Detective Katie Scott, army veteran who'd served in Afghanistan, is in charge of the cold case unit. Her uncle, Sergeant Scott, is the sheriff. Due to her past handling of a case, Katie is told that she's going to be micromanaged, having 3 bosses to send each report to. Also, the cold case unit may be closed. Maybe because of jealousy of her uncle, deputy sheriff Martinez does not like her.

Katie finds a cold case to investigate, the disappearance of a Sam Stiles. While this case is a textbook of police procedures, it leads to another cold case. This part all read like fillers for the main story, and us my only gripe with the book. The main crime, a murder, which I won't divulge details of, is the heart of the book. It involves Kate's emotions, problem-solving skills and guile.

The book marks well how the police build up a case, follow police procedure, how profiling is done, K9 and human tracking, K9 training and uses, forensics insights and witness/ potential perp interviews. There's even army field information. The author writes so well that it never reads like a manual. The novel is very page-turning.

This is not the type of whodunnit which gives the reader clues to solve the crime. Instead, Jennifer Chase gives an insight into police staff personalities and psyche. It gives Katie love and hope.

I really liked that the points of view were Katie's and her deputy's, McGaven. Not the perpetrator's. I could not have stood to be in the killer's head.

There are graphic descriptions of the killings, sometimes unnecessarily repeated. However, it didn't seem gratuitous.

I recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Jennifer Chase for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book also appears in Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3250436704, thereadersvault.blogspot.com and amazon.com

Flowers on her grave by Jennifer Chase is the 3rd book in the series featuring Detective Katie Scott. The difference this time is that the case is personal, very personal!
Katie is still working in the cold case department of the Pine Valley Police Force but has lost her full time partner McGaven to being only part time. She goes to her Aunt and Uncle's Wedding Anniversary celebrations and sees they are still more in love than ever that evening. The next morning she returns to their house to go for a run with her Uncle, a thing that happens constantly. After getting no answer at the door she keeps trying until, eventually her Uncle answers, covered in blood. Katie discovers her Aunt dead in the laundry room and all the evidence points to her Uncle! Katie,being family is ordered to keep well away from the case,but family is family! Katie begins to dig into cold cases of her Uncles and discovers links that cannot be ignored. She doggedly carries on finding nothing but dead ends until she discovers a single detail that has possibilities of being fruitful in her search for evidence to prove her Uncle is not the killer.
I enjoyed this fast paced and thrilling read, waiting to see how far Katie would go to prove her Uncle's innocence. As I said previously it is the 3rd book of the series and can be read as a standalone but, as with a lot of series you do get to know the characters better if you have read the others as it creates depth0 you maybe won't get with just the one. Overall though a great read and I thank Netgalley, Bookouture and Book On The Brightside Publicity and Promo for allowing me to be a part of the Blog Tour.

Still trying to prove Sheriff Wayne, her Uncle didn't kill her Aunt. Detective Katie Scott is now working on two things. Trying to take control of her PTSD and willing to start a new relationship with Chad Fergison, who was her childhood friend. Will Katie find the real killer or will she have to face that the truth... that her Uncle did it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Flowers on Her Grave is the third instalment in the police procedural series featuring Detective Katie Scott. Having followed this compelling series from the start I was keen to jump straight in and read this next superb instalment.

The book starts with a chilling prologue that immediately had me hooked. In Pine Valley, California, it is the morning after Katie's aunt and uncle's 10th wedding anniversary party, a huge soirée. When Katie arrives at their home the next day for a planned meet-up, she finds her Aunt Claire dead in the laundry room and her beloved uncle, Sheriff Wayne Scott, still alive, but covered in blood. Worse still, the sheriff is the prime suspect as his prints are all over the antique knife found at the scene.

Totally convinced of the Sheriff's innocence but barred from investigating, Katie digs through some of her uncle's cold case files and comes across a 12-year-old cold case whose victim had similar wounds to Claire.

Once again, Katie brings her warming and personable attributes to this thrilling story, even though she is still suffering the symptoms of crippling PTSD. This novel was a fantastic, solid and well-balanced police procedural that had me glued to the pages and I didn't want to put it down as I was desperate to know the outcome of the story. The exciting plot was clever, gripping, and wonderfully paced, as Katie embarked on an exhilarating mission to solve the case. The writing flowed effortlessly, the author’s masterful prose elevating the novel above that of traditional police procedurals. I found myself really rooting for the Katie to succeed.

For those wishing to follow the series from the start, the other books are:
Little Girls Sleeping
Her Last Whisper

A spellbinding, highly recommended read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Yet another great book from Jennifer Chase and I have to say, my favourite so far in this series.
Katie is celebrating her aunt and uncle’s anniversary but the night ends in tragedy, when her aunt is murdered.
Her uncle, Sheriff Scott is suspected as his finger prints are on the weapon but Katie knows deep down that he did not kill his wife.
Katie is forbidden from investigating the murder but is desparate to prove her uncle’s innocence.
She’s warned off several times so has to be clever on the way she does it.
McGaven is there to help her but when it comes to it she decides to go it alone, with life threatening consequences.
Cisco is my favourite police dog so I’m glad he was there to support Katie in her investigation.
I’ve really taken to Katie and can’t wait to see what the next cold case reveals.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Detective Katie Scott is back in the third book in her series. This time the case is personal.

Katie is still working in the cold case department of the Pine Valley police force but her partner McGaven has now moved to part-time. After attending her Aunt and Uncle’s wedding anniversary party, Katie calls the next day to go for a run with her uncle, a family tradition.

After initially getting no answer at their house her uncle eventually opens the door covered in blood. A quick sweep of the house reveals that her aunt is dead in the laundry room. Her uncle swears he didn’t kill his wife. However, all the evidence points in his direction. Katie has been told to stay away from the case but as her uncle is the only family she has left she is not going to let him go down for something he didn’t do, especially when her aunt’s death has very similar circumstances to a cold case.

I had read the first two books in the Detective Katie Scott series and enjoyed them both so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. I find Katie to be a great character. Yes, she has some PTSD that she is working through having just come out of the army in the first book and she can be a bit hot-headed at times and reckless but this is what I like about her, she makes for good reading.

I thought the book was a little slow to get going this time and I was waiting for the murder to occur to get the plot surging ahead and showing Katie at her best. Once she is on the trail of a killer there is no stopping Katie and with this being personal bring the real killer to justice was all she had in her mind, as well as trying to connect the dots to an old case.

The book was fast-paced, thrilling and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was glad to see that Cisco, Katie’s ex-army dog is still involved in her detective work. If you haven’t read the first two in the series I would suggest doing so before reading this one. It can be read as a stand-alone but you won’t get the full atmosphere of the book given that we get to know her aunt and uncle in previous books.

Overall, Flowers on Her Grave is a fab read and I can’t wait for the next in the series.

I really enjoyed this book! A great story line that kept me hooked and excellent main characters. I would highly recommend this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Jennifer Chase has moved herself right up to one of my favorite authors! Her books are intense but easy to read. Her writing has twists and turns and you think you've figured out the "who done it".........& you are wrong. I highly, highly recommend this book. Enjoy! 📚

4/5 Stars!

First things first: this is the third novel in the Detective Katie Scott series, but can be read as a standalone.

There’s a really good mystery at the center of this novel, which is what makes it so readable and enjoyable. The question of what happened to Katie’s Aunt Claire, and how that may be connected to a cold case Katie finds in the department archives just sucks you in and you can’t wait to see the solution!

And boy, I did not see the ending coming, it was quite good! What’s interesting is that, looking back, the clues are all there (along with some red herrings!) it’s just up to the reader to try and figure it out (good luck, fellow readers!).

Katie was a really likable character and I’ll be following her character development in the future. She has a strong personality and is learning to navigate civilian life and life with a great support system. There’s so many emotions with her character and it’s really interesting to see them all play out - grief, anger, appreciation, etc. I also liked her circle of friends and cant wait to see where they go, as well.

This was a really nice mystery with some nice twists and great characters. IO highly recommend picking it up!

Katie Scott is such a fantastic character, and I love how Ms. Chase keeps developing her whilst staying true to her military background and history. In Flowers on Her Grave, Katie's aunt is murdered on the evening of her anniversary party. A special evening that turns tragic. Katie is told she is not to be a part of the investigation, but in her own style, she investigates to help her beloved uncle. More of Katie's past is revealed when a dear friend (and fellow solder) comes back into her life with a very special request. Flowers on Her Grave is quite simply wonderful... And for new readers, you can easily jump into this series!

Flowers on Her Grave is the third novel in the Detective Katie Scott series where she investigates cold cases as part of Pine Valley, California’s Sheriff’s Department. It's certainly not essential to have read the preceding books in the series as Ms Chase provides sufficient backstory for new readers to get caught up. It's the morning after a huge soiree celebrating Sheriff Wayne Scott and his wife Claire's tenth wedding anniversary and Katie drives over to their house for a pre-planned meet-up. What she sees shocks her to the core; her uncle Wayne is covered head to toe in blood and aunt Claire’s lacerated body lies in the laundry room having suffered at the hands of a cruel and merciless attacker. Despite Wayne protesting his innocence, he is swiftly arrested for murder. Katie is hellbent on proving Wayne did not commit the crime despite Undersheriff Martinez warning her to stay away from the investigation. She continues to look at cold cases and happens upon a twelve-year-old cold case that shares many similarities with her aunt’s slaying, including the same type of distinctive mutilation.

This is a well-crafted, pacey mystery with some exciting and tense moments throughout as Katie homes in on a killer who nearly got away with murder the first time. As it is told entirely from Katie's perspective it allows you to easily and quickly immerse yourself in the plot making everything a lot more enjoyable as there is no switching between characters which can often complicate things. There's plenty of action and suspense and the fact that this case is personal makes the stakes even higher for Katie and her family. They know Wayne would not have murdered his wife as he worshipped the ground she walked on but they want everyone else to know too. That's one of the reasons his exoneration is so important. There is plenty of action and drama and in the last quarter, I was racing through the pages as Katie entices the real killer out of hiding. There are plenty of twists and turns and all in all, this is a highly entertaining and absorbing series. I look forward to the next instalment. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Flowers On Her Grave’, the third in the Detective Katie Scott series written by Jennifer Chase, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

A party is held to celebrate the tenth wedding anniversary of Sheriff Wayne Scott and his wife Claire. Later that night her lacerated body is found in the laundry room and despite protesting his innocence Sheriff Scott is arrested for her murder. Detective Katie Scott heads the Cold Case Division in Pine Forest and can see similarities between her aunt’s death and that of student Cynthia Andrews, an investigation her uncle was involved in some years ago. Despite being warned by her superiors to comply with authority, Katie decides to take on this cold case as she believes it could be connected to her aunt’s murder.

‘Flowers On Her Grave’ is an excellent thriller where Detective Katie Scott uses her cold case investigations to also find the killer of her aunt and get proof that her uncle is not involved. It’s well-written with plenty of suspense, drama and excitement, and with twists and turns and several possible suspects it becomes very tense as Katie risks life and limb to entice the killer to reveal himself. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Katie, her friend and colleague Deputy McGaven and learning more of her relationship with Chad. Jennifer Chase has given us a thoroughly entertaining series and long may it continue.

This is the first book that I have read in this series. I would rate it at somewhere between 3 and 4 stars so I have rounded it up to 4. I liked the characters but it took me a while to have any empathy for them. I thought the plot was good and I would definitely read more books in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Katie doesn't want to believe her uncle Wayne killed her aunt Claire. This is a nicely twisty procedural that adds elements of family into the mix, as well as Cisco the dog. Claire's had a tough go of it- she's a veteran who is trying to cope with her ptsd and do her job as a member of the cold case division in Pine Valley, where her uncle, before the murder, is the Sheriff. She's smart but does some things that might make you shake your head (I know I did) as she tries to exonerate her uncle. Is there a connection to the murder of a young girl years ago? There are lots of similarities but.....Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. While this is the third in a series, I read it as a standalone and it was just fine that way- and now I'm looking forward to the next one.

4.5 Stars

This is the third book in the Detective Katie Scott series by Jennifer Scott.

This series just keeps getting better and better. Katie heads up the cold case unit in the same precinct where her uncle is chief. She already gets a fair bit of flack due to her family connection but when her uncle is accused of the murder of her aunt, things begin to get particularly sticky.

This just felt so real. I could resonate with Katie and her uncle as they look for the killer while trying to stay out of the investigation. The man taking over for her uncle as interim chief is particularly nasty and seems to quash Katie’s on personal investigation at every turn. To get her mind off her uncle, she turns to her cold case files and discovers one that is eerily similar to her aunt’s murder. That soon becomes her priority number one.

Really loving this series and can’t wait for a book to really delve into her attraction for John the coroner and her current firefighter boyfriend. I am totally Team John on this one. Rooting for my favorite guy.

Can’t wait for the next book in the series! I am on the edge of my seat. Totally digging these characters!

If you love a good police procedural/detective fiction, definitely check this one out!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Omg! I absolutely loved it and great book so far!

Detective Katie Scott worked on another cold cases and catch two suspects in the remote areas..Glad they caught them! Poor Wayne, I can’t imagine that he’s having a hard time process it all..

Looking forward to read more book from this author soon..

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced and honest review...

Thank you to Bookouture for letting me take part in this tour and for my copy of this book via netgalley. This is the third book in the Detective Katie Scott series but it can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the first two books and I was excited to go back to the world of Katie Scott.

This book was a book of two halves. The first half is slower-paced. Katie is working on the case of Sam Stiles. I was disappointed that this case wasn't wrapped up completely but I guess this is quite realistic, not every case has a nice is neatly tied up in a bow. The second half of the book is more about the case of Cynthia and Katie's aunt. The last third of this book really ramps up the pace. I was seriously on the edge of my seat, gripping my kindle so tight with all the tension.

Katie is frustrating at times but I can understand why she acts the way she does. She is trying to protect her friends but they just want to help her. Katie again puts herself in a dangerous situation in order to close the case. Luckily Katie has good friends and of course Cisco.

This was an enjoyable read with some really gripping moments. I'm looking forward to returning to Katie's world in the next story.

This is the 3rd book in the detective Katie Scott series which she is working on cold case files. The story line starts with a tragedy that involves her uncle who is the town sheriff & is connected to a cold case that she discovered. I found the book intriguing/not guessing who the culprit was. Katie is a war veteran who handled a K9 dog named Cisco and now owns as a retired canine. I really enjoyed Cisco due to seeing a live demonstration of these police dogs. Well written, kept my interest and enjoyed the story. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
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It's the first book i read in this series and I will surely read the others because I loved loved this one.
A bad ass heroine with a great canine counterpart, a plot that flows and keeps you hooked and a solid mystery: all is well written and developed.
I can't wait to read the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Detective Katie Scott, what's your Insta handle? I want to be besties! Where have you been my whole life?!?
I think I have found my new favorite, badass female lead! Katie Scott, war hero, army veteran, two-tour graduate, dog handler, detective, and smart cookie! Her side kick, Cisco is a retired army dog and stole a piece of my heart. I had an all-black German shepherd growing up, so this book gave me all the feels.
This was my first experience with the series and I had no problem picking up the story from here, however, I HAVE to read the first two books. I can’t get enough!!!
So, this installment of the series focuses on Katie’s uncle, who is also the Sheriff whose wife is brutally murdered after their ten year anniversary party. Katie, obviously cannot help investigate her aunt’s murder, but she’s determined to help find the killer by going through all of the cold cases that her uncle worked on. This story was perfectly paced and had me on the edge of my seat.
I look forward to devouring the rest of this series! Jennifer, please write faster! <3

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and of course, Jennifer Chase for providing me with an advance copy.