This is the third book in the contemporary, crime thriller, DI Eleanor Raven series but I suspect it will still work well as a standalone.

Gosh this is an enthralling cocktail of lethal manipulations, dramatic discoveries, danger and detective work. After events in the previous book, Eleanor is having psychiatric treatment to prove she's fit for work. However, her discharge doesn't go quite as she and her psychiatrist envisaged!

This investigation has multiple deaths, both human and canine, carried out by more than one killer - but what triggers them? This series of seemingly random killings bring Eleanor back into the midst of murder, putting her in the sights of another killer, necessitating her and her team to work together to discover the perpetrators, their motivations and endeavour to protect themselves and prevent more deaths.

The investigating team have their own problems, impinging on their life and work. Eleanor is a true leader, giving direction when necessary but also supporting and encouraging her team. Her treatment has certainly beneficially altered her attitudes and she continues to grow as a rounded human being in this story. The story is a real page turner, packed with surprising twists, macabre events and fraught with danger. If you enjoy crime thrillers I highly recommend you read this book - and this series.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

A first for me with this author and it will certainly not be my last. A really well written police procedural with a storyline that grips you from the start. The police team are all a likeable bunch and enough life, background information to keep you interested but not taking away from the main plot. I won’t write about the storyline as I feel this is the job of the blurb but I will say it was a really good read and kept me up late wanting to finish it.

First of I want to say a huge thank you to the publisher Bookouture, the author Karen Long , and to NetGalley for inviting me to join the blog tour for this book as well as letting me read and review it.

WOW what a story, and I thought book 2 Perfect Little Dolls was good but this one was even better and had a twist to it that I didn't see coming at all which is why I'm loving this series so much because I have no idea what the author is going to come up with next. And which each turn of the page it has you sitting on the edge of your set and wanting to know what is going to happen next, and asking the question how are these murders some how linked and if so then how

Breathtakingly suspenseful. Just brilliant. I could not put this down. If you are after a thrilling read to thoroughly transport you this is the one. Absolutely absorbing. Cannot wait for the next in this amazing series.

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I really enjoyed the first two books in this series and I was excited to see what happened next.

In the first two books, DI Raven certainly put herself at risk. In this book, she is still recovering from those events. She is such a strong character. She easily takes leadership, gives direction and helps her team where she can.

I love the relationship Eleanor has with Mo and Laurence too. They both compliment Eleanor in such different ways. Mo being her old mentor and Laurence being the rookie.

This book is very well written. Karen has managed to interweave many threads into one incredible story. The story is very well-paced and has some very interesting concepts. This is a very gripping and tense read. I hope we haven't seen the end of DI Raven and her team

3.5 stars

What She Knew by Karen Long is the third in the Detective Eleanor Raven series.  This book was originally published in 2017 as The Cold Room.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, 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)
Detective Eleanor Raven works for the  Homicide Department of the Toronto Police Department.  Her boss, Chief Inspector Marty Samuelson has been her boss since she graduated over 10 years ago, and tries to support her.  Her long-time partner Mo has recently had a heart attack, but is now back part-time. The rest of her team consists of Wadesky, Timms, and her new partner Detective Laurence Whitefoot.

 
My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Army Lieutenant Eddie Myles kills his wife Angela, right in front of their three terrified children.  His suicide only opens the case further, as a hand is found next to his body.  An autopsy shows he may have been into cannibalism.   He had been under psychiatric care.  His bosses at CFB Base Borden want to handle the case, but DI Eleanor Raven doesn't want to let it go.

An elderly lady leads the team to six dead dogs in the boiler room of her building, only to end up dead herself shortly after. She had been beaten.

More lives will be lost before Eleanor and the team figure things out.

Eleanor is still meeting with Toby Adams at Millhaven Prison where he is being held in isolation for the murder at least 17 people.  He had preserved their bodies using a method that plasticised their bodies. He is keeping her busy by naming more victims, but as she starts to dig up a park rose garden, she is starting to wonder if he is just stringing her along.

Eleanor is definitely handling a lot, but she is still undergoing  mandatory psychiatric sessions to deal with the fact that Lee Hughes had actually killed her.  She is feeling better,  but there seems to be a problem with her psychiatrist.

My Opinions:   
I am really hoping that the publishers get things straightened out before it goes to print.  The paragraphs went from one scene to the next without a break, and often had me re-reading things so I knew who she was talking about.  But I don't rate the book on this.

The writing is actually very good, and I love the characters.  Although I have had problems with Eleanor in the past,  she was really good in this one.  She is really a strong character, and the team around her are interesting.  My least favorite in this one was Laurence, who seemed whiny and inept.  So, if you have read my reviews of the other books in the series, it seems that I am taking turns at disliking one of them...not sure why.  I still love her boss, but I am hoping for more depth to all of the characters in coming books.

There were a few things in the book that got dropped.  It started out quite good with the murder of the army wife, but nothing further was said about the three children.  Seemed odd since that was such a big deal in the "blurb".  As well, what happened to Dr. Seb Blackmore?

So, this was a little dark, and seemed to center a lot on mental illness, although not in a good way.  There were no major surprises, and although there was a lot of action, this one didn't quite thrill me.

It is, however, a fast-paced book and an easy read (or will be once the publishers fix a few things), so I will be interested in the next one!

What She Knew is the third instalment in the Detective Inspector Eleanor Raven series, who is employed by the Toronto Police Service. Winter is settling on Toronto and a series of seemingly unconnected murders are weighing heavily on DI Eleanor Raven as she tries to heal from past trauma and attend therapy. Two police officers are dead in strange attacks, and Eleanor and Laurence Whitefoot are called out to a domestic disturbance at the home of Angela Myles. Her ex-husband, army veteran Eddie Myles swiftly turns the domestic into a hostage situation. Angela and her three young children are being held captive in their own home with Eddie hellbent on getting revenge for past misdeeds. He wants to take the children and Angela would rather die than hand them over to him, and although she had tried to run with them when she saw through the peephole that it was him who had shown up at her door unannounced, he had quickly caught them. The standoff ends in a brutal murder-suicide leaving chaos for the police to clear up. Only the children survive but their parents are gone. They police also discover unidentifiable skeletal remains of a human hand at the scene further complicating the investigation. Then more murders happen throughout the city. Raven is left tangled in a web of leads, lies and secrets, with each thread leading her closer to the all too terrifying truth.

But with time running out, Raven needs to re-connect with her past life – the one she thought she’d finally escaped from – if she’s to find out who the killer is before they strike again. This is a compulsive and enthralling police procedural with a complex, multilayered plot and a wickedly twisty narrative. The vivid descriptions of chilly Toronto were captivating and the crimes were gritty and not for the faint of heart. Long explores the themes of family, strained relationships, cannibalism, the unsettling aspects of the human psyche, child custody, revenge, hatred, violence and mental illness, which all run through the centre of the story. It shifts at a swift pace and not only do the perspectives switch seamlessly between the various narrators but the story slips between the different and seemingly separate cases being dealt with by the police, effortlessly. The multiple plot threads converge cleverly by the end, however. It's a dark, chilling and disturbingly gruesome read with riveting chapters from the demented killer’s point of view giving us a look into the mind of a psychotic individual. It was realistic, authentic feeling and engrossing from start to finish. I found it addictive really rich in suspense and packed with nail-biting moments throughout and the cast of characters was certainly soundly developed. An original and thrilling page-turner.

The book starts with a domestic and proceeds to a different scenario, finally tying it all together. The pace and the plot are very good and there is no slack anywhere. My only issue is, the psychological aspect of the first case felt incomplete and the blurb feels more like a prologue than a blurb. 4.5 stars

This book is #3 in the Detective Eleanor Raven series, but it can be read as a standalone without missing any pertinent information.

The story packs a punch right from the beginning, opening with a domestic dispute, hostage situation that ultimately ends in a murder suicide. If that wasn’t already tragic, additional skeletal remains are found at the scene. Toronto PS takes initial lead on the investigation. The team is also working on several different cases in tandem which causes the narrative to transition between the multiple investigations. Eleanor’s job is on the line, so it’s up to her to keep everything rolling.

I felt the author did a very good job depicting the crimes with her gritty writing style. In addition, the book has a believability factor which helps brings the words to life. Though the multiple cases seem relatively independent of each other, everything merges nicely in the end. The final twist was a pleasant surprise.
My only critique with this book is that the scenes switched from one to another without any defining visual separation (no line, no page break, etc.). With a plotline like this one, it’s necessary for the narrative to switch, but I think visual separation would go a long way. As is, it takes a minute to understand the switches, and it happens numerous times throughout.

Thank you Karen Long, Bookouture, and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

A great read. Different from my usual read. It delves into how people's minds can be manipulated. You are hooked from the start and there arecdomevgreat characters on board, Eleanor and Laurance to name just two.

What She Knew is written by Karen Long and is book three of the Detective Eleanor Raven series. This book is definitely not one for the faint hearted.

The opening of the book gives a massive punch line for the story. The police are called out to a disturbance at a home in Toronto. Angela' Myles ex husband Eddie Myles is on a rampage for revenge that turns into a hostage situation. Two police officers are dead and Detective Raven is called along with her partner, Laurence to assist in getting Angela and there three young children out alive. Sadly only the children survive this horrendous act. More crimes start popping up and has us all thinking, are they all connected and how?

This is the first book I have read in the Detective Eleanor Raven series. It is very dark and disturbing, not one to read if you don't like anything gruesome. I will be honest it did take me a bit to get past the the unpleasant parts in this book. It is a well written detective novel and had me flicking through the Kindle pages wanting to know how the story ends.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have certainly come to love Eleanor Raven and her team.

This book starts with a whopper of a storyline that deffinitely packs a punch with the shock factor. My heart was racing while also trying to break out of my mouth.

There are a lot of additions to the story in this book that I found it hard to follow at times, especially with all the different points of view. But once I had them worked out in my head it was once again a very enjoyable book and I will look forward to more.

As much as I loved the first two books in the Eleanor Raven series, this one just didn't capture my attention like the others. I just found myself not enjoying it. It started out slow and just never gained that "punch" that the first two did. It wasn't terrible; just average.

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC.

As DI Eleanor Raven heals from prior trauma, she is plagued by the need to explain the growing number of murders throughout Toronto. The murders are violent, hateful, and deliberate but do not have much else in common. DI Raven is on a path to search for each killer, until she realizes that they may only be looking for one person.

I particularly enjoyed this book because it reads like an episode of Law and Order: SVU. The character development was wonderful and really allows the reader to connect to the characters. The writing leaves the reader in suspense as you try to solve the murders alongside DI Raven. It was realistic yet thrilling, and I would love to read more books by Karen Long. Although this is "Detective Eleanor Raven Book 3", it reads well as a stand-alone novel.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of true crime, murder mysteries, suspense, and thrillers. Four out of five stars.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of What She Knew, the third novel to feature DI Eleanor Raven of the Toronto Police Service.

Eleanor and her partner, Laurence Whitefoot are called out to a domestic hostage situation, where Angela Myles and her three young children are being held in their own home. The resolution of the situation throws up more questions than answers and Eleanor must add it to her growing case load while dealing with her own therapy and mental healing.

I thoroughly enjoyed What She Knew which is a compulsive read with several plot strands and a twisted take on crime in Toronto. I’m not going to discuss the plot lines as I normally do because that would detract from their impact and, quite frankly, yuk factor, because, as ever, the author delves into society’s taboos and mental illness.

The plot moves along at a fast clip, switching between both points of view and the various cases. One perpetrator gives their point of view, and while it is a study in psychosis, it is extremely well done and fascinating. I must admit that I guessed where the novel was going about half way through, but I didn’t expect the way any of the various strands were resolved so I was absorbed from start to finish.

Eleanor Raven’s therapy appears to be working and she is avoiding self destructive behaviour. About time too as it distracted from her weird investigations. In this novel she still has a few issues but is still able to get the job done without any harm. I’m looking forward to the next stage in her journey.

What She Knew is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Really enjoyed the book however felt it kept jumping from one scene to the next without a proper introduction into the next scene making it difficult in the beginning to understand fully what was happening

Angela Myles hums as she lays out breakfast before the school run, when an unexpected knock on the door stops her in her tracks. But when she sees the familiar face through the peephole, she immediately tries to run with her kids out the back door. Because Angela knows her visitor, she knows why they’re here, and she’ll never give up her children.

WoW Karen Long knows how to write! I was hooked to the writing of this book! And these characters wow! Amazing job! I enjoyed the characters they seemed real! The p!it was interesting also!
I will be looking for more of het books!

Normally when a killer is behind bars, the case is often closed for the police force. Now it’s up to the judge and the jury to decide about the sentence. DI Raven keeps being called back though to be given more information or to be sent on a wild goose chase?
Evil never sleeps. DI Raven and her partner are dealing with more cases than they can handle and partnering with other teams is necessary.
Some murders are violent and gruesome. Others revealed details that made my stomach do a few flips and some things were not what they seemed at first sight.
Who are the culprits they are looking for? They seem so different in one way and so alike in another way.
Very confusing at first, but rest assured you will be rewarded in the end by the outcome. I was shocked by the way twisted minds can camouflage themselves using fragile people to do what they dream of but are afraid to act on themselves???
I thoroughly enjoyed this 3rd book starring DI Raven. 5 stars

Thank you, Karen Long and Bookouture

An enjoyable 3rd instalment of the Detective Eleanor Raven series.

A quick read, however I sometimes found it hard to keep track of what was happening as the narrative switched between multiple storylines.

This is the third book in the series but I read it as a standalone and didn’t have any difficulty catching up. The themes of the book are quite dark and disturbing and there are, seemingly, different storyline threads which merge into one chilling tale as you progress. There was definitely enough heart stopping moments for me to keep turning the pages including cannibalism and the darker strands of the human psyche.