Rory is waiting at the door of the pre-school – a painted picture of his mother Susan in his small hand. But Susan isn’t going to see the picture, because she has vanished. Susan Wheeler is a devoted mother. She would do anything for her three children. She drops them off and picks them up every single day. Until one day when Susan kisses them goodbye and then never comes to pick them up.Susan’s … pick them up.
Susan’s mother Mary is worried. Susan is recently divorced and has been finding things hard recently, but she loves her kids – she’d never leave them.
Susan’s sister Clare is furious. It’s just like her to go missing. It’s not the first time, either. Susan has always been a troublemaker. Always seeking attention. She knows Susan has been lying to the family for years. And she knows that Susan has been sneaking out of her family home for weeks…
As the hours turn into days, even Clare becomes fearful for Susan. And, when Mary discovers Susan’s diary, she begins to uncover a dark secret from her childhood. Something no one in the family knew. When the final diary entry leads the police to a man who is discovered dead in a local park, they’re left wondering whether Susan has vanished because she is a victim. Or because she is a suspect…
An explosively compelling crime thriller from bestselling author Carla Kovach – if you love Lisa Gardner, Robert Bryndza or Clare Mackintosh, you’ll love Her Dark Heart.
What readers are saying about Her Dark Heart:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Oh my!! This was such a great book that I just could not put it down!!… So suspenseful, dark and creepy good. So many twists and turns It just kept on like a roller coaster ride until the very end.’ Netgalley Reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book blew me away!!’ Crossroad Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What a book! Let me take a minute to catch my breath!… Fast-paced and easy to read, this is a thrilling, chilling tale.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another cracker from Carla Kovach! This series gets better and better… Yes, Carla Kovach has wowed with another fantastic story.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is a MUST read! I HIGHLY suggest that you read that you read all of the Gina Harte books!!!’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Detective Gina Harte has become one of my favourite female lead characters.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Really quick to get into and fast paced… Another 5-star read for me.’ Netgalley reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Detective Gina Harte has become one of my favourite female lead characters.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow! As always, Carls has done it again!… Nothing less than 5 stars from me!’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Engrossed from the first page… I read it in a day!’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another brilliant episode in this series.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What an exciting thriller! Definitely one of my favorite books of 2019!’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Why, oh why did it have to end? I love Gina, I love her team, I love all of the books in this series… Absolutely amazing read.’ Netgalley reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read.’ Blue Moon Blogger
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Excellent read. 5 Stars.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is a fast-paced, enjoyable yet thrilling story that had me gripped to the last page.’ Goodreads reviewer
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Plenty of action, suspense, a great mix of characters and a final, shocking reveal that I didn’t see coming.’ Goodreads reviewermore
What a book! Let me take a moment to catch my breath! Book 5 is the first I’ve read in the Gina Harte series by Carla Kovach. Although I hadn’t read all preceding four books, Her Dark Heart acts as an excellent standalone to put me in the heart of Gina’s world. The title carries foreboding and I began to wonder if this book would be more a domestic suspense than a crime thriller, revealing a bond that has slowly deteriorated.
Susan is missing. But what is so tragic about her case is that she is also a mother of three. With a dark past that had all the hallmarks of a runaway teenager, her mother, Mary, is convinced Susan hasn’t run away this time. With a job that involves visiting people’s houses and a relationship on the rocks, something isn’t right and fingers begin to point at Susan’s husband, Ryan. As evidence mounts on both sides; a client with whom Susan has argued and dalliances that could be cited in a divorce case, things aren’t looking good. As Gina gets Susan’s image out to the local media and follows a runner who may have been eavesdropping, Mary does her own investigations into Susan’s blue box. Although it’s evident Susan misses her dead father, the musings and poems she has written incite a creepy mood and it’s at this halfway point, I wonder if Susan has been abducted by more than one person.
Different point of view chapters from family members transports the reader into the minds of each character. Clare, Susan’s older sister is one of the most interesting. She sees herself as downtrodden and less attractive. One of life’s multiple failures. Susan has been a project since childhood, an obligation if you will, and Clare’s focus throughout the story is definitely one to question. With friends turning up dead, the case gets murkier by the minute and there are simply too many suspects to choose from.
Fast-paced and easy to read, this is a thrilling, chilling tale which left me gut-punched at the final reveal!
I have been fortunate enough to have received every book of this series as an eARC to read and review. This latest installment is just as good as the first four and I can’t wait to read book 6. Detective Gina Harte has become one of my favorite female lead characters.
Carla Kovach has created a strong, resilient leading character that struggles with her own personal demons while solving some of the most horrible crimes and at the same time leading a team of investigators that respect her. Throughout the series, you see her grow, struggle and overcome personal and professional dilmenas and come out stronger in the end. This is a well-written, well-thought out series and I look forward to seeing a lot more in this series and perhaps others by this author.
Thank you #netgalley and #bookotoure for this eARC.
This case hits too close to home for Gina Harte. The mother of the missing woman could be her own dead mother come to life. Now Gina has to find the woman, a murderer and the courage to come to terms with her past. I liked how real the struggle Gina fought felt. And I was despised about the doings of persons children trusted. How easy it seems to be getting close to someone and then ensuring the silence. The end gives hope for the future and that’s how I like a book to end.
Secrets and lies galore: compelling kidnapping thriller
4.5stars
I did not know whodunit until the big reveal, but the road to the reveal was twisted and tantalizing. This was my first time reading a Gina Harte thriller and I think I will have to go back and read earlier books in the series because this heroine is complex and compelling.
Detective Inspector Gina Harte is one troubled cookie and a mother of three’s sudden disappearance dredges up emotions she’s been trying to tamp down. As more victims stack up, there are so many friends and family members with secrets, right down to missing Susan’s mother Mary, stepfather Howard, and her older sister Clare. The author did a great job of making these characters come alive, right down to the chaos of a household with two active toddlers. A really gripping read.
Thanks to publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Susan Wheeler disappears, leaving her children behind. She is recently divorced and he has no idea what happened to her .. so he says.
Susan’s mom finds her diary and finds clues to a dark secret from her childhood. Investigating the names in her diary, Detective Gina Harte and her team find a man’s body … a childhood friend of Susan’s… one she saw the same day she disappeared.
Is Susan a victim … or a suspect?
And then one of Susan’s daughters disappear…..
Well-written, this is a real page turner. The mystery is baffling, with multiple twists and turns. Suspense starts on the first page and holds a nice pace until the very unexpected ending. Although 5th in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. As always, I recommend starting at the beginning.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This is the fifth book in the Gina Harte series and reads well as both a stand-alone and as part of the series. While the book focuses on the police-procedural at hand and solving the case of a missing woman, Kovach creates an excellent character arc for our protagonist, DI Gina Harte. Veteran fans are sure to find resolve in a long-time issue that has plagued this character and obtain some finality in the recognition. The plot moves at a steady pace and holds just the amount of suspense. Excellent read. 5 stars.
Thank you to #NetGalley and @Bookouture for this ARC. #HerDarkHeart was read and reviewed voluntarily by Tarrah Marie (@wayward_readers) all thoughts and opinions are my own.