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aimeedarsreads's review
2.0
DI Gina Harte and her team investigate the murder of Melissa Sanderson, who seemingly had an ideal marriage, a perfect house, and a darling two-year-old daughter. At the same time, Ellie Redfern has returned to Cleevesford to confront the demons of her past. As these two cases converge, and Harte is attacked by an ominous man in a forensics suit and red mask, the investigative team wonders what is behind the veil of perfection portrayed by Darrel Sanderson, Melissa's widow, and his friends.
This is the second book in the DI Gina Harte series, and the members of Harte's team are the same, but it is not necessary to read The Next Girl to understand the plot. Gina is a determined, scrappy detective who was abused in a past relationship. I was thankful that her daughter, Hannah, was less present in this book because I found her annoying and unsympathetic in the previous entry to the series. When Melissa's autopsy shows signs of past abuse, her history comes to the fore and provides even greater motivation for her to solve the case. Her co-workers, DCI Briggs, DS Wyre, DS Driscoll, and DS O'Connell receive little characterization.
The crimes themselves are creepy and somewhat intriguing, though what ties the cabal of friends surrounding the murder is not explained enough to fulfill my curiosity. I found the book an easy "clear the palate" read, but some aspects of the writing were not to my taste. For example, there are several sections with long lists of questions, and if you read my reviews, you know this is one of my biggest pet peeves. I also found that some of the writing was undeveloped with characteristics including not using contractions in dialogue when it would be appropriate, overlying on phrases like "how dare you!," or having characters engage in knee-jerk reactions to anger or frustration with violence or thoughts of violence.
If you are looking for a quick, non-taxing read, Her Final Hour might be for you. Otherwise, there are more sophisticated options in the genre.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second book in the DI Gina Harte series, and the members of Harte's team are the same, but it is not necessary to read The Next Girl to understand the plot. Gina is a determined, scrappy detective who was abused in a past relationship. I was thankful that her daughter, Hannah, was less present in this book because I found her annoying and unsympathetic in the previous entry to the series. When Melissa's autopsy shows signs of past abuse, her history comes to the fore and provides even greater motivation for her to solve the case. Her co-workers, DCI Briggs, DS Wyre, DS Driscoll, and DS O'Connell receive little characterization.
The crimes themselves are creepy and somewhat intriguing, though what ties the cabal of friends surrounding the murder is not explained enough to fulfill my curiosity. I found the book an easy "clear the palate" read, but some aspects of the writing were not to my taste. For example, there are several sections with long lists of questions, and if you read my reviews, you know this is one of my biggest pet peeves. I also found that some of the writing was undeveloped with characteristics including not using contractions in dialogue when it would be appropriate, overlying on phrases like "how dare you!," or having characters engage in knee-jerk reactions to anger or frustration with violence or thoughts of violence.
If you are looking for a quick, non-taxing read, Her Final Hour might be for you. Otherwise, there are more sophisticated options in the genre.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
nickikendall's review
5.0
Another great book from Carla Kovach, I have previously read The Next Girl (which also has the same detective in it) and this book did not disappoint. From the first page I literally couldn't stop turning the pages until I finished it. A fast paced thriller with builds suspense in a way that does not disappoint. I was constantly wondering what the husbands and "Stepford wives" were up to. I will be eagerly awaiting a third crime for DI Gina Harte to solve. Thanks to #Netgalley and #bookouture for the advanced copy. #herfinalhour #carlakovach #goodreads #litsy #nickikendall #tea_sipping_bookworm
alexsbooksandsocks's review
3.0
Dit heb je verdiend - Carla Kovac (Boekerij)
Na het lovend ontvangen Stil maar verschijnt nu de tweede thriller met rechercheur Gina Harte in de hoofdrol.
Het enige geluid was het echoën van zijn voetstappen in de gang. Pas toen zijn ogen aan het donker gewend waren, zag hij het bloedspoor. Zijn hart begon sneller te kloppen. Hij sloop naar de keukendeur, voorzichtig het spoor ont-wijkend. ‘Melissa?’ Hij drukte zijn oor tegen de deur.
Melissa Sanderson leek het perfecte leven te hebben: een heerlijk gezin en een prachtig huis in een rustige buitenwijk. Maar nu is ze dood, en haar gewurgde lichaam vertoont bewijs van eerdere verwondingen. De plaats delict doet detective Gina Harte terugdenken aan haar eigen inktzwarte verleden – en juist dat maakt haar vastbesloten de moordenaar te vinden. Is het Melissa’s echtgenoot, met zijn losse handjes? Haar door jaloezie verteerde minnaar? Of is er nog iemand in het spel – iemand die Melissa al tijden in de gaten hield en die zijn volgende slachtoffer al in het vizier heeft?
Matching covers, voor de ene lezer hoeft het niet, voor de andere een fijn dingetje. Ik persoonlijk vind het veel erg fijn als boeken van series bij elkaar matchen, staat leuk in de boekenkast en geeft je nog voor je een letter gelezen hebt toch een gevoel van herkenning.
Het tweede boek van auteur Carla Kovac na haar, voor mij, sterke thriller Stil maar. Enorm naar uitgekeken en heel benieuwd of het boek even sterk, misschien nog beter zou zijn dan het eerste. Of is het tweede boek net iets minder?
De manier waarop stil maar geschreven is vind ik ook nu weer terug. Een vlotte schrijfstijl, korte hoofdstukken maar helaas vond ik het deze keer iets minder smooth overkomen.
‘Melissa kroop onder het dekbed vandaan zodat ze haar hoofd in de frisse lucht van de slaapkamer kon steken. Met een wild kloppend hart hapte ze naar adem en probeerde ze de golf van misselijkheid terug te dringen.’
Op zich is het verhaal goed en zit het ook goed ik elkaar. Melissa word vermoord. Maar is ze vermoord door haar echtgenoot? Haar minnaar? En vooral waarom en die waarom maakte bij mij als lezer wel enkele reacties los. Zeker naar de ontknoping toe. Was het verhaal voorspelbaar en herkenbaar? Misschien een beetje maar heus, het stoorde zeker niet.
De moord maakt bij Gina Harte ook de nodige emoties los, zorgt ervoor dat flashbacks haar leven binnensluipen en ze bijt zich vast in de zaak. Tijdens haar zoektocht naar de dader blijft ook zij niet gespaard. Maar dat is aan jou om te ontdekken hoe en wat.
‘Gina liep naar de keuken waar ze een glas water in één teug leegdronk. Ze aaide over de kop van de poes, pakte haar autosleu- tels en haastte zich de voordeur uit. Met een rilling dacht ze aan wat ze tegemoet ging.’
Waar loopt het dan minder? Het is gewoon minder vlot dan het eerste boek. De dialogen met haar collega’s lezen niet zo prettig en lijken soms wat te ontbreken. Het lijkt of iedereen erg stroef met elkaar omgaat in plaats van als team. Bij bepaalde personages hun dynamiek snap ik die stroefheid, bij andere niet. Ook komen we bitter weinig te weten over de collega personages.
Conclusie? Beetje teleurgesteld misschien alhoewel ik moet zeggen dat het wel een goed boek is. Lees ik het volgende boek van deze auteur? Jazeker, zonder twijfel. Carla Kovac blijft op mijn thriller lijstje staan samen met Bryndza en Arlidge.
Na het lovend ontvangen Stil maar verschijnt nu de tweede thriller met rechercheur Gina Harte in de hoofdrol.
Het enige geluid was het echoën van zijn voetstappen in de gang. Pas toen zijn ogen aan het donker gewend waren, zag hij het bloedspoor. Zijn hart begon sneller te kloppen. Hij sloop naar de keukendeur, voorzichtig het spoor ont-wijkend. ‘Melissa?’ Hij drukte zijn oor tegen de deur.
Melissa Sanderson leek het perfecte leven te hebben: een heerlijk gezin en een prachtig huis in een rustige buitenwijk. Maar nu is ze dood, en haar gewurgde lichaam vertoont bewijs van eerdere verwondingen. De plaats delict doet detective Gina Harte terugdenken aan haar eigen inktzwarte verleden – en juist dat maakt haar vastbesloten de moordenaar te vinden. Is het Melissa’s echtgenoot, met zijn losse handjes? Haar door jaloezie verteerde minnaar? Of is er nog iemand in het spel – iemand die Melissa al tijden in de gaten hield en die zijn volgende slachtoffer al in het vizier heeft?
Matching covers, voor de ene lezer hoeft het niet, voor de andere een fijn dingetje. Ik persoonlijk vind het veel erg fijn als boeken van series bij elkaar matchen, staat leuk in de boekenkast en geeft je nog voor je een letter gelezen hebt toch een gevoel van herkenning.
Het tweede boek van auteur Carla Kovac na haar, voor mij, sterke thriller Stil maar. Enorm naar uitgekeken en heel benieuwd of het boek even sterk, misschien nog beter zou zijn dan het eerste. Of is het tweede boek net iets minder?
De manier waarop stil maar geschreven is vind ik ook nu weer terug. Een vlotte schrijfstijl, korte hoofdstukken maar helaas vond ik het deze keer iets minder smooth overkomen.
‘Melissa kroop onder het dekbed vandaan zodat ze haar hoofd in de frisse lucht van de slaapkamer kon steken. Met een wild kloppend hart hapte ze naar adem en probeerde ze de golf van misselijkheid terug te dringen.’
Op zich is het verhaal goed en zit het ook goed ik elkaar. Melissa word vermoord. Maar is ze vermoord door haar echtgenoot? Haar minnaar? En vooral waarom en die waarom maakte bij mij als lezer wel enkele reacties los. Zeker naar de ontknoping toe. Was het verhaal voorspelbaar en herkenbaar? Misschien een beetje maar heus, het stoorde zeker niet.
De moord maakt bij Gina Harte ook de nodige emoties los, zorgt ervoor dat flashbacks haar leven binnensluipen en ze bijt zich vast in de zaak. Tijdens haar zoektocht naar de dader blijft ook zij niet gespaard. Maar dat is aan jou om te ontdekken hoe en wat.
‘Gina liep naar de keuken waar ze een glas water in één teug leegdronk. Ze aaide over de kop van de poes, pakte haar autosleu- tels en haastte zich de voordeur uit. Met een rilling dacht ze aan wat ze tegemoet ging.’
Waar loopt het dan minder? Het is gewoon minder vlot dan het eerste boek. De dialogen met haar collega’s lezen niet zo prettig en lijken soms wat te ontbreken. Het lijkt of iedereen erg stroef met elkaar omgaat in plaats van als team. Bij bepaalde personages hun dynamiek snap ik die stroefheid, bij andere niet. Ook komen we bitter weinig te weten over de collega personages.
Conclusie? Beetje teleurgesteld misschien alhoewel ik moet zeggen dat het wel een goed boek is. Lees ik het volgende boek van deze auteur? Jazeker, zonder twijfel. Carla Kovac blijft op mijn thriller lijstje staan samen met Bryndza en Arlidge.
emmasbibliotreasures's review
4.0
Book Review - ‘Her Final Hour:Detective Gina Harte Book 2’ by Carla Kovack 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Carla Kovach for the chance to read an ARC of this novel.
‘Her Final Hour’ is a fantastic psychological thriller. It starts out strong, with the historic rape of a teenage girl at a bar and then the gruesome murder of Melissa Sanderson, and continues building the tension with each page as DI Harte and her team race to find her killer.
This book had a multilayered plot that was filled with mystery, misogyny and murder. The violence could be a stomach churning read at times but it put you not only in the mind of the killer but of DI Harte too, as it served to strengthen her resolve to get justice. There were many of twists and turns, and an array of mysterious, strange and sinister suspects. Like the police you find it hard to determine just who is involved in what way right until the moment all is revealed.
I hadn’t read a book by this author before. I have her first novel on my Amazon Wish List so I was thrilled to be given the chance to read this one. I don’t usually like reading a series out of order, in fact this might be the first time I’ve ever done so, but I didn't feel like it negatively impacted the story. There were things alluded to that were clearly in the previous novel but enough information was given that it to make sense. In fact, it all just made me want to read Book 1 to find out about that case and after reading this amazing book I intend to do just that.
A brilliant, well written and fast paced book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys crime, thriller and mystery novels.
Available 23rd August.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Carla Kovach for the chance to read an ARC of this novel.
‘Her Final Hour’ is a fantastic psychological thriller. It starts out strong, with the historic rape of a teenage girl at a bar and then the gruesome murder of Melissa Sanderson, and continues building the tension with each page as DI Harte and her team race to find her killer.
This book had a multilayered plot that was filled with mystery, misogyny and murder. The violence could be a stomach churning read at times but it put you not only in the mind of the killer but of DI Harte too, as it served to strengthen her resolve to get justice. There were many of twists and turns, and an array of mysterious, strange and sinister suspects. Like the police you find it hard to determine just who is involved in what way right until the moment all is revealed.
I hadn’t read a book by this author before. I have her first novel on my Amazon Wish List so I was thrilled to be given the chance to read this one. I don’t usually like reading a series out of order, in fact this might be the first time I’ve ever done so, but I didn't feel like it negatively impacted the story. There were things alluded to that were clearly in the previous novel but enough information was given that it to make sense. In fact, it all just made me want to read Book 1 to find out about that case and after reading this amazing book I intend to do just that.
A brilliant, well written and fast paced book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys crime, thriller and mystery novels.
Available 23rd August.
calistaandrechek's review
4.0
Thank you NetGalley, Carla Kovach and BookOuture for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review!
In 1993 a girl was drugged and raped, today she’s looking for justice. Melissa Sanderson lives in her dream home with her husband and young daughter, their lives look perfect. But looks can be deceptive. Something is wrong in the house, some neighbors say she drinks too much and her husband thinks she is having an affair. Then one night, sirens wake up the neighborhood and Melissa is dead. Detective Gina comes back from vacation and is dropped right into the investigation and finds herself being affected by the investigation because of her past. Not everyone is living the happily ever after that they lead you to believe.
I loved that this novel starts off right away with the crime happening and you get to see how everyone reacts to it. I right away didn’t like the husband because of what we learn from Melissa before she dies. I was super curious to who committed the crime right away because the husband was at the bar with his friends. I found it very interesting how these men interacted and how they interacted with their wives. Although, as a bit of a feminist myself, seeing women serve their husbands and friends like it was the sixties really angered me. But I can see how it lent to the story and the big twist in the end.
I really enjoyed the main character Gina, her history and how it made her connect to this case. I felt really sorry for her because of her past, but also because of the way she is stalked and treated in this novel. I really loved the storyline and who was committing these crimes. I loved that there was less technical parts of the way they solve a crime, there was just enough to see how they were going to go about solving the crime without getting bored. I loved the ending and how it all came together and how they were caught. I would definitely recommend this novel, I did not read the first one, but you don’t need to to be able to understand what is going on.
Pick it up August 23!
In 1993 a girl was drugged and raped, today she’s looking for justice. Melissa Sanderson lives in her dream home with her husband and young daughter, their lives look perfect. But looks can be deceptive. Something is wrong in the house, some neighbors say she drinks too much and her husband thinks she is having an affair. Then one night, sirens wake up the neighborhood and Melissa is dead. Detective Gina comes back from vacation and is dropped right into the investigation and finds herself being affected by the investigation because of her past. Not everyone is living the happily ever after that they lead you to believe.
I loved that this novel starts off right away with the crime happening and you get to see how everyone reacts to it. I right away didn’t like the husband because of what we learn from Melissa before she dies. I was super curious to who committed the crime right away because the husband was at the bar with his friends. I found it very interesting how these men interacted and how they interacted with their wives. Although, as a bit of a feminist myself, seeing women serve their husbands and friends like it was the sixties really angered me. But I can see how it lent to the story and the big twist in the end.
I really enjoyed the main character Gina, her history and how it made her connect to this case. I felt really sorry for her because of her past, but also because of the way she is stalked and treated in this novel. I really loved the storyline and who was committing these crimes. I loved that there was less technical parts of the way they solve a crime, there was just enough to see how they were going to go about solving the crime without getting bored. I loved the ending and how it all came together and how they were caught. I would definitely recommend this novel, I did not read the first one, but you don’t need to to be able to understand what is going on.
Pick it up August 23!
emjayae149's review
2.0
I was somewhat on the fence after having finished the first DI Gin Harte book, and after reading HER FINAL HOUR I think this character and I will be parting ways.
I found the overall plot to be interesting and while there were some good suspenseful moments, I found the general execution a tad clumsy. There’s the old telling versus showing issue. There are links that Gina makes in her investigation that I felt were improbable. Then there’s the ongoing issue of Gina and her team. The various relationships scream awkward on the page and I doubt this was the author’s intention.
Sure, it’s an easy read, and it only took me a few hours to read the book but it pales in comparison to other recent reads.
I found the overall plot to be interesting and while there were some good suspenseful moments, I found the general execution a tad clumsy. There’s the old telling versus showing issue. There are links that Gina makes in her investigation that I felt were improbable. Then there’s the ongoing issue of Gina and her team. The various relationships scream awkward on the page and I doubt this was the author’s intention.
Sure, it’s an easy read, and it only took me a few hours to read the book but it pales in comparison to other recent reads.
nietzschesghost's review
4.0
'Her Final Hour' is the second book to feature DI Gina Harte, set in the fictional town of Cleevesford. England. Having enjoyed the first book of the series and Gina's inimitable personality, this one was just as compelling.
Melissa Sanderson appears to have the perfect life. So, when she is murdered in her small hometown noone has any idea who would target the young mother. When the team are called in to investigate the killing. they begin to discover things about her that indicate that her whole life was a facade, and that what her life was truly like and how her life was described like by others are in deep conflict. She has been hiding a lot of shady secrets from everyone for a long time. This is the first case Gina Harte has taken control of since becoming Senior Investigative Officer, so the desire to do it well is clear to see. Her tenacity and willingness to throw herself into a case and not leave alone when she has a gut-feeling is admirable and fun to read.
'Her Final Hour' was cleverly plotted, with a great storyline and the wonderful Gina Harte. Gina really makes this series what it is and is a wonderful creation. It is mainly told from her point-of-view, but there is other POV's in the mix too. I found myself rapidly page-turning to find out exactly what happened, and the twists properly caught me out! The explosive twist at the end of the book was something I greatly appreciated as I love to be shocked! There is a gradual build-up of tension through the story, and the more information and layers are revealed the more suspenseful it became. This leads me to conclude that the author is an expert in her craft!
Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Melissa Sanderson appears to have the perfect life. So, when she is murdered in her small hometown noone has any idea who would target the young mother. When the team are called in to investigate the killing. they begin to discover things about her that indicate that her whole life was a facade, and that what her life was truly like and how her life was described like by others are in deep conflict. She has been hiding a lot of shady secrets from everyone for a long time. This is the first case Gina Harte has taken control of since becoming Senior Investigative Officer, so the desire to do it well is clear to see. Her tenacity and willingness to throw herself into a case and not leave alone when she has a gut-feeling is admirable and fun to read.
'Her Final Hour' was cleverly plotted, with a great storyline and the wonderful Gina Harte. Gina really makes this series what it is and is a wonderful creation. It is mainly told from her point-of-view, but there is other POV's in the mix too. I found myself rapidly page-turning to find out exactly what happened, and the twists properly caught me out! The explosive twist at the end of the book was something I greatly appreciated as I love to be shocked! There is a gradual build-up of tension through the story, and the more information and layers are revealed the more suspenseful it became. This leads me to conclude that the author is an expert in her craft!
Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
ayundabs's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Detective Gina Harte returns in her second book after a vacation to find that a brutal murder of a woman occurred. The woman was killed with a laundry line and strangled to death while her infant daughter was crying in the other room, and her husband was drinking with his friends at a bar. From then the detective and her team has to figure out whether the abusive shady husband is the killer despite the alibi, while the killer might be killing other victims.
This novel is a combination of detective, police procedural mystery and domestic thrillers that has been booming lately. As a person who likes both, I personally preferred the detective side of the story in this particular one. I really liked Gina as the main character. This middle aged woman is not just a smart and hard working detective - she is caring, and despite the fact that she has quite a lot of personal issues in her past she was professional as hell, and I really admired her spirit throughout the entire novel.
The crime itself was also interesting, mainly because we read from the perspective of not just the detective but also the perpetrators. At first because we read a lot of different perspectives we might be a little unsure of who exactly did what, but after a while we'd get the gist of the crime. So it wasn't really about a whodunnit story, since the readers already know who did it. Instead we root for the protagonists, for the detectives and for the victims to serve justice to the people who did it. And it's a unique take that was fun to read. However it did therefore lack the element of surprise. Yet the plot was unpredictable, with not just one murder mystery to solve but separate side plots slightly related to the main murder. I personally thought these side problems weren't very interesting and the story would've been more interesting and fast-paced without it, especially the plot regarding Ellie.
Overall, with great characters and an interesting crime, overall this book was a fun, enjoyable read. The crime itself honestly wasn't groundbreaking and neither are the killers. There weren't any huge major plot twists and nothing really blew me away. Added to that were the various mistakes found in the writing itself. Granted, this is an ARC and it's understandable that punctuation marks would be missing or there would be spelling errors. However some of them (like the lack of an exclamation mark when a person is shouting, for one example) slightly disturbed the flow of the story. Additionally the writing style wasn't anything spectacular either, as we can find in a lot of thrillers they are straight to the point and lacked any beautiful prose.
In conclusion, this novel was an enjoyable little mystery book. It has a great protagonist and it's definitely a page-turner. However it didn't serve to wow me or blow away my mind with its premise, plot, nor its execution of the story. As a person who haven't read the first book of the series I was still able to keep up with the story. So I would recommend this for someone in need of a detective, domestic, mystery thriller.
Detective Gina Harte returns in her second book after a vacation to find that a brutal murder of a woman occurred. The woman was killed with a laundry line and strangled to death while her infant daughter was crying in the other room, and her husband was drinking with his friends at a bar. From then the detective and her team has to figure out whether the abusive shady husband is the killer despite the alibi, while the killer might be killing other victims.
This novel is a combination of detective, police procedural mystery and domestic thrillers that has been booming lately. As a person who likes both, I personally preferred the detective side of the story in this particular one. I really liked Gina as the main character. This middle aged woman is not just a smart and hard working detective - she is caring, and despite the fact that she has quite a lot of personal issues in her past she was professional as hell, and I really admired her spirit throughout the entire novel.
The crime itself was also interesting, mainly because we read from the perspective of not just the detective but also the perpetrators. At first because we read a lot of different perspectives we might be a little unsure of who exactly did what, but after a while we'd get the gist of the crime. So it wasn't really about a whodunnit story, since the readers already know who did it. Instead we root for the protagonists, for the detectives and for the victims to serve justice to the people who did it. And it's a unique take that was fun to read. However it did therefore lack the element of surprise. Yet the plot was unpredictable, with not just one murder mystery to solve but separate side plots slightly related to the main murder. I personally thought these side problems weren't very interesting and the story would've been more interesting and fast-paced without it, especially the plot regarding Ellie.
Overall, with great characters and an interesting crime, overall this book was a fun, enjoyable read. The crime itself honestly wasn't groundbreaking and neither are the killers. There weren't any huge major plot twists and nothing really blew me away. Added to that were the various mistakes found in the writing itself. Granted, this is an ARC and it's understandable that punctuation marks would be missing or there would be spelling errors. However some of them (like the lack of an exclamation mark when a person is shouting, for one example) slightly disturbed the flow of the story. Additionally the writing style wasn't anything spectacular either, as we can find in a lot of thrillers they are straight to the point and lacked any beautiful prose.
In conclusion, this novel was an enjoyable little mystery book. It has a great protagonist and it's definitely a page-turner. However it didn't serve to wow me or blow away my mind with its premise, plot, nor its execution of the story. As a person who haven't read the first book of the series I was still able to keep up with the story. So I would recommend this for someone in need of a detective, domestic, mystery thriller.
kaz_loves_books's review
5.0
Oh wow, what a find! This was such a gripping book, full of suspense and twists, it made great reading and I didn't want to put it down! I was hooked. Will most definitely be reading mote from this author. I liked her style of writing and the characters gelled well together as well. Very well thought out.
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