First Line: Weather could make or break a search and rescue mission, and the wind would play havoc with the scent trail today.
Deputy Mattie (Cobb) Wray and her dog Robo are summoned to Washington's Olympic Peninsula for an urgent search and rescue mission to find a celebrity's missing child. Mattie doesn't really want to go-- it's only a week before her wedding-- but she and Robo are needed.
The mission is a difficult one: dense forest, rain, and unfriendly locals all combine to hamper progress, and when one of the SAR dogs becomes ill, Mattie's fiancé, Cole Walker, suspects poison and quickly joins the team as veterinary support.
As the teams search, secrets come to light. The missing child was kidnapped, and the search becomes a full-blown crime scene. The missing child has to be found before it's too late.
~
This latest installment of Margaret Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 series is a nail-biter. Putting Mattie, Robo, and Cole in the unfamiliar territory of Washington's Olympic Peninsula certainly ratchets the suspense. The mystery is a strong one, too, so strong that I misidentified the bad guy, which doesn't happen often.
But as good as the setting and mystery are, it's the characters that I always come back for in this series, and Gathering Mist is no exception. Of course, there are the wedding and family dynamics to deal with because there just has to be at least one person opposed to Mattie and Cole's wedding, but there's always more.
Mattie and Cole's relationship and the relationships between Mattie and Cole's daughters and their indispensable housekeeper are very important, but I'm always drawn first to Mattie's relationship with Robo. Mizushima does such an excellent job of showing readers what goes into the training of search and rescue dogs and their handlers. Over and over again, this author shows me how indescribably valuable and wonderful these dogs are. But what touches me even more is how the closer Mattie gets to Robo, the harder it is to let him do his job. They get into so many dangerous situations that Mattie is afraid of losing Robo-- and readers certainly can't blame her.
If you enjoy atmospheric, compelling mysteries chockful of wonderful two- and four-legged characters, the Timber Creek K-9 series is one you should read. Due to character development, I would recommend that you begin with the first book, Killing Trail.
Gathering Mist by Margaret Mizushima
eISBN: 9781639108954
Crooked Lane Books © 2024
eBook, 256 pages
Police Procedural, #9 Timber Creek K-9
Rating: A
Source: Net Galley
I do like the sense of setting and place as you describe them, Cathy. And the K-9 aspect adds a lot to the appeal, I'd guess. I always like a series that includes dogs that, well, act like real dogs. All that and a strong female lead character? No wonder you like the series so well.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little, I loved dogs who could spell H-E-L-P in the mashed potatoes, but now I prefer real dogs. They much more heroic than Lassie ever was.
DeleteI find it very difficult to read books where a child is in danger or deliberately harmed but this does sound like an interesting series with a strong set of characters.
ReplyDeleteIt is.
DeleteThis is one of my favorite series! I love Mattie and Robo, and Cole, too. I have this newest one on hold at my library and am impatiently waiting for it to come in so I can read it. :D
ReplyDeleteHappy reading!
DeleteI hope the child isn't harmed, tortured or worse. But Robo is a draw as is the location. Since Kittling Books gave it a B, I'll consider it a good read.
ReplyDeleteIt is.
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