The last person to see Amber was her housemate. He remembers everything she was wearing that night. He watched her leave. He listened to every word of her phone conversation with her friend before she left. He knows more about Amber’s movements than anyone.

At university, she is well-liked by her fellow students and teachers. Her tutor’s voice shakes when he is questioned by the police. Some say he and Amber were very close. Too close. Some say his wife had just found out about their relationship.

The manager at the restaurant where Amber was supposed to eat that night says she didn’t show up. Yet the chef at the restaurant is overly chatty about her. He wasn’t working that night. He wasn’t answering his phone. Nobody knows where he was when Amber went missing.

Rumours begin to circulate about Amber, it seems that everyone has a story to tell. But when the young girl’s lifeless body is found in a local park, with her blue lips glued shut, the gossip suddenly goes quiet. As the police trace the last few hours of Amber’s life, it seems that the girl simply vanished on her way to catch her bus. And when another woman goes missing in the dead of night, it’s a race against time to find her before she too is silenced forever.

DI Gina Harte is back with another instalment. I absolutely love this series. The books are always thrilling and captivating, yet easy to read.

The author is tremendous at character development and I look forward to the next instalment in this series every time I hear that there is a new one coming out.

This book does not disappoint at all and despite it being 8th in the series, I genuinely am no where near getting bored and cant wait for the next instalment.

One of my favorite fictional detectives is back in top form, Gina Harte heads up a team and I enjoy getting to know thrm all as they rush to find a killer before they strike again. This time, it’s a creepy stalker type and it’s really quite terrifying knowing g someone can be watching you and just waiting for the right time to strike. Fast paced, against the clock investigation. Can be read as a stand-alone but it’s fun to catch up with the side stories.

This was another fast-paced novel featuring Detective Gina Harte, though I must admit I didn't like it as much as some of the others. This time, Gina and team are investigating the murder of a young woman named Amber who never showed up for a date with someone she met on the internet. As they investigate, many potential perpetrators are uncovered and they have to move quickly before another girl is killed.

There were a lot of potential "bad guys" in this book, which led to some twists, but I wasn't that surprised when the villain was uncovered and I definitely wasn't surprised when I learned why, as I felt like that was extremely clear throughout the book from the chapters narrated by that person.

I like Detective Harte and find her a mostly relatable character, but I do feel that there are a lot of people on her team and we don't really get to know any of them well enough that I don't have to sometimes remind myself who they are when their names come up. I do think this series strikes a good balance of not over-focusing on the personal lives of the detectives versus the crime that is being investigated, though.

All in all, a good police procedural and a fast-paced book. While not my favorite Gina Harte novel, it's still a good read; I'd give it 3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A complex, gripping and highly entertaining addition to this series.
I like Carla Kovach's style of writing and storytelling.
The plot is full of twists and turns and kept me guessing.
I liked the characters, interesting and well thought.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Broken Ones is another great book in the DI Gina Harte series. The story kept me wanting to read and had a really good twist too. There were a few different suspects, and just when you think you’re right about one person, the book surprises you. I can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Not your typical roommate missing novel. Throw in three students who stumble and try to assist the police,and love liaison gone wrong and a missing police officer investigating the disappearance. These arethe elements of this Gina Harte mystery. A philanderer, a wronged wife,they are all here. At the heart is a tormented soul grieving for a lived one. Happy reading

I enjoyed this book but having read very many thrillers this one seems very similar to ones I have read before.
A young man after having his twin sister commit suicide decides a kidnap girls who looks like his dead sister.
When they don’t act and behave like her he kills, and takes another girl and will keep on taking young woman until he can find the perfect girl he can call his sister.
Thanks netgalley for giving me the opportunity to give an honest opinion of this book.
It was good but have read better ones.

Another excellent Gina Harte book! as ever, Carla can't write fast enough, although she does seem to churn these out without losing anything in the storylines or characters.

5 stars from me!

With thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy

Amber has a date with someone she met on an online dating app
But when she hasn’t returned the next morning her housemate reports her missing to the police.
D.I. Gina Harte is called on to the case.
Gina gets a call to say a young girl had been found dead at the edge of the lake with her lips glued together.
Can they solve the murder before another young girl is murdered
Another great book which will have you gripped from the start to the finish.
Thanks NetGalley

Gritty police procedural with lots of suspects,a dodgy dating app,and plenty of red herrings. Suspense was maintained throughout,a good read.

Wow this was so much better than expected. I was a bit nervous requesting this one because I'd never read any other books in the series but it really wasn't a problem it was so well written and I found it really hard to put this book down. It was fast paced and compelling. I definitely think it'd be wise to start from the beginning but I didn't struggle much as this is so far in the series. I have to go back to get more info on the characters and their storylines and all that. Very much want more from this author.

I really loved having the killer POV and it got disturbing and that's what I love to read.

So if you want to be kept on your toes with a a very well written story (even with it's tropes) this book is for you'll. It'll be hard not to devour the pages and want more!

Suspense from beginning to end and at some points I held my breath because I was so caught up in the story. Great book, great series!

The Broken Ones by Carla Kovach is the 8th 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)
On Monday morning Lauren Sandiford reports her friend Amber Slater missing when she hasn't returned from a date on Friday night. They are both students, and live in a large house off campus.  They are very close, but Amber isn't answering her phone, and Lauren is sure there is a problem.  Her body turns up in the lake shortly after.

Suspects abound.  It looks like one of Amber's lecturer was a little too friendly with her, although he denies it.  The landlord is creepy, and some of the other residents are hiding something as well.  Then there is this dating app that Amber had been a part of, and it seems it is widely used.

Another student is attacked, and the investigation widens.  But when one of their own goes missing, Gina and the team now are racing against the clock.


My Opinions:
The series is good. There was less of Gina's past coming back to haunt her, so that was a definite improvement.  It's always nice when we can move forward!

While I'm thinking about it....I liked the cover, but was unsure where the balloon came into play, and I'm not sure I understood the title either.

It was nice to see that we are starting to learn a bit more about the team member, so their characters are becoming deeper.

The plot was good, and for a change, I didn't automatically know the perpetrator, as there were a number of creepy suspects.  So that was really good.  The pace was fast, and nothing dragged, thereby lending itself to the feel of a fast read.

Overall, a good addition to the series.

SUSPENSEFUL police procedural with Gina investigating the murder of a young woman who had her lips sealed with glue. Well written, keeping the interest high until the grand finale. Enjoyed totally & RECOMMEND the whole series. Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Detective Gina Harte is back! The Broken Ones is the eighth book in this series. The story begins with a young woman on her way for a night out. She never makes it to the bus station. There are so many questions right from the start. Who took her? Was it someone she knew? Why was she taken?

The story is narrated in multiple POVs including the baddie’s which was dark and chilling. There were also chapters that were narrated by victims which were quite emotional but definitely a great addition to the story. As always, I was captivated by the chapters narrated by Gina as I nervously waited for the case to be solved.

This was a complex case with so many suspects. I kept changing my guesses. Was it her neighbor, tutor, friend,a stranger, landlord, a blind date? Everyone looked suspicious. Once again, the author managed to surprise me as the culprit was someone I never suspected at all.

I have always had a complex relationship with the lead MC. She is one of my favourite fictional detectives. However, in some of the books, she kinda annoyed me. I loved her in this one. She was keen on the case and as always had great instincts. I enjoyed her interactions with her colleagues and also liked seeing her softer side when she was dealing the victims. I can’t wait to catch up with Gina and her team in the next installment.

The Broken Ones by Carla Kovach is another great installment in the Detective Gina Harte series. Although it can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the entire series in order as the character development is best enjoyed this way. This is a fast-paced, edge of your seat, tightly-plotted crime thriller series that I highly recommend to all fans of this genre.

A fantastic example of a good police procedural novel.

Amber, a young university student enjoying life away from the constricted family life she shared with her father, leaves her flat for a date with a man she’s met through a dating app. She never arrives at the restaurant and subsequently her murdered body is found with her mouth superglued shut in a local park.

Many men come under suspicion of her murder but when another woman closer to home disappears who also uses the dating app it is a race against time to prevent her demise.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will be reading the back catalogue of the Detective Gina Harte series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another excellent book in the Detective Gina Harte series!!!! Love this series! Gina is back investigating the murder of Amber whose death uncovers a serial killer. From the very first pages I was captivated ! Recommend reading this series if you haven't you are missing out! Read today!!!

Great addition to this series. I love the Gina Harte books and this one was exciting and tense. Would have loved for Harte and Briggs’ relationship to be developed a bit more but hopefully that will come in the next instalment

This is a solid enjoyable police procedural with some flaws. The ending came together to quickly. The romance piece with Gina did not add to the story at all and was rather annoying. I found some of the writing and dialogue a bit trite.

I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Carla Kovach’s Gina Harte series is one of the best detective series out there and is certainly one of my favourites.

The 8th book in the series is one of the best yet.

A main strength of these stories is Gina herself and the detectives she works with, plus the ongoing attraction betweenGina and Briggs, her boss. These aspects are ah important part of the story but never overshadow the investigation.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.