Diane has been grieving the loss of her best friend Samantha for seven years. The police were never ever able to find Samantha as their trail went dry. On the seventh anniversary of her disappearance, Diane receives a letter addressed to Samantha. It is actually a birthday card and it has a fingernail in it. The nail is painted with the very same nail polish Diane remembers gifting to Samantha.

Instead of the police using the DNA on the nail to lead to Samantha, it leads to another woman, Jade Ashmore, and the police were able to find her body. There is a connection, however, it is not quite apparent. Instead, as the police investigate Jade's murder they begin to delve deep into parties with one intention in mind.

The police have several suspects and Detective Gina Harte is hot on the trail. The case becomes very personal to Gina and her boss, and one-time lover, worry that this will affect her objectivity. Gina is determined to use her skills and her unfortunate previous circumstances to stay on the case and to dig as deep as possible. As the connection between the current murder and Samantha's long-ago disappearance become more apparent, Gina becomes even more focused.

The Liar's House is the fourth book in the series. I hadn't read the first two, but did read the previous title, Her Pretty Bones, so I was a bit familiar with Gina, her history and her impeccable work ethics. I enjoy her character, her strength and her dedication. This was a compelling read, especially as it delved into a part of marriage and relationships hardly touched in psychological thrillers. This is a book I was able to read in one sitting. I definitely look forward to this series continuing.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )

The Liar's House by Carla Kovach is a highly recommended police procedural and the fourth book in the British Detective Gina Harte series.

In a small Midlands town there is a killer on the loose. Samantha is making her way home from a party at a private club, when she is murdered. A body is never found, so her disappearance is labeled as a missing person. Jumping ahead seven years, another woman, Jade Ashmore, is murdered on her way home from a party. As the detectives investigate the new crime, an older woman who was a friend of Samantha's receives a birthday card for Sam with a fingernail inside. When police analyze the nail, they discover that it belongs to Jade, not Samantha, and they realize that the cases are linked.

At the same time Detective Gina Harte is at loose ends. She still misses having a close relationship to Briggs, her boss, so she is trying Tinder dating. She is basically just using it to hook up with men rather than actually seeking a relationship. Her latest date, Rex, seems way too intent on continuing the relationship.

Based on my experience, you can read this as a standalone and get the background information without reading the previous books in the series, although those who have read the whole series are suggesting starting with the first book. From the back ground information it appears that Gina has a rather detrimental acquaintance with unstable, perverse men and unhealthy relationships. Abuse and violence against women is a theme in this novel, as is women making bad choices. This all creates a bit of a quandary for me. I didn't care for Gina as a character based on her personal choices, which made the narrative feel a little more tedious. Once a victim does not mean always a victim.

The plot is a well-written procedural and Kovach provides plenty of suspects to consider as the investigation deepens. The pace is even. I didn't experience any twists or surprises here, but is it a solid procedural. I guessed the identity of the killer right away. The connection to a partner-swapping group just made a gray novel feel even darker. It's not that it is a bad novel, it's just a rather bleak, depressing one.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bookouture via Netgalley.

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