Tag: working dogs

Review: Good Dog, Bad Cop by David Rosenfelt

Review: Good Dog, Bad Cop by David Rosenfelt

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The K-Team – Corey Douglas, Marcus Clark, and Laurie Collins, plus retired K-9 Simon Garfunkel –  have been helping the Patterson Police Department by working cold cases for the city. But this time, Corey is calling an audible and choosing their next case himself rather than picking from ones the chief has pulled for them.

Danny Avery was a detective killed, execution style, in his car. His friend, Jimmy Dietrich, another detective, didn’t work the case, but it never sat right with him. He knew Danny, and his wife Susan. When Jimmy’s body is discovered, along with Susan Avery’s, the quick explanation is murder-suicide. But that never sat right with Corey, especially since the coroner said she couldn’t be certain it wasn’t a double murder instead.

So Corey and the K-Team decide to dig into what really happened to Danny, Susan, and Jimmy. They are determined to finally get the truth for these two Patterson cops.

Review

This was fantastic! The case was super twisty with an ending I didn’t see coming. Other than pauses for interruptions – like my job – I read this from start to finish in one day, and it was so satisfying.

I have read all of Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter books as well as the first three books in this K-Team series. I love them – the cases, the characters, the sass. But reading this book I really noticed – and enjoyed – how different the “voices” are between the two series. I think it would be tricky to create two distinct characters and approaches to mysteries where the setting and many of the core characters are the same. But the K-Team is its own fully fleshed-out series. This is perfectly plotted. Rosenfelt and series fans should not miss this!

I actually think newcomers could start here without too much trouble. The case stands on its own without needing a lot of explanation. The character relationships and history don’t play a huge role in the story, so this should be easy to follow for someone who has not yet tried the earlier books. But once you try one, I think you will want to go back and read the rest of both of these fantastic series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

BONUS REVIEW: The Hiding Place by Paula Munier

BONUS REVIEW: The Hiding Place by Paula Munier

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Troy and Susie Bear team up with Mercy and Elvis again when a string of crimes seems to converge around the same time.

  • A moose researcher is killed deep in the woods.
  • A dying man asks Mercy to solve a missing person’s case – the one Mercy’s sheriff grandfather could never solve.
  • The man who killed Mercy’s grandfather escapes from prison and is likely headed back to town to resolve some unfinished business.
  • Someone plants a pipe bomb at Mercy’s grandmother’s house.

And then Mercy’s grandmother goes missing.

Review

Another excellent book in the Mercy and Elvis Mystery series! It’s been awhile since I read book 2, Blind Search, and I was concerned I would have trouble remembering everything. But the author does a great job of building refreshers into the story naturally. I was swept away by the story immediately. Reading this was like visiting with old friends.

As always, the characters in this are a delight – both the human ones and the animal ones. The animals are woven into the story beautifully. I love what they add to each adventure.

The mystery here was vast and engaging. I was able to puzzle out most of it on my own, which was quite satisfying because this one was twisty. I loved that the author included some non-mystery related character development pieces along the way. It makes the story feel full and well-rounded, but never distracts from the mystery at the center of the book. I can’t get enough of these books. This is a must-read series for me!

Fans of David Rosenfelt (Andy Carpenter, K-Team) and other dog-centered mysteries like the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series should be sure to add this whole series to their TBRs. This doesn’t have the snark of Rosenfelt, but it does have the fantastic plotting and terrific characters as well as a lot of heart.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Animal Instinct by David Rosenfelt

REVIEW: Animal Instinct by David Rosenfelt

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Corey Douglas was a cop, one somewhat random case always bothered him. He didn’t usually work domestic violence cases, but he answered this call about a neighbor hearing an escalating fight. The alleged victim refused to press charges, saying she fell. Her boyfriend was far too smug to be innocent. But Corey was powerless to do much more than file the report.

Now, Corey and his former K-9 partner, Simon, are PIs along with a couple other investigators, including Andy Carpenter’s wife, Laurie Collins. When the alleged domestic violence victim is murdered in what looks like a drive by, Corey is convinced the boyfriend struck again. The K-Team agrees to help Corey look into the case.

What seemed simple at first becomes more convoluted than any member of the K-Team could have predicted. And Corey has the most to lose if they can’t puzzle out the truth.

Review

This was excellent! Come for the fantastically plotted mystery, stay for the terrific cast of characters and the sassy tone of the writing. Rosenfelt is in fine form with the second K-Team book. All of my favorite characters are part of the case including Andy Carpenter, the defense attorney from Rosenfelt’s long-running series.

The mystery in this one is exceptionally twisty. I had no clue what was going on, but I was happy to just be along for the ride. The resolution was supremely satisfying!

I don’t know that readers have to read the K-Team books in order or to have read the Andy Carpenter books first. The case here stands solidly on its own. But I think readers will enjoy the characters enough to want to go back and fill in the gaps if they start reading here. David Rosenfelt fans should be sure to pick this one up!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Blind Search by Paula Munier

REVIEW: Blind Search by Paula Munier

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It starts with Henry, a nine year old autistic boy who slips away from the adults who are supposed to be watching him and wanders off into the woods. He sees something he shouldn’t. And a woman dies.

Mercy Carr and her dog, Elvis, get caught up in a hunting party their rich neighbor is having. While they’re all rambling on about a bear that got away, Elvis finds the body. An architect, in town to pitch ideas on a project the hunting party is working on. She had been dating Henry’s father. They had argued recently. He’s arrested for her murder.

Mercy and Elvis, along with game warden Troy and his search and rescue dog, Susie Bear, find Henry hiding deep in the woods. He’s possibly seen something that could help with the case, but he’s not talking. Immediately, Henry connects with Elvis and Susie Bear, and by extension, Mercy and Troy. If they can keep him safe and comfortable, maybe he will open up to them, and they can solve the murder.

But when Henry leads them to another body, kicking off a string of trouble that includes a blizzard, it seems keeping Henry safe and solving these murders might be more complicated than Mercy anticipated.

Review

This was a BUSY story! There’s a lot of Henry stuff, plus the murders. There’s also criminal activity in the woods that may or may not connect to the murders. You also have the interesting dynamics at work within the hunting party. And on top of that you have the will-they-or-won’t-they thread between Mercy and Troy. I feel like I got my time’s worth out of this twisty mystery!

Many times I have said I love a story with great kid characters and/or great animal characters. This book qualifies. Henry’s a fascinating kid. I loved his D&D-like references to Mercy, Troy, and the dogs. The author did a great job with the adults who were closest to Henry accepting him as he is. The dogs, who I loved in the first book, were exceptionally written here, especially in their care for Henry.

This series is a must-read for me. If you loved the first book, A Borrowing of Bones, like I did, do NOT miss this one! I don’t know that you have to read these in order, but book 1 does give good backstory for the characters. I didn’t love the ending of this with Mercy, but it’s an interesting way to launch into book 3. The Hiding Place is currently scheduled to release next March.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

BONUS REVIEW: The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton

BONUS REVIEW: The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Mason “Mace” Reid trains cadaver dogs. And Elvira is his latest trainee. She survived a rough beginning to her life and has become a great HRD – Human Remains Detection dog. She’s bright, and she picked up the tasks quickly. It helps that Mace treats the training like games for his “kids,” the pups.

On Vira’s first real case, she finds the body in less than 2 minutes. And while she and Mace wait to make an official statement to the police, Vira zeroes in on a guy in the watching crowd – and she attacks. The guy is hospitalized for his injuries. And Vera is supposed to be put down. But Mace believes in her and believes there might be more to the guy she attacked. Mace has to investigate in order to save her life. That’s what she means to him. He’d sacrifice anything for her.

That’s what puts Mace on Everyman’s radar. He’d been loosely connected to that other case. He’d been almost mentoring the young sociopath involved. And when Mace ruins that situation, Everyman turns his attention to Mace – and his dogs – instead.

Review

I received an offer of a review copy of this book because of my love for the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt, another dog-related mystery/suspense series.  This felt darker, thanks to the serial killer angle, but there were similarities, too.

The dogs in this book are excellent. And the investigative work is as well. Vira is a more active part of the story here than Rosenfelt’s dogs tend to be, at least in the Andy Carpenter series. I got a kick out of the questions about Vira’s special skills. She’s pretty amazing!

The mystery here, while dark, was well executed (pardon the unintentional pun). There were a couple interesting twists to this, plus a side case to show off Vira’s gifts that was very clever. I would definitely read more books in this series to see what happens with Vira and Mace in the future.

Thriller fans, especially those who enjoy stories with dogs and/or law enforcement, should be sure to check this out. You could hand this to other Rosenfelt fans as well as fans of books like A Borrowing of Bones with other working/law enforcement dogs. (Language, including one use of the word “retarded.”)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥