I was absolutely thrilled to be invited to join the Blog Tour for Jennifer Chase’s first police procedural series staring Detective Katie Scott. What can I say – but a BIG WHOPPING WOW! For those who love a meaty police procedural series, you’ll love Little Girls Sleeping.
Description:
He looked down at the little girl, sleeping peacefully, her arms wrapped around a teddy bear. He knew he was the only one who could save her. He could let her sleep forever…
An eight-year-old girl, Chelsea Compton, is missing in Pine Valley, California and for Detective Katie Scott it’s a cruel reminder of the friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Unable to shake the memories, Katie vows she won’t rest until she discovers what happened to Chelsea.
But as Katie starts to investigate – her PTSD flashbacks kept at bay with the help of her loyal ex-military dog, Cisco – the case reveals itself to be much bigger and more shocking than she feared. Deep in the forest, she unearths a makeshift cemetery: a row of graves, each with a brightly coloured teddy bear.
Tracing the silk lining the coffins, Katie links the graves to a stack of missing-persons cases involving young girls – finding a pattern no one else has managed to see. Someone in Pine Valley has been taking the town’s daughters for years, and Katie is the only one who can stop them.
And then another little girl goes missing, snatched from the park near her home…
Compulsive and gripping crime fiction for fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh. Katie Scott’s first case will have you on the edge of your seat and gasping with shock.
Print Length: 335 pages
Publisher: Bookouture (May 31, 2019)
Publication Date: May 31, 2019
Book Links:
UK
US
What’s the book’s about:
If Little Girls Sleeping is the first book in a new series by Jennifer Chase, I’m definitely looking forward to the second. Katie Scott arrives home to Pine Valley, having returned from Afghanistan. Suffering from PTSD and anxiety, she is fighting her own internal battles and is fortunate to have a service dog call Cisco. A trusted friend and faithful companion. Her uncle Wayne, who is the sheriff in Pine Valley offers her a job in his department filing cold cases, when she stumbles across the case of Chelsea Compton, an 8-year old girl who went missing over four years ago. Knowing from personal experience what it must be like to lose a school friend in this way, she can’t help secretly investigating the case of a brutal serial killer, which unsurprisingly makes for a few enemies along the way.
My thoughts:
Although I torpedoed through this book a little too fast, I was able to pick up plenty of detail. There are some wonderfully well drawn characters in this police procedural book. Cisco, of course, being my favorite. All dog-lovers will look forward to meeting such a faithful and resourceful explosives K9 and the bond between the two is palpable. Templeton is such a jerk but you always get one, don’t you? Our protagonist, Katie – ex military and now a detective – comes with all the flaws we tend to see in Detective novels, severe anxiety being one of them. But she’s got the right background when you consider law enforcement to be one step away from the paramilitary with all the training that goes with it. So she’s a natural. The antagonist, on the other hand, is clearly threatened by her expertise and gut and these chapters are cleverly woven through the story adding pace and a deeper context to the narrative. There is a plethora of forensic language to beef up the overall ‘feel’ of the book – and twists and turns that will leave you shuddering in your boots. With the author’s background in criminology, it adds an extra layer to the plot which I appreciated at the outset.
Summary:
You always struggle watching determined female detectives being picked on in such a male dominated environment, especially those who feel she’s a threat. I always place my bets with the underdog and so it was a relief to see Katie finally getting the recognition she deserved. I thought the writing was strong and I will look forward to seeing the development of the character arc in future episodes. Highly recommended if you enjoy the Detectives Kane and Alton series by D.K. Hood also published by Bookouture.
Special thanks to:
I want to thank the author Jennifer Chase, the publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific ARC.
About the Author:
Jennifer Chase holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master’s degree in criminology. Her intense curiosity in the psychological aspect of crime is what drives her to write crime fiction. She lives in California, where she’s currently at work on her next book in the series.
For more information about Jennifer Chase, books, forensics, and criminology, please visit http://www.authorjenniferchase.com
What people are saying:
‘THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS PUTTING THIS BOOK DOWN!!!!!… I was literally holding my breath… I HAD TO KNOW!!!!! As for the explosive ending WOW definitely not what or who I was expecting.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘I was really wowed by it… I couldn’t put the book down and was trying to read as fast as I couldso I could find out who the killer was. The ending took me by surprise… I was literally gasping for air… I would definitely recommend.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Wow what an absolutely amazing fantastic read. I was hooked almost as soon as I started this book.I am still trying to pick my chin off the floor. I loved it from page one and couldn’t read the pages quick enough. I did not see the end coming… Awesome.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘If you read one police thriller this year make sure that it is this one… it will grip you from the start and will drag you into the story trying desperately to work out who the killer is but I promise you that you will not be able to figure it out.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘A great way to start a new series! It’s a wonderfully written roller-coaster ride. A must read!’ Book Obsessed Introverts, 5 stars
‘Believe me when I say that you are in for a thrilling read!… I could not put it away. Can highly recommend!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Wow!… The hairs on my head stood up with this one!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘A nail-biting thriller… I was gripped from page one, through each twist and turn… until I reached the climax which was shocking and totally unexpected.’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars
Other Books by this Author:
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