In “Count Their Graves,” Jennifer Chase presents yet another thrilling and suspense-filled police procedural. Fan of the series will once again join Detective Katie Scott in her race against the clock to stop a serial killer before he claims another victim. Brace yourself for an enthralling and page-turning addition to the series.
Title: Count Their Graves
A wind chime sways a sweet melody above several pairs of shoes neatly laid out on the welcome two large pairs, and three small. On the doorframe, a perfect crimson handprint, the color of blood… Out on her morning run, Detective Katie Scott is stopped in her tracks when her service dog, Cisco, alerts her to something. Weaving through the towering pine trees, Katie is horrified to find a little girl alone in the woods, dressed in a white nightgown. The child sobs into Katie’s arms. She’s unharmed, but clearly traumatized. Scooping her up, Katie follows the trail to a large farmhouse. But what she finds there rips the air from her one, two, three, four bodies laid out side by side, all in matching pajamas. The Banks family were attacked in their sleep, but how had the little girl trembling in Katie’s arms escaped with her life? What twisted monster would do such a thing, and why leave no trace but a single bloody handprint on the doorframe? Katie makes a vow to find answers for this sweet child who has lost everything and everyone. Working night and day to piece together why this innocent family were targeted, Katie thinks she has her first lead when she discovers the family were under witness protection. Had they seen something they shouldn’t? Was the aim to silence them forever? Questions are still spinning in Katie’s mind when another family is discovered dead in their beds on the other side of Pine Valley. With the entire department stretched to breaking point with an unprecedented body count and trace evidence stacking up, it’s going to take everything Katie has to track this twisted killer down. But as she closes-in on her target, it’s clear someone close to Katie is keeping a deadly secret. How many more innocent lives will be lost before she can bring them to justice? A completely pluse-pounding crime thriller for fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh that will have you racing through pages all night long. Prepare to start sleeping with the lights on after tearing through this gripping thriller from USA Today and Amazon bestseller Jennifer Chase! I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Author(s): Jennifer Chase
Series: Detective Katie Scott #12
Also in this series: The Fragile Ones , Pretty Broken Dolls , Her Dying Kiss , The First Girl
Published by Bookouture on August 30, 2024
Pages: 362
Genre(s): Crime Fiction
Source: Netgalley
Format: eArc
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
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Katie Scott and her partner, Sean McGaven, are exceptional cold case detectives with the Pine Valley Police Department. Recent events, however, have resulted in their reassignment to an active case—the murder of a family, with a four-year-old as the sole survivor. With the killer leaving no trace evidence, Katie recognizes that solving this case will require significant effort. As they delve into uncovering the motive and identifying the perpetrator, another family falls victim to murder, and the surviving child, a young girl, has disappeared.
The story captivated me from the start. Even though I had a suspicion about the killer’s identity, it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the tale. On the contrary, it compelled me to keep turning the pages, eager to discover if my hunch was right. Moreover, I was anxious to find out when Katie would piece everything together.
Readers not only witness Katie in her professional role but also gain insight into her personal life. Observing her juggle professional duties with personal challenges makes her character more relatable. In this installment, readers share in her attempts to solve this latest case amidst dealing with a broken heart, while grappling with PTSD from her past military service.
Count The Graves was another great addition to the Detective Katie Scott series. I will be patiently waiting to see what’s next in store for Katie and her team.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2024 COYER Summer Challenge
- 2024 Netgalley and Edelweiss