Last Girls Alive (Detective Katie Scott Book 4) is part of a series so it's worth reading them all, but it works perfectly well as standalone. Has a really strong plot that keeps you guessing and wanting to read more so you see what happens next.

4/5 Stars!

I love the premise of this series - cold cases that get suddenly hot, thanks to a rogue cop and her friends and family who will support her along the way. And Katie is a really great main character who is someone you can root for; she’s kind and well-meaning, but sometimes she makes mistakes, and she owns up to it.

The main mystery is really interesting and has many layers. There’s the ties to the mansion and the historic implications, which are really interesting; then there’s the mystery involving the modern murders of the girls tied to the mansion; on top of all of that, there’s the creepy words carved into the girls which seem to have significance, but it isn’t readily apparent. It all fits together one how, but it’s figuring out how.

And I didn’t guess it all! It was quite a twist that had me picking my jaw up off the floor! I had some theories, but wasn’t right about anything in the end – and there’s a couple of good twists in there.

I’m still warming up to Katie and Chad’s relationship, but I’ll tune in to see more of where that goes from here.

I love this series, and I’m excited to see it continue. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment!

This is a police procedural, and the 4th book in a series, though you will not be lost if you don't read the others. It centers on Katie, who is a detective working cold cases in CA, and chased by her own ghosts from her 2 military tours. This story centers on the body of a young woman that is found on the grounds of an old mansion that is getting ready to be torn down- in investigating the case, Katie and her partner find that someone has a vendetta against the girls that lived in the mansion when it was a foster home for girls.

This was a decent story and a pretty straightforward police procedural, though I think the author could have done a better job helping the readers get to know the characters. While Katie was scrappy and likeable and there was some time spent on her personal story, I didn't get much on the victims or the other secondary characters and I think I would have cared about the story more if I had had that. When the villain is revealed, I also wish I had a little more of that person's backstory in order to understand their intentions.

I read an advanced copy so likely this was fixed later, but early in the book it described the mansion as having "2,000 square feet of livable space". Obviously this was a typo, as that is not very much space and the rest of the book regularly calls out how vastly huge the house is. I had trouble getting past this as I kept trying to decide how big it really was. 12,000, or 20,000 maybe? I'll have to read the final version to find out!

Overall, decent book but lack of characterization and intentions dulled it a bit for me. I liked Katie overall, though, and would be interested in reading another book about her. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been exciting to “watch” Detective Katie Scott grow and evolve over time. After the events of Flowers on Her Grave, I was wondering if the author was going to switch gears and ease up on Katie a little bit.

Spoiler alert: Nope.

You can expect the same solid investigating from Katie and her cold case partner, McGaven. They’ve worked together long enough that they are more familiar with each other’s tells and habits. I like the way the author has allowed these two to grow to understand each other better. That’s how true law enforcement evolve in partnerships.

Katie has also made progress in dealing with her PTSD. Part of that comes from her sessions with a therapist, but also from learning how to rely on the people around her, like McGaven and Chad, her boyfriend. She’s even made some progress with him as well, pondering a future – where she used to totally shut it down.

Her job takes a twist with the appointment of a new undersheriff (Dorothy Sullivan) who makes it clear that she will be watching Katie and could suspend Katie at any moment if she steps out of line or doesn’t go by the book.
I thought this addition to the cast of characters was good, because Dorothy made a big deal about “women sticking together” while issuing the threat to Katie (at least that’s how I took it). This sets up for potential conflict in future books.

That threat might be necessary, because Katie still likes pulse-pounding risks (one scene in a storage container was particularly well-done). I found it telling that even as Katie still has panic attacks and is working through her PTSD, she still relies on the military training sometimes to the point of recklessness.

The case itself is unique, dealing with an old mansion that was once a home for teenage girls in foster care. When a couple of the girls turn up dead, including one who may be a missing person from five years prior, Katie and McGaven are given the case to connect the MisPer to the current deaths.

As with previous books, the investigation is solid, and the details of law enforcement investigation are fairly accurate. But the author still has a tendency to drop a few red herrings that are later tossed off as an aside or “we won’t ever know for sure.” That bothers me, because they often seem like bigger clues and to have them dismissed so easily seems manipulative.

I will also say that with this one, I felt like the plot got lost a little bit. It was the first book in the series where I didn’t think there was a purpose TO the investigation. I mean, I know it was the dead girls turning up, but there were a few twists that seemed to be thrown in randomly, and there were ties that could have been made that weren’t.

At times it seemed like various plot points, while intriguing, were disconnected and never gelled into the resolution. The more I think about it, it seems like missed opportunities.

That being said, I do like Katie and I definitely want to see how she reacts under Dorothy’s scrutiny. With the progress she has made, it will be interesting to see what Katie does next, and I look forward to reading about it!

The story starts by introducing Candace and Tanis on an attempt to break out of the children’s home they live in. Tanis comes to the realisation that she can’t leave- so Candace goes, and she stays.

Flash forward five years and a construction company are demolishing the former children’s home, when suddenly workmen find the body of a young girl in the midst of their site, with a strange message carved into her back.

The police believe it to be that of Candace Harlan, who was reported missing five years ago. However a mortician reveals using dental records the victim is not Candace who is still then deemed to be a missing person. And the Jane Doe is just that.

Another body of a young girl is found, with the same message on her back. What does it mean?! Who is doing this?

The mortician reveals that the first body is obviously not Candace, but is that of her twin sister!

The race is on to find Candace Harlan and the rest of the former residents of Elm Hill House before it’s too late, and there are more victims!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC

This is a 4th book in the Detective Katie Scott series. Katie lives with her pet dog Cisco, in Pine Valley, California. The story starts with the discovery of the body of a young girl at during the demolition of a mansion, which used to be a home foster for kids. Just when they identify the girl, another body turns up. Katie knows that they have to find the killer soon before he kills more girls.
Since this is a series, the main characters have a back story which is inter woven in this story as well.

At times the pace was a bit slow. Overall a police procedural, if one likes this genre.

Last Girls Alive is the fourth instalment in the Detective Katie Scott series, set in Pine Valley, California. Army veteran turned cold case Detective Katie Scott is still trying to live with her PTSD caused by the experiences she had as a bomb disposal expert on multiple tours of Afghanistan with her faithful companion, German Shepherd, Cisco, by her side, who is now part of the K-9 unit. Katie and partner, Deputy Sean McGaven, are called out to Elm Hill Manor, the location of a former girls home, when contractors excavating the neglected site in order to turn it into a luxury housing development discover the body of a young woman buried in a pit and the foreman immediately shuts down operations. Katie assumes that the body is that of runaway teen, Candace Harlan, who lived at the home and went missing five years ago never to be seen again. The Manor was last used a few years ago to house wayward, troubled teens and foster children. The medical examiner soon alerts them that the victim is not Candace but her sister Carol. The killer left a unique calling card on the victim's body; the Italian phrase ’raccoglitore di cacciatori’ meaning ’hunter-gatherer’. Then the next day another body, carrying the same markings, is discovered...

This is a well-crafted, pacey thriller with some exciting and tense moments throughout as Katie homes in on a killer who is seriously twisted and psychotic. As it is told primarily from Katie's perspective, with only a few chapters from the unidentified killer's childhood, it allows you to easily and quickly immerse yourself in the plot making everything a lot more enjoyable as there is little switching between characters which can often complicate things. There's plenty of action and suspense and the fact that Ms Chase holds a bachelor's degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology & criminal justice 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 is really struggling to deal with her PTSD as it threatens to overwhelm her. There is never a dull moment, and 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. There are plenty of twists and turns and all in all, this is a highly entertaining and absorbing series addition with a very satisfying conclusion. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

I really enjoyed reading The Last Girl Alive! This is the first book I have read in this series, and I definitely want to read the others.. Katie is an Army Vet turned cop in the cold case unit. She is stubborn, and determined to do whatever she needs to do to help her case. Last Girl Alive is the perfect amount of thriller/suspense with both serious and lighthearted moments.. and how much to I love her dog Cisco, who was with her in the army.. I mean who doesnt love a canine sidekick?
This case had me on the edge of my seat from the moment the body was found until the very end.. Throughout the whole story I had no idea who the bad guy was, or what was going to happen next, and when it was finally revealed I was super suprised as I had not even suspected this person.
I can't wait to read more from this series, and this author..

This is the first book that I have read in this series and I really enjoyed it. Katie is a great character with a lot of determination. Her back story is interesting. The plot is really good and I liked how everything is revealed. I would like to read the rest of the series and I hope there are more books to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for granting me an ARC of this book! This review is based secretly on my honest opinion,

While dismantling a house, known as Elms Hills Manor where the house use to host five foster girls, the contractors discovers a body of a girl in a pit. Detective Kate Scott along with her partner McGraven was called at the site. The girl's name was Carol Harlan who happened to be the sister of Candance Harlan, the girl who was reported missing five years ago, from Elms Hills Manor. Then a body of another girl, Mary Rodriguez was discovered as well and she also used to live in Elms Hills Manor. Kate Scott must find the killer before she is too late and need to find the meaning of the mysterious Italian meaning that was embodied on the backs of the victims' bodies...

This is the first time I have read the book from this author and the first book I have read from Detective Kate Scott series, but luckily, this book is not a continuation. The writing was good and the author did a good job making the reader engrossed into the story. I was so hooked into the story that I really wanted to know who the killer is. This is actually a fast paced thriller and quiet a page turner as well. Not much twists and turns but nonetheless, it was not boring at all and made the reader hooked into the story. The ending was good.

Overall I enjoyed this book and this book worth four stars!

The dead body of a young girl is found, partially buried in muddy waters at a construction site. But this is only the first one in a series of murders, all young girls, with a message carved in ink on their backs by the murderer.

Even though this is book 4 of a series, I could resist jumping in on this one after reading the blurb. It did not live up to the expectations sadly, but that’s probably just me, I guess I’ve read too many thrillers. Lol. It just did not turn out to be the gripping page-turner I was anticipating. This is a straightforward police procedural, with the story focused more on the detective’s life and her relationships, work and personal, which was heartwarming to read nevertheless, but that's not something I'm looking for in a thriller.

That said, it did keep me turning the pages to get to the end and find out who the murderer was, despite the frequent lulls in the story. I think the plot was great, and it could have been better if the atmosphere of the story was a bit more tense and gritty to suit the plot. I really enjoyed the part about the detective's war dog though, and the mentions of specific German commands for it.

Thanks to Netgalley, author, and publishers for the eARC in exchange for the honest review.

Another twisted cold case for Detective Katie Scott and her partner, Deputy Sean McGaven. A woman, who has been missing for five years, has been found half buried in the mud at a former home for troubled teens. Upon identification by the medical examiner they learn that this is not the woman who has been missing. Soon another woman’s body, killed and marked in the same manner, is found during an excavation at the site. Now they have two woman who lived at the home when they were teens. The home had been shut down years ago, but now the race is on to find the murderer and track down the other girls who were living at the home. Katie is a former military explosives handler who lives with her detection dog Cisco. She is still dealing with her PTSD and soon realizes that someone is stalking her. Will Katie and Sean find the murderer before they can kill again? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

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.

Elm Hill Mansion used to be a family home, then it was a home for foster children and now it is a shell, waiting for its final ignominy, demolition. That is before a shout alerts the foreman and he knows to shut the site down immediately; a body has been found, a young girl the age of the last residents who lived there just two years earlier.

Detective Katie Scott works cold cases with partner Deputy Sean McGaven and they are looking for a missing girl who ran off one night, from Elm Hill, never to be seen again. The following day another girl is found who is also linked to the children's home and Katie finds herself working a double murder while still grieving a close personal loss just a few months earlier.

Stressed to the max, with her PTSD trying to control her once again, and a new undersheriff watching her every move, Katie has to work fast to prevent more deaths whilst giving no one any excuses to relieve her of duty. Then another girl disappears.

This was an excellent read which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had no idea who was responsible for the deaths and found the whole storyline enthralling from the start. Katie is a great main protagonist and is ably supported by both colleagues and family in this great series. For the most part though they took more of a back seat this time with the secondary focus being on her relationships with partner McGaven and boyfriend, Chad.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys this author's work or likes well written crime novels. I hope there is more to come from Katie in the near future.

Love these characters,especially Cisco. A complex thriller with lots of twists and turns which kept me engrossed to the end. A great read.

This was a solid, if not terribly exciting, police procedural set in the US. I enjoyed reading about the familiar characters but was disappointed in the ending. I thought it was a bit rushed and she didn't really explain why the killer was committing these crimes. However, this probably won't deter me from the next book in the series.

A new Luxury housing development starts by excavating the site of a former girl’s home and when a body is found, they assume at first that it is the body of runaway teenager Candace Harlan. On her back are carved the words ‘raccoglitorre di cacciatori’, Italian for ‘hunter-gatherer’. But the body is just a few months old. Why would she return to a place that she ran away from? Because this is clearly a cold case, detective Katie Scott and deputy Sean Mc Gaven get to investigate this strange discovery, even when it turns out that the victim is not Candace but her sister. Detective Hamilton who was the lead detective in the murder of her aunt makes up with her and they have to work together when another girl that lived in the home is found murdered with the same markings. There are several leads and just as many red herrings that complicate the investigation. On top of all this, there’s a new undersheriff who has her eye firmly on Katie.

Katie still struggles with her anxiety and PTSD but sees a psychologist who helps her cope with this. The problem has the unpleasant habit to pop up at the worst possible times. She’s also in trouble for her lack of procedure and endangerment during the previous case. If you haven’t read the previous book, it may be a little difficult to place those events but for the rest, you can read this as a standalone. What’s nice is to see how Katie and Mc Gaven bond and have each other’s back when sometimes they have to rely heavily on the other.
Something I think strange is how Katie is always referred to by her first name, but Sean and the other male persons are called by their surname. I don’t know why this is done, is that a language rule or a social concept? Enlighten me please, if you can.
The story is filled with suspense and repeated danger and I thought it better than the last previous book. It’s an excellent police procedural and whodunit. The story is entertaining and engaging. I couldn’t guess the perpetrator this time. Most characters are easy to like and Cisco plays a major role in this volume. That’s something I like. The author has clearly thought about issues as the mental condition of working dogs that are retired. In my own experience, dogs do enjoy to work, regardless if they’re sniffer-, guard-, busking, or sheepdogs. I can imagine very easily that they miss their job when they’re pensioned off.
I thank Netgalley and Bookouture for the free ARC they provided me with and this is my unbiased, honest review of it.

I am back with the Pine Valley Police Department and I could not be happier. Detective Katie Scott and her partner Deputy Sean McGaven head up the cold case unit. A naked body of a young woman has been unearthed near the ruins of a former home for wayward girls. Katie and her partner are shocked to find that the body is not who they thought it was. Another body is found with the same MO and each has had words carved into their backs in Italian.
I love this series Katie ex army bomb disposal unit with her four legged partner Cisco a German shepherd dog who is now part of the K9 unit . Katie can be overeager, feisty and good at her job. Trouble always seems to find her and she never backs down. Another page turner from this author and almost five stars.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review

To be honest, I was a bit conflicted about this book. I have read books 2 and 3 in the series and really enjoyed both. This one, however, came up a bit short somehow and I can't quite put my finger on it.

Katie Scott is a dedicated detective who works with Sean McGaven, an equally dedicated police officer, and together they make a formidable team. They are also good friends, which helps (and also hinders, when they get into trouble) but I really like the dynamic between them. I also loved the relationship Katie has with Cisco, her dog. I found the references to her previous career in the Army and the issues she has with PTSD quite interesting to read about.

The case of the girls from Elm Hill Manor is a concerning one and I found myself wondering how it was all going to go. Most of the storyline concerning this case was good, but the revelation of who the murderer was, felt a bit rushed. A bit of time was spent mentioning what kind of background the killer came from, but probably not quite enough detail. The relationship between Chad and Katie wasn't as deep either as it probably should have been - I felt more emotionally attached to her dog than to the story of their relationship. Katie's uncle was barely mentioned. The Elm Hill girls stories also could have had a bit more depth to them, especially Candace's. That was downright odd, in parts.

All in all, this story just felt a bit rushed/unfinished....not sure what really? I wish I could have liked it a little more, but I need to give it a 3.5, rounded down to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Last Girls Alive by Jennifer Chase is the fourth book in the Detective Katie Scott series. I haven’t read the earlier books but found that this worked fine to read as a stand-alone. This time Detective Scott and her partner Deputy Sean McGaven, who work in the recently formed cold case unit at the local police department, are called to the scene of the discovery of a body that fits the description of a cold case victim from the nearby Elm House home for foster girls that has been closed for years. And so it begins as they try to solve their case along with Katie’s K-9 companion.
The main characters are interesting and well developed. The story is suspenseful, full of plenty of drama but without being too dark or gorey. I recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.