This series just keeps getting better and better. D.I. Gina Harte has come a long way. I have enjoyed the growth in her character. The interactions between her and her team have come a long way as well. Her complicated relationship with Briggs has more importance in this one and it's nice to get a deeper look.
The case is creepy, intriguing, and full of twists. I was stunned by a reveal I never suspected. This author has a knack for creating characters that stick with you.

DI Gina Harte has come a long way since her first appearance in "The Next Girl". With every installment in the series, I have gotten to know & love her more & more. Their Silent Graves showcases yet another angle to her personality when the case starts to get too close for comfort for Gina. I love how vulnerably real her character has been kept throughout the series & Their Silent Graves is no different. I absolutely loved the setting of the book - set in Cleevesford during Haloween this book successfully left me feeling creeped out. The cases themselves were twisted & cruel but I somehow ended up sympathizing with the perp in the end. That's a new one for me right there. The plot is twisted & I couldn't guess who the perp was right until the end. The characters were a bit complicated & since there were quite a few I found myself struggling to associate with each of them. As always Gina & her team shone through it all. It was nice to see everyone including Briggs involved in the case.
Up until now, I've seen Gina handle a lot of pain & stress in her personal life. Hopefully, something changes for her because I'd definitely love to see one of my favorite characters move from under that cloud of gloom.

Thank You, NetGalley, Bookouture & Carla Kovach for an arc!

Carla is definitely one of my “go too” authors and as soon as I see she has a new book out, I always look forward to catching up with D.I Gina Harte.

This book certainly hit the spot again for me. This book is based around Halloween and due to the MO of the killer in this one, it makes for a very dark and creepy read. It actually made me shudder as I imagined how it must feel as I read Carla’s description of the scenes.

D.I Gina Harte not only investigates this one, but also finds herself right in the heart of the case which made me feel even more invested in the whole storyline as I tried to figure out how on earth she could be. (Don’t want to give spoilers)

The ending of this one was brilliant! I thought it was very cleverly done and brought all the loose ends together as the end result came out.

Yet another fantastic instalment of the D.I Gina Harte series.

Look forward to Book 8

A Slow Starting But Lives Up To Its Hype With A Caveat

The novel opens with two flashbacks. The first, 24 years earlier, has two guys in a bar where one brags how he is going home and show his wife her place. The second, 12 years earlier, a young woman cajoled into attending a Halloween party, but her new friend and others turned against her and as a prank buried her in a coffin.

The main storyline then starts with DI Harte meeting her boss, DCI Briggs in a local café as two friends having a coffee together. Suddenly, an obnoxious man, apparently looking and smelling homeless, starts a row with the owner over the price of reduced-price chicken sandwich. Harte intervenes and the man leaves. That evening, two young girls taking a short cut through the woods discover bell without a clapper with a string going into the ground into what looked like a fresh grave. Once Harte is on the scene and the coffin opened, she recognizes the deceased as the obnoxious man from the café. The novel proceeds from here.

The main storyline line consists of two major threads. First is in the voice of Harte and deals mostly with the investigation, and the second in the voice of a local woman who seems to be coming apart at the seams. There is a minor thread in the voice of the unknown perpetrator, and another thread deals with Harte’s dark secret that may be revealed. The investigating has plenty of twists and turns as the light seems to shine on one individual before it fades and wonders until the light finds another individual or back to refocus the investigation a previous individual. The pressure to solve this case intensifies and more people disappear.

The B-storyline is rich with much character development for Harte and Briggs. The reader will learn much about their, sometimes, too close relationship, and how that relationship affects their actions especially when Harte is placed in a very serious situation. Harte’s dark secret also plays a major role in B-storyline. This aspect of the novel contributed my reading enjoyment.

As for aspects that some readers find objectionable, this novel comes through with flying colors. There are not any intimate scenes and only seven minor vulgar words. The psychological violence is quite edgy as there are some very frank descriptions of individuals being buried alive. Reader beware. As the setting of this novel is England, there is use of informal British language. I found reading this novel on an e-reader was an advantage as I could highlight the word and search the Internet quickly and easily.

The one caveat I have is responsible for my evaluation of a slow start. The author would start a chapter with name of characters, but I didn’t have a clue who they are and their place in the storyline. Many of these were members of Harte’s investigatory team. This is the seventh novel in the series, but the first I read. This aspect interrupted the flow of my reading resulting in slowing down for the first part of the novel. If these new characters are just part of the main storyline, after reading a little deeper into the chapter, their places became clear. This aspect also caused me to miss the significance of an early chapter until much later in the novel. This is the only aspect that made me question on reading this novel first. Once I became comfortable with the characters, the novel finally captured my attention and a desire not to stop reading. Lastly, because I enjoyed reading this novel, I was influenced to purchase the first novel in the series.

From the aspect of reading this novel as the first novel in the series, I rate this novel with four stars. If you have read any of the previous novels in this series, this novel probably would be a five star read. Enjoy reading Their Silent Graves.

I have received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Bookouture with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

The Gina Harte series by Carla Kovach reaches book 7 with Their Silent Graves which is another enjoyable atmospheric police thriller which will keep you entertained throughout.

The book can be easily read as a stand-alone if you’ve not read the previous books in the series and is one I would recommend

Carla Kovach is one of my favourite authors so I was so excited to read this. It did not disappoint it was a fantastic book that I read in one sitting, I just could not put it down. Can’t wait for the next one in the series! An excellent book, entertaining and had me engrossed for hours, madly taking in the story. Can’t recommend this enough it was fab. Big fat 5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carla Kovach and Bookouture for this ARC.

Another winner from Carla Kovach! I absolutely LOVE the Gina Harte books, and this one is no exception. It has the right amount of suspense and creepiness that gets you ready for fall and Halloween. Being buried alive is a fear I'm sure most people have, and the way Carla Kovach writes from that POV is heart pounding. I felt as if I was actually inside the coffin, panicking about the lack of oxygen and the fear of dying inside this box. I loved every minute of this book!

Their Silent Graves by Carla Kovach is an extremely creepy novel. On their way to a Halloween party, two girls find what may be a coffin with a body in it. Not a long-dead person, but a person who was trapped and buried in a coffin while alive.

The newest brand of serial killer is one who somehow leads and traps people into being buried alive. DI Gina Harte is committed to finding the killer, especially when he or she contacts Gina directly. It's obvious there is a connection between Gina, her dead abusive husband and the killer. Will Gina become a victim while trying to solve this mystery.

The descriptions the author gave of how each person met their demise were chilling. Carla Kovach wrote this novel with clues from the killer's past and present. This book will keep you guessing and wondering who the real victims are in this case. Very, very good crime novel.

Wow!!! I was hooked on this story from the first page. It's been awhile where I enjoyed a really great, gripping thriller. This author did a fabulous job with this book and I will definitely be reading the previous books.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 7th book in a series but if, like me, you haven't read any of the othere don't let that stop you. You will be able to read it as a stand alone as well and you'll get a nicely written book with a strong plot and some question about who did it until the end. The writer finishes up the plot quite satisfyingly and apart from some background on previous established relationships between the main characters you're not missing essential information that would make you not enjoy this book.

*** A ARC was provided by netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC
I love a good series, especially one with a good subplot and this series ticks both of these boxes in abundance. The brilliant unusual subplot is a recurring theme in each of these books as it’s a huge part of Gina, continues to influence her relationships, and is ever present in her headspace and psyche. While investigating a grisly murder it looks like her past is about to be laid bare for all to see as it crosses over into the main plot and makes her question who, if anyone, she can trust. Never ever for a minute did I guess the culprit. A genuine cracking good read

Would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping novel

It’s Halloween and two girls are off to a party dressed for it but they take a short cut through the woods... they slightly go off track and stumble across a small bell hanging from a tree with a piece of string attached ..... it leads to a grave ....

The police and D.I gina Harte are called to the scene and before long they realise they are at a crime scene can they solve it before another body is found

Also at the station a letter is delivered to gina with hints from her past with her violent husband ...how can someone know what she suffered at the hands of her husband and have an inclining as to the murders of the coffin killer

A tense ride for gina and her team not helped with the press hounding them

Another brilliant book by this author

Their Silent Graves is book 7 in the Detective Gina Harte series. While it can be read as a stand alone it would be advisable to read the previous books first to fully understand Gina. She is tough, strong woman but everyday she is fighting the demon she of their past and her former husband. Her character never ceases to amaze me with his she manages to get through each day, in a job that is not for the weak. This book is try another tough case, and one where the killer is using her past to get to Gina..

2 young girls decide to take a shortcut, desperate to get to a school Halloween party.... they will wish that they had taken the long way around. They stumble across a coffin, buried in a a shallow grave. Terrified they call the police and Gina and her team are closed to the scene. When they open the coffin they find the body of a man, who appears to have been buried alive. So the investigation begins, first to find out who he is and then who killed him. Gina also starts to receive letters from the killer, referring to Gina’s past.

It is dark and creepy police procedural and a great addition to the series. Always look forward to more from Gina.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read

DI Gina Harte is just one strong and extraordinary woman. Every singke book I am absolutely bowled over by the way Carla is able to portray everything she has been through, what she continues to go through with her inner demon, but what she is always able to find a way to overcome. She always manages to focus and get the job done, but i love the fact that she uses her own experiences to connect to the murderer and relate to them.

This installment of the series is no different. Watching Gina get personally victimised really touched me and i felt every emotion she was going through when she was gojng through it. I was able to connect with her on a completely different level.

Carla Kovach always has an astounding dedication at the beginning of these books and I love each one more and more. They are heartfelt and true and really relate to the book you are about to read.

I also loved what this story represented. It has needed to be said a lot so far this year and is very poignant in a time that sees so much hate. But remember that if you can be anything, be kind. Be the person that stands up for someone else. Because you may be the only person, but you could be the person that makes the difference between night and day.

I will look forward to the next in the series as per usual!

Cherie needed to die.

I won't indulge too much into it, but damn. The bitch had to go and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

What happened to Lucy. What happened to Gina. Should not have happened to anyone.

Nuff said.

Now to move back to the review, there were strong ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ vibes from this suspense thriller and I was loving every single moment of it. The anticipation of what was to follow after the first grave was found had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The characters were real and raw, and the triggering topics such as abuse, alcoholism, drug addiction, and (minor) bullying were well touched on. And despite this being the seventh installment of the ‘Detective Gina Harte’ series, it could be considered a standalone as it’s easy to follow and as a reader, you can pretty much get the gist of what’s happening.

With that being said, there were a few things that prevented this from being a 4+ star read, such as the pacing. It was a bit wishy washy for me. The constant fast and slow pacing that vary from scene to scene could have been slightly tweaked to make the read smooth sailing. It seemed with that issue alone, the story at times dragged on and on. Additional to that issue, the predictability of the storyline and whodunit mystery was easy to find out. Despite how much I enjoyed this, I do wish there were more twists and turns to make this a much more enthralling read.

It's the 7th and newest book in the DI Gina Harte series and as usual, Carla delivered! She has written a compelling and riveting story with very clever twists and turns. I was so engrossed in the book that I forgot to sleep and kept thinking about all the clues and events even when I wasn't reading. I was very surprised when the identity of the killer was revealed, I didn't see it coming at all.
Like in every book, Carla writes a beautiful and heartfelt dedication to the readers. This one is particularly touching and personal.
Carla involved Gina personally in this crime investigation although it seemed it didn't have anything to do with her and these puzzle pieces were perfectly included in the whole story. I'd love to see some kind of development in her relationship with Briggs in the next books because I'm totally rooting for them ;-)

Trigger warning if you're claustrophobic or have a fear of being buried alive because some scenes might cause a bit of anxiety.

Highly recommended, this is one of my favourite crime series and the books keep getting better and better.

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Halloween is supposed to be scary but not deadly. The body found by two friends on their way to a party is creepy even for the celebration of all souls eve. Buried alive the fear is all that remains of the person the victim used to be and for DI Gina Harte it is an all too terrible reminder of a part of her life she thought was behind her.

For Gina the horror of her past is all too real and, as she and her team try to solve the case before anyone else suffers the same terrible fate, it seems someone local knows about her marriage and what she suffered. With suppressed memories threatening to burst free Gina's stress levels are rising to dangerous levels and then the killer sets their sights on her.

Once again Carla Kovach has written an excellent murder mystery brimming with suspects all of whom could definitely have been responsible and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The tension increases gradually, and you can feel Gina's desperation as she tries to discover who their victim is and why they were targeted. Even when that is known there's no let up and it is a definite page turning, must finish novel with the need to know what happened there all the while until everything becomes clear at the end.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to any fans of the Gina Harte series or anyone looking for first class mystery writing; neither group will be disappointed.

I adore this series but I become impatient for the next instalment which is my own fault for devouring them so quickly.

Another great instalment to the series. It is full of secrets, lies and deaths. All I come to expect with each additional book in the series. I’m never disappointed and I’m sure I’ll continue to be pleased with additional novels to come.

I love the new deaths, the storyline always go that step further and I’m often surprised with who the killer is. I didn’t guess this one because I was so gripped by the storyline I just kept reading. I didn’t even try to guess who it was.

Top crime thriller again!
Thank you Carla Kovach for another fabulous book to the series

Their Silent Graves by Carla Kovach is the seventh installment of the compelling and addictive series based on Detective Gina Harte. Although we are now deep into the series, this one can easily be read as a standalone. I tend to dip in and out of this series and have not read all seven books, but I have no trouble reacquainting myself with Gina and her team after an extended absence when the opportunity presents itself. Bravo to Ms Kovach for creating such an engaging protagonist in Gina Harte.

While enroute to a Halloween party, two teenage girls discover a shallow grave. A few days later, a second grave is revealed, and Detective Harte and her team realize that a serial killer is at work in their small town. The race is on to unravel the evidence before the next victim is targeted, and it is soon apparent that not all is as it seems.

This is a solidly written and engaging series, and one into which you will easily and happily immerse yourself.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Another book with a beautiful dedication: “To all who have suffered loss or illness during this year of pandemic.”

The book starts out with 2 very disturbing scenes of the past.
- 24 years ago a coffin-maker watches how his friend locks his wife up in the shed and beats her regularly.
- 12 years ago a young girl who’s new in town is buried alive in a coffin by her new ’friends’.
Now; When 2 16-year-old girls are on their way to a Halloween party and take a shortcut through the woods, they stumble across a bell without a clapper that’s tied to the buried coffin. At first, they think it’s a practical joke but they call the police anyway. A dead man lays inside; there are claw marks on the inside of the lid so it looks as if the victim was buried alive. DI Harte recognises him; it’s a man she told of for being rude to the café owner 2 days earlier. The killer seems to have a connection with her and writes her letters with intimate details about her own abusive past.
Then, there’s Cherie, married to Christian and mother of 2. We don’t know what she’s up to but she’s keeping secrets from her husband. It’s a secret from her past that she shares with some school friends.
Who are those people, what are they hiding, what is all this about? Why do they involve Gina Harte in their game? You know there must be a connection or it wouldn’t be in the book.

While you try to puzzle out who’s who and what is going on, the suspense increases with every chapter (there are a lot of them in this book). It’s frustrating, so many secrets, clues and puzzle pieces and I couldn’t make sense of them. Grrr, I loved it though. It’s definitely one of those books that keep you up half of the night. And when I finally went to bed, I kept milling it over and over before falling asleep.
My first assumption was that there was someone taking revenge on men that behave badly against women. But if so, what is the connection with Gina’s abusive ex? He’s dead, so it can’t be him, and why would he target abusive men.
Although the victims aren’t very likeable, you can’t go around murdering ‘bad’ people. We all know a couple of people without whom the world would be a better place. But if we all go rogue serving vigilante justice, the world would be pure anarchy and chaos. Unfortunately, we’re stuck with laws and systems that aren’t always bringing justice and righteousness where they should. So I would urge our lawmakers (wherever in this world) to update both the police and justice departments into the 21st century.
When the identity of the killer was finally revealed, I was surprised. Despite my multiple theoretical scenario’s, I never saw this coming. The ‘why’ was already clear by then but not the ‘who’.
Most of the story is written from DI Harte’s POV but there are also chapters about Cherie and her friends, and those by the killer who doesn’t reveal his/her identity. It’s very well constructed and it keeps your attention to the last. It’s both police procedural and psychological thriller.
Despite being the 7th book in this series, it’s very easy to read on its own. Of course, there are some references made to the past but I’m not even sure if those are just background information or that they’ve been part of former stories.
I thank Netgalley and Bookouture for the free ARC they provided me with; this is my honest and unbiased review of it.