Midnight Creed by Alex Kava

 

This is the eighth book in one of my favorite mystery series. Ryder Creed is a former marine K9 handler; now he owns and runs a dog rescue center in the Florida panhandle where he rehabilitates and trains dogs as scent and search-and-rescue dogs. His best dog is a Jack Russell terrier named Gracie. He works with Jason, another veteran, and Brodie, his sister, and lots of dogs. He and Gracie are recovering from some injuries when he gets called in to help search for a missing boy. 

Maggie O'Dell is an FBI agent working a case in Washington D.C. that involves a serial killer who's been targeting the homeless. She and Ryder have worked several cases together, and their friendship has developed and deepened over the course of the series into something more. When Maggie tracks her killer to Florida, they find their two cases intersecting. 

Alex Kava always writes an interesting and engaging mystery. She creates great suspense, but it's her characters that really elevate these books. I especially love Ryder's relationship with his dogs and how they work together to solve each case. He can't help but rescue every stray that comes along. I like the way he and Maggie work together, too. I spotted the connection with the murderer early on in this one, but it didn't stop me from enjoying this book. It's a well-written and fun ride. 

Happy Reading!

Other Ryder Creed posts:

Breaking Creed (#1)

Lost Creed (#4)

Desperate Creed (#5)

Hidden Creed (#6)

Fallen Creed (#7)

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!):

Breaking Creed (#1)

Lost Creed (#4)

Desperate Creed (#5)

Hidden Creed (#6)

Lost Creed by Alex Kava...

Ryder Creed's sister, Brodie, disappeared sixteen years ago, taken from an interstate truck stop while her dad and brother waited for her in the car. She was eleven years old. Now, every time Ryder goes out with his dogs on a search-and-rescue mission, he thinks about her, wondering if his sister, or her body, will ever be found. Then he gets a call from FBI Agent Maggie O'Dell. In a human trafficking raid in the middle of Nebraska, Maggie finds Brodie's picture. And she thinks that Eli Dunn, the man at the center of the raid, might know what happened to her. But Eli's playing his own game with the FBI, leading Maggie and Ryder (and his Jack Russell terrier, Gracie) on a macabre scavenger hunt.

(In a side story, Ryder's associate, Jason, and his black lab, Scout, go on their first search-and-rescue assignment alone where things don't quite go as planned. Moral of this secondary story: Trust your dog!)

My thoughts:  Lost Creed is a fast-paced and well-written read. I like all the characters in this book, both the people...and the dogs! It's fun to see Jason's role grow. And Gracie and Scout are awesome. Every book makes me like Ryder more and more. (In this one we even get to meet his mom.) And the mystery surrounding Dunn and all the missing kids was both compelling and suspenseful. Though I find the fact that human trafficking of minors continues in our country today completely heartbreaking! Overall, this is a great book. I couldn't put it down. In fact, I think this just might be my favorite Ryder Creed novel yet!

Happy Reading!

Previous Creed read:  

Breaking Creed

Breaking Creed by Alex Kava

From the blurb:
Ryder Creed and his dogs have been making national headlines. They’ve intercepted several major drug stashes being smuggled through Atlanta’s airport. But their newfound celebrity has also garnered some unwanted attention.  To make matters worse, Creed helps one of the cartel’s drug mules escape—a fourteen-year-old girl who reminds him of his younger sister who disappeared fifteen years ago.

Meanwhile, FBI agent Maggie O’Dell is investigating a series of murders — the victims tortured, killed, and dumped in the Potomac River. She suspects it’s the work of a cunning and brutal assassin, but her politically motivated boss has been putting up roadblocks.  By the time she uncovers a hit list with Creed’s name on it, it might be too late. The cartel has already sent someone to destroy Creed and everyone close to him.

But Creed and his dogs have a few surprises in store on their compound in Florida. 


What I liked:  Ryder Creed and all his dogs! Creed is an ex-marine, one of those ruggedly handsome guys with a penchant for taking in strays. He has a compound in Florida where he trains cadaver dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, and even drug sniffing dogs. That's what Grace, his Jack Russell terrier, does. She can also air scent, and she loves her pink elephant squeaky toy. Then there's Bolo, his overly protective Lab and several more. Ryder and ALL his dogs are awesome. I also liked FBI agent Maggie O'Dell. She's got an eye for detail and is trained as a profiler. She and Ryder make a great team. (Apparently Kava has written several mysteries with Maggie as the main character, but I haven' read any of those.)

This book is well-written. The mystery is compelling. And it reads fast. But it's the characters who made it a 4-star read for me.

Happy Reading!