Find Her Alive

Detective Karen Hart #7

by D.S. Butler

Is Karen Hart’s latest investigation a routine missing persons case—or part of a dark conspiracy?

Detective Karen Hart is finally getting her life back on track—enjoying her new relationship and dealing with the grief in her past. Then someone from her counselling group asks for help locating a missing friend, Phoebe Woodrow, who went out partying and never came home.

Karen wonders if Phoebe’s disappearance might be related to a recent spate of women having their drinks spiked. As she digs deeper, she finds out that Phoebe’s work in medical research involved a shifty alliance with Quentin Chapman, a menacing local gangster—but it was also about to make her a fortune. Did Phoebe know too much? Or was it professional jealousy that put her life at risk?

Chapman makes it very clear that he doesn’t appreciate the police looking over his shoulder. As his threats start to hit close to home, Karen will need to face her worst fears—but can she really do that when her job has already cost her so much?

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 7, 2023

About the author

Author of the Karen Hart series. Ex-biochemist turned crime-writer. Huge Queen fan. Loves to read crime fiction.

Reviews

[Valleri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to both Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Find Her Alive!

3.5 Stars, rounded up

Expected publication: February 7th, 2023

When a member of her counseling group begs Karen to look into a case of her missing friend, Karen promises to do so. Could the fact that Phoebe was about to become a millionaire be a huge reason she disappeared? Did professional jealousy place her life at risk?

The beginning of Find Her Alive felt a bit bogged down in unnecessary details to me. However, once I got past that issue, I remembered why I love this series. The twists and turns kept me on my toes. Rick’s struggle to look after his mom at home (due to her Alzheimer's) so touched my heart. And, Sophie is a hoot! Who WOULDN'T love the girl who loves paperwork?? I also loved Mike's dog, Sandy, and I'd love for her to have a bigger role in the next book.

I recommend this book and the series!

[Romina Dimenza · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice twist

This is the 7th book in the series and I’m a bit astounded to say I’m a fan.

I started reading them a few years ago by chance, but now I actually wait for the next one to come out, which is unlike me but there you have it.

I’m happy to report that it was an improvement from the previous one (I found that one a bit lacking in substance), here the story is well rounded with no loose ends, everything fits and makes sense.

We start with a spiked drink that we get to see develop, I enjoyed how the secondary stories are also followed up on through the book. Then we get a missing person and we follow DS Hart following the leads, then murder, twist, more info on the team’s lives… it does have it all, it could potentially be the best one in the series so far.

I’m, once more, looking forward to the next one.

[Shereadbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone has been spiking the drinks of young women in the bars in Lincolnshire.
Meanwhile, a friend of Detective Karen Hart reports that one of her friends is missing. Could she be another victim of the serial spiker or is it related to her business dealings?

This is the seventh in the Karen Hart series; it is the fourth that I have read. I like this main character. She is engaging, capable, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Her team is composed of likable, supportive, well developed characters. The story is fast paced; I didn’t want to put it down and, in fact, read it in one day.

Fans of British police procedurals will enjoy this well written book, along with others in the series. Although there is mention of events from Karen’s background that are not fully explained, this will work as a standalone. I look forward to the next issue in this series for another entertaining read.

Thanks to #Netgalley and #ThomasandMercer for the ARC

[Kat (Katlovesbooks) Dietrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find Her Alive by D.S. Butler is the 7th in the Detective Karen Hart series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
DS Karen Hart lost her husband Josh and her daughter Tilly in a car accident. She later discovered it wasn't an accident, but it was covered up by some corrupt police officials.  She currently works with DI Scott Morgan,  DC Sophie Jones, and DC Rick Cooper.  Their boss is DCI Churchill.  She has recently started dating Mike.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
When Erica, someone from Karen's counselling group, asks for her help to track down a missing friend, Karen decides to get quietly get involved.  Phoebe Woodrow has not been seen since Friday, when she dropped her cat off at Erica's, while she went out to celebrate a business deal.  She and her colleague are in the midst of selling a medical scanner that they have created, and things are looking good.

Meanwhile, Karen is part of a team investigating women who are having their drinks spiked at local bars, and she fears that Phoebe may have had that happen to her.  On the other hand, Phoebe's company has just taken on an investor named Quentin Chapman, who may be a little shady.  Then again, Phoebe has been known to just take off with little thought to others, although that is starting to look less likely.

Then there is Karen's relationship with Mike.  She is still nervous that her job will bring danger to those she loves, as it has done in the past.  Karen worries that now that she and Mike have gotten so close, he may become a target.  Her current case is not helping her anxiety.


My Opinions:
This is probably one of the better books in the series, although they are all quite good.

One of the topics covered in this story is the fact that women, although the victim of male harassment, are often blamed.  They drank too much, they dressed too provocatively, they were at a place alone....  The author made sure that the reader understood that it is NEVER the victim's fault.  It was done very well.

The plot was well developed, and although I had an idea of the perpetrator, I was not expecting the ending.  I like the characters.  Karen, Morgan, Rick, Sophie....they are like a family unit, always there for each other.  I wasn't sure about Sophie originally, but I really liked her in this one.

Anyway, another fast, entertaining read.  I'm definitely sticking with this one!


For a more complete review of this book and others, (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information and contact details), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the seventh book in the Detective Karen Hart series by author D.S Butler. This book is the latest offering in an established series but works perfectly as a standalone although I would recommend reading them all. Once again another excellent crime novel.

Life is starting to look a lot better for Detective Karen Hart, she is now in a new relationship which is helping her deal with her past grief. While attending one of her counselling sessions she is approached by one of the group to help locate Phoebe Woodrow, a missing friend. Phoebe went out for the evening to enjoy herself and never returned.

There has been a large amount of cases where women have had their drinks spiked and Karen wonders if this could be a similar case. Karen soon discovers that Phoebe works in medical research and has a worrying affinity with a local gangster Quentin Chapman who was about to make her a fortune. The questions are building up, where is Phoebe, is she alive, who has taken her and why.

A very enjoyable read and the series continues at an high standard remaining fresh.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Tahera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book I have read in this series and I really need to read the other titles I have missed to get me up to date with this series. I have so far read 'Where Secrets Lie', 'Don't Turn Back' and 'On Cold Ground' which is where Karen finally learns who was the mastermind behind her husband and daughter's deaths. Karen also has found a new romantic interest and is slowly putting her past behind her and building her life back.

This is a very good police procedural series and like the previous books I have read, the mystery is well plotted, fast paced and with a twist that I didn't see coming. I really like Karen Hart as a character: she is mentally strong, hard working, honest and is a team player with a no nonsense attitude towards work.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publishers Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas and Mercer and the author D. S. Butler for the e-Arc of the book.

[Roxanne Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid entry in the DS Karen Hart series. Karen's come a long way since the first books and has a relationship now to balance with her job. When a friend asks her to look into a young woman's disappearance, Karen has to find a way to pursue her investigation without compromising her professional responsibilities. A good story with enough twists to keep you turning pages.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing for access to an ARC on NetGalley.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman named Erica—whom DS Karen Hart met at her counseling group has asked her to help locate her friend Phoebe Woodrow, who called Erica on a Friday morning asking her to look after her cat overnight because she’s going out and wouldn’t be back until late.

But Phoebe didn’t show up the next day to collect her cat. Erica has tried to call but can’t get hold of her and this has her worried.

According to the officer who filed the report, Phoebe’s family says her grandmother had seen Phoebe earlier and that she’s fine. But DS Karen’s not convinced.

Lately there’s been a spate of crimes involving spiking women’s drinks at bars and then assaulting them afterwards. Operation Starling has been set up to investigate these crimes.

As DS Karen digs deeper into the case, she wonders if Phoebe’s disappearance might be related to the crimes her colleagues are currently looking into.

Further investigations reveals Phoebe’s and her business partner Cary Swann’s work in medical research involved a shady alliance with Quentin Chapman, an investor who’s a known local gangster. But the business deal was about to rake in a fortune for the founders.

Did Phoebe know too much? Or was it professional jealousy that put her life at risk?

Well written detective story. I like the relationship between DS Karen and her team. The ending was good and I will certainly read the next one in the series. Highly recommend.

Thank you to D.S. Butler, NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the arc of this book.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do like the books written by this author. The police procedural is very different and gives a unique slant on solving crimes that I haven’t read elsewhere. It has been interesting watching the characters develop.
I am so glad discovered thus author.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to her best: nothing too outrageous except perhaps the ending! But good and will go onto number 8.

[Jazz Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love ❤️

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 7 in the Detective Karen Hart series.

When someone from her counselling group contacts Karen to say she's worried her friend is missing Karen wants to investigate but her bosses aren't so keen.

Investigating in her own time she finds a link to a current case where women's drinks are spiked and they're sexually assaulted. With this evidence her bosses have no choice but to make it an official investigation.

As with the previous books this is a cracking page turner that keeps you hooked until the very end.

This is a great series that I recommend to every crime genre fan.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the seventh book in the D.S. Karen Hart series and I have read them all. Some of the earlier books should be read in order, but this one works fine as a standalone. Karen starts out looking into a young woman's disappearance as a favor for a friend, but then discovers there is way more to the story than what it first appears.

As the investigation becomes more and more dangerous, Karen questions if the job she enjoys is worth the price of putting loved ones at risk. I like Karen and her immediate team and the way they support each other both on and off the job. However, there are others in the station that are so antagonistic, it's sometimes hard to read. Karen is able to ignore the detractors and make progress on a case with many interesting twists, some unexpected and some I predicted. This is an entertaining installment of an excellent series I really enjoy.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer, but my review is voluntary and unbiased. 

[Emily Kudlacik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this advance copy of Find Her Alive.

I absolutely loved this book and it was a quick read for me from the beginning to the end. I had trouble putting it down will absolutely be adding D.S. Butler to my list of must read authors.

[readingismy_happy_place · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a while to find this series again and I wasn’t disappointed!! I read this in one sitting loved catching up with Karen and the team.
Loved how easy it is to read this series they are just so well written flows so lovely.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disturbing

This is a well written, researched book with a strong plot overarched by a strong subplot. Date rape drugging and greed are the overarching themes running throughout the book.

Brilliant addition to the series

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good seventh book to the Karen Hart series. This would also be a good stand alone book if you haven’t read the rest.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best in the series. In fact, it's not a great book. Never mind. I'll still finish the series next year when the last book is released

[Michelle]

Great series

Thoroughly enjoying this series. The Narrator is clear and consistent and I’ve been able to listen to this series with no glitches or voice issues.

[Calum McCabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great edition to the series. With some sad parts. But mostly thrilling. I love how DS Hart gets her own back at the end

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the 7th book in a great series, we are all now familiar with the characters, their histories and relationships, so it’s nice to see how they’ve changed and evolved. The plot, as usual, was addictive. A friend from Karen’s counseling group thinks that her friend may be missing, but she might be wrong. As Karen starts looking into it, she realizes that there could be something there and, as the case moves on, the team finds some baddies. But are they involved in the disappearance? Is the woman even missing? The plot is as addictive as usual and the ending just great.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Amazon Publishing UK!

[Mella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Karen Hart and the team have a lot on their plate but when Karen gets a call from a friend asking her to look into the missing persons report she filed, Karen is willing to help out. But the deeper she digs into Phoebe Woodrow's life, the more questions she finds.

This one had more of the team working together and more of Morgan, Mike and Rick which was good. I did miss Arnie though - I want to get to know him and DC Shah better. Still, I liked getting to see more of their collaboration with one another. I would've liked to see more of Churchill interacting with the team too but at least he did appear. I enjoyed Karen's love/hate relationship with Tim - the crime scene tech. It's funny her buttering him up.

I didn't really get Karen's obsession with Quentin Chapman to be honest. Or the other way around either. I didn't really why he had her followed to begin with? It's not like she actually found anything? But following her definitely makes it seem like she'd already found something to nail him with. I didn't get it. It was odd. I guess him following her is pretty threatening, especially after everything that happened with Tilly and Josh. But if she does want to keep her family safe, deciding to ruin his business deal by pointing out her suspicions to a journalist seems like a particularly bad idea. No doubt there will be fallout in the next book.

I sympathised with Cassidy (she's the result of her mother's rape) The emotions must be overwhelming at times. . And the discourse on sexual assault is heartbreakingly honest. I wish it weren't the case and that the men who commit these attacks would change their behaviour. It should be on the men to change their behaviour. That it's not the responsibility of women to have to change what they wear, who they talk with, what they do in order to feel and be safe. It makes me sad that so many women experience such things. I think as a society we've taken a few tiny steps in the right direction, calling men out on bad behaviour but there's still a long way to go before the problem is eradicated.

The other heartbreaking topic this book tackles is Alzheimer's disease. Obviously in the last few books, Rick's mother has demonstrated the terrible plight Alzheimer sufferer's face. The fear and uncertainty for both Rick's mother and Rick is vividly brutal and I just wanted to give them both a hug. It's an awful disease and I wish no one had to suffer it. And then to have his mother die in a car crash after he'd fallen asleep without putting the alarm on... The guilt will eat at him forever. Even if it wasn't actually his fault and rather just a series of terribly tragic events.

I enjoyed the threads being tugged and untangled by the team and it was funny having Sophie reprimand them for not updating the system. The serial rapist investigation was fairly typical but had a satisfying conclusion. While the disappearance of Phoebe Woodrow was a thorny trip as they continued to uncover more evidence as to what happened. I liked how the two investigations overlapped and the final conclusions.

An interesting mystery. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 stars.

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Title: Find Her Alive
Author: D.S. Butler
Series: Detective Karen Hart #7
Publisher: Amazon Publishing UK
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: February 7, 2023
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ Stars

I have only read a few D.S. Butler novels but I am a fan! I read others in the Detective Karen Hart series and have been looking forward to the next one.

Things are going well for Karen, she met Mike on a case a while back and although they didn’t hit it off at first their relations grew. Now this relationship is providing some balance to her life and helping her deal with her grief of her husband Josh and five year old daughter Tilly being targeted because of her job.

Erica Bright a member of her counseling group approached Karen to look into finding her missing friend Phoebe Woodrow. Erica is watching Phoebe’s cat and she hasn’t picked her up yet. Erica reported her missing to the police but the family said she is not missing that she her grandmother saw her. Karen agrees to check into the case but has to be careful as the police say there isn’t case.
Karen is concerned and needs to find out if Phoebe’s disappearance be related to women having their drinks spiked at various bars in town; or, since Phoebe was about to become a millionaire thanks to a medical scanner she and her partner invented, Perhaps jealousy is playing a role?

There are a lot of characters in this story and Karen seems to take a lot of risks. She loves her job but is also constantly fearful that anyone close to her will be a target because of her.
We keep pulling for her and hope that she can resolve this fear and continue to have a good relationship with Mike as well as being able to keep her job. ~ Stay tune!

The book called “Meditations” is mentioned near the end of the story and a great healing quote is mentioned ~ ”The best revenge is to not be like your enemy.”

I am looking forward to the next in this series.
Thank you Ms. Butler for another great mystery/crime story

Want to thank NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 7, 2023

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy of Find Her Alive, the seventh novel to feature DS Karen Hart of Lincolnshire Police.

When a friend from her counselling group asks for Karen’s help in locating a missing friend, Phoebe Woodrow, she is happy to help, but she needs official permission that isn’t forthcoming until Karen identifies her as a potential victim of drink spiking. Then Phoebe is of interest to the task force investigating the drink spiking, but that’s not Phoebe’s only problem. Her company is being financed by shady local businessman, Quentin Chapman, and he is taking an unhealthy interest in Karen.

I thoroughly enjoyed Find Her Alive, which is an engrossing read with plenty of twists and turns. It is told mainly from Karen’s point of view so the reader knows what she knows and can guess alongside her. I got a bit of it, but not nearly enough to claim a solve, or to spoil my enjoyment of a well told story that I read in one sitting.

Finding Phoebe or what happened to her does not turn out to be as easy a task as some think it will be as she appears to have vanished off the face of the earth. Karen tries to retrace her steps and build a profile, but Phoebe appears to have been a bit of a chameleon, different things to different people, and she’s keeping secrets. Every piece of information is hard won and it’s fascinating the way the author weaves her plot together, keeping the reader’s attention with small reveals and more questions. The twist at the end was a bit of a shocker, so well done to the author for keeping it concealed.

I like Karen Hart. She’s smart, dedicated and supportive of her team or in other words a real person with a traumatic past and enough strength to still embrace life. I like in this novel that she’s still slightly damaged and worries about danger to her loved ones from the people she encounters through her work. Will it make her resign? She’s thinking about it, but she’s also doing her best to face up to these potential threats.

Find Her Alive is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[nat. · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is the book #7 in the series, this can be read as a standalone as the cases are not linked. There may be references from previous books that the author usually explained quickly in the next few sentences, if not, chapters.

Instead of blatantly just providing background information that are repetitive in every book (and annoys reader who’ve been through every book), the author seeps such information into the story flawlessly, i.e., when Karen went outside to check on what Sandy is barking about because the canine never barks at nothing, the author introduced her family while explaining why Karen was paranoid and why she was worried.

However, I also noticed that not much background information was provided for side characters that holds slight importance or people surrounding Karen when they were first mentioned. As someone who’s not been following the series, I kept wondering who these people are and what is it that they do in the series.

The first 10 chapters or so focus on the circumstances leading up to the actual case involving the victim, Phoebe; the checking of leads, speaking and assuring witnesses before they confirmed they have a definite case. I thought ten chapters was too long of a “foreplay” for a 300+ pages book before we get into the “main event”. I also didn’t quite understand the purpose of dedicating a few chapters to write about Rick and his mother.

While I understand that nothing much usually happens when they are investigating, but I thought the story was a little bland throughout. It felt like nothing really happened, but you’re already 75% into the book. It’s like a roller coaster and you’re just cruising on a straight line waiting to ascend and for the drop to happen, but it didn’t.

But I definitely loved that the book mentioned how female are always the target of blame even though they are the victim to male harassment. It broke my heart to see the victim’s assuring Karen that she’s wearing work clothes and was all covered up when she was drugged at the bar.

[Donna Hines (The Secret Book Sleuth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever sat and thought boy, "I could go for a drink right now?"
Well, not too fast. What if that drink was spiked? What if there's a sicko out there spiking drinks to sexually abuse women? What if this person(s) was involved for more lucrative dealings?
If women were honest in reporting said crimes would anyone even believe them? Would they be victim blamed or shamed?
Are you a frequent bar patron? Do you know and or trust your bartender? Would you trust your friends for a fun night out drinking?
I'm not a drinker but I can say this book hit all the high notes and then some.
We have mystery, we have murder, we have intrigue, and we have ourselves a money trail.
I mean we all know money is the root of all evil and this book is a runaway upon that notion.
Detective Kate has been tasked with finding a missing lady named Phoebe. She was last scene at the local pub and has two timeframes within a day apart of her last sighting.
As readers we learn that she had some friends, family, and some not so lovely acquaintances in her repertoire of this shady inner circle surrounding her.
Could one of those in her personal or professional life be a suspect in her departure?
Is she truly missing?
Could she herself be hiding a secret or two?
With suspects seemingly coming out of the woodwork it's suffice to say that something is terribly wrong.
When DNA evidence is located after a sudden death we learn that not everything is all fun and games. Serious criminal activities are on going and it then switches to a race against time to find Phoebe and solve the mystery.
I love the twist, turns, and thickening plot from every angle with suspects, investigations, and criminal craftsmanship in weeding them out one by one.
It's with great joy that I highly recommend this new thriller to all of you.
Thank you for this wonderful new ARC via Netgalley for this honest review.
Find Her Alive is due out: February 7th via Amazon Publishing UK

[HappyBookWorm2020 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this police procedural. It is the seventh book in the series, something that I didn't know when I began reading the book, but I didn't feel at a loss. Karen Hart is the main character, a detective in Lincoln, England. I looked Lincoln up - it is a very old small city, and home to the famous Lincoln Cathedral. Construction on the cathedral began in 1072, which was eye-popping to this American.

One of Karen's coworkers, Rick, is struggling as he is juggling work and trying to take care of his elderly mother. Karen herself is in a counseling group, as she has lost her husband and daughter. Someone in her counseling group tells Karen about one of her friends, Phoebe, who went to a local bar to celebrate and went missing.

When Karen begins to look into her disappearance, she discovers that other young women have been assaulted after their drinks were spiked in various clubs in the city. Could Phoebe have been kidnapped after her drink was spiked? It took a long time to get it, but video from the bar showed her staggering in the parking lot.

Phoebe is also one of two partners in a company that had created a breakthrough medical device. She and her partner had been negotiating the sale that will make them both very rich before she disappeared, and the deal can't go through without her. Is her disappearance related to concerns about the sale? The owner of the company that wants their invention has a bad reputation.

I received an e-arc of this book from Amazon Publishing UK via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

[Carol Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this author before and always found her to be quite engaging. Karen Hart has had a fair bit of grief in her life and has just tried to get some order back in her life. She still goes to counseling sessions and while there strikes up a friendship with another woman who approaches Karen about her friend who has gone missing she is looking after her cat but she insists her friend Phoebe is not like that and that she is responsible and something is off, so Karen reluctantly starts to look into it to find that quite a few young girls have had their drinks spiked and ended up not knowing where or what had happened.
After looking at CCTV footage she agrees the girl looks drunk but turns out drugged, just as she is about to make it big by selling her company that she formed making scanners for the NHS at a far cheaper rate, can this be correct? Her partner there are only 2 people in this company but the buyer is a nasty piece of work and has his fingers in as many pies as he can get but nobody has managed to bring in a lawsuit against him and he knows it.
After finding the laptop and managing to get into it, it looks like these scanners are all but perfect, in fact dangerous.
Her partner Cary suddenly goes over the top of the railing up on the roof was it murder? In his hand he has a few strands of hair, has Karen finely got her man.
I did feel the plot lacked a bit of oomph and it seems that no one won in the end. and that's how far it went with the ending.
I did feel a bit let down with the end as I have read this author before and I know she can do better.
I would like to thank Netgalley for a copy to read and in no way has altered my review.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman named Erica—who DS Karen Hart met at her counseling group has asked her to help locate her friend Phoebe Woodrow, who called Erica on a Friday morning asking her to look after her cat overnight because she’s going out and wouldn’t be back until late.

But Phoebe didn’t show up the next day to collect her cat. Erica has tried to call but can’t get hold of her and this has her worried.

According to the officer who filed the report, Phoebe’s family says her grandmother had seen Phoebe earlier and that she’s fine. But DS Karen’s not convinced.

Lately there’s been a spate of crimes involving spiking women’s drinks at bars and then assaulting them afterwards. Operation Starling has been set up to investigate these crimes.

As DS Karen digs deeper into the case, she wonders if Phoebe’s disappearance might be related to the crimes her colleagues are currently looking into.

Further investigations reveals Phoebe’s and her business partner Cary Swann’s work in medical research involved a shady alliance with Quentin Chapman, an investor who’s a known local gangster. But the business deal was about to rake in a fortune for the founders.

Did Phoebe know too much? Or was it professional jealousy that put her life at risk?

Well written detective story. I like the relationship between DS Karen and her team. The ending was good and I will certainly read the next one in the series. Highly recommend.

Thank you to D.S. Butler, NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the arc of this book.

[Tiffany nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and D.S. Butler for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy of “Find her Alive.” Which is said to be published February 7th 2023. This is the 7th book in the Karen hart series and all I gotta say D.S. Butler never disappoints with her writing style , her descriptions of her characters and so much more.

I’m one to read the whole series in order so I downloaded and read the first 6 before I read this one and it definitely helped keep everything in line for me. I got to know the characters over time and it just made this story that much better. I really hope there will be more to the series so I can read them as well.

This book starts off really slow for me but it definitely picked up midway through. We traveled through police corruption, medical corporation, police procedures and so many other things . Karon hart of the Lincoln police department is asked by a friends named Erica from her counseling group to look in the disappearance of a close friend named Phoebe Woodrow. She was last seen Friday morning dropping her grandmas cat off at Erica’s house. Since then no one’s heard from or seen her. Some questions we have to ask ourselves where is Phoebe? , Is she the girl from imperium ? Is she still alive? Must have read so you can find out!

I found this book to be super engaging and overall a great read! The twists and turns were fantastic and I highly recommend it.

I received a free advanced readers copy from NetGalley and I am reviewing this review for free.