Like a precious doll, the girl leans against the towering pine tree with her long bare legs stretched out and her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her head tilts towards the sky, but this innocent child will never feel the warm glow of morning sun again; her fragile little body is cold, her tender heart is still.

When Detective Katie Scott receives a plea from neighboring Coldwater Creek to help with a tragic murder, she doesn’t hesitate. Fifteen-year-old Ivy Miller’s naked body was found tied to a tree, a freshly inked pink rose tattoo on her arm. The word “MORE” carved into her back means sweet Ivy could be the first of many…

Katie’s heart aches for the young girl whose life ended before it had even begun. But she has her work cut out with the inexperienced police department fumbling the case at every turn. There hasn’t been a murder in this small town for as long as anyone can remember, but why will none of the locals cooperate? Katie’s only lead is a blurry photograph of Ivy’s long-missing mother found in Ivy’s bedroom. If she can find out where it was taken, Katie knows she’ll have the first clue in a mystery that has been haunting Coldwater Creek for years.

But Katie’s world crashes down when Ivy’s two best friends are found murdered in the same woods days later. Inked with the same pretty flower, the rose girls were keeping a deadly secret. Katie will never forgive herself for not making the connection in time. As mothers cling to their daughters, terrified to let them out of their sight, Katie’s search leads her to an abandoned building deep in the forest where the last photo of Ivy’s mother was taken. But will she survive long enough to stop more heart-shattering tragedies?

A totally nail-biting, keep-you-up-all-night crime thriller from a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author. Prepare to pick your jaw up from the floor at that final twist! Fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh will be absolutely gripped!

Amazon

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.

Instagram

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Jennifer Chase here

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love here

My thoughts: this was so good. A terrible murder of a teenage girl, a town full of secrets, Katie and Gav on the scene as their car breaks down, world’s best canine officer Cisco finding important clues, it’s all here.

Utilising her extensive knowledge of forensics, k9 training criminology and basically all round awesome skills, Jennifer Chase has once again created a totally gripping, terrifying and intriguing case for some of my favourite fictional cops to solve.

Small towns can be creepy, everyone knows everyone, secrets fester below the surface and outsiders get little response. Which makes solving the series of murders and disappearances in this small town harder than it needs to be. The few people willing to help will only go so far, for their own safety mostly, and warning off Katie makes her more determined to stay put.

Luckily she and Gav have excellent back up and skills their enemies don’t know about. Also Cisco. Who is my favourite character, he’s so good.

Cannot wait for book 10, this series just gets better and better.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

The shocking murder of a heavily pregnant woman throws the New Zealand city of Dunedin into a tailspin, and the devastating crime feels uncomfortably close to home for Detective Sam Shephard as she counts down the days to her own maternity leave.

Confined to a desk job in the department, Sam must find the missing link between this brutal crime and a string of cases involving mothers and children in the past. As the pieces start to come together and the realisation dawns that the killer’s actions are escalating, drastic measures must be taken to prevent more tragedy.

For Sam, the case becomes personal, when it becomes increasingly clear that she is no longer safe, and the clock is ticking…

Vanda Symon lives in Dunedin, New Zealand. As well as being a crime writer, she has a PhD in science communication and is a researcher at the Centre for Pacific Health at the University of Otago. Overkill was shortlisted for the 2019 CWA John Creasey Debut Dagger Award and she is a four-time finalist for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel for her critically acclaimed Sam Shephard series. The fourth in the series, Bound, was shortlisted for a Barry Award. Vanda produces and hosts Write On, a monthly radio show focusing on the world of books at Otago Access Radio. When she isn’t working or writing, Vanda can be found in the garden, or on the business end of a fencing foil.

My thoughts: Vanda Symon is back, Sam Shepherd is back, but not for long. Maternity leave calls for the detective, but she’s determined to solve this awful case first. Because babies always stick to the timetable.

A murdered woman, her unborn baby taken from her body, rocks the New Zealand Town of Dunedin – it’s so horrific most people can’t imagine it. The hunt for the baby is key, but so is finding the killer.

Sam, up against her terrible boss as usual, refuses to accept desk duty and sets about investigating who would want to take a newborn. A desperate woman? Stolen to order or something far sadder but also something that could have been avoided.

Without giving much away, I actually immediately knew why once a few key bits of info fell into place, and it is heartbreakingly sad. I used to work in a DNA blood typing lab and yeah, this needs to be something that’s done every time. DM on Twitter to discuss once you’ve read it if you like. Drawing on her scientific background, Symon has once again crafted a clever, intense, compelling read.

Hopefully Sam and baby will enjoy their time off, there’s a great nursery nearby and Sam will be back with more cases soon.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.