Detective Karen Hart · #4
House of Lies
A dark secret. A haunted past. And a house full of lies.
When two teenage girls vanish without a trace from an educational retreat at Chidlow House in Lincolnshire, the students and teachers are put on high alert.
Called in to investigate, Detective Karen Hart questions everyone who came into contact with the two girls, Cressida and Natasha, in the days leading up to their disappearance.
Stories of Chidlow House being haunted abound, but Hart—still coming to terms with the suspicious circumstances surrounding the tragic loss of her own family—knows that while the house might be otherworldly, the crime is grimly real.
But nothing is quite as it seems at Chidlow House. When it becomes clear that someone at the estate must know more than they’re letting on, Hart faces a race against time to find the culprit and save the girls.
While there is no shortage of suspects, Hart comes up against one dead end after another. And when she too begins hearing eerie whispers in the walls, she is forced to wonder: was she too quick to dismiss Chidlow’s supernatural reputation?
The series
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.
Read full series description
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.
As the series unfolds, Hart's journey is one of both professional triumph and personal struggle. Each case tests her resolve, bringing her face-to-face with the demons of her past while forging an unbreakable determination to see justice done. The characters she encounters along the way are as layered as the mysteries they hide, and the atmospheric settings only add to the tension, making every twist feel even more taut and unpredictable.
The series is as much about unraveling the puzzle as it is about discovering what drives Karen Hart herself—her vulnerability, her resilience, and the cost of being someone who always seeks the truth, no matter the consequences. Each book in the series builds on the last, creating a compelling narrative of growth, redemption, and the unrelenting pursuit of justice in a world that often seems indifferent to it.
For fans of taut, psychological crime thrillers, Detective Karen Hart is an irresistible dive into a world where secrets have teeth, and sometimes, the truth is the most dangerous thing to uncover.
#1 · 2018Bring Them Home 
#2 · 2019Where Secrets Lie 
#3 · 2020Don't Turn Back 
#4 · 2020House of Lies 
#5 · 2021On Cold Ground 
#6 · 2022What She Said 
#7 · 2023Find Her Alive 
#8 · 2024Before the Dawn 
#9 · 2024Leave No Trace 
#10 · 2025In Plain Sight 
#11 · 2025See No Evil 
#12 · 2026Lie To Me 
#13 · 2027Show No Mercy 
#14 · TBADetective Karen Hart Book 14 Be the first reviewer
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