DYING CRY

4.5 stars out of 5

Okay, I'm a sucker for books that have lovable dogs in them. Robo, the K-9 partner of Timber Creek (Colorado) Sheriff's Department Deputy Mattie Walker, is among my favorites (this is the 10th in the series). Here, Mattie and her relatively new husband, Cole (a veterinarian and member of the Sheriff's Posse), are taking a few days off at a high country resort to teach Cole's daughters Sophie and Angela - Mattie's new family -  to snowshoe. As they make their way with Robo along a canyon, they hear what appears to be a human scream. Knowing that's not a common thing and sensing danger, Mattie and Robo send the girls back to the resort with their father and head on to investigate.

What they find is anything but pleasant; an apparent body at the bottom of a cliff. Just as they get closer, though, more danger comes in the form of a landslide that, well, lands right on top of the body. When they can safely approach, Mattie - with help from Robo - uncovers the body of a man who was attending a bankers' retreat at the resort lodge. That's bad enough; but it turns personal when the body turns out to be Tom Murphy, the husband of Cole's very competent veterinary tech assistant, Tess. 

Needless to say, that puts Tess in the crosshairs of Mattie's investigation (the spouse is always a suspect, don't you know) and Cole in the middle. Then other possibilities begin to surface, especially when they learn Tom was concerned about something amiss at the bank. Could it be he was murdered to keep him silent? As the investigation progresses, both Mattie and Cole have their hands full trying to find the killer as well as soothe the agitation and concern of young Sophie and Angie and the demands of their mother, Cole's ex-wife Olivia.

The star of the show (well, to me, at least) is Robo, whose sensitive nose and protective nature get a good workout in this fast-paced adventure. The outcome of the investigation came as a surprise (and perhaps a little contrived), but it made sense and certainly kept my Kindle thumb busy turning the pages right to the end. Oh, and if you haven't read any others in the series, don't worry; this one stands alone quite well (the last one I read was in 2019, and I had no problem at all). I'm ready for the next one, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to catch up by way of a pre-release copy. Well done!

Dying Cry by Margaret Mizushima (Crooked Lane Books, October 2025); 282 pp.

GOOD DOG, BAD COP

4 stars out of 5

Unhappy that I'd missed quite a few books in this series after reading "Holy Chow" last year, I was looking forward to this, the next in the now four-book series. While it was enjoyable, but I'm somewhat unhappy again. Why? The character that made me love that one, retired criminal attorney Andy Carpenter of Paterson, New Jersey, is conspicuous in his absence.

The focus here is on the K Team, comprised of Corey Douglas, Laurie Collins, Marcus Clark and their K-9 partner, Simon Garfunkel (who really doesn't get to shine as much as I'd have liked, but at least he's in it). The team members aren't employees of the Paterson Police Department, but they've been hired by the Police Chief as sort of consultants to investigate cold cases. Their pick of the litter is the death of two people - a woman and a cop generally thought to be "dirty." But that man was a mentor to Corey, who never believed the rumors. They also plan to investigate murder of another guy who was shot while in his car in a parking lot.

The investigation sort of wanders all over the place as hunches are followed up and leads go not much of anywhere except to hint at local mob connections and a possible event that could bring part of the country to its knees. But here and there, connections are made, giving the team incentive to keep digging. It's quite a chase, and in the end, all's well that ends well. As for me, I'm ready for the next one (hopefully with Carpenter back in action), and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a prerelease copy of this one.

Good Dog, Bad Cop by David Rosenfelt (Minotaur Books, March 2023); 288 pp.

THE FINDERS

4 stars out of 5

June seems to be going to the dogs. Well, at least in my book; coming off reading another wonderful "Chet and Bernie" mystery by Spencer Quinn, I dived right into this one, which also focuses on unbelievably intelligent canines. But in this case, they're honing in on dead bodies.

That alone attracted me to this book, which came to me as a pre-publication review copy from NetGalley (thank you very much). But other things were intriguing as well; for instance, dog trainer Mason Reid - Mace to his friends - is a fan of country music, as am I. His main pooches have names like Maggie May, Delta Dawn and, the newest pup, Elvira. The name of another lead character, Chicago police officer Kippy Gimm, made me chuckle as well; when our daughter Christine Elizabeth was just starting to talk, the best she could do with her own name was "Kippy Libilip" - so for two or three years, Kippy it was (for the record, though, I do have a bit of a problem taking any grown-up named Kippy very seriously.

Mason and Kippy meet up at the scene of an apparent suicide by carbon monoxide, and they find what may have been an unintended victim; a golden retriever puppy that's unconscious but miraculously still alive. No surprise, but Mason takes the pup to raise, dubbing her Elvira, or Vira for short. It should be noted, also no surprise, that Mason - who's coming off the death of a favorite pooch and a marriage turned sour (I'm not sure which he mourns more) - takes quite a shine to the aforementioned Kippy.

Mason begins training Elvira as a cadaver dog, and she proves to be noseworthy in stellar fashion. In fact, she tackles - literally - a murder suspect she sniffs out in a crowd of bystanders, seriously injuring him and landing herself on the must-be-put-down list. When the authorities determine that the man was perhaps the serial killer they've been trying to nail for years, strings are pulled to keep Elvira safe.

Further investigation determines that Elvira's victim isn't working alone and a serial killer remains on the loose. The rest of the book focuses on the chase to find him (or her) as well as the killer's determination to put down Mason, Kippy and that pesky Elvira. It's an exciting chase to the finish, to be sure. My only concern is that while I enjoyed learning more about the superiority of dogs' brains and sense of smell, the detail was a bit heavy-handed. Since this is the first of what I believe is a series, I can't imagine there would be anything left to reveal in future episodes without repeating much of what's been said here. But in any event, I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and already I'm on the scent of another. Soon, please?

The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton (Minotaur Books, June 2020); 288 pp.

TRACKING GAME

4 stars out of 5

I'm a fan of this series and of Timber Creek Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo. While I enjoyed this one, the fifth, I have to say not quite as much as the predecessors. That is, I think, because of heavier focus on Mattie's romantic life and all the baggage she brings into her budding relationship with local veterinarian Cole Walker - I prefer reading about her relationship with Robo. As for Cole, I do have to wonder when he actually practices his trade given that he's always helping Mattie and her department, taking care of his two daughters and/or trying to cope with his ex-wife, Olivia, who suffers from serious depression. 

All that aside, though, the actual story is both intriguing and fast-paced. It begins as Mattie is called to the scene of a burning van. One man has been shot dead and another has been taken to the hospital. The dead man was well known - married to the daughter of an elderly landowner couple - but he was well liked and a motive isn't easy to nail down, at least at the outset. As the investigation progresses - helped along by Robo's considerable tracking skills, of course - a few suspects emerge. But just as one rises to the top, he, too, turns up dead. Clearly, these aren't your garden-variety killings; in fact, they have more to do with the vast forests that surround Colorado's Timber Creek region. And Mattie, Cole and Robo soon learn that there's an even bigger danger than they thought in them thar woods; will they all manage to escape unscathed?

Well, of course I'm not going to answer that - go read it for yourself. The ending also sets the stage for what I expect will be a theme of the next book - one that could alter the course of Mattie's life. Needless to say, I'll be in line to get a copy. Meantime, I enjoyed this one and thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Tracking Game by Margaret Mizushima (Crooked Lane Books, November 2019); number of pages not listed.

BURNING RIDGE

4 stars out of 5


When it comes down to a choice between a cat or a dog - either in a book or for real - gimme the cat every time, yo. But that doesn't mean I don't like canines, and for sure I'm a big fan of stories set in the wild and woolly outdoors (as evidenced by my undying love of books by writers like C.J. Box and Paul Doiron). And, of course, this one.

This book is the fourth in the series, and for sure it won't be my last. I read and enjoyed the third, Hunting Hour, but sadly not the first two. I choose the word sadly not because the books I did read don't stand alone quite well - they do - but simply because they're so entertaining and easy to read that I wish I'd started at the beginning. The heroine, police officer Mattie Cobb, is a strong (not to be confused with headstrong), competent woman with whom I'd be happy to share a beer or two. She's not overly nosy, whiny or self-doubting like many of the cop ladies ladies I've encountered (well, she's got a bit too much of the latter characteristic to suit me perfectly, but her abusive childhood - much of which she can't even remember - means I'll give her a pass on that score for now). 

The setting here is scenic and relatively remote Timber Creek, Colorado, where Mattie is apprehensively awaiting a meet-up with her brother Willie. Separated 25 years ago and reared in different foster homes, the two have been in touch only a few times since and Mattie has no idea what to expect. She absolutely loves her K-9 partner Robo, and she's close to acknowledging her love of local veterinarian Cole Walker as well (understandable - I, too, am very fond of them both).

One day, on a horseback ride with his two young daughters, Cole's dog finds a treasure to haul back to his humans. A dead animal it's not; rather, it's what's left of a badly burned human foot and ankle that's still stuck in its charred boot. A subsequent search led by Robo turns up the rest of the body deep in the woods; evidence unearths a surprising connection to Mattie. Still other clues lead to still other searches and the discovery of more charred-beyond-recognition bodies.

Clearly, whatever's going on has been happening for quite a few years, so now it's a search for connections among the victims (and more to the point, to Mattie) and ultimately to the identity of someone who may be a serial killer. The trail leads over the rivers and through the woods, with some tense moments scattered hither and yon. The ending calls into question some of Mattie's family history - bringing, I'm sure, a big surprise to loyal readers of this series (and, no doubt, providing a solid start to the next edition). I'm up for it - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to stay in the series loop. Good job!

Burning Ridge by Margaret Mizushima (Crooked Lane Books, September 2018); 279 pp.

HUNTING HOUR

4 stars out of 5

One of the joys of being part of the NetGalley book review community is finding great new-to-me authors. When it turns out to be the writer of a series, my happiness grows exponentially. Such is the case here; this is the third in the author's "Timber Creek K-9 Mystery" series. I did not read the first two, but I didn't need to in order to enjoy this one; the backstory tidbits included here are quite sufficient to bring me up to speed.

For the most part, I came to like Mattie Cobb, a deputy in Timber Creek and the star of the show. She comes from an abused childhood and has some baggage that at times gets in the way of her investigative skills, but in another way it helps her identify with the victims and their families. That comes into play at the start of the story, when a junior high student goes missing and in short order is found dead on a hill behind the high school.

There's another character I loved even more than Mattie, though - her K-9 partner Robo. He's a real sweetheart, and his tracking ability makes him invaluable in situations like this. But wait, there's more: Still another totally lovable character is a real gem - Cole Walker, the local veterinarian who is, off-and-on, Mattie's boyfriend. He's got two daughters who love Mattie (and vice versa), but also an ex-wife for whom Mattie is sure is still carrying a torch.

Their relationship is put to the test when, shortly after the first young girl is found and determined to have been murdered, Cole's younger daughter goes missing. From that point on, the race is on to find her - hopefully still alive - as well as identify and bring the killer to justice. Needless to say, Robo gets a good workout, performing like the trooper he is.

In short, this is a solid murder mystery with interesting characters that will leave you satisfied and your fingernails intact. Many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. It's a sure bet I'll be watching for the next installment.

Hunting Hour by Margaret Mizushima (Crooked Lane Books, August 2017); 320 pp.