Carla Kovach

Their Deadly Truth by Carla Kovach is a highly recommended procedural and the 18th novel in the Detective Gina Harte series. Enough background information is provided that it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel for the investigation.

When a body is found in the trunk of a parked car, Detective Gina Harte and her team are called in to investigate. The body is identified as Kain Pickering and the car belonged to his deceased mother. At her house, where Kain was living, a blue teddy bear is show more found. Kain's sister Lindy Pickering is notified. She admits to police that her brother had a lot of issues but has no idea who would kill him. When another murder happens with a blue teddy bear at the scene, it becomes clear that someone is targeting specific victims. Then DCI Briggs is suddenly pulled off the case and a new DCI is brought in for the lead.

The writing is very good and the pace moves quickly in this intricate case that may involve events from the past but also seems to be targeting a friend group of women too. A teddy bear left at the scene or homes is one of the clear clues that mark the victims. All the clues are logically followed and there is a lot going on as several suspect emerge in the investigation continues. This is a unpredictable procedural, so just go with the clues uncovered and follow the action as the team investigates.

There continues to be more character development for Gina in this outing. For readers new to the series, some events in Gina's past are mentioned in the narrative which are helpful to introduce her and her history. The hidden personal relationship between Gina and DCI Chris Briggs is still on the rocks.

As an aside, one clue is a blue hoodie and the team searches a house for it. This actually had me laughing at the absurdity of it as a clue because any search of my home would unearth all manner, styles, and hues of blue hoodies along with hoodies of many other colors, sizes, and variations.

Their Deadly Truth is a good choice for readers who enjoy procedurals and especially for those following the Gina Harte series. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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The People Next Door by Carla Kovach is a highly recommended domestic suspense/popcorn thriller.

Gemma has inherited her Aunt Dorette's house on Clover Lane, a place she never thought she'd return to after her friend went missing during the last disastrous summer she was there. However, when her husband makes some business mistakes the family finds themselves forced to move into part of the crumbling house while they work on fixing it up to sell. Their 14-year-old daughter Morgan isn't happy show more to leave her friends, but quickly meets Harry, a neighbor her age. What also happens right after the family moves in is all the neighbors receive disturbing letters which they all assume Morgan wrote. From this point on the rumors and vitriol fly fast and furious and Gemma doesn't feel she or her family are safe on Clover Lane.

Always keeping in mind that you have to set disbelief aside, jump into this popcorn thriller. While it starts rather even-paced the plot will get better with each new disclosure and the tension and suspicion will also increase. The plot really doesn't pick up the pace and get better until later in the novel when more starts happening and the threats move beyond the nasty notes, rumors, and paranoia flying around the neighborhood. While some developments are predictable, once the twists start coming the novel does become more entertaining

The narrative is mainly told through Gemma's point-of-view, with additional chapters from Morgan's point-of-view. While characters are lightly developed, the real focus is on events in the toxic neighborhood. Morgan and Harry are using the notes as clues to figure out who is writing them. None of the characters/neighbors are trustworthy and the tie to Gemma's past in the area may be the clue needed to discovering who is writing the notes. 3.5 rounded up.

The People Next Door is a good choice for anyone who enjoys popcorn thrillers and stories with potentially toxic neighbors. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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I'm sure that Gina Harte fans will like this book but I'm new to the series and I did not. To me, this book is a great example of why multiple POV storytelling should be avoided.

I always hate hearing directly from the perp. We should be in as much anguish and suspense as the book characters. Omniscience reduces the tension and these guys are always drips.

In this book, we also have the first person real-time voice of the kidnap victim, draining the tension of knowing whether she is alive or show more dead.

Then there is the voice of a teenage boy who in many ways is peripheral to the plot. These segments aren't even very well done, I don't think, although I don't inhabit the world of a 14 YO British boy.

I slogged through to the end to confirm that the person I had tagged was indeed the bad one but I considered closing the book pretty early on.

I received a review copy of "One Girl Missing: Detective Gina Harte Book 11" by Carla Kovach from Bookouture through NetGalley.com. show less

On a Quiet Street was a definite page turner for me. I was offered an audio ARC version from Net Galley and I finished in one day. Super suspenseful, lots of plot twists and the of course there is the final gift of revenge. I liked the way this story was told from different characters points of view. I love it when you get to see what characters actually think of each other and how through plot twists these opinions can change.

Leah and Caine have a troubled marriage. Leah is sure Caine is show more cheating on her... again. But her whole attention is grabbed in another direction when a young woman, Charlotte shows up on her front door step one night claiming to be her daughter. Lots of secrets, lots of crazy stuff and lots of fun for the reader. Recommended. Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to read and review an advanced copy of this audio book. show less