On Cold Ground

Written by D. S. Butler

Narrated by Henrietta Meire

A merciless killer who will stop at nothing. And a detective with nothing left to lose.

When Detective Karen Hart hears a scream echoing out of beautiful Lincoln Cathedral one snowy evening, she is the first officer on the scene. In the chapel a man lies murdered, a bloody cross carved into his forehead.

The twisted killing sends this close-knit community into shock. And a note to the police from the murderer, signed by ‘The Cleanser’, confirms their worst fears: this sadistic slaying is the first of many. The ritual killings will never stop until Hart uncovers the murderer’s ungodly motive.

When early leads become dead ends, Karen starts to wonder if there’s a link to a rumoured conspiracy within police ranks—particularly when an abrasive new officer is assigned to the case. Could the key to catching ‘The Cleanser’ be dangerously close to home? Meanwhile, she is battling her own demons as she struggles to come to terms with the deaths of her husband and daughter.

In her toughest case yet, Karen will come closer than ever before to a dangerous truth. Can she put the pieces of the puzzle together before she’s stopped in her tracks?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Mar 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781713572954

D. S. Butler

Born in Kent, D. S. Butler grew up as an avid reader with a love for crime fiction and mysteries. She has worked as a scientific officer in a hospital pathology laboratory and as a research scientist. After obtaining a PhD in biochemistry, she worked at the University of Oxford for four years before moving to the Middle East. While living in Bahrain, she wrote her first novel and hasn’t stopped writing since. She now lives in Lincolnshire with her husband.

Reviews for On Cold Ground

[PamelaJoyceSilva · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have enjoyed every one of these books! The plot and the characters are just wonderful!

[Garry Walker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

You know when you finish a book and you wish you could re-read it all over again- this was one of those books! Brilliant start to finish!!

[Lisa Moriah Chenthitta · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every book just gets better. I love this series!! Highly recommend you listen to them all and in order.

[Cilica · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The author and narrator kept my interest through the twists and turns. The narrator was good at pacing and different voices.

[jfe16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review of eBookDetective Sergeant Karen Hart, first on the scene of a gruesome murder in the Morning Chapel, a small chapel within Lincoln Cathedral. The body of a man, Lloyd Nelson, bore ligature marks across the front of his neck. And the figure of a cross, carved into his forehead, suggested some manner of a ritualistic killing.As Karen investigates, a letter purportedly from the killer [signed “The Cleanser”] indicates that this is the first of many killings. Soon enough, there’s another killing, carried out in the same way and with the cross cut into the victim’s forehead. And then a letter left on the doorstep of the lead investigator causes a shuffle in assignments and brings the difficult Detective Inspector Churchill to the Lincolnshire Police and splits up the investigating team. The officers, caught up in investigating the serial killer murders, are also involved in the investigation of a hit-and-run involving a young bicyclist, hit by a car and left by the side of the road to die as the motorist drove away. And there’s still the hint of corruption within the department.Is there a conspiracy within the police ranks? Will The Cleanser strike again before the police find him? And will the conspiracy claim more officers before they expose the corruption at last?Fifth in the Detective Karen Hart series, this intriguing police procedural brings well-developed, believable characters into a complex plot. There is sufficient backstory for readers new to the series for “On Cold Ground” to work as a stand-alone, but with several plotlines coming from previous books, readers may want to start at the beginning of the series.As in previous books, Karen continues to try to come to terms with the death of her husband, Josh, and daughter, Tilly, several years earlier. This backstory gives depth to the character; readers may find themselves empathizing with Karen as the story unfolds. Time, as they say, helps; however, she now seems a bit compulsive in her determination to There are several unexpected plot twists that readers may not see coming; some surprising revelations change things for many of the characters involved in the telling of the tale. Readers who enjoy police procedurals, as well as fans of the series, will find much to appreciate here.Highly recommended.I received a free copy of this eBook from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley #OnColdGround #NetGalley