Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Fallen Creed by Alex Kava

 
The plot:  Ryder Creed is a former marine and a K-9 handler. His best scent dog is a small Jack Russell terrier named Grace; she can find everything from drugs to missing persons to electronic devices. Ryder and Grace are in Nebraska helping the FBI on a human trafficking case. FBI agent Maggie O'Dell is there, too. Ryder is glad to see her even though they haven't exactly defined their relationship. Then Ryder is asked to help find a missing woman named Libby Homes. Only an early October snowstorm blows in, and when Ryder and Grace don't return from their search, Maggie doesn't know if it's because of the snow, or because of the young woman he was searching for. She just knows she has to find him.

My thoughts:  Ryder Creed is a favorite character of mine, as is his dog, Grace. I love how he works with her and all his other dogs; and that K-9 component adds a fun layer to these mysteries that I really like. The secondary characters, Maggie, Ryder's sister, Brodie, and Jason, another K-9 handler, are also great. I did think the mystery in this one was not quite as tightly plotted as in Alex Kava's other books, and the ending felt rushed, but I still enjoyed it. So this one isn't my favorite Ryder Creed novel, but it is a good one!

Happy Reading!

Other Ryder Creed books I've reviewed (and loved!):

33 comments:

  1. Funny how I never had any idea that K-9 murder mysteries were a proper sub-genre until I started to read Mercy and Elvis. This sounds excellent, I think I'd like to try the series.

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    1. Popped back to say my county library catalogue has Breaking Creed so I've reserved it. :-D

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    2. Yay! Ryder Creed is such a great character. I think you'll really like him. Happy reading. :D

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  2. Glad this was good even if not a favorite. Does sound like an exciting series!

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    1. It's a very fun series! And I liked this one, just not as much as some of her other books. :)

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  3. I need to give this series a go. It sounds like a good one!

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    1. I really like because of the main character and the dogs. They're both great. :)

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  4. It does sound like a good book. I like the cover!

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  5. This does sound like a great series. I always enjoy mysteries featuring K-9s. :)

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    1. I do, too! The dogs just seem to make the books better. :)

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  6. Nice review, Lark, so glad you're enjoying Grace and the series.

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  7. I love Alex Kava but haven't read her books in several years. I really need to get caught up with this series!

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    1. It's one of my favorite series...and one that I'm actually caught up on! :)

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  8. I've ready many reviews of Kava's books, but didn't realize this series was centered around a K9 detective. That definitely makes me want to explore them more!

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    1. The dogs are my favorite part. Plus, Ryder Creed is a great character. :)

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  9. I still haven't read any K-9 detective stories. I like the idea of a Jack Russell terrier as a K-9 dog.

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    1. Grace is a cute dog. I also really like the Margaret Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 series. That's a good one, too. :)

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  10. Even though it wasn't your favorite it sounds like it was still good.

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    1. It was good, mostly because I love the characters so much.

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  11. I love this series. I tend to save these books as treats, and after my glut of ARC reading is completed within the next week or so, I intend to treat myself to Creed and Gracie!

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    1. These books are a treat to read! I love Ryder, and all of his dogs. I hope Kava plans to write lots more about them. :)

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  12. I don't think I've ever read of a Jack Russell terrier as a working scent dog before. I love it! Must try this series! Fab review, Lark!

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    1. Little Grace is a great character and adds so much fun to the book. And Ryder's relationship with his dogs is a main reason I keep reading this series. :)

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  13. It's great how you keep track of all the thrillers (I am assuming that's the correct genre here) you read. The only detective series I have ever read start to end are Poirot and Holmes, and I often get confused among the entries! ~Lex

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    1. It's hard to keep track of every book in a series! I struggle with it, too, especially if I didn't write a review for a particular book. I'm still working my way through all the Hercule Poirot books. :)

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  14. I don't think I've read anything by this author. And the dogs as part of the characters are always a joy to read! :)

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    1. Kava has written this series, and then another series about FBI agent Maggie O'Dell. I haven't read any of those, but I love her Ryder Creed mysteries. :)

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  15. I was at a dog charity walk this past weekend and saw a terrier there that I thought was the cutest thing! Now I just want to read this for Grace (and the mystery of course!) — ve3rushka @Pop. Edit, Lit.

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    1. Grace is such a cute part of these books; she makes them even more fun to read. :)

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  16. I'm such a sucker for books that feature dogs. Glad to hear this is still a solid installment in the series even if you had a few issues with it.

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    1. The ending just felt a bit rushed to me, which usually doesn't happen with Alex Kava's books. But I do love Ryder Creed and his dog, Grace. :)

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