This was an OK read. Was a bit slow and repetitive at times but over all not a bad first installment. 

My problem with this story was the main character, Katie Scott. She just wasn't likeable enough to me. 

Not sure if I'd read the next book in the series because of this.

With thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for a free ARC in return for an honest review.

This was an OK story. I wouldn't say it was brilliant but it was enjoyable enough if not a little predictable.

1st in the Detective Katie Scott series, loved it, can't wait for the next one
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Oh I do love finding a new series and this looks like it’s going to be a belter. Katie Scott comes home from the army and takes a mundane job in admin in the local sheriffs department until she decides what to do with the rest of her life. Soon she’s thrown into the thick of it with life threatening consequences 
Brilliant read. I’m looking forward to the next instalment of what Katie  (and her German Shepherd Cisco) did next!!

This is the first in a new series with Detective Katie Scott as the main protagonist.  Katie comes home from serving in the military with PTSD, her god best friend and a need to find a new purpose in her life.  She starts investigating a missing child which leads to her discovery of graves.  Where are the girls and can Katie find them?
I enjoyed the story but I did not love it.  A lot of it seemed a bit predictable and the book rushed to a finish.   Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#Littlegirlssleeping #NetGalley

Looking for a strong female lead in a crime fiction?  Meet Katie Scott.. a woman who was a police patrol  officer for 2 years before joining the military as a K-9 handler of bomb-sniffing dogs.  She suffers from PTSD and along with her dog, Cisco, is trying to figure out what to do next with her life.

Her uncle, a Sheriff in her small hometown has offered Katie  a desk job within the force and she happily accepts.  All goes well until she stumbles onto a cold case.  Four years ago, an eight-year-old girl disappeared and has never been seen since.  The little girl reminds Katie of her own childhood friend who disappeared from summer camp more than twenty years ago.

On her own, Katie begins to investigate and  with a lot of thought and using her  incredible mind, finds the body of the missing child.

That is the good  news.  The bad news is that there is a second body found.  The girls are both in handmade coffins, dressed in a very pretty dress, and holding a sweet teddy bear.

Katie is fighting against the lead detective who first investigated the disappearance, a man who absolutely hates the fact that the rookie .. who isn't even a detective... has shown him to be inept at his job.  She has also found a link to  a few more disappearances.

She knows there's a serial killer out there, who has been killing for  years with no one any wiser.  And the closer she gets to the truth .. the more danger she faces.

Someone has  eyes on Katie and will stop her investigation any way they can.

This is a well-written crime  mystery fiction with plenty of twists and turns and characters that kept me riveted to  the story line.  Katie is a terrific character ... she's strong, independent, and doesn't scare easily.  The secondary characters are also finely drawn and credible.

This is the beginning of a series and the reader learns a lot  about Katie's backstory ... her time in the military and how if affects her today.  There are also chapters where the killer's thoughts  are out there without hint of who he is.  Cisco is one of my favorites ... a well trained German Shepard with a personality.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction.  Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed  here are unbiased and entirely my own.  I look forward to reading the next offering in this series.

Little Girls Sleeping: an absolutely gripping crime thriller

by Jennifer Chase

My general philosophy is “I don’t read thrillers, especially psychological thrillers.” They just hold too much impact for me. I read an online review, however, that led me to believe that perhaps I should make an exception for Little Girls Sleeping, the first in a new series by Jennifer Chase. As I started reading this thriller, I wondered if I had made a mistake as the story involves the disappearance of young girls and gives some insight into the twisted mind of the perpetrator. Soon, however, the tale expands into the story of returning veteran Katie Scott and Cisco, her K9 military companion.

A former police officer, Katie is taking some time to decide her next career move when she comes across a cold case file on her uncle’s desk. For Katie, the case is personal because it brings up memories of a childhood friend at camp who was murdered. The rest of the book tracks Katie’s pursuit of the truth and is part thriller, part mystery, and part police procedural. If you are drawn to K9 stories you will certainly enjoy this one as Cisco plays a major role.

Katie, who suffers from PTSD, is a strong and determined young woman. Her character is likable, and readers will look forward to watching her develop in future books in this series. She has support from a childhood friend, Chad, and from her uncle, Sheriff Scott. The plot line is engaging. At about 60% through the book, I had figured out who the evil “Toymaker” is—but I was wrong, and at about 80%, the true murderer is revealed. At that point, however, the action just gets more intense. I’m glad I read this page turner, and I am happy to report no nightmares as a result.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery and Thriller

Notes: 1. If you are interested in the review that inspired my choosing this book, visit blogger/reviewer Shalini.  
          2. #1 in the Detective Katie Scott Series

Publication:   May 31, 2019—Bookouture

Memorable Lines:

The detective didn’t scare her. She had encountered some real tyrants in the army, from sergeants to training officers, so Templeton was like a yapping little dog to her—fierce, but only annoying at best.

Anxiety was a stealthy and unpredictable enemy.

She rubbed her hands together and let the happy memories flood her mind—at least for a short period. Sometimes it was difficult for her to let the positive things into her life. Her experiences had skewed her perception so that everything seemed on the verge of catastrophe. It was as if she had blocked out anything good in her life.

A little detective fiction to start off my fall.

This was a solid mystery. There is a bad guy killing young girls, a flawed detective must use all her wiles to figure out who he is. 

I thought this was a good beginning to a new series. Katie, a veteran, returns home with her canine friend and is able to jump into a new career with the help of her family. As the story progresses, we get to meet other people from Katie's past and new people she will be working with throughout her story. And the weird part at the end could make for some interesting future experiences. (Read the story and you will know what I am talking about, no spoilers here).

There were plenty of twists and developments to keep a slow burn feel to this novel. I do not have issues with the pacing, but this was not a fast-pace thriller. Plenty of suspicion flung in a multitude of directions made this one a little harder to figure out; but the guilty party was certainly not too low on my list of possibilities.

I had not read anything by Jennifer Chase before this, but I will be looking at reading both her earlier novels and additional titles in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book and share my honest opinion.

The aura of suspense increasingly bumped up my anxiety, notch by excruciatingly-taut notch. The palpable tension held me in thrall. The twists made me audibly gasp with shock and awe. The fast pace of the dark, wildly-captivating plot kept me swiping the pages feverishly from beginning to end. A MUST for your TBR list!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Bookouture in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.

#LittleGirlsSleeping #NetGalley

A very enjoyable read with twists and turns everywhere. I loved the main character of Katie and how tough she is as well as her persistent need to solve the mystery. I'm looking forward to more books in the series.

An enjoyable read with enough twists and turns to keep the pages turning. I loved the main character, and I'm looking forward to more books in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A new series of books with Detective Katie Scott, a former member of the military and now working an office job at the Sheriffs office.  Katie comes across a cold case at the offices. Will Katie be able to solve it?!
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Kelly 
NUMBER OF HEARTS: 3 1/2
Katie Scott is back from serving overseas and is trying to put her life back together. She goes back to her childhood home and starts working for the local Sheriff’s office to help her uncle out. When Katie stubbles upon a cold case file that is too close for comfort. Katie starts her own investigation into some missing girls. 

This was a good read and I really enjoyed that the main character Katie is tough and fragile all at the same time. Ms. Chase does a great job with the red herrings in this story too. Just when I thought “I know who done it” she sent me down another path. I am very much looking forward to more books in this series and to see how Katie develops as a detective and learn more about her backstory. And of course Cisco and Chad. :) 

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Upon returning from the military, Katie Scott takes on some easy desk work in the Sheriffs office thanks to her uncle, who is the sheriff. She stumbled across a cold case of a missing little girl, and becomes consumed with the idea that the investigation was incomplete. The mundane tasks of her days allow her to be focused on the case and when she makes a breakthrough, she also makes some enemies along the way. As she navigates her newfound position within the police department, she also must navigate through friendships, relationships, and protecting herself from the “Toymaker,” as he sets his sights on her as well.

Sorry, But this was really boring and repetitive. How many times can you hear the main character relive her time and experiences in the military? My husband and son were in the army, one during Vietnam and the other in the Gulf War and they tend not to lament constantly about it. The dialog was immature. I felt like it was written by by a high school student. This book just didn't hold my interest and I found myself skimming to reach the eye end.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a book that shows you that women have more gumption and determination than men when it comes to figuring something out. Jennifer Chase has done a superb job of writing this interesting story - suspense, edge of your chair high jinks, character portrayal is wonderful, and every page has female determination written on it! Enjoy!📚

This was such a well written book. I read it all in one sitting. So many plot twists. I love that there is a strong female character instead of the typical weak damsel. Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Loved Katie, the main character! She was so strong, yet definitely had her vulnerable side and very likeable and easy for the reader to engage with. I also thought the plot was brilliant, it was tense, sinister, unpredictable and the ending took me completely by surprise.

Disliked the added detail that one of Katie’s friends as a child had also gone missing. Combined with the fact she had just come out the army, it felt like a lot for her to contend with and perhaps a bit much to throw at the reader all at once. The scenes where she ‘saw’ her missing childhood friend didn’t seem to fit the story at times. I would personally rather have seen more exploration of her emotions regarding her years in the army, but as I said, I generally really loved her as a character.

Favourite moment was probably when Katie was hiking through the woods. Although her intention was to look for the missing girls, the description of the countryside and Katie’s emotions was so vivid and clear that I felt really connected to the scene, as if I could have been there myself!

Favourite character is Katie at the moment, but I do have a soft spot for her deputy, McGaven. I’d love to hopefully see more of him in the rest of the series.

For fans of Carol Wyers and Angela Marsons

Final comments: This is a really fast-paced, emotive and incredibly tense book, with a strong and determined main character and the beginning of what looks to be an awesome series.

Oh wow this was a fabulous book to read, it gripped me from the start and with all its twists and turns I just couldn’t figure out who was murdering the little girls. 
It was a complete surprise to find out who it was with such a wonderful twist at the end.
When I finished it I felt like I had lost a friend, so, I will be happy to read more of Jennifer’s books in the future.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book for free in return for an honest review.

That is a good thriller. I enjoyed it very much, from the idea of Katie Scott coming back home from the military in Afghanistan to the link between two murders, one more personal than the other and all the way through the plot twists. I actually recommend it as it is really nicely constructed.