#NetGalley Audio Book Review: Striking Range (Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #7) by Margaret Mizushima

This is an entertaining mystery in a good series.

Striking Range
(Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #7)
by Margaret Mizushima
Narrated by Nancy Wu

Series: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, Book 7
9 hours and 46 minutes
Release date: 09-07-21
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC
Genre: Crime Thriller, Mystery, Police Procedures, Women Sleuths
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.0.

He was suspect number one - the man who tried to kill Deputy Mattie Cobb and may have killed her father 30 years earlier. But when Mattie and cold-case Detective Jim Hauck reach the Colorado state prison where they will finally get to interview him, he's found dead in his cell. There's only one clue: a map leading to Timber Creek and rugged Redstone Ridge.
Following the clue, Mattie and her K-9 partner, Robo, journey into the burned forest surrounding Redstone Ridge. But before they can finish their search, they're called to help investigate the death of a young woman found in a campground filled with elk hunters. Identification of the deceased points to her having recently given birth, but the infant is nowhere to be found.
As a deadly storm descends upon the mountains, covering everything with a layer of ice and snow, Mattie and her team search for the missing newborn. The storm batters the area, taking its toll on the team and forcing the sheriff to call in reinforcements. When new evidence surfaces, they decide that finding the woman's killer will lead them to her baby, making them even more desperate to solve the case.
Then veterinarian Cole Walker goes missing, stranded alone in the high country with a person that Mattie now suspects is the mastermind behind several murders, including her father's. She and Robo take to the trail to find Cole - but the killer has a cold-blooded plan that threatens them all.

Review:
Deputy Mattie Cobb escaped from a man who tried to kill her and she thinks he is the man who killed her father 30 years ago. Maddie has teamed with cold-case Detective, Jim Hauck, to interview the man in prison. As they are waiting for the interview, the prison goes on lockdown and they soon learn that the man has been found dead in his cell. Upon viewing the body and inspecting the man’s belongings, Maddie finds clues that direct her back to her own community in Timber Creek.

Mattie and her K-9 partner, Robo, find suspicious sites in the mountain forest and caves. Before they can dig out the sites, Mattie and Robo are called in to investigate a missing young pregnant girl. They find the girl dead and no longer pregnant. Now they are looking for the baby.

Maddie’s beau, veterinarian Cole Walker, and other K-9 units are called in to help with the search on the mountain before a deadly storm wipes out more evidence. There are several suspects to interview and watch as the situation intensifies. Meanwhile, a local officer is found injured on the side of the road.

As Maddie pursues the missing baby she and another officer stumble upon a crucial bit of evidence. Now Maddie has to worry about Cole and the other officers left on the mountain with a man that might be involved with the killings.

This moved very quickly, and I enjoyed the multiple crisscrossing investigations. Ms. Mizushima creates life-like characters with real-life personal problems to deal with as they juggle their official duties. The story involves timely criminal issues including drugs and child trafficking. There are several suspects and clues to keep the reader eager to find the true villains. And of course, I like the K-9 dog elements which describe differences between the different search and cadaver dogs.

I liked the first book in this series and have more to listen to. I read this one out of order which was okay although I would suggest reading at least the first book so that you know the characters. I recommend this to mystery and K-9 fans.

Audio Notes: I guess I am not a huge fan of Nancy Wu’s narration. She supplies some voices but they are not totally distinct. For me there is more breathy reading than voice and emotional performance. Still, the audio moves quickly for me and I am thankful to have snagged this audio from NetGalley.

Source: 9/8/2021 from NetGalley. This qualifies for 2021NetGalley and 2021Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: Killing Trail (Book 1) by Margaret Mizushima

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.