I was accepted to read this book before official publication through NetGalley and below is my honest review.

This was a gripping thriller that had me hooked from the start!

The whole book is full of twists and turns and had me questioning every single character. The story is told through multiple POVs with fantastic pacing which creates such an engaging story.

There are some heavy, emotional parts so I would suggest reading into any trigger warnings before diving in.

This is book 17 of the Detective Gina Harte series but it read well as a standalone.

I hugely recommend this book to anyone is a fan of psychological thrillers and crime fiction.

A 5 star book!

Then She Vanished by Carla Kovach is the 17th book in the Detective Gina Harte series. While this book can be read as a standalone novel it might help to start at the beginning so you get the full background information of all the characters.

Thirty years ago when Ruth's daughter Elissa vanished police investigated every lead, even Ruth's husband. But Elissa was never seen again. Now when Ruth sees that another young girl goes missing from the same place Elissa was last seen, she knows that this case is related to her daughters. That's because Ruth's red scarf was found at the crime scene. After Ruth contacts the police they race over the talk to her, but she has vanished as well. How is Ruth's disappearance connected to Elissa's? Will she ever be seen again?

This novel has many different characters and side plots going on which is understandable because it is the 17th book in the series. I do think I would have enjoyed this one more if I had read the other books but I still found it complex and gripping. I definitely could not figure out the twists and I was kept guessing right up until the end. I am definitely interested in reading more from Carla Kovach.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carla Kovach, and Bookouture for this ARC. Expected publication date is March 17th 2025.

Here we are at book 17 of Carla Kovach's Gina Harte Series
and this book might be the best one yet!

We once again are are swept up in the private life drama of Detective Gina Harte. Her past still haunts her, but recently someone is threatening to expose her secrets to her friends and coworkers. She is sure this will be the downfall of her career. Her head needs to be in this very complicated and urgent case, but this life matter can't seem to wait and keeps her preoccupied and distracted.

This storyline has so many characters and elements to it, it is a bit hard to keep sorted but believe me- it's worth it in the end! Told from multiple points of view makes this even more complex and gripping. Kovach has a way with words and this story flows nicely and easily. I read the majority of it in just 24 hours.

When you think you might have it all figured out you realize you aren't even close to the end of the book. Then the author throws a twist you didn't even see coming. It's truly a one-of-a-kind storyline. It kept me guessing to the end and surprised me even after I thought it was all wrapped up.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest review. This was a 5+ star read!

"Then She Vanished is set to be released March 17, 2025 here in the U.S. so reorder you copy today!

Happy Reading!

A chilling read!
I,shivered as I read because the conditions made my skin crawl and I felt the walls closing in.
Kovach does a good job of disguising the culprits until she wants the readers to know who they are.
Gina is battling a personal problem which leads to her being double crossed.
I was disappointed in Briggs because I thought he was a better man than that but he really shows his rear to Gina.

Then She Vanished by Carla Kovach is the 17th in the Detective Gina Harte series.

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 – Contains spoilers from previous books)
DI Gina Harte works homicides. Her team consists of: DS Jacob Driscoll, DC Harry O’Connor and DC Paula Wyre, with a lot of assistance from PC Smith and PC Kapoor. Gina is a stubborn lady, and a determined detective. She has had a rough life, which has led to an uneasy relationship with her daughter Hannah and grand-daughter Gracie.  It has also led to a lack of real friends.  She is in an on-again/off-again relationship with her boss, DCI Chris Briggs, but they keep it quiet. It is also not common knowledge that Gina's husband was abusive, and only Briggs knows that she did nothing to save him when he fell to his death many years ago.  Her brother-in-law, however, is suspicious. 



My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
The body of a man is found, an apparent suicide.  But the note that he left behind has the team anxious.  Part of it read "save her".  Who?  Where is she?    Children's library books in the vehicle lead them to the library, where they discover that the victim is a bit of a creep, and he's been using the ID of a dead man.

Meanwhile, Ruth Pritchard's divorce just came through, and she is dating a wonderful man named Eric.  Unfortunately, her ex, Gary, bought the house directly across the street from Ruth, and he's always in her face.  They had a long marriage, and Gary hasn't moved on.  Thirty years ago, their 16-year old daughter Elissa went missing, and was never found.  After that, the marriage suffered.

When Ruth sees a crime photo of a red scarf, she knows it right away.  It was hers, and Elissa had been wearing it.  She notifies the police right away, but when they arrive at her home, Ruth has vanished.

Meanwhile, it appears that Stephen has reared his ugly head again, and is posting photos of Gina in compromising positions on the dark web.  So far, none have gone public, but Gina fears it's only a matter of time.



My Opinions:
This is the second book in a row where Gina has somewhat annoyed me.  Last time she ignored a health scare because she is the only one who can solve a case.  This time, she refused to let her boss/boyfriend in on something that could have a major impact on both of their lives.  Again, she can solve everything herself.  Her ego knows no bounds.

The plot, however, was really good.  It was also really twisted, and had a lot of characters to keep straight. You really had to pay attention.  I liked how the story was told through different people - Gina, as well as victims. 

Overall, this was a very complex mystery, and even though Gina disappointed me,  I enjoyed the book, and am looking forward to the next one!

This is a gripping crime thriller with some great twists and turns.
It’s quite a complex story with several characters all linked in ways you wouldn’t expect.
Ruth is trying to move on with her life after her teenage daughter disappeared, but she’s finding it hard. She’s always hoped to find Elissa one day, so when she gets a message to meet someone who knows about her, she follows the directions.
Unfortunately this doesn’t end how she hoped and Gina and Jacob have to try and find Ruth before it’s too late.
This is a great crime thriller that I’d highly recommend.
Thanks to Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book.

Boy have I loved this instalment of the Gina Harte series!
I felt hooked instantly and did not want to put this book down!
As always, it felt like “coming home” as soon as the team came into play in this book, and not only do I love the new stories that Carla Kovach comes up with, I also love catching up with what’s going on within the lives of this fabulous team!

Here we are on book 17 in the DI Gina Harte series, and what a cracking read it is! This instalment is very dark and complex tale concerning missing children and a network of depraved men – detailing the level some men will go to in order to possess and dominate women. As always, the book is very well written, it is chilling in some places and utterly heartbreaking in others. I was moved by the way the author approached this subject, and for me, the tone is perfect, she is championing the women affected. In my opinion, this is the best of the series (so far!), however, I do hope that the side story of Gina’s past is coming to an end – I can see why it was included in this book, but I would like to see this aspect laid to rest soon. That aside, this is an absolutely brilliant read – very highly recommended.

A complex cold case of a missing girl is coming back to the surface. This fast moving police procedural is chock full of intrigue, suspense and evil lurking just beneath the surface.

Detective Gina Harte is battling her own demons, but this will not keep her from seeking justice for those who need it. I can't help but feel so very sorry for her and all she has gone through and is still going through.

The crazy train has left the station, and you are on board. You will not be able to put this fast paced mystery down once you start reading it. The shocks just kept coming. This wickedly wonderful thriller will leave you gasping for air and wondering where the time went while you fell into this book headfirst.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love all her books and it’s great to see how Gina’s getting on, the case she is trying to solve this time is very complicated and you really have to study what you’re reading but well worth it Elissa goes missing never to be seen again then as the story progresses there are more girls that are missing. There are a lot of devious people and you can’t trust anyone. It was hard to put down as very exciting.

Brilliant story can’t wait for her 18th book

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Then She Vanished’, book 17 in the Detective Gina Harte series written by Carla Kovach, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DI Gina Harte and DS Jacob Driscoll are called out when the body of a man is found in a car parked alongside farmland, but when they start looking into his identity they don’t realise that it’s going to lead them to resolving abductions and missing persons.

‘Then She Vanished’ is an exciting action-packed police thriller that’s full of intrigue, suspense and twists as Gina and her hardworking team struggle to identify the man in the car and fathom out who’s trying to abduct women and why. While this is going on, Gina is struggling to keep ahead of her late husband’s brother Stephen who intends to destroy her reputation. My only quibble with the book in general is that I found it difficult to keep track of all the characters and their relationships with each other but apart from that, this is a cleverly thought-out thriller that’s kept me involved from start to finish. The conclusion leaves me wanting to know how Gina is going to mend her relationship with DCI Chris Briggs so I’ll be looking forward to reading book 18.

Such a roller coaster I could not out this down and would not figurour out who was to blame!!! I was completely invested from early on and loved the characters and how well Brough to life they were. It's well plotted out and kept me guessing. The characters show development and humanity and along with some really well written twists, this gave me everything I'd want from a thriller

Then She Vanished is the seventeenth book in the Detective Gina Harte series. This is a fast-paced story and is also a stand-alone read.

Ruth Pritchards daughter has been missing for many years, but she has never given up hope that she would find her. Her divorce from her estranged husband has come through which seems to upset him more than usual. She is in a relationship with another man which also adds more stress than she needs. ruth gets a call about her daughter and agrees to meet the person and ends up missing. This sets off the investigation in a new direction for the many missing young girls.

Gina is struggling to deal with her former partners brother as he threatens her future. But she will have to put that aside for now as she tries to find Ruth and what may have happened to the other missing girls.

The story is told from the past and the present although it is not obvious at first. There are many characters in this very twisted tale. The author writes the book in such a way it is not obvious who is to blame. I went back and forth about who was responsible and surprised at the reveal. I am always rewarded for sticking with the story with a surprise ending. I recommend this book, but I think the series is that good you should begin at the beginning.

Another excellent addition to this, a favourite series of mine. I love the Gina Harte stories especially the long-running subplot which as usual runs through haunting Gina. The main plot, while riveting, had a few too many characters for my liking and I found myself getting a bit confused, which took away from my enjoyment a bit. That said I'm already looking forward to catching up with Gina et al in the next instalment.

Detective Gina Harte and her team are investigating the case of a missing young girl, when they learn that their case connects to one from 30 years ago. A woman watching the news sees a scarf from the current crime scene sees a scarf that she recognizes and calls the police. When they arrive at the woman's home, she is now missing with no clues about what happened to her. The hunt is on to find the missing persons before they meet the same end of the other abductees. Will Gina and her team solve the case in time? The clues they uncover are disturbing and make their work even more pressing. It's an exciting read with twists and turns.

This story was a roller-coaster of a ride that kept going and going and going. Literally, one thing after another was happening so fast, it was hard to keep up with everything.
Detective Gina Harte has her hands full as she attempts to unravel a very complex case that has everyone running around in circles. It seems the start of the case really occurred 30 years ago. Can she figure out what is going on? On top of this case, Gina has so much going on in her personal life. I really wish this personal aspect gets resolved soon.
Perfect series for fans of a good detective series. Carla Kovach’s writing is solid and engaging….she keeps you on the edge of your seat!
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Number seventeen does not disappoint in the DI Gina Harte series! Fast paced with lots of twists and turns, this series just keeps getting better and better. Very well done Ms. Kovach!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Suspenseful and multiple tragedies combined😰

4-4.5🌟 stars
This is a good series and, although not my favorite of the bunch, Then She Vanished is a quality police thriller.

This story hit me like an onion being peeled, constantly revealing new layers of deceit and despair. All following a young farmer's discovery of an apparent suicide on the edge of his property. With a number of different families weaving and knitting together after a string of young women disappear over the years and an ominous white van still roving on the prowl for new victims. From early on, it's clear that girls and young women have been targeted for grooming, even at the local library (!) and it's not just a recent threat.

I was glad that the story is told from multiple POVs, including that of several of the victims. The whole ballooning case is complex and even when the pieces are put together at the end, a bit more tangled than suited me. I found all the relationships quite confusing and two of the women had such similar names. Sometimes I could not tell which victim was narrating.

As to Gina Harte's personal woes, she's still gott'em springing from her husband's death and her former brother-in-law's vendetta against her. It keeps Gina nervy, but rather than detracting from her investigation, it actually leads to some help on the case from an unexpected source.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 3/6/25 on Goodreads and Bookbub and submitted to Barnes & Noble. To be shared with kobo and Google Play upon publication.

OOOHHH i say that was one hell of a read . BRILLIANT.
Gina is in over her head, when women keep disappearing, it falls to Gina and the team to solve the case. Can they? Whwre are the women? Are tgey alive? Someone knows Ginas secret and tha Briggs covered it up, but how will it end? Highly recommend this series. These books get better and better and long may they continue

How can I describe this rollercoaster that Ms Kovach sent us to with this book? My goodness, if you have to read one book this year, read this one. A brilliant, complex, dark book about the levels of darkness some men go to in our society towards women. It was heartbreaking and so well written. Bravo Ms Kovach, this is the best of the series in my humble opinion, and you do justice to an awful lot of women with the way you approached this. Thank you