Murder on the Horizon by M.L. Rowland

First Line: "Damn, that's a lot of blood," a man said, voice echoing in the large room.

In the middle of a search in the blast furnace heat of the Mojave Desert, Gracie Kinkaid and her Search and Rescue teammates discover something no one ever wants to find: a trash bag containing human body parts. Shortly thereafter Gracie comes in contact with a group of extremists through her budding friendship with a chronic runaway named Baxter. It's the sort of contact that has explosive results as wildfire races through the tinder dry area of Timber Creek.

M.L. Rowland's Search and Rescue mystery series became a favorite of mine from the very first book, Zero-Degree Murder. Rowland is extremely adept at writing action sequences that have you turning the pages as fast as you can go.

But most of the reason for my preference is her main character, Gracie Kinkaid, a very likeable, intelligent, and brave young woman who loves to help others. (Through her, readers also learn how to prepare for emergencies.) Gracie has several personal issues to deal with in Murder on the Horizon: her mother, her stepfather, as well as Rob and Ralph, the two men in her life. Her personal issues are made more difficult because she feels as though she's at a crossroads in her life, and she's not sure what she wants her future to hold. Of course, all heroes have flaws, and one of Gracie's is her impulsiveness. There's a scene with one of the extremists in which Gracie puts herself in unnecessary danger-- a situation that certainly had me wanting to have a heart-to-heart with her about the wisdom of zipping her lip.

Yes, I enjoyed all the action sequences, and yes, I enjoyed putting my nose right in the middle of Gracie's business, but another thing that I found a lot of pleasure in was the relationship between Gracie and Baxter, the little boy who kept running away from his father and all the other extremists in the compound tucked away in the forest. Baxter is funny, smart as a whip, and sometimes very exasperating. A little boy caught in a situation not of his making when all he wants is to be "typical." Baxter made me laugh, and he broke my heart.

Murder on the Horizon has an ending that made me wonder what is going to happen next. One thing I do know for certain is that I hope I'll be seeing Gracie again soon.

Murder on the Horizon by M.L. Rowland

ISBN: 9780425263686

Berkley Prime Crime © 2015

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #3 Search and Rescue mystery

Rating: A

Source: the publisher

Murder Off the Beaten Path by M.L. Rowland

First Line: Gina Ramirez was missing, and Gracie's little toe hurt.

Gracie Kinkaid now has a job working at Camp Ponderosa, a church-owned center where she's the program director, but she still puts her life on the line as a volunteer for the Timber Creek Search and Rescue team. 

After spending days searching for a missing teenage girl, Gracie is exhausted, but she's just going to have to wait to rest up. A car has gone over the side of a treacherous mountain road, and she and her partner must climb down to see if the passengers need to be brought up and rushed to the hospital. There are no survivors, but Gracie has the feeling that this was no accident. As she checks into the situation further, she begins finding clues that lead her straight back to Camp Ponderosa. She thought her volunteer work was dangerous, but it's her day job that may very well wind up killing her.

I was so impressed with the first book in this Search and Rescue series, Zero-Degree Murder, that I knew I'd be reading the next one as soon as I possibly could. With Murder Off the Beaten Path, M.L. Rowland's mysteries are now quickly moving towards the top of my favorite series list.

Rowland's search and rescue scenes not only give readers a better understanding of what these brave men and women do for us every single day, they add tension to the story, place us right in the middle of the action, and help define Gracie as a character. They are definitely one of the things that make this series (and this book) so special. 

Speaking of Gracie, she's evolving in this second book. Her job situation-- which at first appears to be much more stable-- has landed her right in the center of a snake pit, and we get to see how she deals with it. To be honest, she does much better with that than she does her love life. There's romantic tension aplenty in Murder Off the Beaten Path. Gracie has attracted the affections of two outstanding men, and even I don't know which one she should choose. 

Gracie's waffling never detracts from the main focus of the story however. With all the various nefarious characters coming in and out of focus here, I'm beginning to think I'm better off not knowing what really goes on in the more remote sections of this country. (Yes, I do realize that what I don't know can hurt me!)

With enough action, danger, and romance for any reader, as well as a main character who's smart and incredibly brave, who's growing and changing with each book, I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series. Write faster, please!
 

Murder Off the Beaten Path by M.L. Rowland

ISBN: 9780425263679

Berkley Prime Crime © 2014

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #2 Search and Rescue mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen. 

Zero-Degree Murder by M.L. Rowland

First Line: The body hung upside down in the truck, suspended by the seat belt, sun-bleached hair skimming the roof of the cab.

Anyone who works emergency services knows that call-outs on holidays can happen, so when the Timber Creek Search and Rescue team gets called out on Thanksgiving, volunteer Gracie Kinkaid packs up her gear and heads out.

Part of a film crew has gone for a hike in these mountains an hour east of Los Angeles, and four of them haven't returned. Due to the holiday, only three Timber Creek S&R team members have shown up so far, but there's a storm moving in. With the safety of the hikers in jeopardy, they can't wait. Ralph Hunter stays to be in charge of the command center while Gracie and partner Steve Cashman head out to find the hikers. The two do find one hiker, world famous actor Rob Christian, but he's injured. With the weather getting worse, Cashman sets out with the only radio to get help.

Alone in the mountains during a blizzard with an injured man, Gracie is going to have to use all her expertise to keep them both alive because the weather isn't her only problem. There's a ruthless killer out there determined that no witnesses to his crimes will be left behind.

I am a long-time Nevada Barr and Anna Pigeon fan. I love the outdoors, strong female characters, and survival tales. Zero-Degree Murder satisfied all these cravings of mine. Gracie is a complex character. She's smart, she's brave, and I definitely want her on my team the next time I head out for the middle of nowhere. That woman knows how to pack and how to track. She's also a bit of a puzzle. Why would someone so smart and capable insist on working a series of dead-end jobs that are well beneath her abilities? The author slowly answers this question throughout the book.

Outdoors fans are going to love the setting-- high mountains, treacherous terrain, and deadly weather. Watching Gracie handle all this the old-fashioned way is a treat. Rowland does an excellent job of creating tension, and her sense of pace is spot on. Moreover, she not only surrounds her main character in mystery, the killer's identity and motivations are hidden from view for much of the book. What glimpses of the killer Rowland lets us see heighten our sense of danger and urgency.

All in all, I was thrilled with this book. The only small quibble I had with it is that-- although I know it's done for the benefit of Gracie's character-- the relationship that springs up between her and the actor seemed unnecessary. Like I said, it's a very small quibble, and I can't wait for the next book in the series. There's more to learn about Gracie, there's more to learn about Ralph... and there's definitely more adventure to be experienced. If you're a Nevada Barr fan like me, I think you're going to love this book.

Zero-Degree Murder by M.L. Rowland

ISBN: 9780425263662

Berkley Prime Crime © 2014

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Environmental Mystery, #1 Search and Rescue mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.