Scan barcode
davinal's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
pandasbookshelf's review
4.0
I'm really loving this crime mystery series. This one is the fifth entry in the series and it just keeps getting better with each book. I don't know how the author comes up with such different and complex mysteries. Each book features something new and interesting. The characters are where I felt this series lets down as I'd love to know more about the side characters as they felt a bit flat to me. I plan to finish the series.
bethelizabethuk's review
2.0
I’ve read books 3 and 4 of this series and really enjoyed them but I struggled with this one. I found it slow going and it was a bit of a chore to finish it. I love Gina’s character but there was a lot of filler about Gina’s relationship with her mum and her past. I didn’t find any of Susan’s family particularly likeable which made caring about their story difficult. We also don’t really get to know Susan which meant I wasn’t overly bothered about whether she was a victim or a killer.
That being said I will still be reading books 1 and 2 when I have time. I will also definitely pick up any future books in the series because I love the main characters and I’ve enjoyed the previous books.
That being said I will still be reading books 1 and 2 when I have time. I will also definitely pick up any future books in the series because I love the main characters and I’ve enjoyed the previous books.
alexsbooksandsocks's review against another edition
Een boek van Carla Kovach is altijd een goed idee. Met een nieuw deel op komst deze zomer was het eindelijk tijd om haar duistere hart te gaan lezen. De spanning in dit verhaal is niet ‘te snijden’, maar het is vooral het dreigende gevoel en de tijdsnood die de spanning in dit verhaal brengt.
Hoofdpersonage Gina krijgt ook weer een extra laag door dat de auteur meer loslaat over haar relatie met haar moeder. Daardoor is duidelijk dat het personage van Gina nog lang niet is uitverteld. Ik ben dus heel benieuwd wat we in de volgende delen over haar te weten zullen komen.
De schrijfstijl is nu ook weer vlot en door de korte hoofdstukken leest dit boek naar goede gewoonte heel makkelijk. De schrijfstijl, de elementen, de gehanteerde formule zorgen ervoor dat dit een stevige thriller is. Ik geniet van elk boek van deze auteur en kijk nu vol verwachting uit naar het volgende deel.
macyq's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mandylovestoread's review
4.0
Her Dark Heart by Carla Kovach is book 5 in the Detective Gina Harte series - a series that I am absolutely loving. And can we talk about that cover - gorgeous! I love the colours - so dark and intriguing. Gina is still battling her demons, she has had a rough life but that makes her a fantastic detective. She. cares about her cases, her victims and her colleagues. Anybody would be lucky to have Gina working on their case. There is not a lot of a personal .thread in this book, it focuses more on the case than Gina herself.
Susan Wheeler is reported missing by her mother when she fails to pick up her young son Rory from nursery. This is not the first time that she has gone missing and her sister Clare thinks she is just attention seeking. Her husband Ryan is the initial suspect. The couple are in the process of getting a divorce and it is not friendly. Clare's mother is scared for her daughters safety. Then more people go missing that have connections to Susan - who is targeting these people and why? And could the box from Susan's past hold the clues to finding her alive?
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
Susan Wheeler is reported missing by her mother when she fails to pick up her young son Rory from nursery. This is not the first time that she has gone missing and her sister Clare thinks she is just attention seeking. Her husband Ryan is the initial suspect. The couple are in the process of getting a divorce and it is not friendly. Clare's mother is scared for her daughters safety. Then more people go missing that have connections to Susan - who is targeting these people and why? And could the box from Susan's past hold the clues to finding her alive?
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
mickeyzbookz's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
spookshow's review
4.0
You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Booktouture, and the author via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating of 3.75
Susan Wheeler is late picking her son Rory up from nursery. That's okay, she's probably just hit traffic, or been held up with a job. Until she doesn't come home at all. Susan Wheeler a book-keeper, mother of three, currently going through a divorce, is missing. Her sister thinks that she's just run off again like she did when she was a teenager, her mother is beside herself with worry stating that she wouldn't leave her children like that. When the hours turn into days, even Clare begins to worry and when mother Mary stumbles across Susan's diary, the final entry lead the police to a body. Now Detective Inspector Gina Harte has to wonder, is Susan missing because she is in danger? Or is she on the run as a suspect?
I don't mind a good detective story. Crime isn't my first pick in the genre pool, but I do tend to enjoy them from time to time. I read some reviews stating that you didn't necessarily had to have read the previous installments in the series in order to be able to catch up to where this one was, so while I normally try not to request books that are part of a series, and not the first book, I figured I'd give this one a go. It didn't disappoint either.
I do feel that having not read the previous books in the series that I was missing some stuff. I also feel that I might have had more of an emotional connection to DI Gina Harte had I read the previous books, but it didn't entirely take away from the story for me. It did irk me a little bit because there is constant references to past situations that Gina has gone through, and while it's explained well enough that I know what's going on, I just didn't really care that much. I feel that this is something that would come with having been with the characters from the beginning, I wasn't as emotionally invested in the personal issues that Gina was trying to work through and was just eager for things to get back to the story and disappearance of Susan Wheeler.
The story was well written and there were many twists and turns that kept me guessing. I thought I had it all figured out but boy was I wrong!! This is the first crime/detective/mystery story in a while that had me totally fooled. I didn't even have the why part of the story worked out. Not until Kovach was ready to reveal it, so that was fantastic.
The mystery itself was incredibly gripping and I really got the feeling of a cold, dreary winter from Kovach's writing. The narration is written from third person, however, some chapters here and there are written from the culprit's first person point of view, which I found a little bit distracting at first, jumping between POVs, but I feel like in the end, it really worked for the story to be written this way. Kovach is definitely adept at her craft.
If you want a good detective/thriller/crime novel where the women are at the forefront, give this series a go. I know that I'm definitely keen to head back to book one of the series and see where it all began.
Trigger Warnings: Domestic abuse, sexual abuse.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Booktouture, and the author via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating of 3.75
Susan Wheeler is late picking her son Rory up from nursery. That's okay, she's probably just hit traffic, or been held up with a job. Until she doesn't come home at all. Susan Wheeler a book-keeper, mother of three, currently going through a divorce, is missing. Her sister thinks that she's just run off again like she did when she was a teenager, her mother is beside herself with worry stating that she wouldn't leave her children like that. When the hours turn into days, even Clare begins to worry and when mother Mary stumbles across Susan's diary, the final entry lead the police to a body. Now Detective Inspector Gina Harte has to wonder, is Susan missing because she is in danger? Or is she on the run as a suspect?
I don't mind a good detective story. Crime isn't my first pick in the genre pool, but I do tend to enjoy them from time to time. I read some reviews stating that you didn't necessarily had to have read the previous installments in the series in order to be able to catch up to where this one was, so while I normally try not to request books that are part of a series, and not the first book, I figured I'd give this one a go. It didn't disappoint either.
I do feel that having not read the previous books in the series that I was missing some stuff. I also feel that I might have had more of an emotional connection to DI Gina Harte had I read the previous books, but it didn't entirely take away from the story for me. It did irk me a little bit because there is constant references to past situations that Gina has gone through, and while it's explained well enough that I know what's going on, I just didn't really care that much. I feel that this is something that would come with having been with the characters from the beginning, I wasn't as emotionally invested in the personal issues that Gina was trying to work through and was just eager for things to get back to the story and disappearance of Susan Wheeler.
The story was well written and there were many twists and turns that kept me guessing. I thought I had it all figured out but boy was I wrong!! This is the first crime/detective/mystery story in a while that had me totally fooled. I didn't even have the why part of the story worked out. Not until Kovach was ready to reveal it, so that was fantastic.
The mystery itself was incredibly gripping and I really got the feeling of a cold, dreary winter from Kovach's writing. The narration is written from third person, however, some chapters here and there are written from the culprit's first person point of view, which I found a little bit distracting at first, jumping between POVs, but I feel like in the end, it really worked for the story to be written this way. Kovach is definitely adept at her craft.
If you want a good detective/thriller/crime novel where the women are at the forefront, give this series a go. I know that I'm definitely keen to head back to book one of the series and see where it all began.
Trigger Warnings: Domestic abuse, sexual abuse.
robinlovesreading's review
5.0
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
When Susan, divorced mother of three, disappears, there are mixed reactions. On the one hand, her mother Mary is very concerned. Conversely, her sister Clare is perturbed and is certain that Susan's disappearance is a repeat of her past actions.
Detective Gina Harte is on the scene, hoping to discover what happened to Susan. She makes more than one visit to the family, including Susan's ex-husband, and Mary's home. Currently, Susan's ex is caring for their two daughters, and Mary has the couple's young son. Meanwhile, Clare and her son are living at home with Mary and her husband. Tensions are definitely on the rise, especially as Clare's feelings towards Susan are made clear.
Mary has secreted some things from the police, things she found while searching her daughter's home. She unearthed Susan's diary and reluctantly shares information with Gina. Susan had been hiding secrets from her past, and the investigation leads to the body of a man somehow connected to Susan. Gina cannot help but wonder, is Susan a victim or guilty of the man's murder? Is her disappearance much more than meets the eye?
Meanwhile, the story shifts back and forth between the search for Susan, while at the same time sharing the perspective of the guilty party, with more than one victim ending up in danger. Despite these entries, I was completely surprised as to what was eventually revealed.
What a riveting story! The dual timelines were intriguing, especially when the mystery element became rather thrilling. Meanwhile, the family drama was compelling. And the conclusion, shocking beyond belief! This is the fifth book in the Detective Gina Harte series. Having had the opportunity to read the previous two titles, I have come to admire Gina and her work ethic. I look forward to continuing with this series.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
When Susan, divorced mother of three, disappears, there are mixed reactions. On the one hand, her mother Mary is very concerned. Conversely, her sister Clare is perturbed and is certain that Susan's disappearance is a repeat of her past actions.
Detective Gina Harte is on the scene, hoping to discover what happened to Susan. She makes more than one visit to the family, including Susan's ex-husband, and Mary's home. Currently, Susan's ex is caring for their two daughters, and Mary has the couple's young son. Meanwhile, Clare and her son are living at home with Mary and her husband. Tensions are definitely on the rise, especially as Clare's feelings towards Susan are made clear.
Mary has secreted some things from the police, things she found while searching her daughter's home. She unearthed Susan's diary and reluctantly shares information with Gina. Susan had been hiding secrets from her past, and the investigation leads to the body of a man somehow connected to Susan. Gina cannot help but wonder, is Susan a victim or guilty of the man's murder? Is her disappearance much more than meets the eye?
Meanwhile, the story shifts back and forth between the search for Susan, while at the same time sharing the perspective of the guilty party, with more than one victim ending up in danger. Despite these entries, I was completely surprised as to what was eventually revealed.
What a riveting story! The dual timelines were intriguing, especially when the mystery element became rather thrilling. Meanwhile, the family drama was compelling. And the conclusion, shocking beyond belief! This is the fifth book in the Detective Gina Harte series. Having had the opportunity to read the previous two titles, I have come to admire Gina and her work ethic. I look forward to continuing with this series.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.