This read was a struggle for me.  Jennifer Chase has very solid ideas for what could be an exciting novel.  I was hooked reading the synopsis.  However, the execution is seriously lacking.  The entire novel felt superficial and disjointed.  Character development was non-existent and what we were told about the characters was only surface details.  Relationships between the characters were lacking chemistry, and each character was formulaic, which isn't necessarily an issue so long as you use a different formula for each character.  Scenes were not linked together well and were often mired in unnecessary and repetitive detail and dialogue.

There is a lot going on in this story and most of it works quite well. The main character, Katie Scott, an ex-cop, ex-soldier, is not as strong as she would like everyone to think but having recently returned from two tours in Afghanistan she is living in her late parents home while she tries to work out what to do next. Offered a job by her Uncle, who also happens to be the local sheriff, Katie hopes she can find her feet again in familiar surroundings. 

There were plenty of twists and turns as Katie and her new colleagues try to find the killer of a young girl which had been downgraded to cold case status until startling new evidence comes to light. This brings her into contact with people from her past as well as new people at work and in her private life, all of whom permeate the case to a greater or lesser extent. 

I enjoyed seeing things through Katie's eyes and also the descriptions of the area, new and old friends and the crime scenes. The details conveyed a moving picture it was easy to feel a part of and the final few chapters were original and satisfyingly taut. 

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who wants to begin a new series of books based around cold cases or enjoys multi-layered crime writing.

A unique, chilling,& unbelievable crime with several twists that lead to other past crimes being solved.
Wow!
Imagine if you will a young girl 8yo goes missing (Chelsea).
Now imagine that case being solved by a woman who puts her life literally on the line and vows to get justice especially after losing her friend to similar misfortunes 20 yrs earlier.
The hairs on my head stood up with this one as it's such a thrill to learn that in addition to the crime scene being unearthed the scene hold so much evidence including the graves that are marked each with their own colored teddy bears.
When Kate falls to her demise or near demise the entire situation becomes increasingly alarming as the clues begin to piece together.
Someone out there knows the truth. Someone who doesn't want the truth to be exposed. This someone may just take the truth to the grave!
Now if that's not disturbing enough know this in the end Kate Scott is a heroine but she had to risk it all to reach the top of her game!
I love when it all comes together and this one has plenty of enticing moments to keep you literally on the edge! Literally!
Thank you to Jennifer Chase, Bookouture, NetGalley, and Amazon Kindle for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

An interesting read  had a little trouble following all the different characters there were a lot of them but I still enjoyed reading it

This was an enjoyable read. It held my interest and the story moved quickly. There's so many similar books out there on the market and I d8dnt feel like this stood out in any way

This was truly an amazing book. The storyline flowed, the characters were engaging and I could barely tear myself away from this book. Highly recommended!

This book was so much more than I expected.  Katie has just come back to her home town from Afghanistan after serving 2 years in the military.  Prior to that, she was a police officer and now has to decide what direction her life will take.  She is helping out with the local sheriff's department at the suggestion of her uncle who happens to be sheriff.  He pulled some strings before she came back home and surprised her with her K-9 partner, Cisco, an amazing German Shepherd.  As she finds herself with extra time while doing her temp work, she begins looking into a cold case of a missing girl who reminds her of her childhood camp mate who was killed in a family tragedy.  That has haunted her her whole life and pushes her to involve herself in this cold case.  Before she knows it, she's thrust deep into the investigation with the detectives and racing to find the killer of what they discover to be multiple little girls.

The story moves a long at a good pace with a fascinating amount of detail as to how Katie uses her military training to investigate.  I loved reading her interactions with Cisco and learning how these dogs are trained and how they assist their human partners.  Too bad the humans she interacts with are not as engaging, but they are realistic, especially the condescending officers who believe it's only because of her uncle's status that she has any success.  I really hope that there are further stories to come with these characters, as this book sets a good foundation for a brand new series.  I can't wait to see what else is in store for Katie and Cisco!

Really disappointing. The protagonist and the story had great potential, but poor writing and editing have left the book almost unreadable. This is a good example of why having the knowledge about a particular field does not automatically mean a person can write about it. The author's prose is unwieldy, repetitive and clunky.  Of the many tortured, unintentionally hilarious sentences, this is my favourite: "Her cop skills fired a warning shot over her head to urge her to find what she was missing" (context: the detective is reviewing her notes of the case trying to find clues). The various subplots are hopelessly uninteresting, the characters are two-dimensional and caricatures while the situations are unrealistic and unbelievable. The ending is terribly convoluted and by this time you don't really care if the heroine makes it or not.

Easy read with some good twists throughout, this is an engaging bedtime read.  The central character's difficulties in adjusting to life outside of the military and her close relationship with Cisco the dog forms the backbone of this novel; Katie's discovery of a cold case and the lack of detailed attention that it originally received provide an opportunity for Chase's protagonist to demonstrate how effectively she can combine her previous set of skills with her new role within the Pine Valley police unit.  Interesting, original and sometimes surprising.

Detective Katie Scott’s involvement with the case of a missing eight year old has reopened old wounds. Twenty years earlier, Katie’s friend Chelsea disappeared from summer camp was never found. Determined to finally get answers, Katie’s investigation leads her to a hidden, homemade cemetery in the woods. Is the graveyard Chelsea’s final resting place? And what is the connection to the latest round of missing girls?

Katie Scott, a detective in Pine Valley, California provides a fresh pair of eyes for the department and notices a pattern between unsolved missing-girl cases. Someone in Pine Valley has been kidnapping and killing innocent little girls and all cases have been left open.

The novel changes perspective every few chapters, which I thought contributed to the suspense. I was suspicious of a few characters, but none of them ended up being the kidnapper; the ending was shocking and definitely not what I had anticipated. As this is the first book of the series, I am curious to see whether a love triangle or a romantic relationship develops between Katie and another character in the book. The novel lacked in the romance department, but there was potential for it.

I would recommend if you're looking for a suspenseful thriller.

I love finding a new Author. This was a great book, a real page turner, loved it and have already bought more by this author.

This book really wasn't for me.
I'm afraid by the time I'd rolled my eyes a second time,I knew it wasn't going to be gritty enough for me.
By the time some one was trying to run Katie over,and she then just goes on a picnic... I really knew it.
I skim read a bit after that I'm afraid.
I liked the idea that motivated the killer,and he was creepy enough,the rest just didn't do much for me personally.

Loved this book and getting to know Kate, will definitely read more in the series when they come out. She's strong, resilient but at the same time vulnerable and suffers anxiety making her more real. 
Trying to fit into a new police department with seniors not taking her posting well, trying to stop a serial killer who's now turned his attention to Kate! 
Action packed from start to finish

Loved this book. It’s not out for a while so posting initial feedback here, will update nearer the time with full review and blog links. Really enjoyed it though!