October 22, 2019

Time for another “unputdownable thriller.” This time up, it’s Her Last Whisper, the second book in the Detective Katie Scott series by Jennifer Chase.

Fresh off her first case, Katie is assigned to investigate cold cases in the Pine Valley Sheriff’s Department. One particular cold case catches her eye because it is only six months old. It is somewhat “ripped from the headlines” in that it involves a woman who claims to have been kidnapped, but details and supporting facts seem to be lacking. (If memory serves there was a similar real-life case near Sacramento, CA a few years ago).

Katie suffers from undiagnosed PTSD from her time in the Army. The subplot involving a former Army buddy seems like an unnecessary complication, although it does give a little bit of depth to Katie’s background. Likewise, her PTSD appears to be used as a plot device more than an actual character trait.

I thought the detective work was mostly accurate, and the crime(s) were interesting. However, I felt like the author gave superficial treatment to some aspects of the case, even tossing off one plot point with a “we’ll never know” comment. It played a part in the investigation, and it didn’t ring true that it all of a sudden didn’t matter to the case. And I didn’t think that the perpetrator’s motivation was as detailed as it could have been.

All of that aside, there were some genuine surprises, and it was an interesting book. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good crime thriller series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but there are several references to events from Little Girls Sleeping (the first book), so if you want a more solid background, start with that one.

AUTHOR BIO

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.