Last Girls Alive: Book Review

Last Girls Alive
My Rating: 5
Genre: Suspense
Format: eARC*
Publication Date: October 7, 2020
Author: Jennifer Chase

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Last Girls Alive Blurb

Half-buried in the muddy earth and surrounded by puddles of water lies the naked body of a beautiful young girl. Her pale skin looks like porcelain in the early morning light. Her fragile arms bent and crooked like a broken doll.

When Detective Katie Scott is called to the discovery of a young girl buried on the grounds of a former children’s home in Pine Valley, California, she’s hopeful it’s the end to a devastating cold case she’s been working on. No one has seen Candace Harlan since she ran away from Elm Hill Manor five years ago. Her death will be a tragedy, but it will also bring peace to those who miss her most. But the girl in the ground is not Candace.

The victim is almost identical to Candace in every way, but fear grips Katie as she takes in the black ink that decorates the girl’s back – a terrifying message tattooed on her skin after she drew her last breath.

Forcing down traumatic memories of losing her own parents, Katie is certain someone mistook this poor soul for Candace, and that this crumbling home for lost girls is at the heart of this terrible crime. She sets to work digging into the tragic history of the owners who lost so many children of their own and tracking down the last six residents and the staff who cared for them – but no one wants to talk, let alone remember.

The next day, as second girl’s body is found down by the creek at high water, the same words etched into her skin. Katie’s worst fear is confirmed: someone is picking off the last of the Elm Hill girls one by one. But what does the tattoo mean? And what monster would target these innocent girls who have already been through so much?

Katie must dig deep to confront her own fears and protect the vulnerable – but as the body count rises further, will there be anyone left to save?

Last Girls Alive Review

As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:

• 1 star: Did not finish
• 2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
• 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
• 4 Stars: Loved this book!
• 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.

My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.

I’m human.

Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.

This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier. 🙂

My Thoughts

If you look above, you can see that I have read the first three books in this series and I loved them, so it won’t shock anyone to know that I couldn’t put this one down either.

Like the rest of the series, Last Girls Alive takes the reader on a roller coaster journey through the mind of a sadistic killer and what can cause someone to start down that dark path.

Jennifer Chase has an innate understanding of PTSD and anxiety disorders and has embedded those issues within the daily life of her leading lady, military veteran and detective Katie Scott. I can’t begin to describe how accurately the insidious nature of anxiety disorders are portrayed in Last Girls Alive.

How you cna literally be doing mundane tasks, then suddenly feel the tendrils of a panic attack slide through your body. How, despite you telling yourself you are not in danger, your body responds as if you are in mortal peril. Your vision narrows, adrenaline flows, heart rate and breath increase, and you know you have to fight to survive…only there is nothing to fight. Nothing to escape from. Nothing except the fear that lives in your own mind.

When you layer that terrifying reality with the equally sadistic serial killer murderer, you get a sort of horribly wonderful literary alchemy. A gory, but fascinating adventure for the imagination.

This is one of my favorites of the series, because of the layered plots and the build up with the killer. Great pace, perfect execution. I look forward to these books and may start the series over if I get the opportunity.

I almost forgot to mention that Katie has a wonderful canine partner and that might be what vaults these books to binge worthy levels. Just another layer of awesome on top of an already complex novel.

Conclusion

Read these books. You can start with any of them, as they each can be a standalone, but, go back and start with book one and binge all four books. You won’t regret it.

~About the Author~

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. 

★ WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS: ★
Website → https://authorjenniferchase.com/
Twitter → https://twitter.com/JChaseNovelist
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferChase/

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*Special thanks to Jennifer Chase and Pump Up Your Book providing a copy of Last Girls Alive in exchange for an honest review.