Publised September 21st, 2026 by Bookouture
Thriller, Mystery, Crime Fiction, Suspense, Police Procedural, Crime Series, Noir Fiction, Romance Novel
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
The house where she lives alone lies dark and empty, her bed still perfectly made. Her car waits in the carpark, her phone unanswered. Mindy Carson has vanished into thin air…
When Ursula leaves work for the evening, she’s shocked to see her friend’s car still parked nearby. Happy-go-lucky dog groomer Mindy left for home ages ago. Something is desperately wrong. On the window is an unmistakable smear of blood.
As police visit Mindy’s home on the outskirts of town, everything looks in order, until they notice the small red light in the corner of her bedroom. Then another, and another. There are cameras watching her every move…
Unpacking Mindy’s life piece by piece, police start to wonder whether Ursula knows more than she’s letting on. Had she found out about her husband’s secret messages to Mindy? Who was the person behind the cameras, watching Mindy’s most private moments? And was the local teenager making Mindy’s life hell really the last person to see her?
When the body of a young woman is found in a local park, police fear they are too late to save Mindy. And when another person is reported missing, it’s clear she isn’t the only one being watched. Does the killer have another victim in their sights? And can they catch them before another life disappears forever?
Prepare to be absolutely hooked by the latest nail-biting thriller from bestselling author Carla Kovach. Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Angela Marsons and Karin Slaughter.
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MY REVIEW:
Mindy left work hours ago, so Ursula is surprised to find her car still parked nearby. And when she sees the smear of blood on the window, she knows something bad has happened to her friend. Detective Gina Harte and her team are called in to investigate. At Mindy’s house they notice cameras hidden in her fire alarms. Someone has been secretly watching Mindy. Does Ursula know more than she’s admitting? As they race to find Mindy, a woman’s body is found in the park. Are they too late? And when another person is reported missing, they are worried that the killer has their sights set on another victim. Can they catch them before they kill again?
Carla Kovach’s Gina Harte series has been one of my favourite police procedurals for years. She always delivers a first-class thriller filled with great characters, menacing crimes, important topics and recurring characters I love returning to time and again. And this latest installment is her best yet. Nail-biting, twisty and addictive, Carla had me in a chokehold from start to finish. And this time she’s exploring the damaging effect of revenge porn and the dangerous allure of the dark web. On the lighter side of things, I really enjoyed seeing Gina happy again in her new relationship. But that ending! Carla, how could you. You totally broke my heart and I don’t think I’ll get over what happened.
One of Carla’s skills is writing fantastic characters who are flawed and real. She has created some brilliant characters in this story, including Mindy, Ursula, Brian and Tabitha. I was rooting for Mindy to be found before it was too late, but as time ticked by I worried they wouldn’t find her in time. Teenage siblings Brian and Tabitha brought out my maternal side and I just wanted to reach into the book to protect them from themselves. But the most memorable character from this book has to be the man in the Morph mask. This man was utterly terrifying but I loved reading the chapters from his perspective. As I read his sinister thoughts and plans I was holding my breath wondering if Gina and her team could find him before he was able to complete his terrible scheme.
Highly recommended.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part in the blog tour and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carla has been writing seriously since her mid-thirties. She started by writing stage plays which led to her producing and directing her own full length piece of theatre. After that, she decided to write films and books where she began by self-publishing. In the past, she has acted in a few indie films and has also co-owned a photography and video production company.
Right now, she is a full time crime and thriller author living in Worcester with her husband, Nigel and Poppy the cat.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx
Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.
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