‘THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS PUTTING THIS BOOK DOWN!!!!!… I was literally holding my breath… I HAD TO KNOW!!!!! As for the explosive ending WOW definitely not what or who I was expecting.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 starsShe looked at the smiling, eager face of the little girl in the photograph, with dark hair, bright-green eyes, a missing front tooth, and her entire life ahead of her. Chelsea was last … her entire life ahead of her. Chelsea was last seen walking back from a friend’s house one summer afternoon. She never made it home…
An eight-year-old girl, Chelsea Compton, is missing in Pine Valley, California and for Detective Katie Scott it’s a cruel reminder of the friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Unable to shake the memories, Katie vows she won’t rest until she discovers what happened to Chelsea.
But as Katie starts to investigate – her PTSD flashbacks kept at bay with the help of her loyal ex-military dog, Cisco – the case reveals itself to be much bigger and more shocking than she feared. Deep in the forest, she unearths a makeshift cemetery: a row of graves, each with a brightly coloured teddy bear.
Tracing the silk lining the coffins, Katie links the graves to a stack of missing-persons cases involving young girls – finding a pattern no one else has managed to see. Someone in Pine Valley has been taking the town’s daughters for years, and Katie is the only one who can stop them.
And then another little girl goes missing, snatched from the park near her home…
Compulsive and gripping crime fiction for fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh. Katie Scott’s first case will have you on the edge of your seat and gasping with shock.
What readers are saying about Little Girls Sleeping:
‘I was really wowed by it… I couldn’t put the book down and was trying to read as fast as I could so I could find out who the killer was. The ending took me by surprise… I was literally gasping for air… I would definitely recommend.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Wow what an absolutely amazing fantastic read. I was hooked almost as soon as I started this book. I am still trying to pick my chin off the floor. I loved it from page one and couldn’t read the pages quick enough. I did not see the end coming… Awesome.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘If you read one police thriller this year make sure that it is this one… it will grip you from the start and will drag you into the story trying desperately to work out who the killer is but I promise you that you will not be able to figure it out.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘A great way to start a new series! It’s a wonderfully written roller-coaster ride. A must read!’ Book Obsessed Introverts, 5 stars
‘Believe me when I say that you are in for a thrilling read!… I could not put it away. Can highly recommend!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Wow!… The hairs on my head stood up with this one!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘A nail-biting thriller… I was gripped from page one, through each twist and turn… until I reached the climax which was shocking and totally unexpected.’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘It was addicting, captivating and had me reading into the night.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Truly an amazing book. The storyline flowed, the characters were engaging, and I could barely tear myself away… Highly recommended!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘I read it in one sitting and could not put it down. A real page turner.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 starsmore
The aura of suspense increasingly bumped up my anxiety, notch by excruciatingly-taut notch. The palpable tension held me in thrall. The twists made me audibly gasp with shock and awe. The fast pace of the dark, wildly-captivating plot kept me swiping the pages feverishly from beginning to end. A MUST for your TBR list!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Bookouture in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.
#LittleGirlsSleeping #NetGalley
/ 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.
“Little Girls Sleeping” (Detective Katie Scott Book 1) by Jennifer Chase. It is a great beginning to a new series, the description of this book is what made me want to read it . I haven’t read a thriller in awhile and I am glad I chose to give this a try.
The Protagonist Katie is well developed, likeable and her uncle, aunt and Chad, a childhood friend were all likeable side characters. Templeton is a jerk as he tries to undermine Katie throughout the story.
I found that the beginning was slow but half way through I couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know who the killer was. The description of the setting and crime scenes are strong and really drew me in. The ending was shocking and totally unexpected.
Highly recommended. A fabulous first book for an author I will definitely follow in the future.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
Little Girls Sleeping by author Jennifer Chase is a new series featuring Katie Scott. Katie is starting a new chapter for her life in her hometown and living in her childhood home. She is a bit nervous because she feels caught between two worlds, civilian and military since her return from serving with a K-9 unit in Afghanistan. Her Uncle Wayne is the sheriff in Pine Valley and has offered her a position working with cold cases. He also petitioned for her K-9 partner Cisco to be released to her as a companion. Katie’s attention for details and her ability to use all her senses as she searches outdoor terrain soon leads her into a serial killers lair. Jennifer Chase has developed another strong female character to bring her readers hours of suspenseful enjoyment!
This really was a page turner. There were a few loose ends, but overall it was a very enjoyable read.
Little Girls Sleeping gives us both a police procedural and a inside look at a army veteran just returning home who is dealing with both PTSD along with readjusting to civilian life. I thought the author did a great job is showing how hard it is to reenter civilian life. Katie was part of a K9 bomb unit and as we’ve seen in real life she got “custody” of her dog Cisco as he was also released from combat.
When Katie Scott left California for the Army she had been working for the Sacramento Police Department. Upon her return part of her is broken and forever changed and doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. For the interim she agrees to work in an admin capacity for her Uncle who is sheriff of Pine Valley. It’s here that she comes across a cold case of a missing 8 year old and decides to work on it on her own. Her inquires bring her under the radar of the killer and the detective who worked the case previously and neither are happy with her nosing around.
There were some oddities with the writing that I hope improve with the next books in the series as the bones of the series/characters were good.
Nicely done, kind of different, easy read, great story.
Couldn’t put this one down. Fantastic storyline that keeps you guessing
Great
Looking for a strong female lead in a crime fiction? Meet Katie Scott.. a woman who was a police patrol officer for 2 years before joining the military as a K-9 handler of bomb-sniffing dogs. She suffers from PTSD and along with her dog, Cisco, is trying to figure out what to do next with her life.
Her uncle, a Sheriff in her small hometown has offered Katie a desk job within the force and she happily accepts. All goes well until she stumbles onto a cold case. Four years ago, an eight-year-old girl disappeared and has never been seen since. The little girl reminds Katie of her own childhood friend who disappeared from summer camp more than twenty years ago.
On her own, Katie begins to investigate and with a lot of thought and using her incredible mind, finds the body of the missing child.
That is the good news. The bad news is that there is a second body found. The girls are both in handmade coffins, dressed in a very pretty dress, and holding a sweet teddy bear.
Katie is fighting against the lead detective who first investigated the disappearance, a man who absolutely hates the fact that the rookie .. who isn’t even a detective… has shown him to be inept at his job. She has also found a link to a few more disappearances.
She knows there’s a serial killer out there, who has been killing for years with no one any wiser. And the closer she gets to the truth .. the more danger she faces.
Someone has eyes on Katie and will stop her investigation any way they can.
This is a well-written crime mystery fiction with plenty of twists and turns and characters that kept me riveted to the story line. Katie is a terrific character … she’s strong, independent, and doesn’t scare easily. The secondary characters are also finely drawn and credible.
This is the beginning of a series and the reader learns a lot about Katie’s backstory … her time in the military and how if affects her today. There are also chapters where the killer’s thoughts are out there without hint of who he is. Cisco is one of my favorites … a well trained German Shepard with a personality.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own. I look forward to reading the next offering in this series.
This was an absolutely fantastic start to a new series that I can’t wait to read more of!
Katie Scott is a young woman who has recently returned to the United States following a deployment to Afghanistan. She had previously served as a patrol officer for the Sacramento Police Department and isn’t quite sure if she wants to return to that job or remain in her childhood hometown to work for her uncle in the Pine Valley Sheriff’s Office. Katie is an incredibly well developed character. She is likeable, strong-willed, and vulnerable enough to make her even more relatable to readers. Having served in the military myself and dealing with anxiety and PTSD, I greatly appreciated the level of authenticity presented throughout the story. There was never a moment when I didn’t believe or empathize with Katie’s struggles to cope with her previous experiences. Her emotions are so honestly expressed that readers can’t help but relate to her circumstances and condition. Katie’s character spoke highly in regards to the author’s level of research and the advisers she consulted in creating an authentic work of fiction that could be enjoyed by laymen as well as providing the representation that service members and law enforcement officials greatly appreciate seeing reflected across all media formats.
Fast-paced chapters kept the tension and suspense mounting until the very end. I especially enjoyed the moments when the narrative switched to the killer’s perspective. The creep factor was turned way up with this character! These multiple points of view created an enlightening and entertaining way to examine both the good and bad forces surrounding crime.
Katie’s work in the Army as an explosives detection dog handler introduces readers to her dog Cisco, who served alongside her in Afghanistan and is now retired. Their bond is beautiful to read about and highlights the exceptional and important work dogs provide to humans.
I continue to be such a fan of how the author uses her experience in criminology to craft such compelling cases and characters from aspects of both the investigative and criminal sides of law enforcement. The use of forensics and profiling make this a riveting read that will satisfy any fan of true crime or crime thrillers. Her books are completely underrated and an absolute steal for the quality of writing she delivers every time!
High expectations have been set for this series, and I will definitely be waiting with anticipation for the next installment!
If Little Girls Sleeping is the first book in a new series by Jennifer Chase, I’m definitely looking forward to the second. Katie Scott arrives home to Pine Valley, having returned from Afghanistan. Suffering from PTSD and anxiety, she is fighting her own internal battles and is fortunate to have a service dog call Cisco. A trusted friend and faithful companion. Her uncle Wayne, who is the sheriff in Pine Valley offers her a job in his department filing cold cases, when she stumbles across the case of Chelsea Compton, an 8-year old girl who went missing over four years ago. Knowing from personal experience what it must be like to lose a school friend in this way, she can’t help secretly investigating the case of a brutal serial killer, which unsurprisingly makes for a few enemies along the way.
My thoughts: Although I torpedoed through this book a little too fast, I was able to pick up plenty of detail. There are some wonderfully well drawn characters in this police procedural book. Cisco, of course, being my favorite. All dog-lovers will look forward to meet such a faithful and resourceful explosives K9 and the bond between the two is palpable. Templeton is such a jerk but you always get one, don’t you? Our protagonist, Katie – ex military and now a detective – comes with all the flaws we tend to see in Detective novels, severe anxiety being one of them. But she’s got the right background when you consider law enforcement to be one step away from the paramilitary with all the training that goes with it. So she’s a natural. The antagonist, on the other hand, is clearly threatened by her expertise and gut and these chapters are cleverly woven through the story adding pace and a deeper context to the narrative. There is a plethora of forensic language to beef up the overall ‘feel’ of the book – and twists and turns that will leave you shuddering in your boots. With the author’s background in criminology, it adds an extra layer to the plot which I appreciated at the outset.
Summary: You always struggle watching determined female detectives being picked on in such a male dominated environment, especially those who feel she’s a threat. I always place my bets with the underdog and so it was a relief to see Katie finally getting the recognition she deserved. I thought the writing was strong and I will look forward to seeing the development of the character arc in future episodes. Highly recommended if you enjoy the Detectives Kane and Alton series by D.K. Hood also published by Bookouture.
There were aspects of Little Girls Sleeping that I really enjoyed. The main character, Katie Scott, is a former policeman, recent war veteran and now a Police Detective in her home town. She is strong, intelligent, kind and insightful, which allows her to be able to investigate aspects of missing children’s cases that have previously been overlooked. Cisco, her German Shepherd from the war zone, has been allowed to return home with Katie, through the efforts of her uncle, Sheriff Scott.. Their relationship is probably my favorite part of the book.
Unfortunately, not much background information or character development is made for other characters. There are references to things that happened and relationships from the past, but very little information is given. Since I like to absorb as much as possible about characters in a story this was a disappointment to me. However, Little Girls Slleping is meant to be the first in a new series by Jennifer Chase. As I liked Detective Scott very much, I will definitely read the next in the series. Hopefully, some of my questions will be answered then. Many thanks to the au th gir, the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book was so much more than I expected. Katie has just come back to her home town from Afghanistan after serving 2 years in the military. Prior to that, she was a police officer and now has to decide what direction her life will take. She is helping out with the local sheriff’s department at the suggestion of her uncle who happens to be sheriff. He pulled some strings before she came back home and surprised her with her K-9 partner, Cisco, an amazing German Shepherd. As she finds herself with extra time while doing her temp work, she begins looking into a cold case of a missing girl who reminds her of her childhood camp mate who was killed in a family tragedy. That has haunted her her whole life and pushes her to involve herself in this cold case. Before she knows it, she’s thrust deep into the investigation with the detectives and racing to find the killer of what they discover to be multiple little girls.
The story moves a long at a good pace with a fascinating amount of detail as to how Katie uses her military training to investigate. I loved reading her interactions with Cisco and learning how these dogs are trained and how they assist their human partners. Too bad the humans she interacts with are not as engaging, but they are realistic, especially the condescending officers who believe it’s only because of her uncle’s status that she has any success. I really hope that there are further stories to come with these characters, as this book sets a good foundation for a brand new series. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for Katie and Cisco!
I’m not sure which enticed me more, the title or the blurb of this one. Either way, I had to read it. Sadly, those two things were the best of it for me. Between that little extra added to the title and the blurb, I was promised a gripping and compulsive crime thriller that would have me gasping in shock. I was none of those. I expected and even hoped for a story that would have me checking the doors at night to make sure they’re locked. We do get some chapters from the killer’s perspective, and they were promising, but the whole thing together just doesn’t deliver on the thrills that should come with a thriller of any kind. There is mystery and what I would consider crime drama, but the story is choppy and even after reaching the end, I didn’t feel any real connection to any of the characters. This is the first in the series, so maybe the author plans on giving us more insight and development of Katie’s character as the series progresses, but I didn’t find enough here to entice me to go further.
Katie Scott, former soldier and police officer, has left the military and returned home to Pine Valley. Her uncle, Wayne Scott, the sheriff of Pine Valley has offered her a job at the department until she decides what she wants to do. While overseas, Katie worked with K9 Cisco, uncovering explosives and her uncle has “pulled strings” to reunite her with Cisco. A young girl has been missing for several years and while filing cold cases, Katie sees areas in the paperwork that she feels could be reexamined. With Cisco’s help, she continues to search areas where the girl was last seen. When she accidentally slips down a steep-slope she is near what looks like a tunnel. What she discovers will blow the case wide open…she has found a hidden cemetery. After her discovery, her uncle swears her in as a detective and assigns her to assist with what is now a homicide investigation. An amazing beginning to a new series by Ms. Chase. I look forward to more stories about this strong, capable woman who through her military and police training relied on dedicated police work as well as gut feelings to solve the case. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)