Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries by Margaret Mizushima
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Timber Creek, a small town in the Colorado mountains is the scene of a brutal crime. Nate Fletcher the son-in-law of a well-known and respected rancher is found murdered next to his burning car. A little further away his best friend is laying severely injured.
Why would anyone want to murder Nate? And what, if anything, has his best friend Garrett to do with it?
And that’s what Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo have to find out. Their investigation leads them straight back to the ranch of Nate’s in-laws Doyle and Lillian Redman. However it’s hard to believe they have something to do with the death of their daughter Kasey’s husband. And soon the attention of the K-9 unit shifts to another suspect; Wilson Nichol. He has had his eye on Kasey since high school and conveniently shows up at her house right after Nate’s murder.
Just as Mattie and the rest of the team are about to make their move on Wilson a 911 call comes in. A man has been shot in the mountains and needs help immediately. A rescue mission into the mountains ensues with Robo taking the lead in finding the injured man. Will they get to him on time or will they have another death on their hands?
What they find is not what they expected. The growl of a wild predator startles Mattie and Robo and halts them in their tracks. While the mountains are riddled with mountain lions this sure didn’t sound like one. But what is it? And how did it get there?
Their tracking game leads them deep into the mountains to find this mysterious animal, but they might find more than they bargained for. Because something, or someone, much more deadly might be out there too.
All in all Margaret Mizushima created a good paced detective story with a general ‘there’s a murder, who done it’ plot with a few twists.
Furthermore, considering this is book 5 out of a series, this is perfectly readable as a stand-alone book. There are a few throwbacks to previous books but nothing that would throw a new reader off reading this one.
I found this book to be easy to read and I really enjoyed the twists when it came to the animal hiding in the mountains. It also –to some extend– draws attention to the illegal wildlife trade, poaching and even canned hunting. Something that really struck a chord with me on a personal level because the environment and animal welfare are so close to my heart.
So if you’re looking for a good detective story with likable characters (and some adorable animals, like Robo) this book might be for you.
Rating 3/5
Tracking Game is available from November 12, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
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