See No Evil by D.S. Butler is an intriguing addition to the Detective Karen Hart series. The story opens with a heart-pounding moment as Karen and her fiancé Mike discover his mother, Lorraine, in a horrifying state, setting the tone for a dark and suspenseful mystery.

The story is filled with tension and intricate plot twists, and had me guessing until the culprit is finally revealed. Karen’s determination to uncover the truth despite being sidelined from the investigation adds a compelling layer to the story. The way she navigates her grief and frustration is both sad and relatable. The chilling details surrounding Lorraine’s murder are vividly portrayed, leaving a lasting impression that enhances the eerie atmosphere. Each clue Karen uncovers draws her deeper into the tangled web of her fiancé's family history, raising the stakes with each revelation.

I am still a huge fan of Sophie and her character. Arnie is a great character, too. All the secondary characters are well-crafted, each adding to the narrative and uncertainty about who can be trusted. I found myself racing through the pages, desperate to see how it all would unravel.

Overall, See No Evil is a great read for crime fiction fans. I would recommend this book and this series.

#SeeNoEvil #NetGalley @AmazonPub

This is #11 in the DS Karen Hart series but it can easily be read as a standalone.

I love this series and was excited to read the next instalment. It didn’t disappoint!

Karen has just got engaged to her partner, Mike, so they make arrangements to visit his parents, Lorraine and James, to have dinner and share their happy news. When they arrive, they find the front door ajar so Karen enters cautiously. She finds Mike’s mum, not only murdered but with her eyes crudely sewn shut.

Karen desperately wants to join her team in investigating the case, but she’s not allowed. That doesn’t stop her from trying to investigate discreetly whilst also supporting Mike and his dad.

Then another of Mike’s family is found murdered, with their eyes sewn shut in exactly the same way as Lorraine’s. The pressure is now on to make sure there isn’t a third victim, but then Karen starts receiving anonymous emails warning her not to get involved.

A brilliant storyline with plenty of unexpected twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

I've just finished See No Evil written by D. S. Butler. This one kept me hooked from start to finish! The pacing is spot-on, with just enough twists to keep you guessing without feeling overdone. Butler’s writing style is super smooth, and the characters feel real, especially the detectives. You can tell she knows how to build tension without relying on clichés. I loved how the atmosphere felt gritty but not depressing, and the dialogue had that natural flow that makes you forget you're reading. If you're into crime thrillers that actually make you think and don’t spoon-feed you every clue, this one’s a solid pick. It’s the kind of book you stay up late reading “just one more chapter" and then suddenly it’s late midnight. Definitely adding more of her work to my TBR. Highly recommend if you want a smart, satisfying read that doesn’t let up.

Another fantastic book. It was interesting to have a different perspective with Karen not able to investigate as the crime was personal to Mike and family. Not only was the team looking into the recent murders, but also involved with a cold case relating to the investigation. A new lead detective and sergeant are brought in, but someone is leaking information. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

Another great instalment of the Karen Hart series. Enjoyment all the way through from the first to last page. Paced just right to hold the intrigue. Plenty of suspects to choose from and a bonus that I did not suspect the culprits for the different crimes.Looking forward to the next chapter in her exploits.

I'm a fan of this series, but this latest book fell just a bit short for me. DS Karen Hart and her fiancé, Mike, discover the body of his mother, Lorraine, in her home. Not only was she murdered, but her eyes were sewn shut. They can’t believe such a horrible crime was committed, and to his mother, of all people. He withdraws into himself, and she’s at a loss as to how to be there for him. She can’t investigate the case officially because of her connection, but she assumes her team will keep her in the loop as much as possible. But outside help is brought in, and the detective in charge is determined to keep her as far away from the case as possible.

Of course, Karen, being Karen, continues to involve herself as much as she can, visiting suspects and looking into Lorraine’s history. Turns out she had plenty of secrets, and one of them could hold the key to solving her murder. But will the detectives on the case listen to her input before it’s too late?

There was quite a bit of repetition in the story, mostly Karen lamenting that she can’t help Mike through his grief. But the same thoughts run through her head each time and are repeated throughout the story. It just slowed the pacing down here and there.

I enjoyed seeing from Arnie’s point of view, as the reader gets to know him a little better in this book, and how he interacts with the other members of the team. And good old Chapman features again in this story, still as slippery as ever, but also helpful towards Karen and Mike, leaving them unsure as to his true character. It was a good entry in this series, and I’m glad certain lingering questions about Mike’s family were answered. Too bad it came at such a cost.

Another gripping thriller from this talented author.
Fast paced and twisty with a wow ending.
I flew through in a couple of sittings.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for this preview copy of the police crime thriller, See No Evil by D. S. Butler. This book is one of a number in the D. S. Karen Hart series but can be read as a stand alone book which is what I did, not having read any of the others previously. Now that I have finished this one I will dip into the rest of the series, though, as I enjoyed it and felt it stood up well against other books in this genre.

The book was descriptive and fairly well paced, with the shocking murder of Karen's soon to be mother in law as central to the plot. The author wrote realistically about the police team and their investigation. She also did a good job of fleshing out the characters and made me really care about Karen and her family. As a result, it had me hooked, wanting to find out who was responsible for the murder/s and why, much like a good police procedural TV series. It also had a distinctive British flavour to it, with amongst other things, the characters drinking plenty of cups of tea.

I would say this is a solid police crime thriller and worth a read. The ending wasn't too obvious either which I appreciated.

Detective Karen Hart finds her fiance’s mother, Lorraine, dead. With her eyes sewn shut.

Due to conflict of interest, Karen is obviously unable to investigate Mike’s mothers murder and cannot to take an active part in the ongoing investigation. Another member of Mike’s family is found dead in the same manner as his Mum and Karen is determined to go her own way in finding out the truth.

Lots of twists and turns and wait until you get to the last page – excellent.

This was a very enjoyable read. I think that this book could be read as a standalone.

I would recommend this book and once I started reading it, I couldnt put it down.

I haven’t read any of the previous Karen Hart novels, but I will make sure I do now, starting from the very beginning.

Thank you for the advance copy/read.

Fantastic police procedural. Part of a series, the first of which I’ve read but will definitely be reading previous instalments now. DS Karen Hart and her fiancée Mike are due to have dinner with his mother Lorraine but they arrive to a grizzly scene. Karen is frustrated that she cannot investigate this case but her inquisitive nature reveals connections to a cold case and an old adversary. Can Karen help her colleagues solve 2x killings? A brilliant read and highly recommended. Thanks to the author & publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

What a delight to get my hands, and more importantly my eyes on a new DS Karen Hart book. This one comes very close to home involving Karen's fiance Mike's mother and aunt. As always Karen and the team do not disappoint and despite Karen being excluded (officially anyway) from a lot of the investigations in See No Evil a very complex double murder and a cold case are solved by the end. It was brilliant to be able to drop back in on characters that are so well written they remain fully formed in the reader's brain between books. So that opening a new book is like opening the door to friends. A series I'm happy to recommend wholeheartedly.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Another fantastic addition to the series. This was really gripping and tense, full of twists and turns and a shocking conclusion - brilliant!

I received an e-copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read any of the previous Karen Hart books, but this can definitely be read as a stand alone. This was a great little murder mystery. The pacing was good and I liked the characters, especially Karen and Sophie. The twists were great, and it kept me guessing all the way through! Good little quick read :)

DS Karen Hart finds her future Mother in law dead, with her eyes sewn shut.
She is excluded from the investigation because she is too close to the victim.

DS Karen Hart is a headstrong and impulsive detective. She dives into investigations with little thought of the consequences. Good thing this is a novel, because she could have found herself a victim, along with her partner, Mike and his step father.
Twisty, and fast paced, this is a perfect police procedural for those who enjoy the genre. Thrilling and well plotted, the story takes several unexpected turns.

Looking forward to the next in this series, although, this one can be read as a standalone.

4/5 stars from me.

An excellent fast paced thriller read which held my interest throughout with good characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC which I can thoroughly recommend.

Every instinct is screaming at her that something is wrong. ‘Lorraine?’ The door stands open, the kettle cold, the house dark and silent. Behind an overturned chair, she sees a figure on the floor. Rushing forward, a gasp of fear escapes Karen’s chest: her future mother-in-law will never open her eyes again…. DS Karen Hart’s happy world is shattered the moment she finds her fiancé Mike’s mother murdered on what should have been a night of celebration. And even worse, someone has sewn the soft skin around Lorraine’s eyes shut! Great book and series! This book had chilling suspense, gruesome murders, mystery, intrigue, action, serial killers, and a few jaw dropping twists! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
Great book with nonstop action and absolutely no way for me to figure out the killer.
Karen and Mike were set to tell Mike's mother and stepfather they're getting married, but instead they find his mother dead with her eyes sewn shut. The horror of it numbs them and Mike's stepfather to the point they can barely handle it. For Karen, as a detective, to be told she cannot be involved in the investigation, is something impossible to adhere to and she constantly gets into trouble from the lead investigator.
The ending was completely shocking to me. It's a great read that I definitely recommend!

There’s nothing wrong with this book- it was solid. I just didn’t love it. Perhaps I’m missing out since I didn’t read the other novels in the series, but this one just didn’t really do it for me. It was hard to care about Karen or Mike or anyone really. The mystery didn’t really grip me nor did the characters. The writing was good, but I don’t think this book was the right fit for me.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.

It was meant to be one of the happiest days of their lives - the day when DS Karen Hart and her fiancé Mike announce their engagement to his mother and stepdad. But instead, they find his mother has been murdered in her own home - and her eyelids stitched closed. As a police officer, Karen should be a part of the search for Lorraine's killer, but as her almost daughter-in-law, she is sidelined and an outside team brought in. She is sure that the key lies with Mike's family, but shut out from the investigation and told to absolutely stay away - she is forced to run her own investigation.

This is another fantastic book in the Karen Hart series, and one that leaves you guessing until the last page! 5*.

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

Detective Karen Hart and her partner Mike are visiting his mum to break the news of their engagement. They are shocked to find Lorraine dead with her eyes sewn shut. With an outside team sent in to investigate, Karen is shut out of the case. Could it be linked to a cold case that Lorraine had newspaper clippings about? When Lorraine’s long lost sister is murdered in the same way, Karen is worried that they will come for mine next.

This was a rollercoaster ride. Emotions were clear for all of the characters. Karen’s frustration was clear to read and the uncomfortableness of her colleagues shone out from the pages. The story had many twist and turns as details were revealed slowly, mimicking the pace of an investigation
In real life. The final reveal when it came could have gone a couple of ways and o had predicted which one it would be. However until the last minute I didn’t see it coming. I liked how this boom didn’t leave any threads unresolved and look forward to the next one.