#NetGalley Book Review: The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton

This is an engaging and easy reading mystery.

The Keepers
by Jeffrey B. Burton

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08FZB2D45
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Minotaur Books (June 29, 2021)
File size ‏ : ‎ 3382 KB
Genre: Amateur Sleuth, Cadaver Dog, Mystery
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Jeffrey B. Burton's The Keepers is the next installment of the Mace Reid K-9 series, featuring golden retriever cadaver dog Vira and her handler, Mason Reid.
Mason “Mace” Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and specializes in human remains detection―that is, he trains dogs to hunt for dead bodies. He calls his pack of cadaver dogs The Finders, and his prize pupil is a golden retriever named Vira.
When Mace Reid and Vira are called in to search Washington Park at three o'clock in the morning, what they find has them running for their very lives. The trail of murder and mayhem Mace and CPD Officer Kippy Gimm have been following leads them to uncover treachery and corruption at the highest level, and their discoveries do not bode well for them . . . nor for the Windy City itself.
The Keepers is an exciting, fast-paced mystery filled with courageous dogs you'll want to root for.

Review:
Mace is a dog trainer who has a special golden retriever, Vira. Vira not only sniffs out the dead bodies, she also picks up the scent of the villains who delivered the death blows. The first scene involves a music artist and Vira is silent at the gruesome crime scene and at the funeral. Mace begins to wonder if Vira didn’t get the killer’s scent until Mace and Vira join CPD Officer Kippy to interview another suspect.

Shortly after solving the first murder, Mace and Vira are called in to find a missing person when foul play is suspected. Vira quickly finds the body which has clearly suffered a brutal death. Before leaving the area, Vira alerts to two men who arrive on scene. Mace calms Vira and gets out of the way because she has just focused the crime on members of the authority.

Mace is soon threatened, and he is ready to move to Alaska. Kippy and her partner talk Mace into a plan to take their suspicions to another arm of authority. But they don’t realize the deadly determination of the criminals they are trying to gather evidence against.

The story moves quickly and has good action. I cringed when several characters suffered injuries. I enjoy the easy mode of the writing and I like the gentle, developing relationship between Mace and Kippy.

I liked book one, The Finders, and book two. I will be glad to read more in the future. I recommend the series to fans of easy mysteries, especially involving dogs.

Source: NetGalley 7/11/2021. (Seen at Inside of a Dog.) This qualifies for 2021NetGalley goal.

#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.