Thank you to #NetGalley and #Bookoutre for allowing me to read #OneLeftBehind by #CarlaKovach.
This is the ninth book in the Detective Gina Harte series and grabs you from the first page.
5 friends go to the local woods to camp out overnight but only 4 return. What goes on at these parties, none of the teenagers are talking. Two didn’t go this time, why? What happened both nights. The closest residents to the woods have complained about the kids, noise they make and the mess they leave behind. Did one of them snap.
This book grabs from the first page and keeps you reading. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I haven't read the other books in this series but based on this one I would certainly do so. Well thought out and clever, thank you.

🏕Teens acting out: plenty of twists and suspense😲

4-4.5🌟 stars
This story kept me guessing right to the end on two fronts. The primary mystery is the murder investigation Gina Harte and her team launch after a teen is murdered during a night of partying in the suburban woods. The list of suspects pivots again and again as the dead girl's partymates are also imperiled, and one of the early suspects is tormenting and abusing his disabled wife (which is a fascinating, suspenseful subplot on its own). The true killer revealed was a shocker for me. The second mystery involves Gina's personal history as an anonymous accuser taunts her about her husband's death.

It's a good, suspenseful whodunit. I really enjoyed it!

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I have read and enjoyed every book in this series. This one not so much. The case of the murdered teen had plenty of suspects and twists. Other than that, this story was too dry. At this point in the series I don't expect to go backwards. The last book showed so much growth for Gina. Now we're back to the past with her husband being brought up constantly. I hope that since the mystery surrounding the messages is solved and the way the book ended finally closes that plotline. I'm interested to see where things go from here as this book felt like a filler between two halves of a series.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'One Left Behind' by Carla Kovach.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Carla Kovach, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 15th July 2021.

This is the third book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'Their Silent Graves' which is the seventh book in the 'Detective Gina Harte' series and 'The Broken Ones' which is the eighth book in the 'Detective Gina Harte' series. 'One Left Behind' is the ninth book in the 'Detective Gina Harte' series but can be read as a standalone.


I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Cara Hunter and Clare Mackintosh, One Left Behind is a thrilling crime novel that will have you hooked from the very first page!.' I am a huge fan of Angela Marsons so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Carla Kovach and if this is half as good as 'The Broken Ones' or 'Their Silent Graves' it is sure to be an epic read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 73 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 , UK 🇬🇧 . I always enjoy when books are set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited England on many occasions including going there on holiday last and this year so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Detective Gina Harte. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. .

'One Left Behind' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Carla discusses/includes domestic violence.

WELL, WELL, WELL CARLA DOES IT AGAIN!!!! YET ANOTHER EXPLOSIVE PAGE TURNER BY AN EXTREMELY TALENTED AUTHOR!!

This book is another riveting installment in this gripping and addictive series. Filled with vivid descriptions it is easy to get lost in the pages for hours. The cover and synopsis work perfectly with the storyline. This book hit every possible emotion and I loved every part of it.

The storyline was quite unique, very fast paced and filled with suspense, tension, secrets, action and lots red herrings to throw you off the scent. I was completely shocked by who the killer turned out to be and never expected them in the slightest. I always love it when I'm shocked as there's nothing worse than working out the killer and your not even half way through the book yet. I love that several chapters are from the Killer's perspective which gives an excellent insight to how they are feeling and why they are doing what they are.

I love Gina and the fact that she is a strong female role model who has got a history herself makes it even better. I enjoyed meeting all the previous characters along with many new ones who all had their own personalities and were strong Characters. I love the dynamics in Gina's team and the fact they all work so well together. Each of her team has their own unique traits and personalities and I love meeting them in each new storyline that Carla brings out. I am looking forward to meeting them all again when I read more of the fabulous Carla's books.

If you have never read this series I highly recommend starting now. It is always great if you can start at the beginning of a series but the brilliant thing with Carla's books is that it really doesn't matter where you start as they can be read in any order.

CONGRATULATIONS CARLA ON YET ANOTHER EXPLOSIVE INSTALLMENT IN AN EPIC SERIES!!!

Overall a page turning, psychological thriller that will leave you shocked and wanting to read more of this incredible series

Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Fiction, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Police Procedural, Mystery and Psychological Thriller amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Angela Marsons, Carol Wyer, C. L Taylor, Tess Gerritsen and anyone looking for an addictive and explosive series.


365 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Gina and Briggs are getting strange anonymous messages on their mobiles stating that the person knows they killed Gina's husband. This is causing Gina some sleepless nights, as although she didn't kill him, she didn't do anything to save him.
Meanwhile, after a party in the woods, a teen stumbles across the body of one of her friends. Gina and her team have to investigate and to their dismay there is another body. Someone who lives near the woods is among the suspects and the reader sees some of the book from the point of view of his wife, who is wheelchair bound.
I enjoyed reading this book and enjoyed the twist.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of One Left Behind, the ninth novel to feature DI Gina Harte of the Warwickshire police.

A teenager is found strangled after a night of camping and partying. Her friends all say they know nothing as they had been drinking. It soon becomes apparent that they are lying and have secrets to keep.

I have read and enjoyed the previous novels in the series but One Left Behind seems stale and it failed to capture or hold my attention. I put it down several times in favour of more appealing reads. Some of that is down to the plot as I can’t identify with teenagers and their compulsive secret keeping and the rest is down to the usual subplot of Gina and her involvement in the death of her abusive husband years ago. After so many novels you would have thought that it had run its course, but no, it’s back with the twist that someone has seemingly found out. Well, whatever, I have no enthusiasm left for it.

Just because I couldn’t get invested in the novel doesn’t make it a poor offering. It has plenty to offer an interested reader with twists, unexpected events and a well disguised perpetrator. It is told from multiple points of view and each character has a story, often to do with the impact the murders have on them. This necessarily gets the novel off to a slow start as they and their backgrounds are explained and the reader tries to work out where they fit in to the overall narrative (probably not where you think it will be).

One Left Behind is a solid read.

The 9th in the Gina Harte series is as strong as ever.

This book sees Gina and her team investigating the murder of a teen, who was part of a group partying in local woods.

There is also the subplot dealing with Gina’s personal life - someone is sending her and her boss nasty text messages. Who is doing this and why?

This was a gripping read. There are lots of suspects, a few red herrings, a shocking surprise in finding out the murderer and a satisfying ending. I won’t deny that the Gina Harte books are must reads for me, but this I feel is the strongest book in the series so far and rates up there with very best crime thrillers.

Can this be read as a stand-alone? Hmm yes, but really I’d recommend the previous books in the series as the subplot deals with Gina’s past and to fully enjoy it I think you’d need to read these first.

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

Teens, alcohol, drugs, social media, and most importantly, some serious movement in the story of Gina's ex-husband! Thank goodness! I love this series but the overshadowing by what happened in Gina's abusive marriage was starting to suck the joy out of reading these books. I like that Gina has become comfortable in a relationship, even though it is with her boss. I like that she is getting a more solid footing in her relationship with her daughter. And I like that she is still catching killers. This installment was nice and nuanced with multiple crimes going on. Whether they were related or not was part of the overall mystery and did a good job of keeping Gina and her crew on their toes. I did somewhat feel like the killer was revealed almost more by process of elimination than through detective work, but otherwise it was still a solid story.

Thank you to Carla Kovach, Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, an absolute pleasure!

I’m new to this author and definitely hooked! This book is a must read, the suspense, the characters and storyline are relatable, as a stand-alone it’s a joy to read! I particularly enjoyed the mystery, superbly written!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One Left Behind is the ninth book in the addictively dark and twisty DI Gina Harte series set in the fictional Midlands town of Cleevesford. Sometimes by this stage in a police procedural series, an author starts running out of ideas, but not here - Kovach has produced another cleverly plotted murder mystery that once more kept me completely in the dark about whodunnit. I’ve read all of these in order within the last three years, and think that while you do get enough background to read this as a first outing, it is worth starting from the beginning to appreciate Gina’s character evolution.

A group of teenagers camp out in the woods for a party on a hot summer night of cider, music, weed, hook-ups and pranks, but in the morning, one is found dead. DI Harte and her team are not short of suspects - the shifty trucker, the diffident cafe owner, and the local perve were all nearby, but it soon becomes clear that the teens themselves are hiding secrets - could one of them be a killer? Meanwhile, someone is sending Gina messages, threatening to reveal her own terrible secret - that only someone close to her could know about.

I’ve grumbled previously that this series features an unrealistic number of predators always targeting women, for a small town, and while superficially this presents like more of the same, with a young female victim and hints of a sexual motive, this takes things in a completely different and scarily sinister but cunningly original direction. It’s quite some time since I was a teenager but I’m sure we all remember the sneaking about, experiments with booze, painful crushes, jealousy, bullying and torturous melodrama, that our parents couldn’t possibly understand. I was just fortunate to go through it before the time of social media, phones with cameras and Snapchat. This delves into that murky world, and contrasts it beautifully with the behaviour of the supposed adults who themselves become vicious bullies given half a chance.

For those who’ve been following this series and wondering when Gina will finally confront her sometimes tedious guilt over the death of her husband years earlier, this brings a welcome resolution, as well as some degree of progress in the relationship between her and Briggs.
I liked the way she deals with her cyber-stalker and hope she can move on from this sub-plot which has stretched out over all nine books. Hopefully this isn’t the end of the series now, as I do like Gina! 4.5 rounded up for keeping me up reading until midnight - it’s been a while since I’ve been this immersed in a story - Bravo!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. I am posting this review voluntarily.
One Left Behind is published on July 15th.

Well, well, well...... what have we got here?

Here is a book, full of absolute terror, jaw dropping revelations and heart warming (maybe tear coaxing - in my case anyways) conclusions.

This book had me gasping, biting my nails, cheering, and just down right gripped from the very start.

It is no secret that I am a huge Carla Kovach fan and I always drop everything to read a new Gina Harte installment. But after having a hit of a reading slump I knew I had to wait. Because you cannot enter into these book half hearted, because they drag you in and grip you. They consume your thoughts when you reluctantly put it down and walk away to deal with life.

I always say on a review of Gina Harte I have no idea how Carla will top this latest one, but my oh my am I one excited girl to see how she is going to top this one. Because let's be honest we all know that she will!

One left behind by Carla Kovach is the ninth in the DI Gina Harte series. The story starts with five friends going camping, but only four survive the night. The remaining friends band together of sorts by not telling the truth. Little by little the cracks start to show and the truth will be found.

This is another fascinating read, the twists and the turns will keep you guessing until the end.

This is a brilliant series and I think this book is one of the best so far.
A group of teenagers all get together for a sleepover in the woods, with drink and some drugs being part of the night. The next morning one of the girls is found dead and the group are in shock.
Gina attends the scene and is determined to find the killer.
Her and Jacob follow several leads but all eventually lead to dead ends.
Gina and Briggs are both receiving messages about being guilty of Terry’s death and it really starts to get to Gina. This is made worse when her daughter Hannah says she needs to talk to her and will be coming to visit soon.
There’s lots going on in this book and it’s very cleverly written. I had no idea who the killer was and loved the way all the threads were pulled together at the end.
This is a great crime thriller that I’d highly recommend.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Still haven't read the first two books in this series but I've been an avid fan of Gina Harte since "My Pretty Bones" as I have watched her character develop as well as her relationship with her DCI, Chris Briggs. In the previous book, my reviewed stated that it was about time Gina got her act together and either settled with Briggs or not...as well as the constant bringing up of her past with and the death of her husband Terry. This time I've had to eat my words because both topics feature heavily in this exciting installment almost coming to a head.

A very difficult crime is at the forefront of this book and DI Gina Harte has been called to oversee. Five teenagers snuck out in the dead of night to camp out and party in the woods. Five went in but only four came out.

Naomi Carpenter wakes feeling groggy and unwell and takes herself off to answer the call of nature. She hears a twig snapping. One of the boys, Jordan or Oscar, probably spying on her. She yells that it's not funny. She hears another snap. Suddenly frightened she hurries to get back to camp, tripping over something on the way. Somebody's legs. It's Leah. What is she doing sleeping here? She was pretty wasted...maybe she crashed. But then she sees Leah's eyes, open and staring...and she screams.

Gina and her team have the task of investigating what happened in those woods but it isn't long before she gets the feeling that the teens are not telling her everything. They are admittedly shaken and admit to booze and drink and a little weed...but what else happened to make them clam up? What really happened in the woods that night?

Then the team discover two other teenagers who were invited to the party but didn't attend. Caro Blakely and Anthony Truss had been at a previous party that was held in the same woods two weeks before. So why weren't they at this one? What had happened to keep them away this time?

Desperate to remember what really happened at the last party, Caro keeps a notebook detailing the snippets of information that has come back to her. But who can she talk to about what happened? Not Oscar. She thought he liked her but she caught him having sex with Leah...or was it Elsa? Jordan's an idiot and Naomi it a bit of a bitch. Anthony? Yes, Anthony has always had her back. She needs to speak to him because someone is sending threatening messages via Snapchat, disappearing into oblivion after she's read them. They tell her to keep her mouth shut or she's next.

Meanwhile, Gina has had some threatening messages of her own. Someone, it seems, knows her secret. Someone apart from Chris. And he's been getting threatening messages as well. And to top it off, her daughter Hannah has sent her a strange text which leaves her worried. What does Hannah know? Is Gina's deepest secret about to be revealed? Is she about to lose everything she has worked for?

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, Gina focuses on uncovering the truth behind the party in the woods and Leah's death. But before she can make much headway, another teen is discovered dead. Who is killing these kids? And why?

Then the team discover that a man with a prior conviction for voyeurism lives close by bordering the woods and he quickly becomes a suspect. Has his interest gone beyond looking to murder? Once his secret is out and published all over social media, a hate campaign begins outside his house in which his disabled wife is imprisoned and the recipient of all the hate. This aspect of the story is a sensitive one as the mystery broadens and delves into abuse, dependence and control. It makes for uncomfortable reading at times and it's a situation with which Gina sympathises greatly.

ONE LEFT BEHIND is a taut and tense crime thriller that is multi-layered with a lot going on both within and behind the scenes. It almost feels like a penultimate climax concerning Gina's past and leaves readers wondering is this the end of the road? The identity of who is making the threats is not surprising though I am surprised I didn't think of it at the time. But it does leave us pondering is time running out for Gina and her secret?

An intriguing and tense thriller, ONE LEFT BEHIND is a thrilling addition to the Gina Harte series and at last I enjoyed the relationship between her and Briggs, instead of being annoyed with her to-ing and fro-ing over it all. At last they were on the same side and frequency. I admit to shedding a tear at the end in her conversation with Hannah as Gina realises she can no longer hide the truth from her daughter.

Can be read as a standalone but due to the underlying theme, it is best read from the beginning.

I would like to thank #CarlaKovach, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #OneLeftBehind in exchange for an honest review.

Would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

Totally gripped by this book and couldn’t put it down

A group of teenagers out in the woods camping out where they can do what they want, when they want, drink and smoke some weed and make dares wake up the next day and one of their friends is dead

Their stories match ......to much and the police can’t break their statements why are they lying ?

As the storyline builds desperation kicks in and before long another body is found

Brilliantly written and will keep you on the edge of your seat right up to the end

Best book by this author so far

I've been a follower of this amazing series since the beginning and now in its ninth book it shows no let up of having the ability to absorb you in hook line and sinker?

Great characters, a well developed plot Carla never disappoints with her amazing writing talent.

This is a multi layered crime thriller action packed with lots going on and the as for the ending nope didn't see that coming!

One Left Behind (Detective Gina Harte Book 9) by Carla Kovach

📓Genre: Mystery | Thriller
Star: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠(4.1)

🔖 This book by Carla Kovach is the 9th one in the Gina Harte series, although the story is quite captivating on its own even if you read it as a standalone thriller.
🔖After a long night of camping and crazy partying in the forest – a group of teenagers wake up the next morning to the shocking realization that one of them has been murdered.
🔖DI Gina Harte serves as the protagonist of the tale, with the primary plot focusing on the murder investigation.
🔖As each teen refuses to speak up, DI Harte and her team leave no stone unturned to solve the case. But as with the previous novels in the series, the story is layered, complete with interesting twists and turns.
🔖While still keeping the pace uniform, the author has also nicely wrapped up the story in the end.
🔖The characters have definitely grown over time. I specially liked how DI Harte's backstory has been given equal importance – with her own life, history and relationships reflecting on and intermingling with the case. It also served as an interesting sub-plot.
🔖Overall, I really enjoyed reading this twisty thriller.

🔸Final Verdict: Good
🔸Book Cover: Intriguing
🔸Writing Style: Keeps you on the edge
🔸Character Development: The characters are penned with good back stories.

✨Many thanks to Bookouture (Publisher) and Netgalley for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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#OneLeftBehind #NetGalley #arc #bookreview

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘One Left Behind’, the nineth in the Detective Gina Harte series written by Carla Kovach, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

A group of sixteen-year-old friends are having a drunken party in the woods and the following morning Naomi finds the body of her friend Leah hidden in the undergrowth. DI Gina Harte and her team have few leads and those they have turn out to be dead-ends. She can sense the teenagers are keeping secrets but unless she can persuade them to talk she’s powerless to prevent another teenage victim falling prey to the killer.

‘One Left Behind’ is a gripping and action-packed thriller where DI Gina Harte is working to identify a killer while at the same time receiving text messages that leave her frantic with worry that someone knows what happened when her husband Terry fell and died, with the fear that her career and that of her boss DCI Chris Briggs will be destroyed. This story contains lots of drama, suspense and twists and turns, and the further I read the more the tension increased until I was unable to stop, trying to decide the identity of the killer yet failing miserably. I always look forward to reading Ms Kovach’s thrillers which for me are compulsive reading and written in a style that keeps me totally involved. This one is no exception and I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

Brilliant! I absolutely love Gina Harte, this book as usual was excellent. In fact before I knew it, I'd finished. I literally didn't put it down!

A great story, full of the twists and turns I expect from Carla Kovach. Kept me guessing until the end!