PERFECT AT MIDNIGHT: July 2025

PUBLISHED: July 8, 2025

Small Town & Rural Fiction;
Historical Thrillers; and
Police Procedurals

A Savagely Entertaining Mystery, Everything Leads Somewhere in This Suspense Thriller

Sheriff Porter Beck was in a state of shock. He’d only wanted to keep the peace between two warring factions. It didn’t sound like a lot to ask. The first was the Bureau of Land Management, who carries out roundups of wild horses by means of helicopters. They then sell the captive mustangs to the highest bidder. As for the second: they are a tenacious group of animal activists proactively working towards a mustang’s right to be free. Even in retrospect, keeping the two opposing groups calm seemed doable. Easy-peasy like being a chaperone at a school lunch party, but that was before everything blew up in his face. First there was the helicopter crash … yes, one of BLM’s. Malfunction of equipment? Fuel shortage? Nope, the answer was: “Murder.” Then there was the woman that managed the roundups for BLM. Poisoned mushrooms? Suicide? Nope: Murder. The woman was buried up to her neck before a stampede was triggered and the mustangs set loose to do what they do best—run and trample things like heads. In fact, Beck might have tried “running” as far as he could from this town as a solution to his own woes, but couldn’t now that his girlfriend Detective Charlie Blue Horse had arrived in town to help count the bodies. The bad timing left Beck one option, and that was to investigate—luckily it was something he was good at.

Looking for trouble? Or rather, looking’ to read’ about trouble? Then THE BLUE HORSE by Bruce Borgos is for you. The third in the Sheriff Porter Beck series, this book has a little something for everyone: realistic dialogue, the fleshing out of characters, the setting up of the delightfully deranged homicides, and don’t forget the personal problems that Beck is facing. But don’t worry, in this savagely entertaining mystery, everything leads somewhere.

The landscape created through and by the traits of the collective characters—and that includes Beck —comes into play. Much like the desert itself, author Bruce Borgos paints a picture of a vast lonesomeness that Beck carries within. It’s emphasized by using the clash between those who think nothing of tearing a mustang from their home, and those who believe in the sanctity of a home. This forms the backdrop for this tale … and it’s under the cover of these opposing extremes that allows more suspects to emerge, tiptoeing through the darkness one-by-one. A group of troubled teens led through a wilderness program is one. A Canadian lithium manufacturer another. The clever use of morality and ethics stirs the pot … tainting the hot desert sand and making motives offered seem all the more evil … all the more willing to induce injury … which brings me to the protagonist of this twist-of-the-wrist, slight of hand trick.

While all the characters are interesting, nobody can beat Beck for consuming our attention. A very observant man, he would be the one to make sure to use rubber bands to keep his clean socks in pairs. Or buy cases of oatmeal in case he feared a shortage. He’s also kind, sympathetic, and reluctant to think badly about anyone. A studious man, he tends to think deeply, questioning his questions. But his saving grace is that Sheriff Porter Beck has the one attribute that’s an absolute necessity for staying popular while solving crimes, and that is his ability to follow his intuition.

Yes, buried deep within his gut, there it is. Not a Cat Distribution System, but a Psychic Spurt Center that gives him readings on details that seem so trivial but aren’t. And this attribute is not alone. It comes with the ability to not crumble under pressure. So like so many other of our favorite detectives, Beck is absolutely up to going it alone and examining why something no one is paying attention to so dang suspicious. And for all his imperfections, he makes good on following his intuition … and that’s all we need to completely fall in love with this man who is unwilling to give up.

So it’s five stars for THE BLUE HORSE by Bruce Borgos. I liked the story, I liked the direction, and I liked getting to know a little bit about a guy named Porter Beck. If dogged determination is your thing, you’re gonna like him, too.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for supplying me with a free copy.

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Cold Case Detective Katie Scott promises a mother's dying wish to find her missing daughter…

Author: Jennifer Chase

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook, Free on Kindle Unlimited

Genre: Crime Thriller

She hears footsteps approaching, then the clunk of a heavy lock. Her body is numb in the cold but she stands, determined to fight. A blinding light overpowers her, and the world goes black…

When Detective Katie Scott finds a woman dying in the car garage, blood pooling around her, she reaches her just in time to hear her utter the words: find my daughter.

Katie doesn’t waste a second gathering her team and pulling the case file for the missing child, Anna Braxton, a teen with sparkling blue-eyes and an even brighter future. Staring at the blank investigation board, Katie won’t rest until she fulfills Anna’s mother’s dying wish.

Searching the Braxton’s impeccable family home, Katie finds Anna’s journal, filled with teenage secrets. Buried among the pages, she thinks she finds a lead—a strange man reached out to Anna, just days before she went missing…

But the case takes a terrifying turn when Anna’s best friend also vanishes. Hours later, a girl’s body is found in the embers of a house fire, her yellow satin dress devastatingly beautiful amongst the ashes. Is it Anna, her best friend, or another girl?

One thing is certain: a monster has the closeknit community of Pine Valley in a chokehold, and Katie must get one step ahead of the killer before any more precious young lives are taken. But at what cost?

Find My Daughter is available at Amazon.

Book Excerpt

PROLOGUE

Darkness shrouded the old cellar, causing a continuous chill to trickle down her spine. The dirt floor felt cold against her bare feet and her hands were dry as she rubbed them together. She could smell the musty remnants of what had been stored there in the past and the earthiness of being underground. The four walls seemed to be old stone or brick and they crumbled beneath her fingernails as she tried to claw her way out—but to no avail. Her exhaustion ultimately took over and she sat still, alone with her overwhelming fears. She had been left isolated and abandoned—in the pitch-black.

She hadn’t heard the man in hours, or maybe it was days—she wasn’t sure. In her bones, she knew this time he wasn’t coming back. The plastic-bottled water and peanut butter sandwiches were almost gone; her mouth was constantly dry. Her memory seemed to play tricks on her. How long had it been since she’d gone to the casting call for young aspiring models? She hadn’t told anyone where she was going, not her mom or even her best friend. She’d wanted to wait until she got the job to tell them the great news. It had been exciting; she dreamed of being a model and actress.

Her hands touched the dress she had been given to model—a yellow silk sheath wrap that made her feel beautiful, grown-up, as if she was finally someone who mattered.

She didn’t know how many times she had crawled up the wooden stairs to the small opening into the cellar, checking to see if he had left it open. But it was always the same—bolted shut. She had memorized each stair, which ones were sturdy, which were creaky and unstable. There were nine steps in total.

As hard as she tried, she couldn’t remember how she got there or what the house looked like. Even if she had a cell phone, she wouldn’t have been able to describe where she was—or even what town she was in. She felt a million miles away from home.

But she wasn’t giving up. Though weakened from lack of proper food, she dropped to her knees once again and crawled slowly toward the stairs. Her knees were bruised and scraped from the dozens of times she had attempted to escape—hoping that each time would be successful and she would be free.

As she paused at the first stair, feeling the familiar outlines in the darkness, she used her hands to steady her ascent; each time a stair ahead. Her knee pressed against the first stair, then the second, and the third. The creaks and groans were a disturbing symphony that reminded her of her situation: she was a prisoner in an empty basement and no one was coming back for her.

She stopped halfway to the top; her breathing quickening; feeling lightheaded. Her stomach grumbled. Her hope dwindled. Each time she’d gathered the strength to go up the stairs, it had turned out to be disheartening. She was never going to be free again. How stupid and selfish she had been, thinking she would become a model. She wondered if any of the other girls ended up like this. Or was she the only one whose fate was sealed?

Looking up toward the opening, she thought she heard footsteps. Yes, she had heard something. They were faint, but steady. He was coming. She froze. Her knees and hands were almost numb—her fingers hurt. Should she go back down or keep going?

What did she have to lose?

The footsteps were getting closer. They sounded like a pair of work boots hitting old hardwood floors. There was a strange echo to the movement, which was now above her. She could hear the creaks of the uneven planks; a mismatched harmony.

The distinct jingle of keys, then the rattle of a heavy lock.

She was going to stand her ground and push past the man to make her escape. It was all she had.

She could barely breathe.

The heavy creak of hinges.

Her body numb. She tried to stand up, ready to fight.

The doorway opened a crack at first, then wider, and finally pushed all the way open.

The blinding light overpowered her. Trying to escape it, she fell backward, flailing her arms in an attempt to catch her balance. She couldn’t focus on anything. She felt every step hit her back and ribs as she tumbled down to the dirt basement. Her head struck the floor. She lost her breath and closed her eyes.

– Excerpted from Find My Daughter by Jennifer Chase, Bookouture, 2025. Reprinted with permission.

REVIEW

352 PAGES OF GENUINE EXCITEMENT—
IT’S JENNIFER CHASE’S BEST YET

Teenager Anna Braxton is missing. The young girl who planned on doing something important with her life woke up one morning, had breakfast, and then disappeared into thin air … or so it seems. Her mother is worried. Although she reported the disappearance to a police precinct— Detective Katie Scott’s precinct—it’s been weeks and weeks of silence without any feedback about where Anna might be … or if she’s even alive. In desperation, Mrs. Braxton tracks Katie down to a seminar where the detective is serving as guest lecturer. At first Katie is reluctant to believe Mrs. Braxton’s story, but after making inquiries, she’s surprised to learn it’s true. She can’t imagine why the missing person’s case has been neglected and makes the decision to take over the investigation and get some answers. But before Katie can begin, the unthinkable happens. First, Mrs. Braxton is murdered, and next, her daughter Anna is found dead in an abandoned property that someone set on fire. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, another teenage girl was just reported as “missing”.

Hello and welcome to an episode of Finding Out What’s Been Dumped in Katie Scott’s lap! All I can say is that it's no wonder Katie’s confused! Luckily, author Jennifer Chase isn’t and delivers on 352 pages of genuine excitement in her taut thriller FIND MY DAUGHTER. Since I’m a long-time fan of Ms. Chase’s work, I can say with certainty that FIND MY DAUGHTER is her best outing yet! Intelligently written, it seems this author is committed to besting herself with each new title. And in this outing, a solid plotline keeps us glued to the pages as twists and turns are thrown at Katie—and at us, too!

Ms. Chase handles all with a keen eye for murder. Keeping up with the fast pace, there is not one false note in the entire journey that will end with Katie shouting, “You’re under arrest!” And did I mention the whole gang is here? Well, I will now. Of course, for me ‘the whole gang,’ means Cisco, Katie’s valiant German shepherd who would do anything to protect her. I have very few demands, but having Cisco in play is one of them … but not the only one because there are a couple of extras in this tale … extras that emit a little heat … hint hint … like the kind heat that you get when you forget something is still on the stove … hint hint … with the burner turned all the way up to smokin’ hot … hint hint … and with emotions burning out of control. Yeah, now you’re getting it. That kind of fire. But I’m rooting for Chad to come back into you know who’s life so let’s leave it as ‘to be continued’.

So if you’re looking for a great mystery that will carry you late into the night, and way past your bedtime, I recommend FIND MY DAUGHTER by author Jennifer Chase. It’s a smartly-written, cleverly designed, and easy to fall in love with thriller-diller. The characters all resonate with me. Especially one intrepid furry hero with four legs and a tail. And, of course, there’s Detective Katie Scott, one amazingly endearing young woman, who is also a hero. Love both and can’t wait for more. Five stars and ten woofs for this one, please!

About the Author

Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and USA Today 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.

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