I haven’t read book 1 in this series so I can confirm that it reads perfectly well as a stand alone book. What appeared initially to be a cold case enquiry turned out more and more complex as the book progressed. The main character DS Karen Hart was easy company and I rather like that she follows up on her gut reaction to things. I have a minor gripe with the fact that she was referred to as Karen while her boss was always referred to as DI Morgan. That aside, it feels like there should be a few more books to come in this series.

Well written, good characters great plot. 
When police attend a routine call to an elderly man who appears to have fallen down stairs they find a skeleton in a suitcase that has clearly been there years. DI Scott Morgan, DS Karen Hart and their team are given the task of finding out who he was and how and why he was killed. They discover it is the body of Oliver Fox  a school teacher who has been missing for almost 30 years. As they start to dig onto his past they discover that not only he was having an affair with his wife's sister, he was also accused of abusing some of the boys he taught.
What is the connection between the elderly man and Oliver Fox and how far back does it really go? 
When it transpires the old man was actually pushed and the team find he had previously received a threatening note Karen and the team must pull out all the stops find out before anyone else gets hurt.  
Just when you think you guessed who did it something happens to quash that theory.

I enjoyed 1st book in series and 2nd book is brilliant very good story and I so enjoy the characters and I enjoy there lives and secrets and the murder enquiry in this is brilliant so recommend cant wait for book 3

A cold case suddenly becomes very hot...

An old man has fallen down the stairs and when the police arrive to check on him at the behest of a concerned neighbor, they are warned not to go upstairs. Intrigued, they investigate and discover a skeltonized body in a suitcase inside a padlocked room. It turns out that this is the body of Oliver Fox who went missing over 30 years previously. In addition, a note is found in the kitchen and reads: "it's time to pay for your crime." The old man, Albert Johnson, succumbs to his injuries before the police get a chance to question him about the body and the note, but he's the obvious suspect when a postmortem exam proves that Oliver Fox was probably murdered. So, the death of Fox is old but the note is new. Have DS Karen Hart and DI Morgan stumbled upon a case that is going to be more complicated than they first imagined? After some investigation, Hart and Morgan discover that Johnson and Fox worked together at Greenhill Secondary School. Was Johson's death an accident or was there foul play involved? Hart and Morgan, along with DCs Jones and Cooper, are pulled into a complex web with an unsolved crime that happened so long ago that it will be difficult to figure out.
NO SPOILERS.

This was an evenly-paced, if somewhat pedantic, police procedural that weaves the past into the present with a connection that presents them with many suspects and strong motives. I hadn't read the first book in the series so the characters were all new to me and I was able to enjoy this without having done so. I can see that Hart is a fairly genre-stereotypical female detective -- she's had a loss, she's on her own, and she's mentally tough. Hart, however, doesn't seem to have a dark side or engage in maverick behaviors at this point -- for which I am glad. I'm tired of damaged female police detectives! I'm a bit wary of a potential romantic development on the horizon as the signs are there. This was easy to read in one setting and though some red herrings are dangled, the revelations didn't come as a big surprise. I liked it well enough that I'm sure I'll try to read the next in the series. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishers for the e-book ARC to read and review.

I have really enjoyed reading this book it certainly grips you with the plot and i was happy to read that i had the killer sussed.D S Butler certainly writes a brilliant book.When police are called to the home of an elderly man by a worried neighbour they are about to make a discovery that will have the team racing against time to stop a killer.If you want to read a good book then i can highly recommend this one.Well worth 5*

This was the first good I'd read by this author but it won't be the last! 
When Oliver Fox went missing 30years ago no-one knew what happened. 
When an elderly man falls down the stairs, and a suitcase is found with a skeleton in, no-one knows what secrets will be uncovered. 
Who is this person, how did they die, and what does it have to do with his sons? 
This book had me gripped from the first page. I loved the dynamics between the team, I felt Sophie was a little whingey and we didn't get enough of ricks input. 
I will definitely  be looking out for the next book in the series.

This book was a little hard to read at first. The characters felt flat or incomplete, not sure how to explain. The story seemed shaky in the beginning and for the first half of the book it was unable to keep me interested. The second half was much better. I found mysel quite intrigued. Oliver Fox, missing 30 years, turns up as a skeleton in a suitcase. There’s a sizable cast of suspects. Some are easy to rule out. The why of Oliver’s death is fairly simple to deduce but the who and how is the main mystery. I found myself amused with the comical actions of Albert in the hospital. He reminded me of someone but can’t recall who it is. As the suspects beganto dwindle and more secrets were revealed the main characters became more lifelike. In the end this book earned its fourth star for the different angle taken for the big reveal. Well done.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of Where Secrets Lie, the second novel to feature DS Karen Hart of the Lincolnshire police.

When Albert Johnson falls downstairs the police break in to rescue them but he isn’t happy to see them and forbids them from going upstairs. When they do they find a skeletonised corpse in a suitcase in a padlocked room but what seems like a straightforward case takes a few turns when the investigation gets underway.

I thoroughly enjoyed Where Secrets Lie which takes a simple premise and adds many layers, turning it into an exciting whodunnit. I was hooked from start to finish because the reader knows, although the police don’t that there are two killers to find, one from the thirty year old cold case and one from the present day. I didn’t have a clue in either, found myself slavishly following the crumbs Ms Butler provides and still couldn’t work it out. It’s good stuff although I find the writing style a touch tedious as the author tends to over explain and ram things home.

I like the main protagonist DS Karen Hart who has sorrow in her life but gradually seems to be coming to terms with it. It adds empathy to her strong investigative skills and clear thinking, making her almost the complete detective. The story of her blind date is amusing but I sense her interest may lie in her boss, DI Scott Morgan, with whom she is building a good rapport. He is another good detective with a strong streak of decency which comes to light in this novel.

Where Secrets Lie is a better book than its predecessor so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.

I like Karen. She's flawed, but honest, and she knows her way around a mystery! This is book 2 in the series, and it's just as great as the first. it does pick up after it, but enough background is given, that the reader can read this book as a stand alone. you read enough police procedurals, you tend to pick up themes, and they can run together. But Butler does a good job in keeping this book fresh from the field by letting the tangled web of lies show itself, a la Agatha, and then show how each step of the way as she unravels a bit Hart stumbles upon an even deeper web. It's a quick read that will have you rapidly turning pages,and a great entry for the last mystery of the year!

I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Where Secrets Lie’, second in the DS Karen Hart series written by D S Butler, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The police are called to check on the well-being of Albert Johnson and find him lying at the bottom of his stairs.  They become suspicious when he says they’re not to go upstairs but curiosity gets the better of them.  They enter a padlocked bedroom and discover a suitcase containing a decomposed human skeleton and a recent A4 sheet of paper on which is written ‘It’s time to pay for your crime’.   DS Karen Hart and DI Scott Morgan are asked to investigate and evidence leads them to believe the body belongs to teacher Oliver Fox who disappeared in 1988 but what they consider to be a cold case becomes anything but when discover there were rumours about Oliver and his liking for young boys.  

‘Where Secrets Lie’ is a worthy sequel to the first in the Karen Hart series and just as gripping.  It has an interesting and complex storyline with a fast-paced plot, twists and turns, several suspects and likeable characters who I feel I’m getting to know better.  We learn more about Karen’s private life, the reason for Scott Morgan’s relocation to Lincoln, Rick Cooper’s concern about his mother and Sophie Jones’ desire to buy her own home.   It concludes with a final twist which kept me enthralled and although it’s a two-book series one can always hope that D S Butler decides to write a third.

Easily enjoyable book, good storyline, well written, I thoroughly enjoyed this, kept me guessing till the end, kept me awake as I couldn't put it down

Having never read any previous titles in the series I was a little worried I wouldn’t understand the main character, but it was needless; this book can easily be read as a stand alone, although I shall be looking out for the others. The characters were realistic, as were the relationships between them. The story had s9me great twists to it. I would highly recommend this book.

This is the second in the DS Butler series and i am loving it.
A body is found in a suitcase in the bedroom of an old man. The remains are over thirty years old. This thirty year old cold case is about to become very current. Some one is on the rampage and killing but WHY ? What have these new murders got to do with this cold case ?
My god there are so many suspects and red herrings in this book. A real page turner and the climax WOW!!! I had no idea who the killer was until they were revealed. I read this book in one sitting, i just had to keep on reading. This series is turning out to be very good. Can't wait to read the next in this exciting crime series. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 
I would like to thank the author, Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC of this book in return for giving an honest review.

I found out after I began reading this that it is the second in the series.  That didn't make it at all difficult to follow, I just really want to read the first book in the series now.

A man is thrown from his balcony and a body is found in a suitcase.  We spend our time together finding out how those two things are connected.   There are many kinds of police procedurals.  They really are not all the same.  Some are overly slow building and often have lulls in the middle.  Some are just one thing after another.  The former is far more realistic, the latter being ridiculous at times.  This one falls in the middle.  You do get the drudgery of police work, but it isn't drawn out.  Everything that happens adds to the story, including character development.  Sometimes the home lives of the characters feels completely separate from the actual mystery or crime being solved.  This book also avoids the pitfalls of those stories that make huge jumps, have characters making stupid decisions that miraculously work out, or ending in an unbelievable coincidence.  

The entire story was fresh and though-provoking.  I look forward to reading the first book in the series and future books as the are released.

This is an excellent novel with well drawn characters and realistic emotions covering more than just the crimes themselves. It tied up almost all the loose ends in a most satisfying way and I wonder if the one unresolved issue will feature in a third outing for DS Hart and her colleagues. 

The four main police officers work well, together but are also shown individually so as to include their private lives which creep into the case just enough to be a distraction to them getting the job done. Although this is the second book in the series and the first crime does get a mention there are no spoilers and nothing is lost by not having started at the beginning which was my situation. 

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book in return for an unbiased review thanks to Netgalley and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good police procedure which is well written and exciting without going over the top at any time although the body count was quite high! I will definitely be looking out for the next in the series.

Where secrets Lie is a good read! Karen and team work will together and keep things moving along. D. S, Butler thankfully did not go the typical way of over describing the gory details of the murder.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and author for my ARC. I really enjoyed this second book in the new series featuring Detective Karen Hart. It was well written with plenty twists and surprises, a good story line as well as more details on the background of the main characters. I would rate this book better than the first in the series and well worth reading. I look forward to reading more in this series. Reviews on Goodreads and Facebook.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story with all it’s twists and turns. Unraveling all the mysteries surrounding a man’s disappearance thirty years earlier was fascinating. The case begins when an old man takes a stumble down a set of stairs. The old man telling the police not to go upstairs just makes them wonder what he’s hiding. Never did they expect to find a dusty old suitcase with a body inside. Each new discovery in the case made me want to turn the page and keep reading. I found myself saying, “I didn’t see that coming” several times. Predictable story lines happen all the time so it was really refreshing to be surprised. It felt like I was investigating with Karen and her team.

At the same time, details revealed about the personal lives and histories of the individuals on the police force made the story that more interesting. DI Morgan has his past trying to catch up with him. Sophie is full of dreams and still needs to learn a few things, like patience.

I did struggle a little keeping up with the character names. Switching how the characters were referenced was confusing at times. With that said, it was an enjoyable book.

Detective Karen Hart #2

An elderly man, who a neighbour had shown concern for is found in his home. It looks like he has fallen down his stairs. He asks the policemen who attended the call out, not to go upstairs. Intrigued, they search upstairs only to find a decomposed body in a suitcase. It seems an easily solved case, that is until Detective Karen Hart finds a warning note: It's time to pay for your crime.

I'm really liking this new police procedural series. I know it's only the second book, but so far so good. We find out a little more about the main characters backgrounds. The story uncovers some sensitive issues. As the investigation turns into a cold case, the victim had went missing 30 years ago, and the list of potential suspects grows bigger. This is a well written book with many curve balls thrown at you. The pace is fast and the tension mounts. For me, this is the better of the two books. I can't wait to read the next instalment in this series.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author D. S. Butler for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you like a murder mystery, this is a good one.

The writing is good, neither overblown nor facile.  The characters are given depth through insights into their personal lives and the solution to the mystery isn't made clear until the closing pages, although parts can be guessed at - which we like, because it makes us feel clever when we're proven correct!

It's not tense and there's no sense of a building pressure to find the killer before he strikes again, but that's okay, sometimes all we want is a straight line novel, with a story that does what it ought.

I shall definitely read any further releases in this collection.