A scream from the nearby cathedral distorted the attention of Detective Karen and her partner
Mike Harrington. When they arrived where the scream came from they found a dead man with a
bloody cross written on his forehead inside the cathedral. Not long enough, They received a
message claiming they are the culprit and calling themselves “the Cleanser”. Then another
crime was committed and this summons a new team to investigate the case as well. The new
team was lead by the person she was told to avoid. This leads Karen to think that a conspiracy
is going to happen or they are linked to the killings. There is a lot of things that Karen is facing,
the killings, the possible corruption at their office, her relationship with Mike, and last is her
unsettling feeling caused by the deaths of her daughter and husband. She was determined to
solve it all as she sees herself as a person who got nothing left to lose. It was all good but the
story gave a vibe as if it is something that you had already seen or read.

It was well-written and had an awesome plot as it was not disclosed until everything was made
clear. The plot had everything in the story made sense. Maybe it is just me but the story made
me felt it was tiresome. I don`t loathe it, I love the flow, on how the characters portrait their roles,
and especially its genre. But it was all mundane when combined with the story.

Very well developed characters and an extremely engaging story. Well thought out and very suspenseful story line that keeps the reader guessing until the final twist! This is the book to read this year! Highly recommended!

This series just gets better and better! This is the 5th book of the Karen Hart series and shouldn’t be read on its own. Whilst you could pick this up as a stand-alone book, I highly recommend that you read the preceding 4 books to understand the characters and background story, as this book concludes an ongoing storyline arc that began in Book 1 of the series.

This book picks up 3 months after the conclusion of Book 4. Karen and her colleagues’ workloads are stretched due to events that were revealed in previous books. As a result, Karen must work with a different SIO and team to investigate a gruesome murder. This story is a page turner, with some hunches confirmed and a twist that was really good. This story grabbed me from the first paragraph and was easy to read in one sitting. As a reader of the series, I was intrigued to see how this story enfolded and wasn’t disappointed.

I’m so glad that the Author has chosen to wrap up a long standing storyline without stretching it out into further books. I’m really looking forward to reading the progression of the characters and the crimes they solve for the rest of the series. I highly recommend this series if you’re a fan of the genre.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a complimentary digital ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing and giving an unbiased opinion of an eARC of this story.

Another great book in DS Butler series, a serial killer, corruption amongst her colleagues means Karen doesn't know who she can trust. Trying to find the killer it seems no evidence is ever found as she starts to think it's too clean to be true, could someone on the inside be involved and who!!
I like Karen she's nice but stands her ground and is not a pushover at all

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have read a few books by this author and have enjoyed them all. This had great storyline and great characters and kept me hooked from the beginning to the end. Enjoyed it.

A good solid read with an interesting story line and well developed characters.

For me, personally, I probably should have read the previous books in the series but nevertheless I enjoyed this book but for me it didn't keep me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

A Reign Of Terror....
Detective Karen Hart returns in the fifth of the series. A gruesome murder in Lincoln Cathedral begins a reign of terror from a twisted killer. Well constructed crime procedural with well drawn and credible characters. Could be read as a standalone although threads from earlier books in the series are tied up here not to mention backstory detail. Engaging reading.

Detective Karen Hart is walking past a cathedral with her partner when her attention is drawn to a murder victim inside the Cathedral. A note is soon sent to the police calling themselves The Cleanser. A new senior officer is brought in to oversee the case who is very abrasive and arises Karen's suspicions as she is dealing with corruption in the force and this new officer's name was mentioned in connection with the corruption. Also someone is watching her but who and why?

It's part five of a crime series. I'd not read any of the others but really enjoyed this book. Detective Hart's backstory was revealed but I felt I needed to read the others which isn't a criticism at all. Far from it, I would regard this as how a character is supposed to develop as a book series goes on. I'm a big fan of crime dramas on tv so from me this is a massive compliment but I imagined her as a tv detective in the manner of Vera. I didn't see the twist in the story until the author revealed it which to me and I'm sure this is true of any other crime fiction fan is a really good thing. I'd not heard of the author before this but considering how good a book this was is to my shame.

If any of the other books in the series are as good as this one then this could be a classic series. I will be seeking out the other books in this series as I enjoyed this one so much. This can be read as a standalone story but to understand the characters better I would recommend going back and reading the others. The psychological motivations of the villainy were believable and plausible.

If you're a fan of crime fiction, buy this book.

A twisty turning plot which grips the reader.
Several times characters seem to be involved as the plot twists and turns till the end.
Previous events are referred to so it maybe prudent to read previous book series.
Likable characters. Unsure a little on if the changing characters perspective works from Karen to Sophie later on.
Well written overall with a good plot flow.

Another solid instalment in this well established series that continues and concludes on going plotlines from previous books. Best read as part of the series

OMG WOW WOW WOW i really didnt want this book to end. Fabulous story loving the karen hart series. Twists and turns . Gritty. Without spoiling it i kept saying noooooo you cant do that. Noooo never........ is dci churchill really corrupt???? As he takes over as dci in the latest murder case as morgan steps down after he received a letter hand delivered. The team are in a race to find out the truth...... If i could give this more than 5 stars i most definately would. A must read

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. One of the better ones in the series although it took a while to build momentum. Good story and I am glad the author wrapped up the corruption backstory - lets see where the character goes next now that thats over

Wow an absolutely fantastic story! Tense and full of twists and surprises, this had me hanging on to every word, I literally couldn’t put it down. It had me sucked in from the first chapter and kept me engaged the whole way through. There is nothing negative to say at all about this book, it totally deserves 5 great big fat stars!

Another excellent book by D.S. Butler which carries on from her previous novel. Would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller. Features Detective Karen Hart who has to solve the murders of The Cleanser. Keeps you guessing until the end.

Excellent book loved it Detective Karen Hart is book and this book doesn't disappoint as karen and the team have to find a killer before the death count rises.Brilliant read i can highly recommend this book 5*

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the eARC.
This is the fifth in the DS Karen Hart series and probably my least favorite. Karen is out with Mike when she's stopped by a woman's horrific scream. She had just stumbled on the body of a strangled and mutilated man. Karen is now on the case and more bodies follow with the same M.O.
She is still grieving for her lost husband and child, but has entered in a, so far, happy relationship with Mike. The case is taking it's toll, she's baffled, how does the killer know so much about her and the team and has it to do with another officer on the take?
I wasn't totally gripped by the book, I found Karen a bit OCD about finding another bent copper and the ending was familiar, not in identifying the killer and his handler, but in the set up. I did like Sophie as a character, though.

Karen Hart's off duty when she hears a scream coming from the cathedral. A dead man has been discovered with a cross carved into his head.

Soon there's a note - from The Cleanser

With the internal corruption & conspiracy case still ongoing, a serial killer is all Karen needs.

An excellent addition to the series

Karen Hart is beginning to move on after the untimely deaths of her husband and daughter, and has begun a new relationship. She's on a date with the new man when a scream from the cathedral draws her to the scene of a murder. After her current DI is threatened, the Karen's major suspect in the ongoing corruption investigation in the police is put in command of her team. Solid police procedural that keeps the twists and turns coming.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley..

Detective Karen Hart is near Lincoln Cathedral when a man is found dead, a cross carved into his forehead. A note is received from the killer, calling themselves "The Cleanser". When another murder occurs, it becomes clear that someone is carrying out these killings, possible in a ritualistic way. When links to conspiracy surface, Karen begins to wonder if it all comes down to corruption within the police and sets about trying to solve the crimes. Could 'The Cleanser' be closer than she could have imagined? Could Karen's life be at risk?

Another brilliant addition to the Detective Karen Hart series. A thrilling and tense plot full of murder, suspicion, shocks, heartbreak and corruption, the book will keep you guessing until the end. As usual I loved seeing how Karen and her team were getting on and loved how everything came together in the story. You should definitely read this series!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

I really liked this book. Believable characters and storylines. I haven't read others in the series but it worked as a standalone and left me wanting to read more. Have now downloaded others in the series to read!
Because I haven't read any others in the series yet, I don't know how much of the back story to the characters is already out there, so I look forward to finding out more.
Very readable and recommended if you like police procedurals / crime books.