A modern story of the little girl crying wolf - how do you believe a child with a repufor lying?

A woman's life hangs 8n the balance, there are no other witnesses - does a Detective gamble on believing the liar?

For fans 9f British mysteries and proper, rule driven detectives.

4 Who do you Believe Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
D. S. Butler presented in What She Said (Detective Karen Hart, #6) the standard question...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.

All dismiss her as unreliable except Detective Karen Hart.</b> She has a serious gut reaction that this little girl is telling the truth and starts to find clues that lead her in the right direction.

This tale starts off intriguing and takes off from there. I am new to D.S. Butler and will search out more.

I have read the first two books in the series but it has been a while so when I was invited to read this one, I immediately downloaded it . It can be read as a stand-alone as there are allusions into Karen’s back story which jogged my memory. I did enjoy reading the book and how it centred around one of the characters looking as the suspect and found the ending a bit of a surprise so I’m going to reread the first two books before getting the others.

Another case for Butler's favorite detective Karen Hart. A woman seems to be abducted, but then again, hard to say. Mixed in the middle of her case is a visit from an American true crime author on a book tour, who gets pressed into serving as an advisor., and a sister who is murdered. Hart isn't thrilled with his help, and the combination of personalities is what drives this, the latest in a series that I have enjoyed over the years from this author. You can read this book independent of the others, but you will appreciate some of the backstories that are referenced all that more.

How reliable can a 5 year old witness to a kidnapping be? DS Karen Hart is back, and tasked with finding a missing woman with only 5 year old Molly as the witness. Add into the mix an American Profiler, over in the UK for a book tour, who tries to inveigle himself into the investigation, and you know you’re in for a good read.

This is the sixth book in the series, very well written, nicely paced and with twists and turns galore, full of secrets and misdirection, with Karen’s cynicism evident when profiler, Dr Michaels, expounds on his theories. A good police procedural although I’m not sure that a DCI would spend so much time in the middle of interviews and searches himself. However, that slight niggle aside a really satisfying read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What She Said is the sixth book in the DS Karen Hart series. This book can be a stand alone, but they are so good you will enjoy starting with the first. DS Karen Hart and her team are tasked with speaking to a child who has told her mother that she saw a woman being taken by force and put into a van which drives away. Now, this child has been known to tell tales so she isn't believed at first. But Karen thinks the child might just have seen what she has reported. As the team begins to investigate little by little Karen finds that there was an abduction. There are plenty of twists and turns until the mystery is solved..

This is a wonderful series with strong characters and very likeable. It is interesting to read how they go about solving these crimes. This particular book didn't go into Karen's back story as some of the others do, but there are references that keep the past present for Karen as she tries to deal with the past.

A woman is abducted; the only witness is a young child known to fantasize. DS Karen Hart’s belief in the child’s story is validated when a woman is reported missing. A playing card found at the scene may or may not be a clue and soon a second abduction takes place.

This is the sixth in the Karen Hart series; it is the third I have read. I like this main character. She is likable, capable, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. The story is fast paced; I didn’t want to put it down and, in fact, read it in one day.

Fans of British police procedurals will enjoy this well written book, along with others in the series. Although there is mention of events from Karen’s background that are not fully explained, this will work well as a standalone. I look forward to the next issue in this series for another entertaining read.

Thanks to #Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the DRC.

Detective Karen Hart 6

When a woman is abducted from a quiet suburban street and bundled into the back of a white van, the only witness to the crime is a child with a reputation for telling tales. The police doubt the girls story, except for DS Karen Hart, who is determined to follow her instincts - perhaps because the little girl reminds her of the daughter she is grieving.

Detective Karen Hart needs to get as much information as she can from five year old Molly McCarthy, the only witness to a woman's abduction. They have no idea who the victim was. Then another woman is kidnapped.

The pace is steady from the beginning. With lots of twists and red herrings, I never knew where the story was taking me next. There's an interesting mix of characters and a gripping plotline. Tis well written book is easy to follow and can be read as a standalone.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AmazonPublishingUK and the author #DSButler for my ARC of #WhatSheSaid in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Danica and NetGalley for allowing me to read What She Said before the publication date.

DC Sophie Jones is an avid true crime fan. Dr. Michaels, an American author and expert in serial killers is giving a presentation. Sophie and DS Karen Hart attend the event. As Sophie joins the queue to have her book signed, Dr. Michaels’ assistant approaches Karen and offers to take them to meet Michaels who expresses and interest in British policing.

When 5 year old Molly tells her mother that she saw a woman being pulled into a white van outside their home, her mother thinks that this is another of Molly’s tall tales. A couple of hours later, although still doubtful, she calls the police. Karen listens to the Molly and, convinced that she is telling the truth, requests that the area is cordoned off and searched. A playing card is found.

Michaels and his team arrive to be given a tour of the police office until Karen gives them short shrift. Undeterred, Michaels approaches the senior officers and is given access, albeit without the camera man.

A local woman is reported missing and a playing card is found at her home, giving credence to Molly’s story. Michaels is quick to offer his expertise to the investigation.

Is this all too much of a coincidence?

Danica has woven secrets, lies and corruption into a story with more than a few twists, turns and red herrings. However I felt that the overall story is contrived and the portrayal of some of the characters required the reader to suspend belief.

A DS Karen Hart thriller, such an excellent read! The witness is a young child, so Karen acts on her intuition.
Loved the relationship between the police, crime investigators and visiting criminologist. I was hooked and enjoyed the many twists

Just in time for summer, D.S. Butler offers you an invitation to take advantage of a thrilling roller coaster ride through the pages of What She Said. An amazing mystery with an unbelievable surprise ending. Fantastic!

I haven't read any of Butler's others but loved this one! Karen is called in when a young child "witnesses" an abduction of a young woman. But Molly has been known to fabricate and her imagination is wild so even her parents aren't sure she is being truthful. Fortunately Karen is a smart detective and utilizes all of her resources and intuition to figure out what's going on when the victim's sister is also kidnapped. Great tension and twists I didn't see coming so I inhaled this one!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

What A Rollercoster Of A read, Brilliant from start to finish.it gets you hooked from the first page.
A four year old girl sees a woman being abducted into a white van by a man. Is it her imagination or not?
Detective Karen Hart needs to find this woman asap .into the mix is an american Author and Profiler
Then another woman goes missing .
Detective Karen Hart is also grieving over the loss of her own child.
highly recommended i Am not giving away any more spoilers As you need to read it

Book 6 in the Detective Karen Hart series begins with a young girl witnessing the abduction of a woman. This is an excellent series, always well written and full of suspense. I like the character of Karen and her relationship with her colleagues. The plot was interesting, there are lots of secrets, but the ending was not quite what I was expecting, too many loose ends not tied up. It's still a good read and crime lovers will enjoy it. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
This 6th in the DS Karen Hart series is another good one, I really like this series.
Karen goes to interview a little girl who says she saw a woman being pushed into a white van. Her mother says the little one often fantasizes and tells stories, but Karen believes the story and delves into the case, which proves to be true. Shortly thereafter another woman goes missing and a body is found in a farmer's field.
Karen is a thoroughly likeable character and her various team members are interesting, even though one of them can be comically annoying. The book can be read as a standalone, but I suggest reading the whole series...you won't be disappointed!
Definitely recommended!

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer, as well as to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of What She Said.

When the police doubt a child's story about having witnessed a woman being abducted, Detective Karen Hart is the only one who believes the young girl and is determined to follow her gut feeling. What She Said takes off from there and provides quite a wild ride!

I was drawn in from the beginning and found the plot to be fast-paced. It was entertaining and surprising with every twist and turn!! I very much liked how the team worked together, other than a bump or two.

I wasn't familiar with this series but now I want to read more, more, more! Even though What She Said is #6, I'm happy to say I didn't spend a lot of time completely lost. In my opinion, it can be read as a stand-alone. I definitely recommend What She Said to anyone who wants to be entertained!!

Another fantastic read in this series. It is a well written fast paced story but easy to follow. I was gripped from page 1 and read it well into the early hours .
I look forward to reading more

Although I haven't read the other books of the Detective Karen Hart series it was easy to get in to it. I liked the plot and characters, with an ending that is not your first thought. I did like it but somehow it didn't kept me hooked to read in one go.

When a woman is abducted from a quiet suburban street and bundled into the back of a white van, the only witness to the crime is a child with a reputation for telling tall tales. The police doubt the girl’s story, except for Detective Karen Hart, who is determined to follow her instincts perhaps because the shy little girl reminds her of the daughter she’s still grieving. When a playing card is found at the scene, Karen finds her first clue. And when a second card is found at the home of a missing woman, Tamara, Karen finds her victim. But before the team can catch their breath, another woman linked to Tamara is snatched. And then a body turns up in a farmer’s field.
This is the sixth outing for Karen & it could be easily read on its own but as I love series & how characters develop & grow, I would recommend reading the earlier books. Another well written fast paced book that drew me in from the start & held me gripped until the early hours when I turned the last page. There were twists & turns I didn’t see coming, there were secrets & I found it very hard to put down
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

3.5 stars

What She Said by D.S. Butler is the 6th in the Detective Karen Hunt series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, 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)
DS Karen Hart lost her husband Josh and her daughter Tilly in a car accident. She later discovered it wasn't an accident, but it was covered up by some corrupt police officials.  She works with DI Scott Morgan,  DC Sophie Jones, and DC Rick Cooper.  She has a new boss, DCI Churchill, and she isn't sure about him yet.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
A 4-year old is sure that she saw a woman kidnapped off her street by a man in a white van.  Everyone seems to doubt her, except Karen.  When she finds a playing card at the scene, no one is sure that it is even a clue.  That is, until, an identical card is found at the home of a missing woman.

Then, a second woman is kidnapped.

Meanwhile, a noted author from the US who often helps the FBI with their cases, steps in to help.  Sophie, who is a big fan of the man, is ecstatic.  Karen, not so much.

But the main thing is to find these women, and Karen will do whatever it takes to make that happen.  If only people weren't keeping so many secrets!


My Opinions:   
This was probably the best in the series.  It could be that it was more case-centered, instead of police-corruption centered.

The plot was good, even if it was a little predictable.  As usual, all the evidence pointed in one direction, so of course we knew that wasn't it.  As well, the actual perpetrator was easy to guess quite early.  As interesting as the plot was, for some reason I found it long.  I didn't particularly like any of the characters other than the police officials.  I still love Karen, Morgan and Rick.  I still find Sophie really annoying.

As always, everything was laid out nicely in the end.  Overall, it was good, but maybe a little too predictable.