4.5 stars
Teenagers discover a body at the site of an archeological dig. The victim had been tortured as well, but she is NOT an ancient Roman. Now it's up to Karen Hart and her team of detectives to find this dangerous killer. This is an engaging series with likable main characters, and this book in particular is fast-paced and suspenseful. This is the tenth book in the Detective Karen Hart series. I've read all of the prior books, but I really think this one also works well as a standalone mystery/thriller. Karen works well with her team and has learned to balance her job with her family life, which hasn't always been easy for her. The killer is very creepy, and the mood is tense while the team tries to narrow down the suspects. The case has a satisfying resolution and the overall ending of the book is fantastic. I highly recommend this book and the series.

I received an advance copy of this ebook for review consideration from NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

Who killed Allison Poulson and put her in a medieval torture device ? That's what DS Karen Hart must solve and fast. I'd only read one of the earlier books so I likely missed nuances especially among Hart and her team. That said this is a nicely twisty and atmospheric procedural.

Detective Karen Hart book 10.

Just about to go to bed Karen receives a phone call to say a body has been discovered. Arriving on scene she is horrified by what she sees. Getting the team together they must work quickly to identify the victim. Meanwhile Sophie is back at work but is she really coping?

I love this series and this one had me hooked. I can't wait for the next one.

A medieval torture device. An archaeological dig. Can DS Karen Hart unearth the truth?

In the dead of night, four teenagers taking a shortcut through an archaeological dig site find a woman’s lifeless body in a muddy trench, her hands and neck locked in a medieval device known as a Shrew’s Fiddle. It doesn’t take long to see that these are no ancient remains: the woman was killed just hours earlier.

Called in to unearth the truth, DS Karen Hart learns that the victim, local woman Alison Poulson, was unpopular with the archaeologists and the TV crew filming the excavation. Digging further, she finds bitter colleagues, an angry farmer and an oddly unmoved husband. Then there’s the teenage girl who found the body, who seems to know more than she’s letting on…

After a second murder rocks the investigation, it seems the killer will stop at nothing to cover their tracks. Can Karen unravel the mystery before another life is lost?

In Plain Sight
D.S. Butler
January 21, 2025

The four teens who were riding the bus home were breaking rules that irritated the driver. It was close to midnight and although Christieś new friends collaborated in violating the directives posted on entrance to the vehicle, she tried to join. When the driver pulled over he told the students to get off the bus. Phones didn't respond, so the group started walking the long path through the field. Although the guys ran ahead in glee, the girls hoped they would make it home.
Thus begins the very unique suspense-filled tale of Detective Karen Hart´s latest tale in book #10 of D.S. Butlerś series. In Plain Sight will be published by Thomas & Mercer on January 21, 2025. I was honored to be selected to read the ARC of Butler´s latest novel via NetGalley. This latest Detective Karen Hart investigation of a tale into the pre-production of a British Historical Treasure TV series. Itś extremely well written in details that keep the reader on edge. Who did this - and how did it happen? I have become a true fan of D.S. Butlerś books working on reading the other 6 books in the series. This latest is one suspense-readers should not miss!

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘In Plain Sight’, book 10 in the Detective Karen Hart series written by D S Butler, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DS Karen Hart is called out to an archaeological dig site when four teenagers find a woman’s body in a muddy trench with her neck and arms locked in a medieval torture device known as a Shrew’s Fiddle. The body is that of Alison Paulson, an unpopular woman who’s been involved with a television crew filming the site, who it appears was killed just an hour before being found. When a second body is discovered, Karen realises she could have a serial killer on her hands.

‘In Plain Site’ is an excellent addition to this series that’s gone from strength to strength. I like the character descriptions of Karen and the hardworking team of Arnie, Sophie, Rick and Morgan, and even their CSO Tim Farthing who proves he has a kind heart although he rarely shows it. There’s a gripping plot with a number of suspects but not enough evidence, and with plenty of twists and turns together with some red herrings thrown in, things are about to become even more confusing and at times dangerous. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading this thriller set in Lincoln and its surrounding towns and it’s good to know how Karen’s relationship with Mike is progressing. As there are characters that have been mentioned and are sure to arise in the future, I’m very much looking forward to the next in the series.

Enjoying the Karen Hart series and this new one is on the same track to be equally as good. Enjoyed the backstories and characterisation. Plenty of twists, turns and suspense throughout. Would definitely read the next edition. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Number 10 in the series about Karen Hart and her team. This is an intricate plot involving an archeological dig and the making of a TV programme about the finds. Lots of possible suspects and motives keep the team guessing for a while. Mostly well paced, though the team were a little stuck around the middle of the book, the story is told from different points of view, including a young girl who was part of a group of friends who found the first body in a field.
I like this team, their way of working together and the description of the places and people. Not too graphic but you get a good picture of who these people are, where they are and what has happened . A great read and I look forward to the next in the series

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

Karen and her team are made familiar with television production when a body is discovered on a dig site that is being used for a television programme.

It quickly becomes apparent that there is no shortage of suspects as many people are not sorry to see the victim dead. Karen is dealing with the aftermath of her partner's parentage discovery, while the rest of the team find their way in the investigation. Arnie has to determine how to keep boundaries while investigating, an PTSD rears its head for one of the group. I like the way the books tie back to previous events and characters in other books,and it feels as if they are all building towards something

The idea of a possible treasure is enough to make someone murder and be willing to murder again, and the cut throat world of tv production is exposed. From the locals to the strangers there for the shoot, nobody is above suspicion.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my unbiased opinions.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for letting me read and review an advanced copy of ‘In Plain Sight’, by D. S. Butler.

A group of teens stumble across a woman’s body, the victim of a gruesome murder, with a medieval torture device around her neck. DS Karen Hart is called out to investigate. The team of police are baffled for several days, as the investigation does not seem to find any meaningful clues. Does the archaeological dig have any significance? Does the fact that it was part of a television show mean anything? Does the personality of the deceased provide a motive for the killer? There are too many suspects and not enough evidence.

As a British murder/mystery the story follows the normal pattern, but it has some new twists, due to the how gruesome the murder is.

Another great read in the DS Karen Hart series. I can normally figure out what's going on, but this one had me baffled! I thought i knew something, then BAM, I got it wrong
When a tv show is filming at an archaeological dig site, 4 teenagers cutting across the fields to get home come across a women's body, which has a very old, evil torture device on her neck. Who is it? Why did they do it?
Can the team find the killer before anymore blood is shed. Highly recommend

Book 10 in the DS Karen Hart series sees Karen and the team investigating murders at the site of an archeological dig. As always it is easy to slip back into the character's lives picking up where they left off at the end of book 9. Alternatively this book could just as easily be read as a stand alone novel. D. S. Butler has come up with a unique twist for her storyline in the book although I did guess the murderer before the reveal. All in all an enjoyable read as expected and one I'm happy to recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This is another strong and well written book in the Karen Hart series. The characterisation is well developed and the team dynamics are good. I really liked the complex plotline, with plenty of twists until the end and a few disturbing scenes which made me glad I don't live in medieval times! . I found it to be a steady paced read with a bit of a twist at the end. It can easily be read as a standalone, although I can recommend the series to lovers of crime fiction. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Another fab instalment of the Karen hart series but could absolutely be read as a standalone. A woman is found murdered at an archaeological dig site but the list of suspects does not really get off to a great start. Love this author, keep them coming!

In Plain Sight is the 10th book in this series. Four friends are kicked off a bus for rowdy behaviour when they come across a body.Karen and her team are called to investigate.
The team have to weave through the clues until they figure out what happened and who done it. An enjoyable read. Thank you for advanced copy.

In Plain Sight by DS Butler. I diid not enjoy the characters or the story very much. I knew who the killer was in the beginning. Thanks Net Galley for the chance to read it.

I enjoyed reading In Plain Sight. I gather this is book #10 of the Karen Hart series but I didn't need to read the first nine to have a good sense of DS Hart and her investigative crew. The murderer was easy to guess from early on but that was okay. The book had enough propulsion that I wanted to keep turning the pages. And, of course, I wanted to know if I was right. I was.
The beginning was interesting. It opened with four teenagers on a bus, three of them being complete jerks until they were thrown off the bus. When they stumbled on the murder victim, that was the biggest surprise of the book. It seemed as if the teens were going to be targeted. As it was, we never see three of them again. The fourth teen just happened to have a father who was in charge of the archiological dig where the murder victim was found. There is a TV production around the dig with outsized egos and a grumpy farmer who threatened the murder victim.
The book was fun and good escapist reading.

This is an enjoyable and fun who done it. Kids stumbling on a body in a trench at an archaeological dig site after taking a short cut home. It happens one of them is daughter of the professor leading the dig. the victim is an unpopular council worker and the additional adornments suggest much more too the story. As does her personal life and reputation. The case escalates and DS Karen Hart is pulled into a complicated and dangerous situation she rushes to get answers before there are more deaths. A captivating story, and plot with interesting characters.. Very enjoyable.

This was a pretty good book. It's my first by this author and I'm open to reading others in the series.

The characters were well written and I liked them, I wish there had been more interactions between them, especially the moody detective and the boyfriend.

I really liked the mystery and the method of killing. However, I didn't like the end explanation. Or that, what seemed like a blase red herring turned out to not be a red herring at all. All the build up devoted to a vicious sadistic killer and it turned out to be so mundane. Not that the killer wasn't a psychotic, but still.

In all, I'm glad I read it, and will read others in the series.

Late one night DS Karen Hart is called out to an archeological dig. Four teenagers seeking a quicker way home across the fields have stumbled upon a dead woman in one of the dig trenches. The victim's hands and neck are locked in a medieval torture device known as the Shrew's Fiddle. The victim, a local woman working with the council, has made herself unpopular with the dig staff, with the tv crew filming the dig, a local farmer, and with her own husband. There's no shortage of suspects.

This is number ten in the DS Karen Hart series. It's a good book, well written, fast paced, with interesting characters and can easily be read as a stand alone. I highly recommend reading the entire series. 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer Publishing, and author D.S. Butler for the eARC

Another fantastic book in the D.S. Karen Hart series. Gruesome murders for the team to solve, involving a medieval torture device. Kept me guessing until the very end, a real page turner. Can’t wait for the next amazing book.