Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

The Rose Girls is the 9th installment in the Detective Katie Scott series by Jennifer Chase. This story follows Katie as she investigates a series of brutal murders in a small town, where teenage girls are found tied to trees with🌹 tattoos and mysterious messages carved into their backs. Katie soon discovers that the victims were hiding a dark secret that links them to a cold case involving Ivy's mother, who vanished years ago. As Katie races against time to find the killer and prevent more deaths, she uncovers shocking truths that will change her life forever.

Jennifer Chase skillfully creates a tense and atmospheric setting, where the idyllic town of Coldwater Creek hides a sinister criminal underbelly. The characters are well-developed and realistic, especially Katie, who is a strong and determined heroine with a troubled past.

The writing is crisp and engaging, and the chapters are short and entertaining.

I recommend The Rose Girls as a satisfying read for fans of authors such as: Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine, and Melinda Leigh.

Another great case in the series and I'm excited to read more. Always gripping and action-packed, and keeps you wanting to read more.

The Rose Girls by Jennifer Chase was a creepy, intense & twisted book! I loved every chapter of it & then some. This is the 9th book in the series. The cases were heartbreaking and scenes very grisly but Katie doesn't let that deter her from solving the case & getting justice for the victim(s). The book had an eerie small-town vibe that was fun reading. It was so mysterious, my anxiety levels were up because you couldn't tell who you could trust. While anxiety is never a fun feeling I like feeling that when reading in a controlled environment & love books that do that to me, however no so much any real-life events that do that to me. Haha. The plot was very compelling with grisly crimes & a menacing small-town. The Rose girls is a page turner for sure!
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture & Jennifer Chase for the arc!

I’ve read all the books in the series, sans Her Dying Kiss, and I’m glad that this book is no different from the other in terms of the mysteries surrounding the case and the thrills of what Katie had to do to solve the case. This series is so bingeable; a bite-sized crime novel that you can finish in one seating. It always leaves you looking forward to what happened next in the book, and yearning to know what adventures hold in the future.

I love the relationship between Katie, Gav, John and Chad, love how they are one family despite working different jobs, and how they always have each other’s back and always looking out for one another.

And as usual, this book gets my heart pounding with excitement towards the end of the book when they are near to solving the case.

This is one of the few series that I’m able to get through from the first book to the most recent, and I cannot wait to start on the next book involving Chad in a case.

This is the 9th book in the Detective Katie Scott series and what I like the most about this series is that you don't have to go back to the 1st book to follow it. Each book can be read as a standalone!

The plot started out with a strong opening, the mystery started right away and I was hooked right from the start to know how the detectives were going to solve the murder mystery.
This case feels different compared to the ones I've read before because it feels spookier, especially the setting.

As for the people in the new small town, they're all very mysterious and suspicious indeed. It feels like they're hiding something and they always speak in a vague way.
Anyway, it's good to be back to Detective Katie and Sean also Cisco, the K9 dog. I love their chemistry as working partner and always support each other while investigating the case.

Overall, this is a good addition to the series. It's very entertaining, gripping and comes with an unexpected twist. I had a great time making theories to figure out the truth.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Murder, death, blood, body horror

<i>I received an advanced review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher!</i>

Katie and McGaven are just passing through a small town, when they are asked to help out the police chief with a murder, since he is ill-equipped to deal with it. Of course, they do their best, but when two other girls end up murdered, also with the same MO, trouble comes to find them.

I love the two main characters, as well as Katie's fiance Chad. I think it is the interaction between all of them which makes the series for me.

That said, the case in this book gave me a few sleepless nights as well!

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

I really enjoy this series of books and was excited to read this latest one. It did not disappoint, had my gripped till the end. Definitely worth reading

This book is number 9 in the series. Another book I have inhaled. You dont need to read the other books in the series . It can be read as a standalone.

First off, kudos to Jennifer Chase.. How is it that we are now on book #9 of the Detective Katie Scott series but it still feels as fresh as the first ever book?

Katie and her partner McGaven are on their way to a conference when they ran into difficulty with their car and are now stuck in a small town of Coldwater Creek. Deciding to stay overnight they get dragged into a nearby murder.. nothing like this ever happens in this town in the back end of nowhere so the local police force aren't equipped to deal with something so major.. of course Katie and McGaven are going to help, just until their transport is sorted right.. think again!

The victim is a local 15 year old girl but for some strange reason nobody knows anything, saw anything, heard anything. Even the girls two best friends are seemingly reluctant to speak out. Can Katie get to the bottom of this and get home quickly...

Whilst investigating to her best ability, with constant hesitance from every angle the two best friends then turn up dead, ome straight after the other... who is killing these innocent young girls and why?

Returning home briefly Katie picks up her tristed K9 sidekick Cisco to be by her side and help when needed.. can she find out the answers she needs before it's too late?

*NO SPOILERS*

Jennifer has an amazing knack of making you feel you are part of the whole scene, the descriptions to you right into the rough terrain, dry sands and damp evenings. The plot was flawlessly written and flowed brilliantly and as expected the character development was spot on.

As always an amazing addition to the Detective Katie Scott series, they just keep getting better and better!

Huge thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

This is the ninth book in the series featuring Detective Katie Scott and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The book opens with Katie, who works on cold cases, returning home after attending a conference. Her cold case partner Sean and forensic supervisor John are with her in the car when they decide to take a shortcut on their way home and are forced off the road by another car. As their car is damaged they have to stay the night in Coldwater Creek. But the following morning the local, inexperienced police are investigating the murder of a young teenager, Ivy and Katie, Sean and John are asked to stay and help solve the case as Coldwater Creek haven’t had a murder before. Then two other teenage girls, who were with friends of Ivy, are also found murdered and Katie is left wondering who would want to murder three young girls. They soon realise that Coldwater Creek is a strange town and there a someone who doesn’t want them to find out what really happened. As Katie begins to uncover the truth she puts her life in danger. This book had a chilling storyline that had me hooked and I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A quick, easy and enjoyable thriller that engaged me all the way through and left me unable to put it down. A great read

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Chase and Bookouture for an ARC copy of These Still Black Waters.

The book was enjoyable and had some interesting characters. I found the story interesting and it held my attention. I really wanted to know who the killer was and the reason or motive behind it.

Some of the actions made by the main characters Katie and Sean were a bit sloppy. They are experienced police with military backgrounds in a strange town with some strange people yet they don't question things they way I would think someone in their shoes would. As they are working the investigation they learn of surveillance cameras around town. They also experience a break-in yet they never search for any type of listening device or anything.

I find it strange that with her training, Katie is not more aware of her surroundings. She puts herself in danger a few times when someone is able to sneak up behind her when she is unaware.

One of my favourite parts of the book was her relationship with her canine partner Cisco.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and recommend others read it as well.

I didn't enjoy this story as much as I thought I would. It was rather rambling and far-fetched and I didn't feel that the characters were well-developed.

This is the 9th Katie Scott book in the series, and although I love this series, I found this one a little harder to get into.
When Katie and her partner (who I wish would be her partner in love too) are asked to help nearby coldwater creek solve the murder of a young girl, they don’t hesitate!
Soon it is clear this isn’t just the tragic murder of one young girl!
Although not my fave, I will wait with eager anticipation for the next one!

Detective Katie Scott and her partner Deputy Gaven are making the long journey home from a conference in horrendous weather when they quite literally stumble on the murder of a young girl. This is a gripping and slightly creepy story. Katie and Gaven end up trapped by the weather in a remote town with little cell service and no one they can trust. This is not a book to be read alone in the house during a storm. Even without those conditions I am not ashamed to say that at times a shiver went down my spine. This is a really exciting addition to the series which could be enjoyed as a standalone thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Detectives Katie Scott and Scott McGaven are taking a shortcut home when their car has a minor accident. They are forced to stay in the small town of Coldwater Creek overnight but when they prepare to leave in the morning, the local chief begs them for help with a body: the first murder ever in the town but not the last...
The Rose Girls is the 9th book in the Katie Scott series. However, it would work as a standalone as there are no spoilers about previous cases, although obviously Katie's personal life has developed over the series.
A teenager has been killed and posed. The chief asks for help and offers as much assistance as the detectives could want. But something doesn't feel right and Katie suspects that the chief and the other locals are keeping secrets which are hindering the investigation.
Katie feels quite emotional due to being away from home and the youth of the victim. She remains focussed and determined to find justice. The descriptons of the bodies are quite grisly and there is autopsy detail included in the plot. These feed into Katie's revulsion at the crime and make us want her to succeed.
Katie is frequently in danger and facing dramatic physical situations. She is pushed in a river, shot at, trapped in a building, and falls down an embankment. She nearly gives up several times but has the ample support of her partner McGaven, her lover Chad, her military dog Cisco and the rest of the police team.
The Rose Girls is an enjoyable detective thriller.

A murder of a young girl is hard on detectives too. A young life cut in her prime, no
apparent reason and withe words MORE carved on her torso sounds ominous. Days later her
two best friends found in similar fashion and the Detectives nowfeel they have failed
in their duty to protect the youngsters. Working blind against a very clever killer
who leaves no clues behind, and a town which is hiding a lot of secrets, Detective Katie
Scott has to stop the murders which are three times too many for this town to handle.

One of-a series (this was my initial foray) the story and detective work are top class. will hold you riveted from beginning to end.

Detective Katie Scott is just traveling through Clearwater Creek on her way home from a conference when she is asked to assist in the investigation of a truly horrifying murder. She is unfamiliar with the town and its residents, and something is most definitely off about the place. The murders are gruesome and this is a dark, gritty mystery.

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. This is the 9th in a series but could read as a stand-alone. This is a well plotted mystery and does involve crimes that some may find difficult but it’s well worth the read. I’m going to go back read the others in the series now. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

The Rose Girls by Jennifer Chase is the ninth book in the excellent Detective Katie Scott series and this series has been a 5 star read from the very first book till this book. I found these books very hard to put down, once i started to read them I had to carry on reading till the end to find out what happens. WoW, these books are so addictive!!!

I highly recommend this series I have loved it