Leave No Trace
Three boys were taken and murdered fifteen years ago. The killer is in jail. So why is history repeating itself?
A family outing to Tattershall Castle comes to a chilling end when eleven-year-old Tommy Burton disappears without a trace in broad daylight. All that remains in his place is a small blue teddy bear. DS Karen Hart and her team are called in to investigate the unusual circumstances—but for DI Morgan the crime scene is eerily familiar.
It’s been fifteen years since Morgan worked on a traumatic case that saw Graham Donaldson put behind bars for abducting and murdering three young boys. His calling card: a blue teddy bear left at the scene of each crime, a detail never revealed to the press or public. Could Donaldson, recently transferred to a local prison, have something to do with the missing boy? Has he somehow inspired a copycat? Or, worse, is the original killer still out there—and embarking on a second campaign of terror?
With Tommy still missing, and a growing list of suspects, Karen’s team must piece the puzzle together before the unthinkable happens. But as a dizzying chase for the truth unfolds, could it be that the evil they seek is hiding in plain sight?
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D. S. Butler
D. S. Butler doesn’t just write crime fiction—she deconstructs it with the precision of a scientist and the curiosity of someone who knows that the most dangerous secrets often hide in plain sight.
Before her novels ever found a home on bestseller lists, Butler (whose real name is Danica Britton) was elbow-deep in lab research. With a PhD in biochemistry and a career that once wove through hospital pathology labs and the University of Oxford, she was trained to ask questions, examine evidence, and look closer. Those same instincts now pulse through her thrillers—only the microscopes have been traded for murder scenes, and the puzzles involve motives instead of molecules.
Detective Karen Hart
In the misty corners of the English countryside, Detective Karen Hart stands as a quiet force against the darkness that lurks beneath the surface of seemingly peaceful towns. With a sharp mind and an unyielding commitment to justice, she unravels cases that are as complex as they are chilling.
The Detective Karen Hart series plunges readers into a world where the past never quite stays buried, and every new case threatens to reveal more than just a criminal. Each investigation offers more than a whodunit—it's an exploration of the human psyche, the secrets we keep, and the lengths we'll go to protect them. Whether it's a missing person, a gruesome murder, or a long-forgotten cold case, Karen Hart brings a unique blend of grit and empathy to the investigation, pushing her to uncover truths even when they seem too dark to face.
Detective Karen Hart consists of eleven books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of two more books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
