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Detective Katie Scott #1
Little Girls Sleeping
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, the case reveals itself to be much bigger and more shocking than she feared. Hidden deep in the forest she unearths a makeshift cemetery: a row of graves, each with a brightly coloured teddy bear.
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.
Katie’s still haunted by the friend she failed to protect, and she’ll do anything to stop the killer striking again—but can she find the little girl before it’s too late?
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, the case reveals itself to be much bigger and more shocking than she feared. Hidden deep in the forest she unearths a makeshift cemetery: a row of graves, each with a brightly coloured teddy bear.
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.
Katie’s still haunted by the friend she failed to protect, and she’ll do anything to stop the killer striking again—but can she find the little girl before it’s too late?
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2019
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6412 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Chase
32 books588 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and USA Today Best Selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. She has written the popular Detective Katie Scott Series and the Emily Stone Thriller Series.
Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling.
She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers. www.authorjenniferchase.com
Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and USA Today Best Selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. She has written the popular Detective Katie Scott Series and the Emily Stone Thriller Series.
Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling.
She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers. www.authorjenniferchase.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 569 reviews
June 19, 2021
Note: after thinking about this book further, I downgraded to 3.5
I enjoyed this book and the majority of characters within he story. The lead character Katie, is a veteran from the army, was a police officer and through her reviewing case notes on a crime finds information that a detective overlooked. Hence, she jumps in with both feet to find a killer kidnapping little girls. Except the detective who overlooks everything g and who is a turd, the remaining characters are likable and I’m interested in how they fare in the next book. I really liked Katie and her strength and pragmatic approach to investigations.
What I wasn’t thrilled with was part of the ending which felt a bit ridiculous making the ending to neatly tied up. This is the first book in the series and I hope the author is more clever next time.
Book moved at a good pace and I’m going to read the next one.
I enjoyed this book and the majority of characters within he story. The lead character Katie, is a veteran from the army, was a police officer and through her reviewing case notes on a crime finds information that a detective overlooked. Hence, she jumps in with both feet to find a killer kidnapping little girls. Except the detective who overlooks everything g and who is a turd, the remaining characters are likable and I’m interested in how they fare in the next book. I really liked Katie and her strength and pragmatic approach to investigations.
What I wasn’t thrilled with was part of the ending which felt a bit ridiculous making the ending to neatly tied up. This is the first book in the series and I hope the author is more clever next time.
Book moved at a good pace and I’m going to read the next one.
June 7, 2019
Crawling on hands and knees in the man-made tunnel she comes across what appears to be a small grave with a rectangular box and when she pries the box open she gasps.
Laying inside the box is a well preserved body of a little girl holding a teddy bear on her chest with a slight smile on her face and she appears to be sleeping!
Katie Scott is not your average twenty-something young woman.
Katie has just returned home from Afghanistan as a hero and was also a policewoman before she went overseas. Katie's uncle who happens to be the sheriff in Pine Valley where she grew up offers her a temporary position in his department until she decides what her next step in life will be. What Katie discovers in a cold case file will take her on a relentless search for truth and justice and some life defining moments that also make some adversaries within the police department. Katie never thought that she would be fighting for her life and others so soon after returning from the war but Katie finds out there will b many battles to fight and conquer on her own home turf.
This was a suspenseful and very interesting story with a very likable strong yet vulnerable female character. I am looking forward to reading more books based on Katie Scott The story was fast paced and well-written with terrific characters. I highly recommend to all readers, especially those who enjoy police or detective novels!
I want to thank the author "Jennifer Chase", the publisher "Bookouture" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel and have given my own unbiased review.
Laying inside the box is a well preserved body of a little girl holding a teddy bear on her chest with a slight smile on her face and she appears to be sleeping!
Katie Scott is not your average twenty-something young woman.
Katie has just returned home from Afghanistan as a hero and was also a policewoman before she went overseas. Katie's uncle who happens to be the sheriff in Pine Valley where she grew up offers her a temporary position in his department until she decides what her next step in life will be. What Katie discovers in a cold case file will take her on a relentless search for truth and justice and some life defining moments that also make some adversaries within the police department. Katie never thought that she would be fighting for her life and others so soon after returning from the war but Katie finds out there will b many battles to fight and conquer on her own home turf.
This was a suspenseful and very interesting story with a very likable strong yet vulnerable female character. I am looking forward to reading more books based on Katie Scott The story was fast paced and well-written with terrific characters. I highly recommend to all readers, especially those who enjoy police or detective novels!
I want to thank the author "Jennifer Chase", the publisher "Bookouture" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel and have given my own unbiased review.
June 1, 2019
Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
Little Girls Sleeping is the first book in a new series by author and criminologist Jennifer Chase. The plot revolves around Katie Scott who has just arrived home in Pine Valley, California after leaving the Army after a tour of Afghanistan. She is suffering from anxiety and PTSD but is working through her problems with the help of her trusted service dog Cisco who has returned with her and her Uncle who is the local sheriff.
Her uncle offers her a job inputting data onto the police computer system whilst Katie decides what she wants to do next with her life. Whilst going through the files she comes across an old cold case of a young girl that went missing four years ago, eight-year-old Chelsea Compton.
Katie has an interest in the case as her best friend when she was at school was taken and murdered and so she knows what the girls family must be going through with no-one being brought to justice. She decides to take on the case herself, covertly, but people start to suspect her of meddling when she starts asking questions.
Can Katie find the answers Chelsea Compton’s family are so desperately in need of and could she be just one of the victims of a serial killer that is choosing young girls as their victims?
My first thoughts about the book were how refreshing it was to have a character who doesn’t always believe in herself and suffers from anxiety. Katie is a brave young woman who has been through a lot whilst serving in the Army. It was her and her service dog Cisco’s job to make sure the paths/roads were clear of bombs and she saw too many of her fellow comrades killed in action.
Throughout the book, we see passages from Katie as she recalls the time spent with her friend who was murdered as a child and her last day with her. There are also chapters from the mind of the killer.
The book moves at a fast pace and there was plenty of action. I can’t really say that I had any clue as to who the culprit was and never really suspected anyone until just before the killer was revealed. As the series title tells you, Katie eventually becomes a detective due to her help with the case and it was lovely to watch her get the recognition she deserved. It wasn’t quite so nice to see her being bullied by officers who had been stationed at Pine Valley longer than her though for doing her job and being more efficient than them.
There is plenty of criminological and forensic language but what else would you expect from an expert criminologist turned author. I also like the twists and turns that were created to keep you on the edge of your seat along with a couple of red herrings thrown in for good measure too.
I am now intrigued to see what author Jennifer chase has for us in book two as I enjoyed spending my time with Katie and can’t wait to see her detective skills again.
Little Girls Sleeping is the first book in a new series by author and criminologist Jennifer Chase. The plot revolves around Katie Scott who has just arrived home in Pine Valley, California after leaving the Army after a tour of Afghanistan. She is suffering from anxiety and PTSD but is working through her problems with the help of her trusted service dog Cisco who has returned with her and her Uncle who is the local sheriff.
Her uncle offers her a job inputting data onto the police computer system whilst Katie decides what she wants to do next with her life. Whilst going through the files she comes across an old cold case of a young girl that went missing four years ago, eight-year-old Chelsea Compton.
Katie has an interest in the case as her best friend when she was at school was taken and murdered and so she knows what the girls family must be going through with no-one being brought to justice. She decides to take on the case herself, covertly, but people start to suspect her of meddling when she starts asking questions.
Can Katie find the answers Chelsea Compton’s family are so desperately in need of and could she be just one of the victims of a serial killer that is choosing young girls as their victims?
My first thoughts about the book were how refreshing it was to have a character who doesn’t always believe in herself and suffers from anxiety. Katie is a brave young woman who has been through a lot whilst serving in the Army. It was her and her service dog Cisco’s job to make sure the paths/roads were clear of bombs and she saw too many of her fellow comrades killed in action.
Throughout the book, we see passages from Katie as she recalls the time spent with her friend who was murdered as a child and her last day with her. There are also chapters from the mind of the killer.
The book moves at a fast pace and there was plenty of action. I can’t really say that I had any clue as to who the culprit was and never really suspected anyone until just before the killer was revealed. As the series title tells you, Katie eventually becomes a detective due to her help with the case and it was lovely to watch her get the recognition she deserved. It wasn’t quite so nice to see her being bullied by officers who had been stationed at Pine Valley longer than her though for doing her job and being more efficient than them.
There is plenty of criminological and forensic language but what else would you expect from an expert criminologist turned author. I also like the twists and turns that were created to keep you on the edge of your seat along with a couple of red herrings thrown in for good measure too.
I am now intrigued to see what author Jennifer chase has for us in book two as I enjoyed spending my time with Katie and can’t wait to see her detective skills again.
July 8, 2020
Tick Tick.... The clock is ticking....
The killer has a deadly agenda and will do anything to keep from being caught...including eliminating anyone who gets in the way.
Beautiful black German Shepherd like Katie's dog, Cisco!
He stared intently at the soil, then retrieved the pick, gripping it tight, and swung it hard against the dry, heavily compacted earth. It dented the surface, spewing chips of dirt in every direction. A few small rocks buried in the soil since the beginning of time hampered his progress, but after several more arced swings, the ground began to crumble, exposing the fresh earth.
The heavy pick was exchanged for one of the shovels. Soon there was a small pile of California soil, comprised of sand, silt, clay, and small rock. The repeated movements of dig, scoop, and deposit continued for more than forty-five minutes at a brisk pace. The hard work of manual labor didn’t deter him. It only made him more determined to create a work of genius—his ultimate masterpiece.
At last he stepped back and admired his handiwork, perspiring heavily through his shirt from the effort. Exhilaration filled his body, keeping his muscles flexed and his heart pumping hard. He leaned against the shovel, a smile forming on his lips as he waited for his pulse to return to normal, and marveled at the unmistakable outline of a freshly dug grave.
*********
Little Girls Sleeping by Jennifer Chase is a fast paced, engrossing read that will keep your heart skip a beat and your breath catch in your throat, over and over again!
From the start this book gave me the creeps and made my hair stand up on the back of my neck!
The story evoked many emotions in me, just as a terrific thriller should do. I really liked Katie and her dog, Cisco! The characters were interesting and well thought out.
Some of the characters grew on me and some definitely did not! But that is exactly what the author intended!
And, of course, I had my suspects lined up... Only to be proven wrong. As usual!
This the first book I've read by Jennifer Chase and I loved it! I will be reading more of her books!
About the author:
Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning author and consulting criminologist. She holds a Bachelor degree in police forensics and a Master's degree in criminology. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent sociopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells.
And it shines through in this novel!
The killer has a deadly agenda and will do anything to keep from being caught...including eliminating anyone who gets in the way.
Beautiful black German Shepherd like Katie's dog, Cisco!
He stared intently at the soil, then retrieved the pick, gripping it tight, and swung it hard against the dry, heavily compacted earth. It dented the surface, spewing chips of dirt in every direction. A few small rocks buried in the soil since the beginning of time hampered his progress, but after several more arced swings, the ground began to crumble, exposing the fresh earth.
The heavy pick was exchanged for one of the shovels. Soon there was a small pile of California soil, comprised of sand, silt, clay, and small rock. The repeated movements of dig, scoop, and deposit continued for more than forty-five minutes at a brisk pace. The hard work of manual labor didn’t deter him. It only made him more determined to create a work of genius—his ultimate masterpiece.
At last he stepped back and admired his handiwork, perspiring heavily through his shirt from the effort. Exhilaration filled his body, keeping his muscles flexed and his heart pumping hard. He leaned against the shovel, a smile forming on his lips as he waited for his pulse to return to normal, and marveled at the unmistakable outline of a freshly dug grave.
*********
Little Girls Sleeping by Jennifer Chase is a fast paced, engrossing read that will keep your heart skip a beat and your breath catch in your throat, over and over again!
From the start this book gave me the creeps and made my hair stand up on the back of my neck!
The story evoked many emotions in me, just as a terrific thriller should do. I really liked Katie and her dog, Cisco! The characters were interesting and well thought out.
Some of the characters grew on me and some definitely did not! But that is exactly what the author intended!
And, of course, I had my suspects lined up... Only to be proven wrong. As usual!
This the first book I've read by Jennifer Chase and I loved it! I will be reading more of her books!
About the author:
Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning author and consulting criminologist. She holds a Bachelor degree in police forensics and a Master's degree in criminology. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent sociopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells.
And it shines through in this novel!
June 2, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5 rounded up.
Calling all detective fiction lovers! If you love a strong female lead who just happens to be ex-military turned detective, then Little Girls Sleeping by Jennifer Chase is going to be a book you will have to read.
What it's about: Katie Scott has just come back from Afghanistan and is ready to decompress and figure out what her next steps will be. Before the army, she spent two years as a Sacramento PD patrol cop, so when her uncle who is the sheriff of Pine Valley her childhood home, asks her to help out at his office doing clerical work, she doesn't refuse. She soon finds herself sworn in as a detective after finding a killer's graveyard containing 2 little girls buried in caskets holding teddy bears. She manages to tie these girls to other missing-person's cases and realizes someone has been kidnapping the little girls of Pine Valley for some time. Then another little girl is snatched, and Katie is determined to find the killer, if she can get to him before he kills her . . .
I feel like I was led a bit astray with this book being described as 'compulsive and gripping crime fiction.' While the storyline is certainly interesting and it is definitely crime fiction, I'm not sure I would describe this as gripping, or as having a 'gasping with shock' conclusion. I wasn't really surprised by too much that happened, but I do think Chase did an excellent job throwing suspicion on multiple characters. While some people will be blow away, I just wasn't there, and I thought the ending dragged a bit. Although… the ending did have one quite shocking part that I was not expecting in the slightest.
There is definitely plenty to love about Little Girls Sleeping though! It is a very fast read and it didn't even take me 4 hours to read it. Katie is also a very strong female lead, and I loved her sarcasm and dedication. She has some PTSD from being in the army, and I think the author did an excellent job of making that real and palpable in this book. Katie is a character that you just want to love, along with her dog Cisco. I'm not personally a huge fan of German Shepherd's but they are very smart, and I loved the bond between human and dog in this novel.
Final Thought: Little Girls Sleeping is detective fiction to the max, not to mention the chilling plot with these little girls buried with teddy bears. I just wish it would have been a bit more suspenseful then it turned out, but this is a solid book that many people will enjoy. I would consider this a bit of a slow burn as well, and not necessarily super fast-paced even though it was a quick read for sure and there was lots going on especially as we get further in. I am definitely interested in reading more from this author and of course, more about Detective Katie Scott! I can't wait to see how her story continues.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
NOTE: My full blog tour post can be accessed at https://abookwormwithwine.wordpress.c...
Calling all detective fiction lovers! If you love a strong female lead who just happens to be ex-military turned detective, then Little Girls Sleeping by Jennifer Chase is going to be a book you will have to read.
What it's about: Katie Scott has just come back from Afghanistan and is ready to decompress and figure out what her next steps will be. Before the army, she spent two years as a Sacramento PD patrol cop, so when her uncle who is the sheriff of Pine Valley her childhood home, asks her to help out at his office doing clerical work, she doesn't refuse. She soon finds herself sworn in as a detective after finding a killer's graveyard containing 2 little girls buried in caskets holding teddy bears. She manages to tie these girls to other missing-person's cases and realizes someone has been kidnapping the little girls of Pine Valley for some time. Then another little girl is snatched, and Katie is determined to find the killer, if she can get to him before he kills her . . .
I feel like I was led a bit astray with this book being described as 'compulsive and gripping crime fiction.' While the storyline is certainly interesting and it is definitely crime fiction, I'm not sure I would describe this as gripping, or as having a 'gasping with shock' conclusion. I wasn't really surprised by too much that happened, but I do think Chase did an excellent job throwing suspicion on multiple characters. While some people will be blow away, I just wasn't there, and I thought the ending dragged a bit. Although… the ending did have one quite shocking part that I was not expecting in the slightest.
There is definitely plenty to love about Little Girls Sleeping though! It is a very fast read and it didn't even take me 4 hours to read it. Katie is also a very strong female lead, and I loved her sarcasm and dedication. She has some PTSD from being in the army, and I think the author did an excellent job of making that real and palpable in this book. Katie is a character that you just want to love, along with her dog Cisco. I'm not personally a huge fan of German Shepherd's but they are very smart, and I loved the bond between human and dog in this novel.
Final Thought: Little Girls Sleeping is detective fiction to the max, not to mention the chilling plot with these little girls buried with teddy bears. I just wish it would have been a bit more suspenseful then it turned out, but this is a solid book that many people will enjoy. I would consider this a bit of a slow burn as well, and not necessarily super fast-paced even though it was a quick read for sure and there was lots going on especially as we get further in. I am definitely interested in reading more from this author and of course, more about Detective Katie Scott! I can't wait to see how her story continues.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
NOTE: My full blog tour post can be accessed at https://abookwormwithwine.wordpress.c...
October 22, 2024
I was really excited to start this series and have been waiting until August ready for book 12 to be released but I was really disappointed. I think a combination of my own high hopes and also the high rating on here which I don’t understand. The ending was just utterly random and bizarre and gave nothing to the story. I am not going to read the 2nd book and hope for a better outcome, as there wouldn’t be one, I sadly won’t be finishing this series.
This book is honestly the low bar for all of my 1* reviews moving forward
This book is honestly the low bar for all of my 1* reviews moving forward
March 31, 2024
3.5 rounded up
Initially I wasn’t sure I was going to warm to Detective Katie Scott as she seemed a bit up herself. However, then I realised she had common sense and smarts whereas the lead Detective Templeton was an incompetent ***** (fill in your word of choice, I suggest one that rhymes with thick which works equally well as the other two alternatives!). The plot was interesting and the ending was very creative and I liked it.
The standout for me was Katie’s dog when she served in the military. Cisco was just fabulous and for him alone I’d read the next one.
Initially I wasn’t sure I was going to warm to Detective Katie Scott as she seemed a bit up herself. However, then I realised she had common sense and smarts whereas the lead Detective Templeton was an incompetent ***** (fill in your word of choice, I suggest one that rhymes with thick which works equally well as the other two alternatives!). The plot was interesting and the ending was very creative and I liked it.
The standout for me was Katie’s dog when she served in the military. Cisco was just fabulous and for him alone I’d read the next one.
May 29, 2019
This is the first book in the Detective Katie Scott series by international award-winning crime writer and criminologist Jennifer Chase, and boy does it start with an almighty bang. Ms Chase holds a bachelor's degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology & criminal justice which all lend authenticity and realism to the story; you can just tell that she knows the ins and outs of criminal investigation. Protagonist Katie is an intriguing character who I hope we will learn more about as the series progresses as she has a very interesting backstory. Having recently returned home from Afghanistan she is now on the case of a brutal serial killer who is murdering young girls in the local area.
It was, however, a tad predictable in parts and the killer isn't as difficult to figure out as I would've liked. There is never a dull moment with plenty of action though and the story moves at a rapid-fire pace. Katie's canine partner, Cisco, is such a fantastic part of the plot which animal lovers are sure to love with the fierce loyalty she shows towards her owner. What pushed it from a three star read to a four star was the strength of the writing, characterisation and because the parts that discussed police procedure were based firmly in reality. Certainly a promising start to the series. I look forward to the follow-up. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
It was, however, a tad predictable in parts and the killer isn't as difficult to figure out as I would've liked. There is never a dull moment with plenty of action though and the story moves at a rapid-fire pace. Katie's canine partner, Cisco, is such a fantastic part of the plot which animal lovers are sure to love with the fierce loyalty she shows towards her owner. What pushed it from a three star read to a four star was the strength of the writing, characterisation and because the parts that discussed police procedure were based firmly in reality. Certainly a promising start to the series. I look forward to the follow-up. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.
May 29, 2019
Little Girls Sleeping by Jennifer Chase... wow! What a fantastic start to what I hope will be a great new series. Katie Scott is a great character and I can see a lot of development of her character to come. And with her partner Cisco, the dog what is not to like! This story didn't not let up and you have to remember to breathe whilst reading it - the pace is quick and so much is going on all the time. I am a fan and will be back for book 2 for sure.
Katie Scott has returned home to Pine Valley, California after serving in Afghanistan. She comes home suffering terrible PTSD and anxiety and isn't really sure what she is going to do with her life. Her uncle is the town Sheriff so she goes to help out in the admIn area to keep her busy for a while. She comes across a cold case of a missing girl and spurred on by memories of her friend going missing from a summer camp 2o years earlier, she starts looking into the case. The further she digs the more she finds that this is not the only missing girl. And then she finds the makeshift graveyard and her life is suddenly in danger again, can she find this killer before more girls are taken.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
Katie Scott has returned home to Pine Valley, California after serving in Afghanistan. She comes home suffering terrible PTSD and anxiety and isn't really sure what she is going to do with her life. Her uncle is the town Sheriff so she goes to help out in the admIn area to keep her busy for a while. She comes across a cold case of a missing girl and spurred on by memories of her friend going missing from a summer camp 2o years earlier, she starts looking into the case. The further she digs the more she finds that this is not the only missing girl. And then she finds the makeshift graveyard and her life is suddenly in danger again, can she find this killer before more girls are taken.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
October 21, 2019
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 wtih 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.
April 27, 2020
First book in a a 3 book series (so far). Good strong female lead plus Cisco her German shepherd! Not a bad book, reasonable plot, but for me the pace was a little too slow. Just never quite got going. Also the ending built up nicely then went flat.
Overall not a bad book but not quite up to my expectations. I have the second book already so will read at some point, hopefully picks up.
Overall not a bad book but not quite up to my expectations. I have the second book already so will read at some point, hopefully picks up.
April 26, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC and the opportunity to provide a review for Little Girls Sleeping.
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.
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.
December 20, 2019
3.5 stars.
I'd read a couple of Jennifer Chase's earlier books from a different series and was quite unimpressed. So, for me, to get another one is unusual. But her books do garner some really good reviews so, in a moment of devil-may-care, I dived in. Yeah I know, and I've been having a break (mostly) from missing children books because there are only so many ways you can convey angst and despair and it gets really old after a while. And a bit samey.
Long story short I read this and found nothing ground-breaking in the plot. In fact I thought it was a little simplistic but was nevertheless very readable. So overall I did enjoy it. Would I read more from this author...I'm not sure about that. What I am sure of is that there is a mountain of (hopefully) good books in my queue.
I'd read a couple of Jennifer Chase's earlier books from a different series and was quite unimpressed. So, for me, to get another one is unusual. But her books do garner some really good reviews so, in a moment of devil-may-care, I dived in. Yeah I know, and I've been having a break (mostly) from missing children books because there are only so many ways you can convey angst and despair and it gets really old after a while. And a bit samey.
Long story short I read this and found nothing ground-breaking in the plot. In fact I thought it was a little simplistic but was nevertheless very readable. So overall I did enjoy it. Would I read more from this author...I'm not sure about that. What I am sure of is that there is a mountain of (hopefully) good books in my queue.
October 11, 2022
I didn't especially like Katie. A lot of the story was spent explaining her unnecessary life story and dealing with her PTSD...none of which added anything to the story of the missing little girls. The antagonist had an off-the-wall, more than crazy motive for his murderous crimes with the little girls. We read mostly from his point of view, and there were very few clues to help us guess who this nut might be. Actually, there were lots of possible suspects, the story moved along so quickly there wasn't really time to digest it all. I suppose that it's an okay beginning of a new series, but what it lacks is creditability. Katie’s background needs lots of work if we are expected to believe that she became a detective almost overnight much less a skilled crime investigator. Most of the side characters were okay although I had my doubts about Dr. Dean who fawned over Katie like she was royalty.
February 3, 2020
Little Girls Sleeping is the first book in the Detective Katie Scott series, by author Jennifer Chase. It is a solid police procedural.
Katie is coming home after two tours in Afghanistan, in a K9 explosives unit. She enrolled to find herself, and now wonders what she’ll do as a civilian. Her former position at Police Patrol of Sacramento is still open however, she decides to extend her leave to spend time in her hometown of Pine Valley, of which her father is the Sheriff. Her goal is to start slow, managing a routine easy clerical job at the sheriff’s office, until she decides what to do next with her life.
While filing cold cases, she stumbles upon an unresolved case of child abduction from four years before. Unhappy with how the investigation has been led, she decides, on her own volition, to work that case from home.
It’s not long before Katie, with the help of her discharged K9 dog Cisco, discovers the kid’s body, plus another one, entombed in an place originally non canvassed by the original investigators.
Having cracked open a serial killings case, Jennifer Chase is then promoted to detective and assigned to what’s now a serial killer task force. This, to the dismay of most of the other detectives, as she has no experience in homicide, and especially of Detective Templeton, primary on the original botched investigation, who she has just humiliated.
She’s going to have to earn the confidence of her partner, and then of all her colleagues, by showing skill, professionalism, and remaining unwavering.
This book shows us a perfect police procedural : Canvassing, knocking on doors, interviewing witnesses again, plugging holes in the initial investigation...
This work will send Det. Scott and Det Templeton on two very different lines of enquiries. This might or might no be an ego contest but, at the end of the line, the life of a newly abducted child, and more, will be in danger.
The style this book is written in is very agreeable. We don’t learn much about the characters. Katie Scott has PTSD and keeps most everything close to chest (A few pages of her « Diary » don’t help us much - and could have be done without). As for relationships and loyalties, however, those form and evolve all along the story.
For the final arc in the story, the author cranks the thrill intensity lever to 11 (this is not Hill St Blues !) which allowed me to disregard a big combo of Deus ex Machina / Lupus ex Machina leading the story to a satisfying conclusion.
Book 2 : Her Last Whisper, is already available.
Katie is coming home after two tours in Afghanistan, in a K9 explosives unit. She enrolled to find herself, and now wonders what she’ll do as a civilian. Her former position at Police Patrol of Sacramento is still open however, she decides to extend her leave to spend time in her hometown of Pine Valley, of which her father is the Sheriff. Her goal is to start slow, managing a routine easy clerical job at the sheriff’s office, until she decides what to do next with her life.
While filing cold cases, she stumbles upon an unresolved case of child abduction from four years before. Unhappy with how the investigation has been led, she decides, on her own volition, to work that case from home.
It’s not long before Katie, with the help of her discharged K9 dog Cisco, discovers the kid’s body, plus another one, entombed in an place originally non canvassed by the original investigators.
Having cracked open a serial killings case, Jennifer Chase is then promoted to detective and assigned to what’s now a serial killer task force. This, to the dismay of most of the other detectives, as she has no experience in homicide, and especially of Detective Templeton, primary on the original botched investigation, who she has just humiliated.
She’s going to have to earn the confidence of her partner, and then of all her colleagues, by showing skill, professionalism, and remaining unwavering.
This book shows us a perfect police procedural : Canvassing, knocking on doors, interviewing witnesses again, plugging holes in the initial investigation...
This work will send Det. Scott and Det Templeton on two very different lines of enquiries. This might or might no be an ego contest but, at the end of the line, the life of a newly abducted child, and more, will be in danger.
The style this book is written in is very agreeable. We don’t learn much about the characters. Katie Scott has PTSD and keeps most everything close to chest (A few pages of her « Diary » don’t help us much - and could have be done without). As for relationships and loyalties, however, those form and evolve all along the story.
For the final arc in the story, the author cranks the thrill intensity lever to 11 (this is not Hill St Blues !) which allowed me to disregard a big combo of Deus ex Machina / Lupus ex Machina leading the story to a satisfying conclusion.
Book 2 : Her Last Whisper, is already available.
May 18, 2019
Detective Katie Scott #1
Katie Scott is flying back home after serving two years in the army in Afghanistan, working with the K-9 unit. She takes a temporary job in a sheriffs office doing clerical work. She finds herself investigating the disappearance of eight year old Chelsea Compton, a old case. It reminded Katie of the disappearance and murder of her best friend Jenny, a childhood friend. It took me a few chapters before I got caught up in this story. Katie has a gritty backstory of which I hope we learn more of as the series progresses. It's quite a chilling read with lots of twists.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Jennifer Chase for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Katie Scott is flying back home after serving two years in the army in Afghanistan, working with the K-9 unit. She takes a temporary job in a sheriffs office doing clerical work. She finds herself investigating the disappearance of eight year old Chelsea Compton, a old case. It reminded Katie of the disappearance and murder of her best friend Jenny, a childhood friend. It took me a few chapters before I got caught up in this story. Katie has a gritty backstory of which I hope we learn more of as the series progresses. It's quite a chilling read with lots of twists.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Jennifer Chase for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2019
Katie Scott is back in her hometown of Pine Valley, California after serving in Afghanistan. Unsure if she wants to go back to being a police officer in Sacramento, Katie takes an admin job at her Uncle’s Sheriff’s department. Here she stumbles on a cold case of a young girl who has been missing for the past four years and reminds of her of a time when she lost a friend during her time in camp when she was a young girl. Doing her own search, she stumbles upon a makeshift grave that link back to other missing girls. But, now a killer has his sights set on Katie and will stop at nothing to get her out of the way. Will Katie solve the case before she becomes a killer’s latest victim?
Wow! What a great start to the Detective Katie Scott series by Jennifer Chase. The story is engaging and held my attention all the way through. I just could not stop reading this one at all. I stayed up well past my bedtime just so I could find out what happens and who the killer might be. Chase does an excellent job at keeping you guessing right up until the final reveal. While the story is primarily told through Katie’s perspective, we also get glimpses inside the killer’s mind and why he is killing little girls. The story behind the killings slowly unfolds and I was left quite shocked.
Katie is such a standout character. She is pulled in and made detective by her uncle even though the other detectives in the sheriff’s office were not very pleased about it and often gave her a hard time or made her the butt of all the jokes. But, Katie held her ground and stood up to those who tried to bully her into leaving. Katie is definitely not a pushover and can hold her own in any situation. She did not scare easily, but she does have a caring and vulnerable side. She also suffers from panic attacks and PTSD due to her tours in Afghanistan. I am really looking forward to learning more about Katie and it seems as if she may have one or two love interests in upcoming books in the series. Ugh! Which ever guy Katie doesn’t want I will take! HA!
Little Girls Sleeping is an unputdownable heart-stopping crime thriller that keep you reading on well past your bedtime. I am definitely looking forward to following this series and I highly recommend it if you are a fan of crime thrillers. A five star read for me.
Wow! What a great start to the Detective Katie Scott series by Jennifer Chase. The story is engaging and held my attention all the way through. I just could not stop reading this one at all. I stayed up well past my bedtime just so I could find out what happens and who the killer might be. Chase does an excellent job at keeping you guessing right up until the final reveal. While the story is primarily told through Katie’s perspective, we also get glimpses inside the killer’s mind and why he is killing little girls. The story behind the killings slowly unfolds and I was left quite shocked.
Katie is such a standout character. She is pulled in and made detective by her uncle even though the other detectives in the sheriff’s office were not very pleased about it and often gave her a hard time or made her the butt of all the jokes. But, Katie held her ground and stood up to those who tried to bully her into leaving. Katie is definitely not a pushover and can hold her own in any situation. She did not scare easily, but she does have a caring and vulnerable side. She also suffers from panic attacks and PTSD due to her tours in Afghanistan. I am really looking forward to learning more about Katie and it seems as if she may have one or two love interests in upcoming books in the series. Ugh! Which ever guy Katie doesn’t want I will take! HA!
Little Girls Sleeping is an unputdownable heart-stopping crime thriller that keep you reading on well past your bedtime. I am definitely looking forward to following this series and I highly recommend it if you are a fan of crime thrillers. A five star read for me.
June 5, 2019
Why didn't my ignorant self discover Jennifer Chase before!! While good detective thrillers are easy to come by, they hardly leave a lasting impression; great detective thrillers such as this one certainly are rare and leave a long-lasting impression. Little Girls Sleeping is the first book in the Katie Scott series. I found this book to be completely a twisty and engrossing read! Certainly a page-turner!
Detective Katie Scott, a vet back from Afghanistan is uncertain where life's heading as she goes back home Pine Valley, California. Having a lot of time on her hands she joins the local sheriff's department. When by chance she discovers 8-year old Chelsea Compton missing case files, it’s a cruel reminder of the friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Determined to get to the bottom of this case, Katie starts to investigate. The case reveals itself to be much bigger and more shocking than she feared. Hidden deep in the forest she unearths a makeshift cemetery: a row of graves, each with a brightly colored teddy bear. And then when another little girl goes missing, snatched from the park near her home, Katie knows she must act fast to save the little girls life.
This book has many twists you won't see coming - a psychological thriller in its true sense. I loved all the characters in this book. The relationship Katie shares with her dog is heartwarming! Katie is a level-headed, intelligent and driven individual. The relationship she shares with the people around her as been drawn out very well. The plot too was simply fabulous! I loved the ending - it left a few questions in my head(not a cliffhanger), but then I hope they're answered in book 2. Looking forward to more of Katie Scott!
Thank you, NetGalley, Bookouture & Jennifer Chase for an arc!
Detective Katie Scott, a vet back from Afghanistan is uncertain where life's heading as she goes back home Pine Valley, California. Having a lot of time on her hands she joins the local sheriff's department. When by chance she discovers 8-year old Chelsea Compton missing case files, it’s a cruel reminder of the friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Determined to get to the bottom of this case, Katie starts to investigate. The case reveals itself to be much bigger and more shocking than she feared. Hidden deep in the forest she unearths a makeshift cemetery: a row of graves, each with a brightly colored teddy bear. And then when another little girl goes missing, snatched from the park near her home, Katie knows she must act fast to save the little girls life.
This book has many twists you won't see coming - a psychological thriller in its true sense. I loved all the characters in this book. The relationship Katie shares with her dog is heartwarming! Katie is a level-headed, intelligent and driven individual. The relationship she shares with the people around her as been drawn out very well. The plot too was simply fabulous! I loved the ending - it left a few questions in my head(not a cliffhanger), but then I hope they're answered in book 2. Looking forward to more of Katie Scott!
Thank you, NetGalley, Bookouture & Jennifer Chase for an arc!
May 10, 2019
A good police procedural by Jennifer Chase. The book had me stuck to it literally all through the day in between my chores. The story was pretty much formulaic.
Little girls kidnapped and were never to be found. Till Katie was appointed. Katie as a war veteran and a cop was shown in a brilliant light. The entire book was from her POV. She was good in her work, she followed the clues diligently. She had great cop instincts, and she never gave up. All that made me admire her throughout the book. She managed to get to the graves of two kids. From that point on, investigation rolled on based on coroner's report and the forensics.
The story and the writing was solid. It was swift paced and at no point, did I feel my concentration lagging. My niggles did buzz into my ear at times. Katie was told to be brilliant by everyone, even people who hardly knew her. Apparently, she had the gift. More characterization of Katie and detailed backstory and reasons by the killer would have uplifted the story for me.
Overall, a great read. Had fun trying to follow the clues. And yes, I was wrong about the identity of the killer. Eager to read book 2 by this author as I would like to know where Katie's goes from here.
Little girls kidnapped and were never to be found. Till Katie was appointed. Katie as a war veteran and a cop was shown in a brilliant light. The entire book was from her POV. She was good in her work, she followed the clues diligently. She had great cop instincts, and she never gave up. All that made me admire her throughout the book. She managed to get to the graves of two kids. From that point on, investigation rolled on based on coroner's report and the forensics.
The story and the writing was solid. It was swift paced and at no point, did I feel my concentration lagging. My niggles did buzz into my ear at times. Katie was told to be brilliant by everyone, even people who hardly knew her. Apparently, she had the gift. More characterization of Katie and detailed backstory and reasons by the killer would have uplifted the story for me.
Overall, a great read. Had fun trying to follow the clues. And yes, I was wrong about the identity of the killer. Eager to read book 2 by this author as I would like to know where Katie's goes from here.
June 5, 2019
Why didn't my ignorant self discover Jennifer Chase before!! While good detective thrillers are easy to come by, they hardly leave a lasting impression; great detective thrillers such as this one certainly are rare and leave a long-lasting impression. Little Girls Sleeping is the first book in the Katie Scott series. I found this book to be a twisty and engrossing read! Certainly a page-turner!
Detective Katie Scott, back from deployment Afghanistan is uncertain where life's heading as she goes back home to Pine Valley, California. Having a lot of time on her hands she joins the local sheriff's department. When by chance she discovers 8-year old Chelsea Compton missing case files, it’s a cruel reminder of the friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Determined to get to the bottom of this case, Katie starts to investigate. The case reveals itself to be much bigger and more shocking than she feared. Hidden deep in the forest she unearths a makeshift cemetery: a row of graves, each with a brightly colored teddy bear. And then when another little girl goes missing, snatched from the park near her home, Katie knows she must act fast to save the little girls life.
This book has many twists you won't see coming - a psychological thriller in its true sense. I loved all the characters in this book. The relationship Katie shares with her dog is heartwarming! Katie is a level-headed, intelligent and driven individual. The relationship she shares with the people around her as been drawn out very well. The plot too was simply fabulous! I loved the ending - it left a few questions in my head(not a cliffhanger), but then I hope they're answered in book 2. Looking forward to more of Katie Scott!
Thank you, NetGalley, Bookouture & Jennifer Chasefor an arc!
Detective Katie Scott, back from deployment Afghanistan is uncertain where life's heading as she goes back home to Pine Valley, California. Having a lot of time on her hands she joins the local sheriff's department. When by chance she discovers 8-year old Chelsea Compton missing case files, it’s a cruel reminder of the friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Determined to get to the bottom of this case, Katie starts to investigate. The case reveals itself to be much bigger and more shocking than she feared. Hidden deep in the forest she unearths a makeshift cemetery: a row of graves, each with a brightly colored teddy bear. And then when another little girl goes missing, snatched from the park near her home, Katie knows she must act fast to save the little girls life.
This book has many twists you won't see coming - a psychological thriller in its true sense. I loved all the characters in this book. The relationship Katie shares with her dog is heartwarming! Katie is a level-headed, intelligent and driven individual. The relationship she shares with the people around her as been drawn out very well. The plot too was simply fabulous! I loved the ending - it left a few questions in my head(not a cliffhanger), but then I hope they're answered in book 2. Looking forward to more of Katie Scott!
Thank you, NetGalley, Bookouture & Jennifer Chasefor an arc!
May 29, 2019
This is a great start to a new series.
Katie has just returned from duty in Afghanistan. She has her loyal dog Cisco for company, and her Uncle has fixed up her home, ready for her return.
Katie’s Uncle, the local Sheriff, sorts her out an admin job and whilst going through some papers, she comes across a file for a cold case regarding the disappearance of a young girl who vanished on her way home four years earlier.
Intrigued by the case, Katie decides to look into this further and after searching some areas, missed by the initial investigation, she finds coffins with little girls bodies inside.
There are a few chapters from the perspective of the killer but you don’t know who it is, until they make their final dangerous move.
Katie gives this her all and so does Cisco! I loved the bond they have and also Katie’s relationship with her Uncle.
This is a great crime thriller and I look forward to reading more of this series.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Katie has just returned from duty in Afghanistan. She has her loyal dog Cisco for company, and her Uncle has fixed up her home, ready for her return.
Katie’s Uncle, the local Sheriff, sorts her out an admin job and whilst going through some papers, she comes across a file for a cold case regarding the disappearance of a young girl who vanished on her way home four years earlier.
Intrigued by the case, Katie decides to look into this further and after searching some areas, missed by the initial investigation, she finds coffins with little girls bodies inside.
There are a few chapters from the perspective of the killer but you don’t know who it is, until they make their final dangerous move.
Katie gives this her all and so does Cisco! I loved the bond they have and also Katie’s relationship with her Uncle.
This is a great crime thriller and I look forward to reading more of this series.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
May 14, 2022
Oooo what a great new detective series I'm so glad mu friend recommended I have a feeling I will get to know detective Scott very well.
June 1, 2019
My first book by this author and I loved it for different reasons. Allow me to explain.
First of all I was very pleased that the writer created a story that gave me a creepy feeling throughout the whole book. That's the way I like to feel when reading a thriller. So ten out of 10 here.
I really liked Katie. I admired her strenght and was touched by the relationship between her and her dog. I felt the love, trust and faithfullness they shared. I am an avid dog lover and that why the author gets a perfect score here was well.
Last but not least, I love police prodecurals and the author really shows us that she knows what she is talking about. Not very often you see on tv or in books that the forsensic crimonologists also take paper bags with them to put certain samples in found at the crime scene. :) It's always a joy reading a thriller with a focus on this department. I find this extremely interesting and that why I have to give the highest score once again.
In my opinion this was a very good start of a new series and the author has gained a big fan. 5 stars.
Thank you, Jennifer Chase, Bookouture and Netgalley.
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
First of all I was very pleased that the writer created a story that gave me a creepy feeling throughout the whole book. That's the way I like to feel when reading a thriller. So ten out of 10 here.
I really liked Katie. I admired her strenght and was touched by the relationship between her and her dog. I felt the love, trust and faithfullness they shared. I am an avid dog lover and that why the author gets a perfect score here was well.
Last but not least, I love police prodecurals and the author really shows us that she knows what she is talking about. Not very often you see on tv or in books that the forsensic crimonologists also take paper bags with them to put certain samples in found at the crime scene. :) It's always a joy reading a thriller with a focus on this department. I find this extremely interesting and that why I have to give the highest score once again.
In my opinion this was a very good start of a new series and the author has gained a big fan. 5 stars.
Thank you, Jennifer Chase, Bookouture and Netgalley.
https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
May 19, 2019
Based on the synopsis, it was very promising, exactly the story i would like. Unfortunately i didnt enjoy it. The writing was messy and disjointed. I struggled with the characters, I thought they lacked personality and were one dimensonial. Katie, the main character, could have been so much more given her background. While the ideas behind this book were good and had a lot of promise, the execution didnt work for me. Scenes were not linked together well and Katie didnt seem to have any real revelations, she just kept stumbling across things. Very unlikely to me. This is one series i wont be reading.
August 2, 2022
Little Girls Sleeping is a well written, tightly plotted, police procedure with an interesting protagonist. Looking forward to reading the next one in the series
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
January 29, 2024
Little Girls Sleeping was an excellent start to a mystery series following a woman newly returned from Afghanistan who joins the local police department.
After two tours in the army working as a bomb technician, Katie Scott is ready to return home to Pine Valley, California. Unsure what to do with her life now that she's a civilian, she begins helping out her uncle at the local sheriff's department. When Katie finds a file on a missing eight-year-old girl, she's reminded of her friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Determined to help in a way she couldn't as a child, Katie begins investigating Chelsea Compton's disappearance. But when she stumbles across several graves hidden in the forest, she realizes this case it bigger than she thought. After another girl goes missing, Katie is in a race to find the killer before they kill again.
Katie's character was interesting to follow as she's not an established detective at the start of the book. Prior to her tours, she worked as an officer with the Sacramento PD but when she returns home she isn't sure she wants to go back to that life. When her uncle asks her to assist with filing at the local sheriff's office while she figures things out, she jumps at the chance for something to do that's relatively low stakes. I enjoyed watching Katie reintegrate into civilian life and it's clear her time in the army changed her. She has good instincts and I liked that she didn't let anything discourage her from looking into the case of the missing girl.
Katie begins her own investigation by going over the notes of what the detectives did and figuring out what was missed. She begins searching hard to get to areas that weren't originally searched and eventually discovers a small hidden grave yard deep in the forest. From there the case escalates and Katie is officially put onto the taskforce looking into the abductions/murders. It was interesting watching her have to interact with the detectives she made look bad and I liked how she handled it. When another girl is taken, the pace really picks up and everyone is in a rush to find her before she meets the same fate as the other girls. The ending had the perfect amount of suspense to keep you guessing and I enjoyed how everything was wrapped up.
Overall Little Girls Sleeping was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series, Her Last Whisper, soon.
After two tours in the army working as a bomb technician, Katie Scott is ready to return home to Pine Valley, California. Unsure what to do with her life now that she's a civilian, she begins helping out her uncle at the local sheriff's department. When Katie finds a file on a missing eight-year-old girl, she's reminded of her friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Determined to help in a way she couldn't as a child, Katie begins investigating Chelsea Compton's disappearance. But when she stumbles across several graves hidden in the forest, she realizes this case it bigger than she thought. After another girl goes missing, Katie is in a race to find the killer before they kill again.
Katie's character was interesting to follow as she's not an established detective at the start of the book. Prior to her tours, she worked as an officer with the Sacramento PD but when she returns home she isn't sure she wants to go back to that life. When her uncle asks her to assist with filing at the local sheriff's office while she figures things out, she jumps at the chance for something to do that's relatively low stakes. I enjoyed watching Katie reintegrate into civilian life and it's clear her time in the army changed her. She has good instincts and I liked that she didn't let anything discourage her from looking into the case of the missing girl.
Katie begins her own investigation by going over the notes of what the detectives did and figuring out what was missed. She begins searching hard to get to areas that weren't originally searched and eventually discovers a small hidden grave yard deep in the forest. From there the case escalates and Katie is officially put onto the taskforce looking into the abductions/murders. It was interesting watching her have to interact with the detectives she made look bad and I liked how she handled it. When another girl is taken, the pace really picks up and everyone is in a rush to find her before she meets the same fate as the other girls. The ending had the perfect amount of suspense to keep you guessing and I enjoyed how everything was wrapped up.
Overall Little Girls Sleeping was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series, Her Last Whisper, soon.
July 20, 2019
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.
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.
May 31, 2019
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Little Girls Sleeping, the first novel to feature Detective Katie Scott of the Pine Valley, California Sheriff’s Department.
Katie has just returned home from a military tour of duty in Afghanistan and while deciding whether or not to return to Sacramento PD she takes an administration job with the Pine Valley Sheriff’s department. While there attention is caught by eight year old Cheryl Compton who disappeared four years earlier and was never found. Determined to find her Katie starts searching and discovers more than she bargained for.
I thoroughly enjoyed Little Girls Sleeping which is a lightweight police procedural that held my attention from start to finish. It is mostly narrated from Katie’s point of view with the occasional foray into the unnamed killer’s thought processes. It’s all standard stuff but there is enough action to keep the reader interested and entertained. As I said it isn’t a profound novel and serendipity plays a major role (my jaw dropped in the final action scenes) but it flies along at a fast clip with different events in every chapter making it a fun read.
Katie Scott does not have her troubles to seek. As a veteran who has seen combat she has what she calls anxiety attacks and the rest of us call PTSD and being parachuted into a serial killer investigation with little relevant experience and plenty of resentment from the other detectives doesn’t help. Despite this she is resilient, resourceful and smart and more than capable of standing her ground.
Little Girls Sleeping is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Katie has just returned home from a military tour of duty in Afghanistan and while deciding whether or not to return to Sacramento PD she takes an administration job with the Pine Valley Sheriff’s department. While there attention is caught by eight year old Cheryl Compton who disappeared four years earlier and was never found. Determined to find her Katie starts searching and discovers more than she bargained for.
I thoroughly enjoyed Little Girls Sleeping which is a lightweight police procedural that held my attention from start to finish. It is mostly narrated from Katie’s point of view with the occasional foray into the unnamed killer’s thought processes. It’s all standard stuff but there is enough action to keep the reader interested and entertained. As I said it isn’t a profound novel and serendipity plays a major role (my jaw dropped in the final action scenes) but it flies along at a fast clip with different events in every chapter making it a fun read.
Katie Scott does not have her troubles to seek. As a veteran who has seen combat she has what she calls anxiety attacks and the rest of us call PTSD and being parachuted into a serial killer investigation with little relevant experience and plenty of resentment from the other detectives doesn’t help. Despite this she is resilient, resourceful and smart and more than capable of standing her ground.
Little Girls Sleeping is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
June 1, 2019
"Capture. Protect. Sleep..."
Katie Scott returns home to Pine Valley, California, after serving as part of a K9 team with the US Army in Afghanistan. She was a former police officer with the Sacramento PD, but wasn't sure she wanted to return there. Fortunately, her uncle Wayne Scott, is the Sheriff and he is more than willing to have Katie do some admin duty at the station until she sorts herself out and makes some decisions. Almost immediately, Katie is drawn into a cold case involving a missing eight-year-old named Chelsea Compton. Though her disappearance was 4 years ago, no body had ever been found. Katie sneaks the files and as she looks through the notes she finds that not a lot of effort had been made to investigate. Katie figures she would look into this further and discovers that there are other missing girls in the area. Through painstaking search tactics, she discovers "the sleeping girls." When she's suddenly elevated to the temporary position as a Detective in Pine Valley working with a special task force, there are those on the team who aren't very happy with this development. Can they find the "Toymaker" before he collects the next girl? NO SPOILERS
OK, if you're going to start this one, prepare to sit glued to the pages until the end! This one grabbed me and never lost momentum as I raced to see if I could solve the case before Katie figured it all out. I enjoyed the setting, the writing and the characters. Katie is a very interesting young woman and her backstory provides a special history that is a bit different to most of the books in this genre with female detective protagonists. I can't wait to read more about her and will be waiting impatiently for the next book in this new series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.
Katie Scott returns home to Pine Valley, California, after serving as part of a K9 team with the US Army in Afghanistan. She was a former police officer with the Sacramento PD, but wasn't sure she wanted to return there. Fortunately, her uncle Wayne Scott, is the Sheriff and he is more than willing to have Katie do some admin duty at the station until she sorts herself out and makes some decisions. Almost immediately, Katie is drawn into a cold case involving a missing eight-year-old named Chelsea Compton. Though her disappearance was 4 years ago, no body had ever been found. Katie sneaks the files and as she looks through the notes she finds that not a lot of effort had been made to investigate. Katie figures she would look into this further and discovers that there are other missing girls in the area. Through painstaking search tactics, she discovers "the sleeping girls." When she's suddenly elevated to the temporary position as a Detective in Pine Valley working with a special task force, there are those on the team who aren't very happy with this development. Can they find the "Toymaker" before he collects the next girl? NO SPOILERS
OK, if you're going to start this one, prepare to sit glued to the pages until the end! This one grabbed me and never lost momentum as I raced to see if I could solve the case before Katie figured it all out. I enjoyed the setting, the writing and the characters. Katie is a very interesting young woman and her backstory provides a special history that is a bit different to most of the books in this genre with female detective protagonists. I can't wait to read more about her and will be waiting impatiently for the next book in this new series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.
May 2, 2022
3.5 Stars. I liked this book. I especially liked the dog Cisco and look forward to reading more of Katie and Cisco's adventures.
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