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Detective Karen Hart #1
Bring Them Home
A perfect village. A perfect crime.
When two young girls disappear from their primary school, the village of Heighington is put on high alert—and not for the first time. Called in to investigate, Detective Karen Hart is sure that parallels with a previous disappearance are anything but coincidental.
DS Hart is still reeling from a case she tried and failed to solve eighteen months ago, when a young woman vanished without a trace. She’s no nearer to the truth of what happened to Amy Fisher, but with two children missing now too, the stakes have never been higher. As she looks to the past for clues, she must confront her own haunting loss, a nightmare she is determined to spare other families.
Hart soon realises that nothing in this close-knit Lincolnshire community is what it seems. Pursuing the investigation with personal vengeance, she finds herself in conflict with her scrupulous new boss, but playing by the rules will have to wait. Because while there’s no shortage of suspects, the missing girls are running out of time…
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2018
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10041 people want to read
About the author
D.S. Butler
35 books898 followersAuthor of the Karen Hart series. Ex-biochemist turned crime-writer. Huge Queen fan. Loves to read crime fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 741 reviews
June 29, 2021
Gripping UK Police Thriller!
This was a wonderful and suspenseful read for me. The book is so enticing and well-written that I didn't want to stop reading and felt sad when the story ended.
The story begins with two ten year old girls (Emily and Sian), who have sneakily left school early to meet a friend in the woods. This friend was going to let Emily ride some ponies that she visited frequently and wished she could learn how to ride them.
Several minutes after leaving school, the girls seem to vanish. Noone has seen them anywhere since they left the safety of the school property. Someone Must Know! The story also centers around four detectives handling this case. DS Karen Hart and her boss DI Morgan and two younger detectives DC Rick and DC Sophie. Eighteen months ago, another girl went missing and was never found and Karen has a hunch the cases could be connected but the pieces don't fit too well, since the unsolved case was about a missing nineteen year old and the missing girls are very young, so the chances of being connected are very slim.
I really enjoyed this book. It had many twists and turns and a variety of colorful characters who were quirky, entertaining and mysterious. The main characters (the detectives) are people that you want to know better and they all have background stories that that are not known to one another and makes the storyline more interesting. This book had everything for me and I can't wait to read more of D. S. Butler's books.
I highly recommend this book to all mystery and crime readers!
I have given this book 5 Wonderful 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
I want to thank D. S. Butler for writing this book and thank the publisher Thomas & Mercer and NetGally for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest and unbiased opinion.
This was a wonderful and suspenseful read for me. The book is so enticing and well-written that I didn't want to stop reading and felt sad when the story ended.
The story begins with two ten year old girls (Emily and Sian), who have sneakily left school early to meet a friend in the woods. This friend was going to let Emily ride some ponies that she visited frequently and wished she could learn how to ride them.
Several minutes after leaving school, the girls seem to vanish. Noone has seen them anywhere since they left the safety of the school property. Someone Must Know! The story also centers around four detectives handling this case. DS Karen Hart and her boss DI Morgan and two younger detectives DC Rick and DC Sophie. Eighteen months ago, another girl went missing and was never found and Karen has a hunch the cases could be connected but the pieces don't fit too well, since the unsolved case was about a missing nineteen year old and the missing girls are very young, so the chances of being connected are very slim.
I really enjoyed this book. It had many twists and turns and a variety of colorful characters who were quirky, entertaining and mysterious. The main characters (the detectives) are people that you want to know better and they all have background stories that that are not known to one another and makes the storyline more interesting. This book had everything for me and I can't wait to read more of D. S. Butler's books.
I highly recommend this book to all mystery and crime readers!
I have given this book 5 Wonderful 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!
I want to thank D. S. Butler for writing this book and thank the publisher Thomas & Mercer and NetGally for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest and unbiased opinion.
October 8, 2018
DS Karen Hart #1
Two young girls disappear from their primary school in the village of Heighington, the village is put on high alert - and it's not for the first time.
Detective Karen Hart is called in to investigate the disappearance of two young schoolgirls. This is the second case of girls going missing within an eighteen month time period, except Amy Fisher was a young woman who still has not been found. Karen Hart also has to confront her own loss as she pulls out all stops to prevent what had happened to her, happen to other families.
I have previously read a couple of D.S. Butler's books and enjoyed them, so I honestly don't know why I stopped. I enjoyed Bring Them Home, a book that has some twists but it's basically straightforward, Karen Hart just wants to bring the girls home safe after failing to find a young woman eighteen months previously. We get some background information on some the main characters, which I always find helpful as it builds up the character. The story has a good pace and it's easy to follow. I never guessed who was behind the kidnapping, and I was surprised at who it was. I look forward to reading the next book in this new series.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author D.S. Butler for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Two young girls disappear from their primary school in the village of Heighington, the village is put on high alert - and it's not for the first time.
Detective Karen Hart is called in to investigate the disappearance of two young schoolgirls. This is the second case of girls going missing within an eighteen month time period, except Amy Fisher was a young woman who still has not been found. Karen Hart also has to confront her own loss as she pulls out all stops to prevent what had happened to her, happen to other families.
I have previously read a couple of D.S. Butler's books and enjoyed them, so I honestly don't know why I stopped. I enjoyed Bring Them Home, a book that has some twists but it's basically straightforward, Karen Hart just wants to bring the girls home safe after failing to find a young woman eighteen months previously. We get some background information on some the main characters, which I always find helpful as it builds up the character. The story has a good pace and it's easy to follow. I never guessed who was behind the kidnapping, and I was surprised at who it was. I look forward to reading the next book in this new series.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author D.S. Butler for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2018
I truly enjoy getting in on the ground floor when it comes to finding a new crime fiction series. Both the series and the author are new to me, but I'm sure I'll be following both.
DS Karen Hart is a character with character. She comes with flaws and issues, but always tries to do what's right. She's lost her husband and daughter in an auto accident and returns to work to find a new supervisor, DI Scott Logan. They are as different as apples and oranges. She trusts her gut feeling and he's a stickler for proof, evidence. The only gut feeling he trusts is the one when he's hungry.
Logan and Hart are investigating the disappearance of 2 young girls from school. They left school early one day, hopped the fence and went into the woods. They haven't been seen since. This hits close to home for Hart. A year ago, a teenage girl disappeared. She suspects who took the girl, but without proof her hands are tied.
While her supervisors think she's obsessing over the girl never found, she 'knows' she should rein in her anger, but she can't afford to get sidetracked ... there are still two little girls missing.
There are plenty of suspects to look at. What Logan and Hart find is that almost everyone comes across as secretive, with secrets they aren't willing to see the light of day. Logan and Hart, along with the others on their team are going to have to sift through the lies to finally get at the truth.
I enjoy the interaction between Logan and Hart, despite their differences, they get along well, with each bending a little to accommodate the other. I'm looking forward to finding the story behind the story ... to see where Logan, especially, came from and what makes him tick.
Many thanks to the author / Amazon Publishing UK / Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley / Simon Leonard for the advanced digital copy of this suspenseful crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
October 10, 2018
I do so love storylines involving kidnappings. There's always this delightful race against the clock to find the victims alive. Tick, tock.
The story starts out exciting enough. Two ten year old girls go missing from school. From the beginning, it's clear this will be one frustrating investigation. There are no witnesses, no clues and detectives don't know where to start looking for Emily and her friend Sian. But DS Hart has a suspect in sight early on. Is she distracted by a previously unsolved case though?
Bring Me Home is the first instalment in a brand-new series, featuring Detective Karen Hart. I liked the fact that she isn't a DI but a DS because, let's face it, there's a lot of those around. While a DI might sometimes get away with breaking the rules, DS Hart doesn't get that opportunity very often, although she gives it a good go, as her boss is always nearby and he's a stickler for the rules.
Now, as you know, I read a lot of crime fiction and I'm fully aware of the fact that it's becoming increasingly harder for an author to come up with something new that will either shock or surprise me. So although I thought Bring Them Home wasn't badly written, it felt a little too much like things that have been done before.
Throughout the story, these characters never really convinced me. On top of that, I found the author tried too hard to dazzle the reader with red herrings and dead ends but deep down, I always felt there was only ever going to be one way the story would end and thus, the conclusion wasn't unexpected at all.
All in all, a straightforward mystery but to be honest, there are far more better ones out there to sink your teeth into. For me, this ended up being a quick but, sadly, forgettable read.
The story starts out exciting enough. Two ten year old girls go missing from school. From the beginning, it's clear this will be one frustrating investigation. There are no witnesses, no clues and detectives don't know where to start looking for Emily and her friend Sian. But DS Hart has a suspect in sight early on. Is she distracted by a previously unsolved case though?
Bring Me Home is the first instalment in a brand-new series, featuring Detective Karen Hart. I liked the fact that she isn't a DI but a DS because, let's face it, there's a lot of those around. While a DI might sometimes get away with breaking the rules, DS Hart doesn't get that opportunity very often, although she gives it a good go, as her boss is always nearby and he's a stickler for the rules.
Now, as you know, I read a lot of crime fiction and I'm fully aware of the fact that it's becoming increasingly harder for an author to come up with something new that will either shock or surprise me. So although I thought Bring Them Home wasn't badly written, it felt a little too much like things that have been done before.
Throughout the story, these characters never really convinced me. On top of that, I found the author tried too hard to dazzle the reader with red herrings and dead ends but deep down, I always felt there was only ever going to be one way the story would end and thus, the conclusion wasn't unexpected at all.
All in all, a straightforward mystery but to be honest, there are far more better ones out there to sink your teeth into. For me, this ended up being a quick but, sadly, forgettable read.
July 30, 2020
Nothing gripped me about this story, from the central plot to the characters to the storytelling.
January 17, 2019
This book was a disappointment to me. I'm such a fan of British mysteries set in rural areas. This one, about a female detective sergeant with an obsession for 3 missing persons - one young woman from an old case and two girls who've just gone missing - should have clicked on every level for me. It didn't.
From the beginning, the dialogue seemed stilted and formal, the narrative seemed to feature at least one cliche per paragraph, and the main character was problematic on many levels. I didn't mind that DS Karen Hart was unlikable; that's a category into which some of the best protagonists fall. To me, she was unprofessional and not believable. Of the dozens of police officers I've known and worked with and the thousands I've known (on both sides of the Atlantic) via the printed page, Karen Hart's interactions with her co-workers, and especially her superiors, were unique. And I mean that not in a good way.
I think we are to understand that she has a highly developed intuition that governs her police work. Instead, she came across as flighty and emotional, conforming to the very worst stereotypes of women at work.
I'm truly sorry to have to express these views; I wanted more from this book. In fact, if I hadn't received an ARC that carries the implicit expectation of writing a review, I wouldn't have finished the book.
From the beginning, the dialogue seemed stilted and formal, the narrative seemed to feature at least one cliche per paragraph, and the main character was problematic on many levels. I didn't mind that DS Karen Hart was unlikable; that's a category into which some of the best protagonists fall. To me, she was unprofessional and not believable. Of the dozens of police officers I've known and worked with and the thousands I've known (on both sides of the Atlantic) via the printed page, Karen Hart's interactions with her co-workers, and especially her superiors, were unique. And I mean that not in a good way.
I think we are to understand that she has a highly developed intuition that governs her police work. Instead, she came across as flighty and emotional, conforming to the very worst stereotypes of women at work.
I'm truly sorry to have to express these views; I wanted more from this book. In fact, if I hadn't received an ARC that carries the implicit expectation of writing a review, I wouldn't have finished the book.
November 13, 2020
This is the first book in the Detective Karen Hart series by author D.S Butler. I entered this series with book 4 'House of Lies' and enjoyed it so much I just had to read the previous books. This is an excellent police procedural series that for me is a cut above the average because of the excellent group of regular characters. Each character adds something to the novel and gives you something extra to just a good crime plot.
Detective Karen Hart is called on to investigate the disappearance of two young girls from their primary school. Parallels are drawn to a previous case of a missing girl but there is no evidence of anything more than co incidence. Eighteen months ago Amy Fisher vanished without trace and the case is still no further forward.
Detective Karen Hart faces a race against the clock to find the two girls before time runs out. Detective Hart is sure that the two crimes are linked but her boss DI Scott Morgan is not convinced.
This is a very good police procedural novel with a good group of characters. Headed by DS Hart who has suffered personal grief with the loss of her young daughter, she remains a determined police woman who wants to serve the public to the best of her ability. She is supported by DC Rick Cooper and Sophie Jones who are both eager to impress. All the characters have plenty of scope to develop further in future novels in this series.
Having already read another book in this series I was well aware of the promise so this was further proof to me that I want to read more of DS Hart and her team.
Detective Karen Hart is called on to investigate the disappearance of two young girls from their primary school. Parallels are drawn to a previous case of a missing girl but there is no evidence of anything more than co incidence. Eighteen months ago Amy Fisher vanished without trace and the case is still no further forward.
Detective Karen Hart faces a race against the clock to find the two girls before time runs out. Detective Hart is sure that the two crimes are linked but her boss DI Scott Morgan is not convinced.
This is a very good police procedural novel with a good group of characters. Headed by DS Hart who has suffered personal grief with the loss of her young daughter, she remains a determined police woman who wants to serve the public to the best of her ability. She is supported by DC Rick Cooper and Sophie Jones who are both eager to impress. All the characters have plenty of scope to develop further in future novels in this series.
Having already read another book in this series I was well aware of the promise so this was further proof to me that I want to read more of DS Hart and her team.
December 3, 2018
Detective Karen Hart is investigating the missing of 2 girls. Is there a link between this cases and the unsolved disappearance of 19 year old 18 months ago? Great story for the first book of DS Karen Heart series.
Thank you Netgalley for providing this copy in advance. I will follow the story, no doubt.
Thank you Netgalley for providing this copy in advance. I will follow the story, no doubt.
March 20, 2019
Fairly good story
This booked started very well, but then all started to fall apart in chapter 10! Dc Sophie is portrayed as if she's a 6 year old child being asked if she'd like to go for an ice cream, not a grown adult and a mid ranking officer in the police force ! At one point she's asked to sit in on an interview, but told she must keep quiet. "Of course " she says making a zipping motion across her mouth!!Come on, REALLY! Also, whilst talking to DI Karen Hart she mentioned the suspects MO, " MO, Modus Operandi" sophie says excitedly! ! That is not how a DC would behave. I would be surprised if even a PC would behave in such a childlike manor. Hard to take the book seriously after such poor writing.
This booked started very well, but then all started to fall apart in chapter 10! Dc Sophie is portrayed as if she's a 6 year old child being asked if she'd like to go for an ice cream, not a grown adult and a mid ranking officer in the police force ! At one point she's asked to sit in on an interview, but told she must keep quiet. "Of course " she says making a zipping motion across her mouth!!Come on, REALLY! Also, whilst talking to DI Karen Hart she mentioned the suspects MO, " MO, Modus Operandi" sophie says excitedly! ! That is not how a DC would behave. I would be surprised if even a PC would behave in such a childlike manor. Hard to take the book seriously after such poor writing.
January 10, 2022
It lasted me 24 hours
I started to read this one yesterday! And now is finished.
Gripping I couldn't stop thinking about it and wanted to keep going to see what happened next.
I liked the fact that the author added a side story, it makes it more real. Police men and women don't have one case at the time in real life and I was glad to finally see it reflected in a book. I also really enjoyed that plot twist... I still can't believe it.
There must've been something that I didn't like that much but I just can't think of anything!
I started to read this one yesterday! And now is finished.
Gripping I couldn't stop thinking about it and wanted to keep going to see what happened next.
I liked the fact that the author added a side story, it makes it more real. Police men and women don't have one case at the time in real life and I was glad to finally see it reflected in a book. I also really enjoyed that plot twist... I still can't believe it.
There must've been something that I didn't like that much but I just can't think of anything!
February 3, 2019
Not read a crime book for a while so this was a lovely change
I had fun reading this book. Was a lovely smooth read
Would recommend
I had fun reading this book. Was a lovely smooth read
Would recommend
February 23, 2020
Bring Them Home, by D.S. Butler, is the first book in a new series featuring DS Karen Hart.
There is something I like about a lot of British police procedurals. Unlike many of their American counterparts, they feature fairly normal protagonists, often low on the ladder, with qualities and faults. They’re not superheroes nor one man armies. This book is no exception.
Two young girls disappear after skipping the last minutes of their afternoon class. DI Scott Morgan, newly arrived in Heighington, takes the case, with DS Karen Hart, and two eager newly promoted Detective Constables, Sophie and Rick. This is not the first disappearance in the area, as a 19 years old girl vanished without a trace eighteen months prior. DS Karen Hart had suspected the patriarch of the Palmer farm, but never managed to pin it on him. She’s persuaded that the Palmers are involved this time around, as well. But, they’re not the only shifty characters they’ll encounter along the way.
The book is narrated in the third person, and alternatively follows the different protagonists, with the main focus being on DS Hart and DI Morgan. The two officers couldn’t be more different.
DS Hart has lost her family 5 years prior. She’s emotional, impatient, easily irritated, trusts her gut feelings, and easily gets obsessive. She’s seeing a therapist to try and rein in her impulses.
DI Morgan is cold, distant, cynical, and sees the world with suspicion, being borderline asocial outside of work. He doesn’t believe in hunches. He works on logic, solid police work, and does everything by the book.
Hence, we get very different point of views of the same situations and of the same people, which is pretty unusual and welcome in such a book. DI Morgan and DS Hart nonetheless enjoy working together, and make a pretty good team.
The number of characters investigated is overwhelming. I had to use the X-Ray function of my Kindle more than once to keep track of them. Multiple leads get the team nowhere. They meet dead end after dead end, with the clock ticking, in spite of getting many promising leads. DS Hart’s obsession with the Palmer family is also leading nowhere, and only manages to get her side eyes from her colleagues.
The resolution was clever and satisfying. Minor team members like Sophie and Rick are also developed, and get their epilogues. This first book successfully manages to set up a team we’ll like to see evolve in further entries in the series.
There is something I like about a lot of British police procedurals. Unlike many of their American counterparts, they feature fairly normal protagonists, often low on the ladder, with qualities and faults. They’re not superheroes nor one man armies. This book is no exception.
Two young girls disappear after skipping the last minutes of their afternoon class. DI Scott Morgan, newly arrived in Heighington, takes the case, with DS Karen Hart, and two eager newly promoted Detective Constables, Sophie and Rick. This is not the first disappearance in the area, as a 19 years old girl vanished without a trace eighteen months prior. DS Karen Hart had suspected the patriarch of the Palmer farm, but never managed to pin it on him. She’s persuaded that the Palmers are involved this time around, as well. But, they’re not the only shifty characters they’ll encounter along the way.
The book is narrated in the third person, and alternatively follows the different protagonists, with the main focus being on DS Hart and DI Morgan. The two officers couldn’t be more different.
DS Hart has lost her family 5 years prior. She’s emotional, impatient, easily irritated, trusts her gut feelings, and easily gets obsessive. She’s seeing a therapist to try and rein in her impulses.
DI Morgan is cold, distant, cynical, and sees the world with suspicion, being borderline asocial outside of work. He doesn’t believe in hunches. He works on logic, solid police work, and does everything by the book.
Hence, we get very different point of views of the same situations and of the same people, which is pretty unusual and welcome in such a book. DI Morgan and DS Hart nonetheless enjoy working together, and make a pretty good team.
The number of characters investigated is overwhelming. I had to use the X-Ray function of my Kindle more than once to keep track of them. Multiple leads get the team nowhere. They meet dead end after dead end, with the clock ticking, in spite of getting many promising leads. DS Hart’s obsession with the Palmer family is also leading nowhere, and only manages to get her side eyes from her colleagues.
The resolution was clever and satisfying. Minor team members like Sophie and Rick are also developed, and get their epilogues. This first book successfully manages to set up a team we’ll like to see evolve in further entries in the series.
December 8, 2020
Bring Them Home is the first book in a new series by D.S. Butler. It's a straight up police procedural, not a thriller or suspense, just a good crime novel. I've read a few books further along in the series and enjoyed them more than this first one so I think as DS Karen Hart is more fleshed out the series get better. If you like police procedurals then you will enjoy Bring Them Home.
November 14, 2021
Setting: Lincolnshire, UK. In this first book in a series, D.S. Karen Hart is called upon to investigate the mysterious disappearance of two 10-year-old girls who have gone missing from their local primary school in a small Lincolnshire village. As she and her team begin their investigations, Karen is still haunted by the unsolved disappearance of 19-year-old Amy Fisher 18 months previously and remains convinced that a local farming family - comprising father, son and daughter - could be behind both incidents. However, her 'hunches' are not welcomed by her new D.I., recently moved to Lincolnshire. Revelations about various people involved with the victims' families send the team down several avenues but none of these seem to lead to solving either of the crimes....
Great characters and storylines in this first of the series and I am looking forward to reading more of these - 9/10.
Great characters and storylines in this first of the series and I am looking forward to reading more of these - 9/10.
December 1, 2021
Well written but a typical child abduction story.
February 7, 2022
Extremely gripping police thriller!
This was a great book and and a really exciting and suspenseful read.
I listened to the book partly on Audible and partly on Kindle and I have to say I much preferred reading it. The way that the narrator performed some of the accents in the book was very offputting and almost cringe worthy so I would advise anyone wanting to read this book to not listen to the audiobook.
I did feel that there were a little too many unnecessary tangents and twists and certain things were explained in far too much detail which almost seemed like a way of filling out the book, however all in all it was a great read and the ending was unexpected.
I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
This was a great book and and a really exciting and suspenseful read.
I listened to the book partly on Audible and partly on Kindle and I have to say I much preferred reading it. The way that the narrator performed some of the accents in the book was very offputting and almost cringe worthy so I would advise anyone wanting to read this book to not listen to the audiobook.
I did feel that there were a little too many unnecessary tangents and twists and certain things were explained in far too much detail which almost seemed like a way of filling out the book, however all in all it was a great read and the ending was unexpected.
I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
September 9, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of Bring Them Home the first novel to feature DS Karen Hart of the Licolnshire police.
When two young girls disappear from their primary school the police mount a massive hunt. DS Karen Hart is heavily involved and can't help but draw parallels with the unsolved disappearance of 19 year old Amy Fisher 18 months previously, a case she still hopes to solve.
I enjoyed Bring Them Home which is a straightforward hunt for missing girls. That is not to say that it doesn't have some twists and turns but it is basically the uncovering of secrets, eliminating suspects and discovering the truth. I like the slow accumulation of facts, the discussion of possibilities and the irrelevant secrets that crawl out of the woodwork. I also think that Ms Butler does a good job of portraying the grieving parents and the panic/emotion of investigating missing children. I'm not so sure about the ending which, while clever and unexpected, posed more logistical problems as to its possibility than I could comfortably believe.
I must admit that I didn't particularly take to Karen Hart. Yes, she is smart and resourceful and very much a people person but her fixation on one suspect with nothing to back it up except a hunch is unprofessional, old fashioned and quickly got irritating. There are hints that her obsessive behaviour may change in future novels so I'll probably give her another chance.
Bring Them Home is a solid read. 3.5*
When two young girls disappear from their primary school the police mount a massive hunt. DS Karen Hart is heavily involved and can't help but draw parallels with the unsolved disappearance of 19 year old Amy Fisher 18 months previously, a case she still hopes to solve.
I enjoyed Bring Them Home which is a straightforward hunt for missing girls. That is not to say that it doesn't have some twists and turns but it is basically the uncovering of secrets, eliminating suspects and discovering the truth. I like the slow accumulation of facts, the discussion of possibilities and the irrelevant secrets that crawl out of the woodwork. I also think that Ms Butler does a good job of portraying the grieving parents and the panic/emotion of investigating missing children. I'm not so sure about the ending which, while clever and unexpected, posed more logistical problems as to its possibility than I could comfortably believe.
I must admit that I didn't particularly take to Karen Hart. Yes, she is smart and resourceful and very much a people person but her fixation on one suspect with nothing to back it up except a hunch is unprofessional, old fashioned and quickly got irritating. There are hints that her obsessive behaviour may change in future novels so I'll probably give her another chance.
Bring Them Home is a solid read. 3.5*
March 30, 2019
2.5 STARS
I guess I had higher expectations, I found this a little dry. It's the first book in a series, so that doesn't mean it won't improve, but the characters need a little more personality. This is a fairly short book, but considering two young girls were kidnapped, it didn't seem as frantic as it could.
Karen Hart's backstory is pretty tragic, but it's only touched on a few times, and it didn't factor in as much as I expected. She also behaves pretty stupidly for a trained police officer: jumping to conclusions, overriding her boss, going in without backup...I got irritated with her pretty fast. Her boss, DI Scott Morgan, was almost completely devoid of personality. I was at least hoping for a little anger or at least a reprimand for Karen when she screwed up.
The case was the most positive thing in the book, some good red herrings, and I didn't have it all figured out at the end.
I guess I had higher expectations, I found this a little dry. It's the first book in a series, so that doesn't mean it won't improve, but the characters need a little more personality. This is a fairly short book, but considering two young girls were kidnapped, it didn't seem as frantic as it could.
Karen Hart's backstory is pretty tragic, but it's only touched on a few times, and it didn't factor in as much as I expected. She also behaves pretty stupidly for a trained police officer: jumping to conclusions, overriding her boss, going in without backup...I got irritated with her pretty fast. Her boss, DI Scott Morgan, was almost completely devoid of personality. I was at least hoping for a little anger or at least a reprimand for Karen when she screwed up.
The case was the most positive thing in the book, some good red herrings, and I didn't have it all figured out at the end.
September 14, 2018
Karen Hart is a great character. She is just the right amount of feisty. Her instincts serve her well. I would have liked to have more back story. I felt that I had entered a series in the middle instead of book one. I will be looking forward to the next book.
September 16, 2018
This is a difficult one to review for me, probably more 2.5 stars than 3 unfortunately.
I liked the ideas in the book and the plot worked well. Much as I like a thriller with lots of twists and turns, I do also enjoy a more straightforward mystery. I like to read books where the detectives use good police work and logic, rather than astonishing leaps of faith or guesswork, and that's what we have here. The drawback to that was that I found some of the statements made by characters to explain what was going on were kind of obvious, and it felt like being talked down to. I think the author should trust her audience more, and have faith in their understanding and deductive reasoning powers.
Characters wise there wasn't any that I felt I really connected with. DS Hart, the main character, was annoying and a little unbelievable. She has an obsession with a local family and seems to want to do whatever she can to tie them to the disappearances. She also makes some very bad judgement calls such as entering a property without waiting for back up, and argues with her superiors regularly. I think the author is aiming for a character who is confident and a bit of a maverick, but brilliant with it, unfortunately I didn't get that feel with DS Hart. It came across more that she can't separate her emotions from the case she's working on, and isn't willing to listen to reasonable advice.
For me personally this one was a bit of a miss, and I probably won't read the next in the series. That said, fans of straight police procedural novels will like this I think.
Thanks to netgalley for the arc.
I liked the ideas in the book and the plot worked well. Much as I like a thriller with lots of twists and turns, I do also enjoy a more straightforward mystery. I like to read books where the detectives use good police work and logic, rather than astonishing leaps of faith or guesswork, and that's what we have here. The drawback to that was that I found some of the statements made by characters to explain what was going on were kind of obvious, and it felt like being talked down to. I think the author should trust her audience more, and have faith in their understanding and deductive reasoning powers.
Characters wise there wasn't any that I felt I really connected with. DS Hart, the main character, was annoying and a little unbelievable. She has an obsession with a local family and seems to want to do whatever she can to tie them to the disappearances. She also makes some very bad judgement calls such as entering a property without waiting for back up, and argues with her superiors regularly. I think the author is aiming for a character who is confident and a bit of a maverick, but brilliant with it, unfortunately I didn't get that feel with DS Hart. It came across more that she can't separate her emotions from the case she's working on, and isn't willing to listen to reasonable advice.
For me personally this one was a bit of a miss, and I probably won't read the next in the series. That said, fans of straight police procedural novels will like this I think.
Thanks to netgalley for the arc.
June 29, 2019
This is a well written book, with all the elements of mystery concerning the two missing young girls. The case gets cold, all leads are dead ends. Karen has a hunch about one family who own a large old farm, but it leads nowhere. As the story unfolds, and also involves another missing girl, who has not been found after 18 months , it takes some real twists and turns no spoilers its a great little read DS Karen Hart # 1 areal five Star Read
April 20, 2019
Only half way through and I’m so bored I can’t read anymore...this is a rarity for me. Nothing has happened and there’s no character development. It’s just boring talk.
May 27, 2019
A run of the mill police procedural- fairly interesting but not outstanding.
June 2, 2020
3/5 ⭐️
I liked the characters and I didn’t see the end coming, so overall it was a good book.
I liked the characters and I didn’t see the end coming, so overall it was a good book.
December 29, 2018
3.5 stars
Bring Them Home by D.S. Butler is the 1st in the Detective Karen Hart series.
My Synopsis:
5 years ago, DS Karen Hart lost her husband Josh and her daughter Tilly in a car accident. She struggles to move on, living in the same large house, afraid to move lest her memories of them weaken. She pours her energy into her work.
Hart, who relies heavily on her instincts and hunches, has a new boss, DI Scott Morgan, who takes a very logical approach to the job (and his life), leaving little room for emotional thoughts. Hart is trying to keep her own emotions in line, while also trying to reign in the enthusiasm of her new constable Sophie Jones and understand the unusual behaviour of her more experienced constable Rick Cooper. The two constables are constantly bickering.
But they will all have to pull together if they hope to find two missing 10-year old girls. There seem to be no good leads. Every investigation leads to a dead end. Although Karen is insistent that the Palmer family play a role in the abduction, even she admits she may have tunnel vision where that family is concerned. She was sure they were responsible when 19-year old Amy Fisher went missing, but no proof ever surfaced.
As days pass, the chance of finding the girls alive shrinks.
My Opinions:
Although I had guessed the identity of the kidnapper, it did not detract from the story, which was very well laid out. As well, Butler created a number of interesting suspects to choose from. I also think her writing style was clear and concise.
My only criticism was that it somehow moved slowly, and lacked a little excitement. Not sure why. Maybe I just have to get used to DS Hart, as I didn’t really connect with her.
I still enjoyed it, and am looking forward to the second in the series.
Bring Them Home by D.S. Butler is the 1st in the Detective Karen Hart series.
My Synopsis:
5 years ago, DS Karen Hart lost her husband Josh and her daughter Tilly in a car accident. She struggles to move on, living in the same large house, afraid to move lest her memories of them weaken. She pours her energy into her work.
Hart, who relies heavily on her instincts and hunches, has a new boss, DI Scott Morgan, who takes a very logical approach to the job (and his life), leaving little room for emotional thoughts. Hart is trying to keep her own emotions in line, while also trying to reign in the enthusiasm of her new constable Sophie Jones and understand the unusual behaviour of her more experienced constable Rick Cooper. The two constables are constantly bickering.
But they will all have to pull together if they hope to find two missing 10-year old girls. There seem to be no good leads. Every investigation leads to a dead end. Although Karen is insistent that the Palmer family play a role in the abduction, even she admits she may have tunnel vision where that family is concerned. She was sure they were responsible when 19-year old Amy Fisher went missing, but no proof ever surfaced.
As days pass, the chance of finding the girls alive shrinks.
My Opinions:
Although I had guessed the identity of the kidnapper, it did not detract from the story, which was very well laid out. As well, Butler created a number of interesting suspects to choose from. I also think her writing style was clear and concise.
My only criticism was that it somehow moved slowly, and lacked a little excitement. Not sure why. Maybe I just have to get used to DS Hart, as I didn’t really connect with her.
I still enjoyed it, and am looking forward to the second in the series.
September 25, 2018
When two young girls disappear from their primary school the police mount a massive hunt. DS Karen Hart is heavily involved and can't help but draw parallels with the unsolved disappearance of 19 year old Amy Fisher 18 months previously, a case she still hopes to solve.
This book was pretty straightforward and a quick read. I did enjoy how it ended but given that I read so many of these books, I knew who did it about a third of the way through. I think most readers will be surprised at the twist though. DS Karen Hart is meant to be a great detective who relies on instinct to solve cases but in reality, she comes off as impulsive and emotional.
2.5 stars out of 5. Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.
This book was pretty straightforward and a quick read. I did enjoy how it ended but given that I read so many of these books, I knew who did it about a third of the way through. I think most readers will be surprised at the twist though. DS Karen Hart is meant to be a great detective who relies on instinct to solve cases but in reality, she comes off as impulsive and emotional.
2.5 stars out of 5. Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.
April 30, 2020
A plodding police procedural with very little to recommend it. I liked the detectives but they only accidentally stumbled on the solution. No evidence that led them to the perpetrator at all. Most of the book had them chasing leads that had nothing to do with the crime. One example was particularly absurd, investigating the 32 year old uncle of one of the victims because he had taken nude photographs of his girlfriend when he was 16, with her consent. Fully 15% of the book is wasted on running this down. There are other examples as well but suffice it to say that I will not be reading anymore of this series and I love British detective novels.
December 8, 2020
The beginning of this story really had my attention, but it kind of fell short after that. There were too many instances of behavior within the police department that just seemed out of place. There really wasn't much in the way of character development. The focus seemed to be on the interaction between those investigating and DS Karen Hart's obsession with a previous missing girl. I think the concept for this story could have been so much better. All in all, it wasn't a bad story but not one I would classify as not being able to put down.
June 16, 2020
Sicuramente scrittura scorrevole in quanto l ho finito in due giorni ma ho divorato il libro solo per poter andare al successivo.
Non mi sono appassionata alla protagonista come persona e poi non ho trovato sensato il giallo sotto. Ok si conclude in modo logico ma non hai indizi lungo il libro. Lei arriva alla soluzione un po' per caso.
Non leggerò il secondo
Non mi sono appassionata alla protagonista come persona e poi non ho trovato sensato il giallo sotto. Ok si conclude in modo logico ma non hai indizi lungo il libro. Lei arriva alla soluzione un po' per caso.
Non leggerò il secondo
November 21, 2019
The start of another promising series with another great woman detective. Really like hart as she is a very strong character who was determined to bring the two missing girls home, i hope in other books we will learn more about what makes her tick.
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