final twist! This is the book to read this year! Highly recommended!

This series just gets better and better! This is the 5th book of the Karen Hart series and shouldn’t be read on its own. Whilst you could pick this up as a stand-alone book, I highly recommend that you read the preceding 4 books to understand the characters and background story, as this book concludes an ongoing storyline arc that began in Book 1 of the series.

This book picks up 3 months after the conclusion of Book 4. Karen and her colleagues’ workloads are stretched due to events that were revealed in previous books. As a result, Karen must work with a different SIO and team to investigate a gruesome murder. This story is a page turner, with some hunches confirmed and a twist that was really good. This story grabbed me from the first paragraph and was easy to read in one sitting. As a reader of the series, I was intrigued to see how this story enfolded and wasn’t disappointed.

I’m so glad that the Author has chosen to wrap up a long standing storyline without stretching it out into further books. I’m really looking forward to reading the progression of the characters and the crimes they solve for the rest of the series. I highly recommend this series if you’re a fan of the genre.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a complimentary digital ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing and giving an unbiased opinion of an eARC of this story.

Another great book in DS Butler series, a serial killer, corruption amongst her colleagues means Karen doesn't know who she can trust. Trying to find the killer it seems no evidence is ever found as she starts to think it's too clean to be true, could someone on the inside be involved and who!!
I like Karen she's nice but stands her ground and is not a pushover at all