The First Girl
The cold night breeze slams the barn door shut with a sickening crash. The girl curled in the corner wakes with a start. Her gold butterfly necklace catches the pale moonlight as she clutches it tight, thinking of her family. Will she ever escape? Or is his the last face she’ll ever see?
Detective Katie Scott stares in horror at what she and her service dog Cisco have discovered: seven shallow graves, the bodies of young women each wrapped carefully in a blanket and buried in makeshift coffins. Miles of abandoned farmland stretch out from the treeline behind her. Has Katie uncovered the horrifying graveyard of a monster who has been stealing Pine Valley’s daughters for years?
Katie quickly identifies one of the victims as
Abigail Andrews, a beautiful young woman who disappeared fifteen years ago. Katie is heartbroken that she’ll have to tell Abigail’s mother her darling girl is gone.
When Katie is ambushed working late at the scene, fired upon by an unknown assailant, she knows she must be close to finding the killer. But the shooter vanishes into thin air. And when a new young woman is taken, dark haired and dark eyed like the others, Katie realizes her time is running out.
Can she stay alive long enough to track down this twisted murderer before another young life is stolen too soon?
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Jennifer Chase
Jennifer Chase is a writer whose keen insight into criminal psychology and her own experiences with crime and law enforcement shape every page she writes. With a background in police forensics and criminology, she doesn’t just tell stories—she immerses her readers in the chilling intricacies of human behavior and the darkness lurking beneath the surface.
Born and raised in California, Jennifer’s journey into the world of crime fiction began with her personal experiences and academic studies. After earning a degree in police forensics and a master’s in criminology, she felt a deep calling to merge her professional knowledge with her passion for storytelling. The result? A series of captivating crime thrillers that not only entertain but also provoke thought about the human condition.
Detective Katie Scott
Detective Katie Scott’s world is one where darkness lurks around every corner, and the search for truth can be as dangerous as it is relentless. With a background in military police, Katie brings a unique edge to every investigation, diving deep into the minds of criminals while wrestling with the ghosts of her past. Each case she takes on not only tests her professional skills but challenges her emotionally, pushing her to confront the trauma that still haunts her.
Detective Katie Scott consists of fifteen books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

