Audible Book Review: Lone Wolf, F.B.I. K-9, Book 1, by Sara Driscoll

I like search dog stories and this has good suspense with a nice side of romance.
Lone Wolf, F.B.I. K-9, Book 1
By: Sara Driscoll
Narrated by: Angela Dawe

Series: F.B.I. K-9, Book 1
Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 11-29-16
Language: English
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Genre: K-9, Suspense, Terrorism Thriller
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher's Summary
In the first book in a thrilling new series, FBI Special Agent Meg Jennings and Hawk, her loyal search-and-rescue Labrador, must race against time as they zero in on one of the deadliest killers in the country....
Meg and Hawk are part of the FBI's elite K-9 unit. Hawk can sniff out bodies anywhere - living or dead - whether it's tracking a criminal or finding a missing person. When a bomb rips apart a government building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., it takes all of the team's extensive search-and-rescue training to locate and save the workers and visitors buried beneath the rubble.
But even as the duo are hailed as heroes, a mad bomber remains at large, striking terror across the Eastern seaboard in a ruthless pursuit of retribution. As more bombs are detonated and the body count escalates, Meg and Hawk are brought in to a task force dedicated to stopping the unseen killer. But when the attacks spiral wide and any number of locations could be the next target, it will come down to a battle of wits and survival skills between Meg, Hawk, and the bomber they're tracking to rescue a nation from the brink of chaos.
©2016 Sara Driscoll. (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Review:
Meg, a former cop, and her trained Labrador, Hawk, are part of an FBI elite K-9 search and rescue team. Meg and her sister are active in rescuing dogs and training them for service use or just to be well behaved companions. The K-9 team is called in when a bomb traps people under the damaged Department Agriculture building. There were children visiting when the bombing occurred, so the K-9 team is desperate to locate survivors. Meg and Hawk work closely with firefighter, Todd Webb, to save an injured girl.

The search work is exhausting and a reporter happens to capture an image of Meg and Hawk after she leaves the site and collapses on a bench trying to recover her equilibrium. The photo angers the bomber as it takes focus away from his actions. He emails the reporter, Clay McCord, expressing his anger and intent to continue.

Meg is suspect of Clay’s connection with the bomber and makes an effort to meet him. They are meet at a dog park and set up a tentative agreement to share information. The bombings continue with horrendous consequences. Meg, Hawk and her team continue to pursue clues while Clay shares what information he can.

The disgruntled bomber escalates his attacks and Meg’s involvement may make her a personal target. The race is on for the FBI to locate the bomber before he can complete another major attack.

There are applicable search terms highlighted at the beginning of each chapter which I found interesting. I enjoyed the skills of Hawk as a search and rescue and attack dog. There is a strong bond with Meg as Hawk’s handler and the author shares emotional background resulting from Meg’s loss of a prior dog. Meg is a good character although I was a little surprised by the depth of her own anger. I like the connections with Clay and Todd which give the chance for further development in the series.

The story is fast-paced and moves along easily. I would get more books in the series. I recommend it to readers who like mysteries and K-9 elements.

Audio Notes: Angela Dawe does a fine job with the narration. She is able to give both the femail and male characters their own voices. I settled in and enjoyed the listen.

Source: November 2018 Audible Credit. This qualifies for 2019 TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima

This is good, solid mystery with likeable characters.
Killing Trail
A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, Book 1
By: Margaret Mizushima
Narrated by: Nancy Wu

Series: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 05-19-16
Language: English
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Genre: K-9 Dogs, Mystery
My Rating: Story 4.25 of 5.0; Narrator 4.0 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
When a young girl is found dead in the mountains outside Timber Creek, lifelong resident Officer Mattie Cobb and her partner, K-9 police dog Robo, are assigned to the case that has rocked the small Colorado town.
With the help of Cole Walker, a local veterinarian and single father, Mattie and Robo must track down the truth before it claims another victim. But the more Mattie investigates, the more she realizes how many secrets her town holds. And the key may be Cole's daughter, who knows more than she's saying. The murder was just the beginning, and if Mattie isn't careful, she and Robo could be next.
Suspenseful and smart, Killing Trail is an explosive debut that will have listeners clamoring for more Mattie and Robo for years to come.
©2015 Margaret Mizushima (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Review:
Mattie is a young officer who has worked hard to be accepted in her hometown force. She tested out above her co-officers in order to participate in the K-9 program, getting to have a K-9 dog, Robo, as a partner and training with the dog. Mattie and Robo are assigned to a work a case when a local high school girl is found dead (by Robo) in a shallow grave in the woods near Timber Creek. It appears that dogs being trained by a local man may be involved in the mysterious death.

Mattie and Robo work with local veterinarian, Cole Walker, who initially is called upon to take care of the victim’s sick dog. Cole is struggling with the news that his wife has finalized divorce proceedings after walking away from the family several months before. His ex-wife wouldn’t even visit with their daughters over the summer when they were nearby. Cole has to find a solution for a housekeeper to stay with his girls while he is at the office/lab so much.

Cole knew the dead girl who was a good friend of his elder daughter, Angela. Angela doesn’t believe that her friend could have been involved with drugs, but she does know some facts that help move the investigation along.

Mattie begins to build a growing list of suspects who may be involved, but sometimes her own experiences cause her to make conclusions that may not be accurate. When one of the main ‘persons of interest’ is found dead the race to uncover the details becomes more urgent. Can she and Robo find the truth before someone else, maybe one or both ends up dead?

I enjoyed Mattie’s strong, smart, but not perfect, character. She shows insecurity and expresses concerns over her decisions which is a little annoying although not unrealistic. I liked how the author shared good details of the abilities of the trained police dog while also showing critical learning issues needed to allow the officer and dog to work together successfully. Cole is a possible romantic interest for future stories but clearly was not in a position to develop a relationship so soon after his divorce. The mystery moves along well making this a solid beginning to a K-9 series which I recommend to those who like the combination of women police and K-9.

Audio Notes: The narration by Nancy Wu is more of a reading than a performance. She does a few voices but mostly just reads. It is an adequate presentation but not special. Still, I liked having this in audio which gives me a chance to ‘read’ (listen) faster.

Source: 2/25/18 Audible Purchase $4.95. This qualifies for Audiobook Challenge and a 2018 title for my Alphabet Challenge.