Thank you to NetGalley and ‎ Thomas & Mercer for my copy of In Plain Sight by D S Butler.
DS Karen Hart Is called in when 4 teenagers taking a short cut home come across a dead body,
A woman is dead killed in a dreadful medieval way, and found in an archaeological dig.
Can Karen and the team solve this grisly murder. Although this is the 10th book in the series, the story and characters are still good and I’m looking forward to many more.

Christie , Leo and mason were such a thrill to read!
Couldn’t contain my excitement at the ending !
Simply haunting !

In Plain Sight by D. S. Butler, published by Thomas & Mercer, is book 10 in the Detective Karen Hart Series. Yes, the books are with cross overs, but they van easily be tread as stand alones.
This time Detective Hart is assigned to another complex case, a case full of twists and unexpected turns that has the reader guessing till the ver last page.
An incredible, literally unputdownable read, 5 stars.

First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer Publishing, and author D.S. Butler, for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review. Publication date is currently set for January 21, 2025.

A medieval torture device. An archaeological dig. Can DS Karen Hart unearth the truth?

If the above tantalizing little titbit doesn’t awaken your literary senses, I don’t know what will.

It’s certainly shocked seasoned detective, DS Karen Hart and her team of investigators.

When the story opens, it’s the middle of the night, and a group of teenagers are walking home after a night out. When one of the group suggests taking a short-cut home by cutting through a neighbouring farmer’s field, the others follow along – thinking that they’ll save precious time – little do they know their night is about to change for the worse.

Bumbling along in the dark, one of the boys stumbles and falls into a trench which had been dug in the field. Stunned, but mostly unharmed, the boy looks around at the trench he’s fallen into trying to figure out how he’s going to climb out. That’s when he sees it. The body of a woman lying in the same trench, not far from where he’s sitting. Her head and arms are encased in some sort of trap device and her face has contorted into an agonising and painful expression. And she’s very definitely dead.

Detective Sergeant Karen Hart and her team are called to investigate. At the site, the team learn that the trench had been dug as part of an archaeological dig for a television show called Britain’s Biggest Treasure Hunt, a highly popular TV program about discovering ancient Roman remains hidden in the U.K. Hart quickly learns that the victim, Alison Poulson, was linked to the show and was not well liked by the rest of the show’s cast. From the outset the scales of justice weighed heavily with suspects and light on clues.

Yes, there were still challenges ahead; names like Rothwell and Chapman loomed large in their caseloads. But together the team navigated successes and setbacks and supported one another when cases took their toll.

In Plain Sight might be the tenth book in the series, but you can easily read this as a standalone – which is a tribute to D.S. Butler’s writing skills.

Crime Solving Stars:
🌟A refreshing take on the crime genre.
🌟A complex and well-paced tale with layers and twists that will keep you engaged.
🌟If you don’t mind the macabre, there are some shocking and disturbing scenes as the plot unfolds.
🌟The ending contains a surprise that caught me off-guard.
🌟Well developed characters.
🌟An excellent police procedural investigation (which focuses on the use of procedure and its team of officers).

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to publishers Thomas & Mercer for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for January 21, 2025.

This is the 10th book featuring my favourite detective, Karen Hart. But about the 4th that I've read. I love the character of Karen Hart, a gutsy detective, standing for no nonsense and a very good detective. In this book, the discovery of a woman's body at an archaeological dig shocks Karen. The body is found with a shrew's fiddle around her neck, the fiddle is a barbaric form of torture mostly for women who nag. There are no end of suspects, including a television crew who were televising the dig, for the murder of the woman, who was not well liked and rubbed everyone up the wrong way. A great story with brilliant characters, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more Karen Hart stories.

D. S. Butler is back with another sensational story about DS Hart and her team of police officers. This is book 10 in a fabulous series, however it can be read as a standalone as D. S. Butler leaves no loose ends when referring back to previous books, recapping where necessary without overdoing it for readers who have read the books.
This is your comfy chair and cup of tea thriller, it has a shocking murder and a concise descriptive timeline of clues and hunches until the crime and its perpetrator is revealed. I cannot find any fault in the DS Hart series, each book is a joy to read and usually read in one sitting. The sprinkles of hints and suggestive words are genius to keep the reader in their toes.
5 star read … just brilliant!

#inplainsight #netgalley #favauthor #thrillerreads

A good new addition to the series. Begins as a group of teens find a body in a trench and one of the teens recognises the body as a coincidence. The victim turns out to be very unlikeable and so there are a number of plausible suspects and red herrings, with the added mystery of the murder weapon. There are some amusing moments with the TV presenters. My one slight criticism is that the killer was maybe revealed too early, but I can see the reason why because there was more to the story after the suspect was identified.
I enjoy this series so am familiar with the characters, but it works as a standalone read as well.
Thanks Netgalley.

Another great book. This series gets better and better. I love the characters and the story was amazing

Another excellent book in this Karen Hart series. Fast paced and enjoyable I sped through the book as I wanted to know what happened but was also sad to finish it. Such a well written book. Bring on the next instalment.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

A group of teenagers find a body in a dug trench resulting in Detective Karen Hart and her team being called in. With an old fashioned torture device being around the victim’s neck, a link to a tv show investigating buried treasure is quickly found. The victim wasn’t well liked and suspects are plentiful.

This was another great addition to this series. I enjoyed historical references, as well as the chance for other characters to be explored and find relationships. I enjoyed seeing thought processes through Karen’s eyes, especially that light bulb moment when she knew exactly who the killer was. One of the best bits about the book was that all the loose ends are eventually tied up! An enjoyable read and highly recommend.

A woman’s body is found in an archeological dig site, but this is no ancient burial. The victim was recently killed and her body was encased in a Shrew’s Fiddle. You will not forget its name because it’s brought up incessantly throughout the story. It’s described as this horrific, misogynistic ancient device but when I looked it up, it wasn’t even that bad! It’s not meant to kill you or even torture you, it’s a shaming device for being a nag or a shrew hundreds of years ago. Sure, it’s uncomfortable, but the description kept stating that it tightly bends the person’s neck at an unnatural angle and the thing is, it does not. A person can stand up perfectly straight in one, with their hands each having their own hole, one in front of the other. So once your arms get tired, then yes, you would be bent over, but there’s a clear difference between immediate suffering and eventual soreness.

And guess what? Nothing keeps the person standing, they can sit or lay down to alleviate the strain on their muscles. That’s a big issue I had with the story – the author tries too hard to make this an anti-woman death device. It’s an obnoxious mechanism, but I’d choose it over thumbscrews or an iron maiden any day. If you’re going to use an actual historical device, don’t exaggerate it as a horrendous torture tool akin to the rack when anyone can research it and see that it isn’t. Emphasize the degradation of women in general – that’s something that is and always has been true.

So, because the dig site was part of a reality archeology TV show there are plenty of suspects, and DS Karen Hart has to work with her team to stop the killer before more people suffer. Was it one of the crew? The local council? The experts brought in from the university? Or a family member or friend completely unrelated to the dig? You’ll have to read and find out. Just know there is a lot of unnecessary repetition, maybe to stretch out the length? Phrases and thoughts expressed multiple times by the same characters, enough that it stood out while reading. Whittling that down would help the flow of the story. Which I’m surprised wasn’t called The Shrew’s Fiddle.

Another brilliant case for D S Karen Hart to sink her teeth into. This book is written brilliantly with great characters that bring the book alive and the reader will love this book, I have loved the Karen Hart books thank you D S Butler for fabulous books.

Teenagers taking a short cut through a field stumble on an archeological site. One of the boys falls drunkenly into a trench only to find a body in it. No, not an ancient corpse, a fresh corpse wearing a medieval torture device called a Shrew's Fiddle.
One of the teenager's recognises the victim, but doesn't mention it. She is protecting her family.
DS Karen Hart is shocked at the brutality of the crime.
Soon, there is another killing, just as savage, and Sophie is proved right with her prediction of a serial killer being on the loose.

Another fantastic DS Karen Hart book. I love the way the team work together and recognise each other's flaws, but still get on with the job.
The writing flows beautifully, and the plot keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

I am pleased that this can be read as a standalone, even though it is the tenth book in the series. I really want to read more of the books.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.
This is the 10th in the Detective Karen Hart series and could be read as a standalone.
The mystery is complex and I didn't guess the perpetrator until about 3/4 into the book. The murders are particularly gruesome, the perpetrator obviously enjoyed the acts.
I like the police characters, after several of the books they have started to feel like family.
It's a good book, but not my favorite. I'd have liked more about the team's private lives, especially Sophie's. Hopefully she will heal quickly from her psychological scars. Looking forward to no. 11!

In Plain Sight by D.S. Butler delivers a gripping mystery that held my interest for most of the story. It did get a bit repetitive in the middle.

The story begins with a chilling premise: four teenagers stumble upon a woman’s lifeless body in an archaeological dig, and things only get darker from there.

DS Karen Hart is a determined and compelling character who faces the daunting task of unraveling the truth behind the murder. The story has credible characters, each with their own secrets and motives. As Karen navigates through a web of lies involving disgruntled archaeologists, an indifferent husband, and a teenager who may know more than she divulges, the tension builds rapidly.

Overall, In Plain Sight is a thrilling read filled with twists and turns that will appeal to mystery enthusiasts.

#InPlainSight #NetGalley @AmazonPub

This is the tenth in the DS Karen Hart series; it is the sixth I have read. It works well as a standalone.

Teenagers cutting through an archeological dig discover a grisly sight. A dead woman is at the bottom of a pit, with a medieval torture device called a Shrew’s Fiddle attached to her.As DS Karen Hart and her team investigate the limited clues and numerous suspects, a second brutal death occurs.

This is a fast paced, well written mystery. I enjoy the main character, as well as her supporting team. Karen is engaging, capable, empathetic, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. She also displays a good sense of humor.

Fans of British police procedurals will enjoy this story, along with others in the series.

A terrific read with a sense of the Elly Griffiths and Joy Ellis books - gorgeous setting so eloquently described and quirky characters aplenty. I thoroughly enjoyed the different perspectives and seeing how the teenagers who discovered the body interacted with one another and then with their parents. The archeological aspects were also interesting and added an extra rabbit hole to explore. Some of the characters were unbearably annoying, which only added to the sense of credibility and engagement.

Another amazing follow up book, always amazing and didn’t have a clue how it was going to end until it happened, love this series and it was just as good as the rest of them AAA

A medieval torture device. An archaeological dig. Can DS Karen Hart unearth the truth?! Great read!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It had great suspense, intriguing, action packed, gruesome murders, serial killer, mystery, a great who done it and some wild twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I just started listening to this arc today and I want to say that it is a good book so far. I’m excited to listen to more of this book/story today!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc. It is perfect for today.

Pub date is next year on January 21,2025.