Review by Booklist Review
Mattie Cobb and her police dog, Robo, return for a sixth time, after Tracking Game (2019). The waters of Colorado's high country are flooding, and Mattie, out scouting for trail damage, finds the body of a man who is identified as a member of a polygamist cult in the area. Angie, daughter of Mattie's love interest, Cole Walker, and Hannah, one of the young girls in their circle, become friends. Another death broadens the scope of the investigation, and the suspect list grows. Hannah goes missing, and, when found, she reveals new information that sends Mattie and Robo on a deadly path that ultimately puts Cole's veterinarian skills to the test. All of this unfolds while a both delighted and terrified Mattie makes plans to meet her sister and grandmother, neither of whom she has seen since she was kidnapped when she was two. Rich in human interest and guaranteed to delight every dog lover, especially fans of Robert Crais' K-9, Maggie, and Paula Munier's bomb-sniffing Elvis. And, of course, Spencer Quinn's indomitable Chet.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In Mizushima's solid sixth outing for Timber Creek, Colo., deputy Mattie Cobb (after 2019's Tracking Game), Mattie, who's been trying to understand why her parents disappeared and abandoned her to foster care when she was two, learns through a DNA match on an ancestry database that she has a sister and grandmother living in California. On the eve of her trip to see them, she and her German shepherd patrol dog, Robo, discover the bloated body of a man floating in a secluded lake, with the word pay carved on his chest. Mattie cancels her trip in order to focus on the investigation. Not to be deterred, her newfound relatives come to Colorado. Mattie juggles family revelations and developments in her relationship with veterinarian Cole Walker with hunting for a murderer who's lurking in the lush forests around Timber Creek. Fascinating information about the training and handling of police dogs makes up for the obvious mystery plot. Laden with a heavy dose of family drama, this entry will most please established fans. Agent: Terrie Wolf, AKA Literary Management. (Sept.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
The recent storms and raging waters in Colorado's high country make it difficult for Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 patrol dog, Robo, when they find a body in the river. The young man bears whip marks, and the sheriff's department even has a suspect when a camper is caught spying on Mattie and the team. They have to release him, but Mattie feels responsible when the camper is also murdered. Suspicion falls on two groups. One includes a new farrier in the region. The other group is a fundamentalist religious sect that recently moved to the area. Mattie's attention is split between the investigation and her upcoming visit with her newly discovered sister and grandmother. Kidnapped at age two with her mother and brother, Mattie has never known other family or the secrets of her past. While there's a great deal of tension, much of the emotional tension stems from the overarching series theme of family. VERDICT Crime fiction fans or readers who appreciate K-9 mysteries will easily catch on to the latest series entry (after Tracking Game). Readers who follow Mattie and Robo will be eager for the updated story line.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A K-9 cop seeks to solve the case of a dead body in the woods so she can take time off to investigate the mysteries of her own family. Mattie Cobb is finally stepping aside from her role as deputy and the human part of Timber Creek's only K-9 team to connect with relatives she thought she'd lost many years before. Her sister, Julia, and her abuela have plans to welcome Mattie with open arms, if only she can get away for a few days. But those plans are put on ice when Mattie and her friend Glenna come upon a body while jogging at Hanging Falls. Robo, Mattie's German shepherd partner, is needed to search the Colorado forests, so Mattie puts off her visit to find out who could have killed what appears to be an out-of-towner, then dumped him in the water. While Mattie keeps their shift from friendship to full-on romance private, she's happy to have the help of Cole Walker on the case. Not only is Cole an adept vet whose knowledge is helpful in considering the possible role a horse tranquilizer played in the death, but his calm confidence steadies Mattie when she's overwhelmed by emotions. A childhood of trauma and then foster care with Mama T has made Mattie slow to trust, and her police training has given her lingering questions about what really happened to split up her family. The sooner she solves the case of the body in the woods, the sooner she can reunite with Julia and Abuela to ask the hard questions about her own life. An imperfect heroine and her beloved canine sidekick: What's not to like? Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
