BLOG TOUR - Last Girls Alive

DESCRIPTION:

Half-buried in the muddy earth and surrounded by puddles of water lies the naked body of a beautiful young girl. Her pale skin looks like porcelain in the early morning light. Her fragile arms bent and crooked like a broken doll.

When Detective Katie Scott is called to the discovery of a young girl buried on the grounds of a former children’s home in Pine Valley, California, she’s hopeful it’s the end to a devastating cold case she’s been working on. No one has seen Candace Harlan since she ran away from Elm Hill Manor five years ago. Her death will be a tragedy, but it will also bring peace to those who miss her most. But the girl in the ground is not Candace.

The victim is almost identical to Candace in every way, but fear grips Katie as she takes in the black ink that decorates the girl’s back—a terrifying message tattooed on her skin after she drew her last breath.

Forcing down traumatic memories of losing her own parents, Katie is certain someone mistook this poor soul for Candace, and that this crumbling home for lost girls is at the heart of this terrible crime. She sets to work digging into the tragic history of the owners who lost so many children of their own and tracking down the last six residents and the staff who cared for them—but no one wants to talk, let alone remember.

The next day, as second girl’s body is found down by the creek at high water, the same words etched into her skin. Katie’s worst fear is confirmed: someone is picking off the last of the Elm Hill girls one by one. But what does the tattoo mean? And what monster would target these innocent girls who have already been through so much?

Katie must dig deep to confront her own fears and protect the vulnerable—but as the body count rises further, will there be anyone left to save?

An absolutely gripping, dark, and totally unputdownable serial killer thriller that will keep you racing through the pages all night long. Fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh will read in one sitting!  

BUY LINKS:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/36fgQok
Apple: https://apple.co/2W0Vhly
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3gHgkS1
Google: https://bit.ly/2Ck152u  

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   Last Girls Alive

Author:  Jennifer Chase

Publisher:  Bookouture

Series:  Detective Katie Scott #4

Genre:   Mystery Thrillers

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   364

Date of Publication:   October 7, 2020

My Rating:   4 Stars

Detective Katie Scott has her hands full when she begins an investigation after the body of a young girl is found. Along with being the niece of the sheriff and involved in a relationship, as well as dealing with the effects of serving tours in Afghanistan, Katie is juggling a lot of balls. Fighting off anxiety attacks with everything on her plate, while hoping to catch an elusive killer before another body is found hardly leaves Katie any time to even sleep.

Clues are difficult to follow, but things point back to a time when there was a home for wayward teen girls. What happened when those girls were in residence and how does that play into the murders happening now? Katie and partner Deputy McGaven are working feverishly to turn over any clues and interview any potential suspects all while looking for any of the other girls who were once at the home.

The killer is leaving a very specific clue. Katie and McGaven are certain that this clue is the answer to everything. Whether or not they find answers before another life is taken proves to be quite the challenge. All the while Katie is fighting her own battles and must struggle past this in order to give her all to the case at hand.

What a thrilling book and an excellent addition to this series. All while the story is focused on Katie and her investigation, the killer's point of view is peppered within certain chapters, thus pushing a chilling agenda forward while eliminating those poor girls. I felt for Katie throughout while she searched for the killer and felt her pain and the effects of PTSD. Often accompanied by her war dog Cisco, who was a strong emotional support to Katie as well as the love of firefighter boyfriend Chad offered a bit of levity to the difficult and sad story of the lives of girls being lost. 

I am a fan of police procedurals so I loved the investigative process as well as the personal moments this book offered. Suspense and danger play hand in hand in this exciting book. I love this series and am truly looking forward to the  next book in the series.  

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and best-selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. 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.

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