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.
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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!
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.
