Gathering Mist by Margaret Mizushima

 

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

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

 

First Lines: The End. Emma Carpenter drops her e-reader. Like surfacing from a deep dive with aching lungs, she has never been so grateful to see those two words on her paper-white screen.

 

Emma Carpenter prefers her life of isolation, house-sitting with her dog in an old beachfront house on the Washington coast. The only humans she comes in contact with are her cranky old neighbor, Deek (through telescope and whiteboard games of Hangman), and Jules, the house owner (through texts).

 

Emma spends her time voraciously reading Amazon's free and bargain books on her Kindle, and when she reads a poorly written horror story, she posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with the author. When disturbing things begin to happen at night soon after, Emma believes that it's not just a coincidence. It was weird enough that the author would argue with her online about one measly review... could he be stalking her, too?

 

Emma begins researching the author's life and work, and in no time at all, she's drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

 

~

 

How could a book blogger specializing in crime fiction not read a book about the dire consequences one character has when she posts a one-star review? I certainly couldn't resist the temptation!

 

The Last Word feels like it was written to be turned into a movie, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I think it would be better as a movie. Emma Carpenter is a sympathetic character, and I was quickly drawn into her solitary life on the rainy Washington coast. Her golden retriever Laika made a good companion, and her telescope-and-white-board games of Hangman with her nearest neighbor did give her some human contact. But the more I read, the more questions I had. What was Emma hiding from? And that neighbor of hers was a bit strange, too. Why would an author seemingly go off the deep end over a one-star review?

The questions were piling up, and I was engrossed in the story until everything started unraveling at the halfway mark. This is when readers started being told the story from the point of view of a serial killer who kept dropping hints about what was going to happen to Emma. 

At that point, the twists and turns of the plot started coming thick and fast. There were just too many of them, and I had two reactions to them. One, it felt as though the author was showing off. Two, I felt like Wile E. Coyote, getting repeatedly hammered by his latest ACME purchase.

Before the halfway mark, The Last Word was a winner. After that point, I was tempted to throw it against the wall (but I couldn't because I didn't want to damage my Kindle). If you've read, or intend to read, The Last Word, I certainly hope your mileage varies.

 

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

eISBN: 9780063222915

Harper-Collins © 2023

eBook, 352 pages

 

Standalone Thriller

Rating: C-/D+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Close to Home by Robert Dugoni

 

First Line: D'Andre Miller pushed open the glass doors of the Rainier Beach Community Center and stepped out into the frigid night.

 

When a young boy is killed in a hit-and-run, Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite discovers that the suspect is an active-duty serviceman at a local naval base. After a key piece of evidence goes missing, the serviceman is cleared of charges in a military court, but Tracy refuses to turn her back on this kind of injustice.

 

Continuing her investigation, she uncovers the serviceman's ties to a rash of heroin overdoses in Seattle. This isn't just a case of the military protecting its own. It runs much, much deeper, and the accused wasn't acting alone. 

 

The closer Tracy comes to learning the truth, the more she comes in harm's way. The problem is... she may not be able to trust the only people who can help her make it out alive.

 

~

 

I've been slowly savoring Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite mysteries. While some readers will binge when they discover such a good series, I stretch out the time between each book to make the series last. I like knowing that I have a "sure thing" or two waiting for me on my to-be-read pile. Close to Home was next up on my list.

Speaking of series, this is a perfect one for those who like the characters' personal lives to be important parts of the story. Tracy is now married, and while this city girl tries to adapt to country quiet, she and her husband make an important decision. Tracy's partner, Del, recently lost a beloved niece to a drug overdose, and his investigation leads him to Celia McDaniel, a woman whose son also died of an overdose. Military lawyer Leah Battles plays a significant part, and I hope to see her in future books.

The mystery in Close to Home is a strong one, and like all good crime fiction, readers' knowledge can grow a lot on the way to finding out whodunit. There's plenty to learn about the military legal system as well as the healthcare industry's shift in focus to pain management rather than treating underlying ailments. And how about the legalization of marijuana? When I found out how the drug cartels adapted to that, I realized that I hadn't been paying enough attention to the world outside my door. There are even more kernels of knowledge in the pages of Close to Home, some of which made me smile. (Navy camouflage being called "blueberries", and the general opinion of them, for example.)

Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series is for readers who love to be immersed in both the story and the characters-- especially when the main character is a bonafide member of the Harry Bosch School of Policing (Everybody counts or nobody counts). If you're not already a dedicated reader, I'd advise you to begin at the beginning with My Sister's Grave. This is an excellent series that you won't want to miss.

Close to Home by Robert Dugoni

eISBN: 9781542045018

Thomas & Mercer © 2017

eBook, 414 pages

Police Procedural, #5 Tracy Crosswhite

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Trapped Girl by Robert Dugoni

 

First Line: Kurt Schill dragged his fourteen-foot aluminum boat across the beach logs he’d set to minimize the scraping of the hull against the rocks.

 

When the body of a woman is found in a crab pot in the chilly waters of Puget Sound, she has to be identified before Tracy Crosswhite and her colleagues in the Seattle Police Department's Violent Crimes Section can begin to look for her killer.

 

The victim seemed to have gone to great lengths to conceal her identity, and when evidence comes to light that she may be a woman who disappeared months ago under suspicious circumstances, Tracy is reminded of her own sister's murder. Each clue Tracy and her team uncovers seems to contradict the last, but a tale of betrayal and greed slowly begins to come to light-- and Tracy is determined not to give up until she has the killer behind bars.

 

~

 

I don't know why I wait so long between the books in this series. I suppose I consider Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite mysteries to be "sure things"-- books guaranteed to be good reads so they're saved for times when I need to recuperate from unsatisfying stories. Regardless of the reason, I once again find myself vowing to read them faster.

 

Tracy Crosswhite is the type of main character you can sink your teeth into. Her life was irrevocably changed when her beloved younger sister disappeared. Tracy gave up her teaching job and ultimately became Seattle's only female homicide detective. Her goal was to find out what happened to her sister. As the years have passed, her closed-off life has begun to change-- mostly importantly by being in a committed relationship. Her experiences with her sister have made her extremely sensitive to any case involving missing and murdered women she and her team are called to investigate.

 

The woman in the crab pot is definitely a compelling story. Readers hear The Trapped Girl's story from Andrea Strickland's point of view as Tracy and her team investigate. As facts being to emerge, readers will begin to question what Andrea is telling them. Is she telling the truth? Is she lying? Or is she just leaving a lot of things out of her story? Andrea is a sympathetic character with her tragic life and her bad choice of husband. She is so shy and introspective that it's no wonder she chose to live in Portland, Oregon. You see, all the rain means that she'll be free to stay home and read book after book after book instead of dealing with people.

 

With a riveting story involving a smart, determined, reflective victim and an equally intelligent woman determined to find out what happened to her, The Trapped Girl is almost impossible to put down. If you haven't made Tracy Crosswhite's acquaintance, I would suggest starting with the first book, My Sister's Grave, because of the character development. You're in for a treat!    

The Trapped Girl by Robert Dugoni

eISBN: 9781503940406

Thomas & Mercer © 2017

eBook, 423 pages

Police Procedural, #4 Tracy Crosswhite

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

A Ghost of Caribou by Alice Henderson

 

First Line: Fourteen months ago Amelia Fairweather had just entered her tent to sleep when a strange hum sounded from outside.

 

Alex Carter is brought in to investigate the possible sighting of a mountain caribou on a remote tract of land owned by the Land Trust for Wildlife Conservation. If the blurry image caught on a remote camera is indeed of the caribou-- thought to be extinct in the contiguous U.S. years ago-- Alex hopes to track the animal and put a collar on it.

 

When she arrives on scene in the Selkirk Mountains of northeastern Washington, that mountain caribou is only one of her concerns. The nearby townspeople are upset over the body of a  murdered forest ranger found strung up in the town park, loggers and activists are up in arms over a swath of old-growth forest marked for clearcutting, and a backcountry hiker has also gone missing in the same area within the past year.

 

As Alex hikes into the forest to maintain the cameras and look for the caribou, she finds herself fighting for her life. She's caught between the factions warring over the future of the forest... and a killer stalking the dense groves of ancient trees.

 

~

 

Alice Henderson's Alex Carter novels have become my Go-To Reads whenever I need a vicarious adrenaline rush with a one-two punch of wildlife and the great outdoors. A Ghost of Caribou is no exception. 

There's always the opportunity to learn with Alex Carter. In this book, it's remote locations, camping, caring for remote cameras, how to collar an animal... and how to avoid getting killed. I enjoyed learning about mountain caribou as well as the Selkirk Mountains and setting up remote cameras, and my craving for an adrenaline rush was certainly fulfilled.

Alex Carter is one of the best female characters in the thriller business. Her father may be a guest artist at a different national park each year (in A Ghost of Caribou, he's at the Grand Canyon), but her mother was a fighter pilot who played survival games with the growing Alex, and-- boy howdy-- does she ever use everything she learned at her mother's knee! (It's also nice to have a main character with two loving and supporting parents.) Alex is well able to take care of herself, and readers won't catch her doing anything stupid.

But there's more to this series than a kick-ass main character, thrilling action scenes (how about that ultra-scary "UFO"!), and wildlife. There's Sheriff Maggie Taggert, a capable, take-charge woman who works well with Alex. There are the unexpected laughs amid all that tension ("If she kept taking these gigs, she'd have to invest in a satellite phone"-- something that I'd been thinking), and the chilling hunt for a killer targeting older women. There's also the fact that Alex learns more about herself each time she takes one of these assignments, so she's not the typical "action figure" who never changes. 

If you're in the mood for fast-paced excitement in the great outdoors with a strong, capable female lead character, head straight for Alice Henderson's Alex Carter books. They're fantastic.

A Ghost of Caribou by Alice Henderson

eISBN: 9780063223028

William Morrow © 2022

eBook, 317 pages

 

Thriller, #3 Alex Carter mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 

First Line: Day 1,299 of My Captivity. Darkness suits me.

Seventysomething Tova Sullivan has been working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium since her husband died. Keeping busy has always helped her cope-- and she's been coping since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, died in a boating accident over thirty years ago.

She knows the best ways to mop floors and clean glass to keep the aquarium sparkling, and an observant resident approves of her attention to detail. Tova has taken to stopping by to say hello to Marcellus, the giant Pacific octopus-- especially once she learned that the creature is an escape artist that likes to roam at night. Incredibly observant and blessed with deductive powers that would make Sherlock Holmes weep, Marcellus has pieced together what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. Now all he has to do is find a way to reveal the truth to her before it's too late.

~

My attention was drawn to Remarkably Bright Creatures by a fellow book blogger, and I thought it would be an excellent choice as an audiobook. I was right. The narrators' voices were perfect for Marcellus, Tova, Cameron, and the other characters.

 

I'm one of these people who've always had closer relationships with animals than I have with people, and I've always talked to animals like they could understand everything I say. (You may be surprised at how often they do understand.) So, I was a tasty sea cucumber just waiting for Marcellus to single me out. At first, there just weren't enough chapters from Marcellus' point of view, but then Tova and a young man named Cameron began to get their hooks into me.

It is oh-so-easy to fall under the spell of these characters, to want them to have their happy-ever-afters. And once the author lets us in on just what Marcellus knows, the hook is set. I could no more turn away from this book than I could stop breathing.

If you're in the mood for a "feel good" read, I've got the perfect one for you: Remarkably Bright Creatures. But take a word of advice: have a hanky close by as you near the end. 

[Note: this book touched me so much that, when a local aquarium announced that their giant Pacific octopus was nearing the end of her life, and-- if you wanted to come see her to say goodbye, you'd better hurry-- I had a tear in my eye. It's all your fault, Marcellus.]

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Narrated by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie

ASIN: B09DTGQHKJ

Harper Audio © 2022

Audiobook. 11 hours, 16 minutes.

 

Contemporary Fiction, Standalone

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Audible.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

First Line: I was born with water on the brain.

 

Based on the author's own experiences, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Junior has the strength of purpose to stop attending the reservation school and transfer to an all-white school over twenty miles away in order to get a better education. There's are many "optional extras" included in the curriculum at Junior's new school because the only other Indian there is the school mascot.

~

With the addition of the drawings of Ellen Forney, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has the power to break your heart and make you extremely angry.

The watershed moment for Junior is when a white teacher at his reservation school states, "The only thing you kids are being taught is how to give up." Junior sees the truth to this-- he and his classmates are being taught from the same textbooks as their parents for one thing-- and since he's a long way from wanting to give up, he finds the strength of purpose to break away from the life he was destined to live. 

This isn't the first book I've read by Alexie, and I've enjoyed every one, even though he often stirs me to anger. Alexie addresses many commonplace facts of life on the reservation. For instance, Junior tells us, "I'm fourteen years old and I've been to forty-two funerals." When people live in a place with no hope, is it surprising that many of them give up?

But there are also moments of laughter and joy in describing a life well-lived, for example, or when Junior learns the history of homosexuals in his culture and he exclaims, "Gay people could do anything. They were like Swiss Army knives!"

If I hadn't read Sherman Alexie before, this book would have been an eye-opening experience. As it is, it's a beautifully written diary of a brave young man as well as an exposé of the shameful way one race treats another.

Read it. Ignorance is not bliss.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

ISBN: 9780316013680

Little, Brown & Company © 2007

Hardcover, 320 pages

 

Young Adult, Standalone

Rating: A

Source: Paperback Swap

Echoes of the Dead by Spencer Kope

First Line: Dreams are like runaway trains, and we, their passengers.

 

Magnus "Steps" Craig is one member of an elite three-person tracking unit that works for the FBI. Steps is known as one of the best trackers in the world, capable of following a trail no matter the terrain, no matter how old, no matter the weather. How he does it remains a tightly-held secret that only a very few know about. Since childhood, he's had a sort of synesthesia that allows him to see a person's essence as a sort of color or pattern that he calls "shine." 

Now Steps and his partner Jimmy Donovan have left information specialist Diane Parker in Bellingham, Washington, to go to Bakersfield, California, to help police with an investigation that has them stumped. Four friends-- a congressman, a district attorney, a CEO, and the co-founder of a hedge fund-- have disappeared while on their annual fly-fishing trip. It rapidly becomes obvious that time is running out for the men, and Steps and Jimmy work feverishly to save whoever they can. One thing that's crystal clear is that this is no simple missing persons case. It has very sinister motivations that none of them have seen before.

~

It's almost as if Spencer Kope read my mind. I've often wondered about killers who had someone in their childhoods treat them horribly... why couldn't they kill the persons who abused them instead of annihilating so many innocent people? In Echoes of the Dead, he takes this thought of mine, turns it on its head a bit, and runs with it.

Due to his synesthesia, Steps Craig is an old soul in a young man's body, and this fourth book in the Special Tracking Unit series finally shows readers that his personal life is taking some very important, and very beneficial, strides forward. I always enjoy reading how he and partner Jimmy Donovan (one of the few who know his secret) work together, and in this book, they get some first-rate help from a member of local law enforcement.

The violence in Echoes of the Dead seems to have been raised a notch or two, which will make it very uncomfortable for those readers who have a low tolerance for such things, but although I had a moment or two of unease, I am the type of reader who only becomes more determined to catch the killer when this happens. I also noticed something that will please readers who shun anything that has the slightest appearance of the paranormal. In this book, "shine"-- the colorful essence of the killer-- is no longer the primary way to identify the killer. Now "shine" is more of a "stamp of approval" that their leads have brought them to the right person. For me, "shine" works either way because I also like watching Jimmy and Steps try to find legal ways to prove what it's been telling them all along.

Was catching this killer satisfying? You betcha. Now I'm looking forward to the next book, especially because of the cliffhanger this one ended on. Bring it on!

Echoes of the Dead by Spencer Kope

eISBN: 9781250179449

Minotaur Books © 2021

eBook, 336 pages

 

Police Procedural, #4 FBI Special Tracking Unit mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Only Clue by Pamela Beason

 

First Line: Neema cowered in the corner of the pen, her back turned to the mass of people gathering behind her.

 

Finding and securing funding for her project is a never-ending job, so Dr. Grace McKenna reluctantly agrees to host her first open house at her research center. Gorillas who communicate with sign language aren't something people see everyday, so it seems that the entire town of Evansburg, Washington shows up to gawk. On the morning after the open house, Grace finds that her worst nightmare has come true: the lock was cut off the barn door and all three of her gorillas-- Gumu, Neema, and infant Kanoni-- have disappeared. There's only one clue left behind: a huge pool of blood. 

Grace is practically out of her mind with worry. Is one of her gorillas dead? She hopes that they've just escaped into the forest, but if the press gets hold of the story, she knows that the county will revoke her permit to work with the apes in a heartbeat.

Detective Matthew Finn, who's worked with Grace before, agrees to keep the gorillas' disappearance secret while he works to find them. Has the maniac who killed Grace's first gorilla returned? Her staff members belong to an animal rights union. Could one of them have liberated the apes? Or have the valuable gorillas been stolen to sell on the illegal wildlife market? It's going to take a lot of hard work to find all the answers, and even more important, to find the apes before they come to harm.

~

 

The character of Neema the signing gorilla is based on the real life Koko, and Neema certainly has a tough time of it in The Only Clue. She's the loving new mother of baby Kanoni and is happy in her life with her mate Gumu. All that is shattered when thieves break into Dr. Grace McKenna's barn. The pool of blood that's the only clue left behind isn't a very good one. Is it gorilla blood? Which gorilla? Could it even be human blood? It takes time to find out, and time is one thing that Dr. Grace McKenna does not have. There are too many people in charge who really don't have a clue about the work she's doing or about the animals she is in charge of. They are constantly on the lookout for the tiniest thing that will allow them to boot her and her animals out of their county. This really spotlights how tough it is for many scientists who have to wrestle for permits and funding.

Another thing that The Only Clue does an excellent job of bringing attention to is that of the illegal wildlife trade. Why does someone with the right amount of money on hand need to raise a tiger in their big-city apartment? Why do certain countries' traditional medicines seem to insist on the extinction of many animal species? I mean... I adore meerkats, but I don't want a family of them in my backyard. The lengths to which these illegal traders will go to get their hands on money are both chilling and disgusting, and Beason brings it right out in the open without being overly graphic.

As much as I enjoyed the first Neema mystery, The Only Witness, this second book fell flat for me. First, there were Grace's overbearing parents. You know the type, the parents who don't like the career their child has chosen and never miss an opportunity to undermine them? If there's a contest for "I'm So Over Them" Characters, overbearing, judgy parents would rank in my top three. Then there was a bit of deus ex machina at the end to save the day for one of the plotlines, a plotline that I wondered how the author was going to resolve.

But the thing that bothered me the most was poor Neema. She went through emotional hell in this book, and even though there is just one more book in the Neema series, I'm going to leave it here at book two where all is right in her world once again. It's just not right to keep torturing the poor ape.

The Only Clue by Pamela Beason

ASIN: B00GXHHKNE

Wildwing Press © 2013

eBook, 277 pages

 

Police Procedural, #2 Neema mystery

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Shadows of the Dead by Spencer Kope

 

First Line: Six months ago... Music would've been nice.

When an abducted woman is pulled from the trunk of a car after a high-speed chase, she's rushed to the hospital. When she regains consciousness in the ICU, she gives the FBI's Special Tracking Unit two vital clues: the man who kidnapped her isn't the same man who left her in the woods, and she's not the first victim.

When the kidnapper is caught after being tracked through a dense forest, he laughs maniacally and babbles about souls and someone who's going to be mad at him. Magnus "Steps" Craig and his partner Jimmy aren't after one bad guy, they're after two, and it's going to take everything they've got to catch the mastermind behind seven women's deaths.

Spencer Kope's Special Tracking Unit series has become a favorite of mine. I enjoy young Steps Craig's world-weary voice and (sometimes unintentional) humor. He's been "blessed" by a sort of synesthesia after a childhood trauma; he can see a person's "essence" on everything they've touched. This is what makes him an exceptional tracker, but it's made this young man old before his time. His blessing is also one that must be hidden at all cost.

Shadows of the Dead isn't the strongest book in this series, but it's still good. Cliffhanger haters, beware: this book ends on a doozy, so gird your loins. As much as I did enjoy this book, I have to admit that I was irked a few times. Have you ever found yourself reading a book that, when an important clue was slipped into the story, it seemed to be announced with a blazing neon sign? Well, that happened a few times in this book, and-- of course-- the experts were too dumb to pick up on them. Perhaps writers purposely do this from time to time to make readers feel like Sherlock Holmes. I don't know. I do know that it irritates me. But I digress.

Shadows of the Dead is a solid entry in Spencer Kope's Special Tracking Unit series, and after reading that cliffhanger, I'm certainly looking forward to the next book!

Shadows of the Dead by Spencer Kope

eISBN: 9781250178350

Minotaur Books © 2020

eBook, 336 pages

 

Police Procedural, #3 Special Tracking Unit

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni

First Line: Buzz Almond informed dispatch he was rolling, punched the accelerator, and smiled at the roar of the 245-horsepower V-8 engine, the g-forces nudging him back against his seat.

Jenny, a former police academy classmate, knows Tracy Crosswhite's soft spot and her skill set. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, Tracy loves tackling unsolved crimes. She knows firsthand how important justice and closure are to the victims' families and friends. When Jenny's father, the police chief in a small town in southern Washington, died, Jenny found the case that wouldn't let her father go: the suspicious suicide of a Native American high school girl forty years ago.

Tracy agrees to take a look at the case and begins combing the small town's memory. It's not long before she starts uncovering inconsistencies and secrets that were believed to be well-buried. Is Tracy going to be able to uphold the promise she's made to the dead girl's family? It's anyone's guess because she could very well be the next victim.

In the Clearing is a two-investigation, two-timeline mystery that held my interest from beginning to end. One investigation involves the death of a man in Seattle. Most of the police officers believe that the man's wife killed him and that her father, a high-powered, expensive lawyer, is going to get her off scotfree. The second investigation involves the forty-year-old cold case in southern Washington, and it takes center stage.

Throughout Tracy's investigation of the cold case, it is shown how difficult it is to prosecute cases in which so much time has passed. Flashbacks to 1976 give readers insight into the characters. And as far as difficulties go, Tracy shows once again how hard it is for someone as dedicated as she is to have any sort of personal life.

For me, the character of Tracy Crosswhite makes this series. I really enjoy watching her work. Her dedication to both the person lost and to those left behind. Her unwillingness to stop until justice is done. The special insight she has into the mindset of victims' families because of her own history. No one can endure the disappearance of a sibling and not knowing what happened for almost twenty years without being changed. Since this is a road Tracy has been down, she's especially suited to talking to the bereaved and often getting information from them that no one else has.

Yes, In the Clearing has Tracy saving the day once again. It's a strong performance even though I found the solution to both cold case and new rather easy to deduce. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni

ASIN: B013UVNZ7A

Thomas & Mercer © 2016

eBook, 479 pages

Police Procedural, #3 Tracy Crosswhite mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

Deception Cove by Owen Laukkanen

First Line: Certain moments came back to her, or maybe they never left.

Former U.S. Marine Jess Winslow reenters civilian life as a new widow, with a medical discharge for PTSD, a decrepit house, and a therapy dog named Lucy. The only thing Jess cares about is that pit bull mix who helps her cope with the crippling memories of her time in Afghanistan.

Mason Burke is recently released from prison after spending nearly half his life behind bars. He has one set of clothes, a wallet, and a photo of Lucy, the service dog he trained while incarcerated. When he learns that Lucy is in trouble, he heads for Deception Cove, Washington, where Lucy lives with Jess Winslow.

Almost from the moment he arrives, Mason finds himself in the middle of a standoff between Jess and the deputy county sheriff. The deputy is convinced that Jess has something he wants, and Jess is just as convinced that she doesn't know what he's talking about. But the deputy has Lucy, and Lucy will be destroyed if Jess doesn't do what he wants. The last thing Mason wants is to be dragged into something that could put him right back in jail. The last thing Jess wants is to trust a stranger. But neither of them can desert a friend, so they form an uneasy alliance in order to save the one good thing in both their lives: Lucy.

This fast-paced thriller drew me right in with its combination of strong characters, vivid setting, and addictive story. Laukkanen turns things a bit on their heads with his characters. It's still rather unusual for a woman to have PTSD in the crime fiction that I read, and it's extremely unusual for an ex-con to be one of the most decent human beings you'll ever meet. Not only that, Lucy isn't a typical heroic canine; she's got a personality all her own.

I tend to steer clear of books dealing with drugs, as Deception Cove does, because the violence quotient tends to be quite high; however, the author has a light hand with that so my overactive imagination was grateful. This is a case of characters, story, and setting combining for a very enjoyable read. I see that this is the first of what is being called the Neah Bay series, so I'm really looking forward to the next book.

Deception Cove by Owen Laukkanen

eISBN: 9780316448697

Mulholland Books © 2019

eBook, 385 pages

Thriller, #1 Neah Bay mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni

First Line: Tracy Crosswhite watched the minivan pull into the parking lot, noting a car seat strapped into the backseat and a yellow "Child on Board" placard dangling in the window.

Tracy Crosswhite is back working the Homicide Division of the Seattle Police Department after the sensational retrial of her sister's killer. With her luck (or lack thereof), she's immediately plunged into the hunt for a serial killer who's been named The Cowboy.

The Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle, and Tracy is determined to bring him to justice. With more victims dying and clues being difficult to find, she realizes that the solution may lie in a ten-year-old homicide investigation that others-- including her boss, Captain Johnny Nolasco-- would prefer to remain buried. There's only one thing wrong: while Tracy is searching for the evidence to put The Cowboy away, she's moving to the top of The Cowboy's list of victims.

My review could be wrapped up in short order: Her Final Breath is, quite simply, a pleasure to read. However, most people do expect more in a review. Dugoni has crafted a truly puzzling, well-paced mystery with a main character whom I'm learning to like more and more with each book in the series that I read.

Tracy is saddled with an obnoxious boss, and Nolasco really has it in for her. The problem is-- like a cat-- he seems to have nine lives and to always land on his feet. I am really looking forward to continuing with this series because this character certainly deserves to have Karma slap him right upside the head.

Dan, the attorney Tracy met in My Sister's Grave, shows up once again and does some very valuable research for her regarding The Cowboy. The rest of the supporting cast performs ably, especially the detectives who work closely with Tracy because they think the world of her but don't always like the way she behaves.

Tracy Crosswhite herself is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. Give her a goal and she gets tunnel vision, not wanting to stop until the bad guy is behind bars. This may lead to some impulsive behavior from time to time, but she does use common sense and her heart is always with the victims and their families. (She's been in their shoes.) One of the many things I like about this character is that although her focus on the job is tremendous, she nevertheless takes the time to share her knowledge and expertise with other women trying to make their way in the police department.

Characters and story. Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series has both in abundance, and I'm really looking forward to reading my way through this series.

Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni

eISBN: 9781503945029

Thomas & Mercer © 2015

eBook, 424 pages

Police Procedural, #2 Tracy Crosswhite mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni

First Line: Her tactical instructor at the police academy had liked taunting them during early morning drills.

Contrary to popular opinion, Tracy Crosswhite does not believe that Edmund House, a convicted rapist and the man sent to prison for her sister Sarah's murder, is guilty of the crime. This case has haunted her for twenty years, so much so that she left her job as a high school chemistry teacher to become a homicide detective with the Seattle Police Department.

When Sarah's remains are finally found near their home in northern Washington, Tracy is determined to get the answers she's been searching for all these years. As she hunts for the real killer, she keeps unearthing long-buried secrets that change her relationship to her past... and put her in very real danger.

After watching a video of one of Dugoni's author events, I knew I had to read one of his books, so I downloaded My Sister's Grave. I'm glad I did because Dugoni's fast-moving story kept me riveted from first page to last. One of the things I liked most was the author's decision to let readers know very early on that there is some sort of conspiracy surrounding Sarah's death. This really ups the suspense and keeps readers wondering how many people are involved, their identities, how much they can be trusted (if at all)-- and just what exactly that they're covering up.

There were a couple of things that I didn't particularly care for: a romance for Tracy that wasn't really necessary, and all the drama coming to a head in the middle of a snowpocalypse, but these were minor annoyances that really didn't prevent me from turning the pages as fast as I could go. 

Dugoni's characters come very, very close to stealing the show from his story. These people are not cardboard cutouts, even the murder victim whose light is just a brief shooting star in the night sky. Tracy can be admired for her dogged determination to find the truth and to demand justice, but how is she going to handle herself if any of her theories are wrong? Almost every single character is shown to have multiple facets, and that gives so much depth and power to a story.

Now that Tracy has finally solved her sister's murder, I'm looking forward to continuing this series. I have to know what's next for such an intelligent, stubborn woman.

My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni

ASIN: B00K2EOONI

Thomas & Mercer © 2014

eBook, 402 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Tracy Crosswhite mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Right Side by Spencer Quinn

First Line: "Just want to make sure I've got your name right."

LeAnne Hogan joined the army determined to work hard and make the military her life. She returned home from Afghanistan in a much-altered state of mind. Having lost an eye and suffering from a brain injury, she can't really remember the desert operation that almost killed her. Her mind is a jumbled mess of confusion and anger, and she's almost convinced herself that the desert op-gone-wrong was her fault-- even though no one will come right out and say so.

The only thing that makes her days bearable in the hospital is her friendship with her roommate, Marci. Marci seems to be dealing well with her amputation, but when she dies suddenly, LeAnne walks out of Walter Reed and starts out on a cross-country drive. Having only the vision in one eye, LeAnne's native land now looks unfamiliar, and her strength and stamina are failing her. When she arrives in Marci's hometown, she learns that Marci's eight-year-old daughter is missing. Just as she decides to make finding the little girl her priority, LeAnne is suddenly adopted by a huge stray dog. LeAnne doesn't even like dogs, but this one refuses to leave her, and somehow a bond forms between the two as they look for a lost little girl.

This is quite a departure from Spencer Quinn's Chet and Bernie mystery series. There is no gentle humor. There is no dog's point of view. No, in The Right Side, Spencer Quinn gives us edginess, uncertainty, and an extremely unpredictable hero with an equally unreadable dog.

LeAnne Hogan is a physical and psychological loose cannon. She's suffering from her injuries. She's suffering from PTSD. She's suffering from feelings of inadequacy and failure. She's not your usual choice for the hero of a book, and that's one of the things that makes The Right Side so good. You literally do not know which way LeAnne is going to jump from one scene to the next. Her anger is explosive and frightening, but Quinn portrays her in such a way that we instinctively know that she's a good person. We want her to get well. We want her to be safe and happy.

This woman needs help, but she's going to fight everyone who wants to give her that help every single step of the way. She even fiercely resists the dog, but this huge beast of unknown pedigree just ignores her. The dog is just as much a mystery as LeAnne, but you know this relationship will work because of one thing: the dog unerringly protects her blind side.

Quinn gives us two mysteries in The Right Side: one involving the missing child, and one that concerns what really happened to LeAnne in Afghanistan. Both are strong and grab your attention. Another mystery for me is... will Quinn write about LeAnne again? She's one of the best characters I've encountered in a long time, and I wouldn't mind reading more about her. But sometimes it's best to see just one adventure in a character's journey through life. Whatever the author does, I'm certainly glad I met LeAnne-- and I hope you'll decide to meet her, too.

The Right Side by Spencer Quinn

eISBN:  9781501118425

Atria Books © 2017

eBook, 336 pages

Suspense, Standalone

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

The Only Witness by Pamela Beason

First Line: Brittany Morgan knew she was a good mother, no matter what other people said.

Teenage Brittany's baby was finally asleep, and since she was only going into the grocery store for a few minutes, she cracked the window, locked all the car doors, and ran inside for the things she needed. When she got back, her baby was gone. The only thing Brittany can remember is the white van with a strange logo on it that was parked next to her car-- and then gone when she came out of the store.

The van belongs to the Talking Hands Ranch and was driven by Dr. Grace McKenna. Grace didn't see the kidnapping, but her passenger did. Her passenger? A gorilla named Neema. Neema has the attention span of a five-year-old, and she knows sign language. But when Grace finally pieces together what the gorilla saw that upset her so much, is she going to be able to make the police believe Neema's eyewitness testimony?

The idea of having a gorilla be the only witness to a crime intrigued me right from the beginning, and Pamela Beason's fast-paced mystery ticks all the boxes. The mystery is first-rate, and the work Grace McKenna does with Neema's language skills is fascinating. Readers also learn the difficulties such programs have in getting funding-- and their acceptance (or lack thereof) when located in small, conservative communities.

The characters are very well drawn. Brittany isn't your typical teenage mother. Beason portrays her empathetically, showing us a young girl who is naive but who also shows surprising depth. Matt Finn, the detective in charge of investigating the kidnapping is tired and depressed, dealing with his own personal problems, and it's interesting to see how the case starts bringing him back to life. And as for Grace and Neema? It's mainly due to these two characters that I'm glad to see that there's another book in the series to read. Are you an animal lover who likes a good, well-paced mystery with strong characters? I highly recommend Pamela Beason's Neema mysteries.
   

The Only Witness by Pamela Beason

ASIN: B004WOX12O 

WildWing Press © 2014

eBook, 314 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Neema mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.  


 

Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope

First Line: She had small feet.

The elite Special Tracking Unit of the FBI has only three members. Diane, who works in the office, is brilliant at uncovering information. She's also the glue that holds the unit together. Special Agent Jimmy Donovan and Magnus "Steps" Craig find themselves spending a lot of time at crime scenes. Steps is known as "the Human Bloodhound," and there's a secret to his success that only three people know. He has a kind of synesthesia that allows him to see the essence of a person (what he calls "shine") on everything they've touched. Every person's shine is unique in color and texture.

When the remains of a woman are found, Steps recognizes the shine left by the murderer from another crime scene he worked. By piecing things together, he and Donovan find themselves on the trail of a serial killer-- one who's not afraid to come after the Special Tracking Unit in order to keep his secrets hidden.

From almost the first page, I was blown away by Collecting the Dead. Steps Craig has the world-weary voice of a man who's in his late forties or fifties, so I was shocked when I put two and two together and discovered this character is only twenty-seven. I suppose that's what happens when you refer to yourself as "just the undertaker's front man."  

This is a tale marvelously told, from its well-paced, engrossing plot, to its lyrical descriptions and multi-faceted cast. Spencer Kope has written a barn
burner of a book that can have readers laughing one second and trying not to cry the next. And... like Diane is the glue that holds the Special Tracking Unit together, the entire cast holds Collecting the Dead together. 

For the most part (but not always), the various police jurisdictions work together well with the FBI. These are professionals whose main aim is to save innocent lives, and this dedication adds a sense of urgency and tension to the book. Some of the more interesting scenes come when Steps and Jimmy Donovan try to find acceptable ways to divulge their "shine" findings to the police. But this "shine" often takes a backseat to the grunt work of checking and rechecking facts, reports, photos, interviews-- the very things that often break cases wide open. Kope walks a fine line between Steps' synesthesia and the more "mundane" police work extremely well.

Throughout Collecting the Dead, we watch Steps collecting information about a serial killer he calls Leonardo. It's his aim to catch Leonardo, and I sincerely hope readers get to watch him do so in a second book. I was buried so deeply in this story that my husband had to clap and shout at me to get my attention. I want to have that happen again. I want more Steps Craig-- and I'm certain you will, too!
   

Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope

ISBN: 9781250072870

Minotaur Books © 2016

Hardcover, 320 pages

Law Enforcement, #1 Special Tracking Unit

Rating: A+

Source: Amazon Vine