Many crime thrillers run the risk of being too dark with characters that almost become caricatures but Jennifer Chase has continually refined her novels to give us intriguing plots, perfect pacing and no shortage of interesting revelations. 

Little Girls Sleeping certainly lives up to those expectations with Chase giving Katie more specific dialogue than is usual in crime thrillers. An ex patrol officer and soldier recently returned from active combat she’s in psychic repair as she learns to cope with PTSD but buries her pain behind a brave face and a positive attitude. 

Chase has a gift for conveying the sadness and vulnerabilities of her characters and here again, her writing oozes authenticity especially when focusing on the relationship between Katie and her military dog Cisco.

Firing on all cylinders as a crime thriller and police procedural there is an underlying edge to Little Girls Sleeping which creates a morbid sense of unease that burgeons from page to page. 

Wholly addictive reading this is Chase at her very best!