#NetGalley Book Review: The Finders (Mace Reid K-9 Mystery Book 1) by Jeffrey B. Burton

Vira, the golden retriever cadaver dog, is a star in this story!

The Finders
A Mystery (Mace Reid K-9 Mystery Book 1)
by Jeffrey B. Burton

File Size: 4502 KB
Print Length: 288 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 30, 2020)
ASIN: B0818NVFT7
Genre: Amateur Sleuth, Canine, Mystery
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Jeffrey B. Burton's The Finders marks the beginning of a fast-paced new mystery series featuring a heroic golden retriever cadaver dog named Vira and her handler, Mason Reid.
Mason "Mace" Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and specializes in human remains detection. He trains dogs to hunt for the dead. Reid’s coming off a taxing year—mourning the death of a beloved springer spaniel as well as the dissolution of his marriage. He adopts a rescue dog with a mysterious past—a golden retriever named Vira. And when Reid begins training Vira as a cadaver dog, he comes to realize just how special the newest addition to his family truly is…
Suddenly, Reid and his prize pupil find themselves hurled into a taxing murder case, which will push them to their very limits. Paired with determined Chicago Police Officer Kippy Gimm, Mace must put all his trust in Vira's abilities to thwart a serial killer who has now set his sights on Mace himself.

Review:
Mason Reid is a dog trainer who contracts with the police for the use of his trained cadaver dogs. Mace has had a rough year and hopes to turn things around when he adopts a rescue golden retriever. Elvira, later dubbed Vira, picks up the training very quickly.

Mace brings Vira to her very first official job and discovers the dog has a unique sensitivity. After finding the body of a kidnapped, buried girl, suddenly Vira turns on a spectator in the gawking crowd. The dog is taken into custody due to the attack, but Mace is certain that the man is the truly guilty party. Mace sets out to investigate, taking one of his other dogs. They uncover a situation that the police hadn’t found. This seems a good result except that this time there is a man hiding in the shadows. Mace and Vira are the hunted instead of the hunters when they become the target of the real serial killer.

I was quickly pulled into the easy flow of the story. Vira is an easy dog to love and I liked Mace as her trainer/handler. I enjoyed the slow build of friendship between officer Kippy and Mace. The author adds interest by interspersing chapters from the view of Everyman, the very creepy killer. The story has a good blend of dog interest, humor, and danger.

I will look forward to reading more in this series. I recommend this to readers who like canine dogs and crime thrillers.

Source: NetGalley 2020. This qualifies for 2020NetGalley goal.

#NetGalley Book Review: The K Team by David Rosenfelt

Full of the usual Rosenfelt humor and mystery... and dogs included.

The K Team
by David Rosenfelt

File Size: 3187 KB
Print Length: 292 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1250257190
Publisher: Minotaur Books (March 24, 2020)
ASIN: B07S7L676S
Genre: Canine, Cozy, Mystery, Private Investigator
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

From bestselling mystery author David Rosenfelt comes a new series – a spinoff of the much beloved Andy Carpenter mysteries – about a dynamic new investigative team featuring a determined former cop and his loyal German Shepherd.
Corey Douglas and his K-9 partner, Simon Garfunkel, have recently retired from the police force. Not ready to give up the life yet, they come up with a proposal for fellow former cop, Laurie Carpenter, and her investigating partner, Marcus. Laurie and Marcus – who help out Laurie’s lawyer husband Andy on cases – have been chafing to jump back into investigating on their own, so they are in.
They call themselves the K Team, in honor of Simon. Their first job as private investigators comes to them from Judge Henry Henderson, who's known as a very tough but fair judge, and they've all come up against him in court at one time or another. Though it's hard to believe, Judge Henderson is being blackmailed and extorted, and he doesn't want to involve the police--he needs the K Team to figure out why.

Review:
Corey Douglas is a retired Paterson, NJ cop. He was fortunate to get to retire with his K-9 partner, a Shepherd, Simon Garfunkel. Corey used to work with Laurie Carpenter and they have now joined to start a firm of private investigators, with their third partner, Marcus, who tends to be as much a bodyguard as an investigator.

The new team is called in by a local judge who wants them to uncover a blackmail scheme that is threatening him. Andy Carpenter (Laurie’s husband), a languid but sharp lawyer, is present but not part of the team at the Judge’s request. The team begins their intrepid investigation and Corey runs along a few herrings. Bit by bit they hone in on the truth. Although I guessed part of the mystery there were reveals and surprises through the end.

Corey is an interesting character – a cop with confidence but commitment issues that are part of his storyline. I enjoyed this team and was glad that Andy got to step in to help. The tone, plotline, and characters will be very familiar to those who enjoy the Andy Carpenter series. The reading is comfortably engaging with the author's usual humor. I would recommend it to those who already enjoy Rosenfelt and to those who would like to find a new, easy reading mystery series that includes canines as added characters.

Source: NetGalley 2019. This qualifies for 2020 TBR, 2020NetGalley and 2020Alphabet goals.