Dying Cry by Margaret Mizushima

 

The plot:  This is the 10th novel in one of my favorite K-9 mystery series. Newlyweds Mattie and Cole Walker, and Cole's two daughters, Sophie and Angie, and their three dogs are out snowshoeing when they hear a terrified scream. Mattie, who is a deputy and K-9 handler with Timber Creek's Sheriff's Department, goes to investigate with her dog, Robo. What they discover is the body of someone they know. And he didn't die from an accidental fall; he was pushed. Once again, Mattie finds herself involved in a puzzling murder investigation. 

My thoughts: I love Mattie and Cole; they have such a supportive and respectful partnership. And Mattie's German Shepherd, Robo, is full of personality. He's one of the main reasons I love this series so much. I also like that Colorado setting. The mystery was good, too. But it's these characters and their development over the course of this series that makes these books so memorable and appealing. (And also why I recommend starting with the first book, Killing Trail.)    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Other books in this series I've reviewed:

Stalking Ground #2

Hunting Hour #3

Burning Ridge #4

Tracking Game #5

Hanging Falls #6

Striking Range #7

Gathering Mist #9

Another bookish day...

I opened up one of my library books the other day and was bowled over by the smell of stale cigarette smoke. It was so strong it made my eyes water. Besides the occasional stain of dubious origins, this is one of the unfortunate drawbacks of library books:  sometimes they stink. Luckily for me, Febreeze works on more than couches and carpets. A few judicious squirts above the offending pages managed to knock out the worst of the stink and make an unreadable library book readable again.  Which is a good thing because this particular library book turned out to be a pretty decent read.

Title & Author:  Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima
Genre:  Mystery (First in a series)
Setting:  Timber Creek, Colorado

First lines:  Deputy Mattie Lu Cobb liked her new partner. In fact she was quite taken with him...Large, muscular, strong and rugged, he was the only one in the department who could outrun her in a cross-country foot race. In addition to all that, he could sniff out a missing person. He was Timber Creek's new police service dog, a German Shepherd named Robo.

What I liked best:  Robo! He and his human partner, Mattie, made this small-town murder mystery more interesting and fun. The rest of the book, while good, fell short of amazing for me. Still, I feel like Mizushima has all the necessary ingredients to make this a great series, and I'm very hopeful that she'll develop the rest of her characters in her next book, and make them as likeable--and her next plot as memorable--as Robo. Because he's awesome.

Happy Reading!