One Left Behind by Carla Kovach

One Left Behind (Detective Gina Harte, #9)

by Carla Kovach

Music and loud voices echo through the woods surrounding her. Wiping her tears, she hears the rustle of leaves close by. Footsteps. She has no time to scream before a hand covers her mouth and her entire world goes black.

In a patch of forest on the outskirts of a small town, five teenage school friends prepare to spend a night away from home. Carrying their tents and sleeping bags, they laugh and joke as they make their way into the darkest part of the woods, away from prying eyes. But as the sun rises the following morning, only four are left alive.

Devastated, Leah’s friends all swear they didn’t see or hear anything. Her best friend sobs as she recounts what she remembers from that night – dancing, roasting marshmallows, sipping warm cans of beer by the fire – but is it grief, or is she hiding something? What happened to Naomi in the hour that no one can account for? And what troubled past lies behind the perfect manners of the boy who organised the trip, and who is prepared to lie to keep it buried?

As the cracks in their stories grow, it’s clear one of them is lying, and one of them is next…

Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Cara Hunter and Clare Mackintosh, One Left Behind is a thrilling crime novel that will have you hooked from the very first page!

Reviewed by Emma (SCR) on

5 of 5 stars

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This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I am a huge Gina Harte fan so I was very excited to read another instalment.

This one really took me by surprise. I thought I had it figured out but as usual, Clara was very good at shocking me! It’s been a while since I was a teenager but I remember thinking that the smallest of things were life-ending. Everything seemed so big then. I could really understand how these teenagers felt.

Along with the case Gina also has these threats to deal with. The stress of that long with the case almost puts her at breaking point. I just want them to give her a break. She has been through so much I just want her to be happy.

Gina Harte and her team were on top form as always. I love this team with Mrs O’s baked goods and young Kapoor with all her enthusiasm and strength. They are a team that always looks out for each other and work so well together.

This was a thrilling ride and I look forward to reading more of Clara’s work! 

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 July, 2021: Finished reading
  • 6 September, 2021: Reviewed