This was the second Karen Hart mystery book I've read, and I was not disappointed. It was every bit as enjoyable as the first book. This book was engaging and filled with twists and turns. The solution to the mystery was one I hadn't anticipated. I highly recommend this book to other police procedural readers.

Book 6 in the Karen Hart series and as per usual i absolutely loved it. I will say if you haven't read the first 5 books do so!!! It's a great series and totally worth the read, however you could read this as a stand alone if you like.

When a little girl watches the lady from the shop get kidnapped on her way to work, her mum doesn't believe her, she's known for making up stories and her mum thinks this is one. But to be on the safe side she calls it in. Unlikely her mum detective Karen Hart completely believes the little girl and begins to investigate. Meanwhile Sophie's dreams come true when she meets her favourite true crime author who worked as a profile. He's in town on a book tour. When a playing card is found at the scene of the abduction scene they invite him to consult him on the case, as one famous serial killer from his past used playing cards only issue is he's in prison in America so do they have a copy cat on their hands.

Honestly i really enjoyed this instalment, i love Karen's character and she brings so much to the role. Karen dives head first into the case, whilst everyone is looking one way she's looking the other, although the profilers expertise is great she feels the team is being mislead and misdirected. This was made worse when information about the case is leaked and her face is front page, she can't help but wonder is their lack of progress her fault?
it's interesting the team dynamic with the addition of the visiting profiler, Sophie is obsessed with him and thinks he knows best but her loyalty still lies with Karen so she is torn. when Sophie see's the newspaper article she has her suspicions about who is selling information about the case but she has to get her facts first.
I enjoyed the added twist of a second person being kidnapped also and i found myself even more confused about what was going on and yet i couldn't put the book down at all.

what i really enjoyed about this case is the why? i did guess the twist quite early on but i couldn't work out what the motivation was for the kidnap. that is what kept me reading but why is all i kept asking myself throughout. The police investigation was great to follow and i really felt like i was part of the investigation myself.
it is very well written, and i loved the different POV's that you are given throughout the book it kept me completely hooked. I also found that the investigation is written extremely well with well researched police procedure.

All in all i really enjoyed book six of the Karen Hart series and i cannot wait for book 7. Get ready for twist and turns throughout the book and i promise you when you think you've worked it out completely well you haven't, i promise you. 4 stars. recommend if you enjoy M.K Farrar, C.L Taylor, Helen Phifer and basically any amazing crime thriller/psychological thriller writers.

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer publishers and D.S Butler for the digital ARC of what she said in exchange for my fair and honest opinions

I loved this book, such a good read that kept me guessing right to the end . The twists and turns kept going through the whole book which made it difficult to leave down. The story unfolds leaving you wanting more after every chapter. I would highly recommend this book to everyone you loves a good psychological thriller .

I have not read anything by D,S. Butler but I cannot wait to read all of this series! It references some things from within the series but it does not make you seem like you missed everything.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kerry Fisher and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What can I say another brilliant read. I am getting annoyed that I keep reading these books out of order so will have to buy the ones before them now.
I love these kind of crime books where it keeps you guessing right till the end. You think you know who did it but then no it’s not that person. The book like the last one I read was very well written I read a lot of crime books I really don’t like the easy books the one with no substance I just bored with them. This book is different as it gripes your interest from the beginning and you just want to keep reading to find out what happens next.
The book starts with a little girl witnessing a crime and then the police have to work out who was involved who was the woman the little girl saw. They do find out who she is and that’s where the twists start. All in all a very good book I would recommend

What She Said by D.S. Butler was a fabulous read that had me totally gripped from the start.

This is the 6th book in the series featuring DS Karen Hart, set in Lincolnshire and I picked up the series with Don't Turn Back (book 3) which I also thoroughly enjoyed. The fantastic plot line and brilliant characters made What She Said a superb tale that held me captive throughout.

With innumerable twists and turns, guessing the identity of the perpetrator was nigh on impossible and the zippy pacing meant there was no room for boredom or tedium. It was an impeccably crafted story and the absence of witnesses except for a fib-telling child at the beginning of the story when the hunt for an abductor started, helped towards creating the tense atmosphere. Danica Butler weaves a masterful police procedural that culminates in a surprising denouement. Her rich character development is both multi-dimensional and plausible. This tale should not be missed as it is a fantastic continuation of an excellent series.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Amazon Publishing UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I have not read any other books in the series and found that some previous events were only hinted at so it was hard to understand how they had impacted on the characters. I thought Karen's behaviour was unprofessional, telling someone she didn't know that they were investigating an induction case without any respect for confidentiality. I thought some of the writing was inaccurate, no nurse would refer to the surgery team, they would say the surgical team.
This was more of a cosy mystery level than a crime thriller, and I wouldn't read any other books by this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read and review an advanced reading copy of this book.

Nobody wanted to believe a young girl when she said she saw a woman abducted on the street outside her house. She saw a man put a woman in the back of a white van. When her mother finally called the police, DS Karen Hart is sent to interview the child. She wants to believe her story, but there are few clues at the scene, except for a playing card in the storm sewer. When the same playing card shows up at the home of a missing person, the investigation begins.

This is a missing person mystery with several side stories: the usual suspects who seem to be hiding the truth, an expert on serial killers who is in the area on a book tour, a conflict between DS Hart and her superior, and even DS Hart’s previous history. When another woman goes missing, the entire team races to find the missing women and their abductor.

This story has some very nice elements along with some surprises to keep the reader engaged.

When the only witness to a kidnapping is a 5 year old for a reputation for tale telling it seems as though no one will take her story seriously that is until Ds Karen Hart has a feeling that this time she may be telling the truth and when another woman is kidnapped the race to find the woman begins

Number 6 in the Karen Hart series and as good as ever

I received a complimentary electronic ARC of this excellent British police procedural on May 24, 2022, from the author via Netgalley. I have read What She Said of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I always enjoy D. S. Butler. She writes an intriguing tale with personable characters that I am always glad to visit. And revisit.

Molly McCarthy, almost 5 years old, witnessed the abduction of a woman in the street in front of her house early in the morning. The woman was wearing a coat and was tossed into the back of a white van. A white van like her Dad's but without the writing on the side.
Molly has a wonderful imagination and is often the teller of tall tales, entertaining her family and their neighbors with stories involving her dolls or the next-door dog. Molly's mom is hesitant to call the police, but Molly is certain of what she had seen and after a delay, she does report the possible incident. DS Karen Hart is about the only person, who takes her story seriously - until the woman from a couple of streets over is reported as missing when her boss called her home to find out why she has missed a very important meeting. Tamara Lomax left for work as usual. And as usual, she chose to walk to work, crossing through the Lincoln neighborhood rather as the crow flies, cutting through streets as necessary to save steps. House-to-house searches leave the police with only little Molly as a witness. Then there is input from the American serial killer profiler, Dr. Michael, author of a book just released, who insists upon offering his reading of the clues available to them. Karen isn't sure his reading of the situation is correct, though she is urged to take his advice to heart by her coworkers who 'believe' the Doctor's press.

On day 2 as Karen and her partner Rick as going through camera footage from the small neighborhood seeking white transit vans, word comes to them of yet another abducted woman, a woman several adult witnesses saw, one of whom even attached her molester whom the victim was also fighting, before being forced into the back of a white transit van. This abduction was on a busy street and there were miles of CC footage to sort, lots of white transit vans but only a couple who were also in the Lincoln neighborhood footage. The cases seem to be coming together. Or are they completely wrong with their investigation?

DS Karen Hart keeps up her good work in What She Said, by DS Butler. It's a delightful read and I will look to read other books in the series.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

A little girl, playing in her lounge, sees a woman bundled into the back of a van. She tells her mother, but initially is not believed. However, a woman is reported missing and suddenly Karen Hart realises the little girl is the only witness to this crime. A playing card is found at the scene, and another at the home of the missing woman, and suddenly the race is on to find her before its too late.

An American profiler is brought in to assist, as Karen, still haunted by her past, tries to piece together the puzzle and find the missing woman.

An interesting tale, I'm not really sure about the significance of the playing cards at the end. The characters were well drawn but the ending felt a bit contrived. A good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Molly tells her mother that she has seen a lady being bundled into the back of a white van, her mother is a bit sceptical. Molly is a bright imaginative child- is this one of her stories. However she gets in touch with the police. Detective Karen Hart's instinct is to believe Molly, although she admits to herself that it could be that she reminds her of Tilly- whose death she will never get over. When another woman goes missing it seems Karen's instincts are correct. However nobody seems particularly keen to be helpful in answering the teams enquiries- not that it will stop Karen getting to the truth (whilst keeping the reader confused!)

This was an excellent read. For some reason I only seem to read even numbers in this series but they have all been twisty interesting stories with good characters. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- maybe I'll actually et to read an odd numbered one next!

A Fast Paced British Police Proecdural

Maggie, a five-year-old with a vivid imagination, insists that she’s seen a woman walking past her house being pulled into a white van. The mother worries that her daughter is telling tall stories, but DS Karen Hart thinks the child is reporting what she’s seen. The other investigators are not as certain. Some believe that Karen is being led astray because of the child’s resemblance to her daughter.

When a playing card is found in the drain near where the woman was snatched and again at the house of another kidnapping victim, the police take the case seriously. When a body is found in a farmer’s field, the crime escalates from kidnapping to murder.

DS Karen Hart is a character who stands up for what she thinks is right. I like that. I also thought using the child in the open of the story set the stage well. The pace is fast and full of twists. It’s not easy to figure out what happened until the end. If you like police procedurals, particularly British police procedurals, you’ll enjoy this book.

I received this book from Amazon Publishing for this review.

This book was a good twister. I admit that the suspense had my mind jumping here and there with a number of possibilities as to who is behind the crimes committed. I enjoyed that the story read very easily for me. The dialogue and narrative was captivating and engaging to me as the reader. The characters dialogue amongst each other was outstanding,it was as though they had a real conversation over an actual crime being committed. I found a number of details related to the police force came with a lot of factual information. This is a very good entertaining book.

WHO do you believe and WHY? When a woman is kidnaped and thrown into a white van, the only witness to this horrific event is a little girl who has the reputation of telling tales. This story was unpredictable, a real page turner (one the was hard to put down)
Crime lovers will enjoy this book! I give these 3 1/2 to 4 stars.
Thank you for allowing me this arc!

This is a very interesting story. A little girl is the only witness to a woman being abducted. A doctor from the US is in town to promote his book. With his history of helping the police in America he offers to help with this case. Karen is not too sure bring in an outsider is a good idea. As the case investigation continues Karen finds her self working directly with Dr. Michael’s. Will they be able to find the missing women? I enjoyed the story and the unexpected twists and turns.
Thank you to netgalley for complimentary copy. Recommended read.

What She Said, by D.S. Butler, is a fast paced detective, suspense novel. The main character, Detective Karen Hart, is likeable and interesting. The story kept my interest and I had a hard time putting it down.
A woman is kidnapped, in broad daylight, right off of the sidewalk of a quiet neighborhood. Unfortunately, the main witness is a little girl with the habit of telling wild stories as if they're fact.
The police aren't taking her story very seriously but Detective Karen Hart is and she's learned to listen to her own instincts. After a queen of hearts card is discovered nearby, Karen believes that she's found a possible clue. Especially after another card is discovered at the home of a missing woman.

I’ve been with this series since the beginning. After the last one I was ready to give it up. But I don’t give u0p easily. I’m still not sure who “She” is in the title. Is it the little girl who witnesses the abduction in the beginning? Is it the victim? Is it the cop? I’m starting to really wonder about titles. Anyway, after the last book, I was more interested in this story. My mind kept scoming up with possibilities with each new character. I could imagine how this person could be involved and what their motive would be. That is part of the fun of reading a thriller. Trying to think of all of the possibilities.

Who would pull a woman into a van in broad daylight? Is it the husband? Is it the sister, whom we are told over and over looks just like the victim? Is it the cocky American profiler? His creepy and intense assistant? The mob-adjacent owner of a chicken slaughterhouse?

That all kept me reading. Even thought Kate has become a boring character. She should be interesting even if she is not in some Sort of weird romantice turmoil. This series still defines its female characters by their relationships with men. The women are constantly reacting to the men. I don’t get it from a female author. Similarly, I was hoping Sophie would grow. She still acts like she graduate the police academy yesterday. She is always following someone around and seriously second guessing every thing she does and says. When will she become more?

Other characters didn’t show any growth, either. Morgan has become just a bore. Rick became more interesting in the last few books but is largely ignored here. He has the potential to have depth. It is there somewhere but we are not given access to it. Disappointing.

The author continues to overexplain almost everything, but then I found huge jumps were made that were not explained. For example, how does something on a mantle tell one character who did it? Because you found out the victim knew someone you already knew that they knew? Why was the first abduction done where it was done if it was done for the reason it was done? It seems like it should have been more like the second if that was the point the whole time.

The good-the introduction of possible suspects and motives.
The questionable-some of the jumps and choices made by characters.
The bad-lack of growth in recurring characters.

Read it for the story. You don’t need to have read previous books.

A young girl, not-quite-5-year-old Molly McCarthy, is dawdling rather than getting ready for school. She's looking out the window at a white van. A young woman walks by; someone jumps out of the van, grabs the young woman, tosses her into the van; and then drives off. Molly's mother thinks she's making it all up, but eventually does call the police. They send around DS Karen Hart to talk to Molly. Hart believes Molly, in part because Molly reminds her of her own daughter, Tilly, still deeply mourned after her demise in an auto accident. And so, the search begins for the van and the missing woman.

Complicating the investigation is that a new chief inspector, DCI Churchill, has just been appointed to oversee the police station in which Karen works. Churchill is skeptical of the competence of women in general, and of DS Hart in particular. He has heard that DS Hart has a way of being a bit unorthodox at times, and also a bit prickly. Some of that may be true, but she does have a way of getting cases solved.

An additional complication is that Dr. Michaels, a famous criminologist from the U.S., is visiting on a book tour with his entourage of publicists, right-hand man, Zane Dwight, and photographer, Nicholas Phinny. Dr. Michaels wants to "help out". But, is he actually helping, or is he hanging out to generate more publicity for himself?

Eventually, they figure out that the missing woman is likely Tamara Lomax. When the police interview her husband, he seems unusually nervous. Was he, perhaps, involved in some way? Later on, they find that Tamara's sister, Rachael has also been abducted in a similar fashion. One intriguing feature of all this is that a playing card, the Queen of Hearts, is found at each abduction site, and so as not to be missed, stuffed through the Lomax's mail slot. Dr. Michaels detailed a serial crime of female abduction wherein an Ace of spades was the "calling card" feature of the crime. Is someone recreating one of Dr. Michaels' previous cases? If so, that would certainly be Good for publicity.

So, why are the sisters targeted? Why is Aidan so twitchy? What's up with the Queen of Hearts? Where is the van? It all comes out in the end in this book. This is essentially yet another British police procedural story. It's a rather popular form of fiction these days, and justifiably so. I've read some of DS Hart's adventures previously, and will likely do so in the future.

#WhatSheSaid #NetGalley