Deadly Trade by Sara Driscoll

Deadly Trade
by Sara Driscoll

ISBN-13: 9781496756312
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington
Released: October 28, 2025

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
After a difficult assignment and the excitement of her wedding to firefighter Todd Webb, Meg is more than ready for two weeks of sun, sea, and gorgeous Hawaiian scenery. Her K-9 partner, Hawk, accompanies Meg and Todd to their resort, reveling in his celebrity status with both staff and guests. After a week of relaxation, all three are ready to get out into nature on the Big Island, where Meg and Hawk can practice search strategies.

In the remote fern forest of Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve, Hawk’s senses are on high alert. When Meg lets him leave the path, they encounter two men trapping bright birds. The poachers escape, leaving their bounty behind, and when agents from the FBI and US Fish and Wildlife arrive, they confirm that the birds are all endangered species near extinction. Super-wealthy collectors acquire them for private zoos, with no regard for the birds’ survival. Alive or dead, these beautiful creatures are merely trophies.

Meg, Todd, and Hawk join an official search using a local conservation dog to pinpoint vulnerable nesting grounds in an attempt to protect trafficked wildlife and to stop the poachers in their tracks. But beyond the threat posed by determined poachers lurks another danger—Mauna Loa, one of the island’s active volcanoes, has been grumbling, and is poised to turn this mission into their most terrifying yet.


My Review:
Deadly Trade is a K9 suspense. This book is the 10th in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. Meg and her K9, her FBI partner and his K9, Meg's paramedic/firefighter husband, and the expert researcher/journalist who are part of her usual team were all in on the investigation along with local law enforcement. A lot of details about rare bird trafficking were woven into the story as well as details about the setting that brought the story alive in my imagination.

The main characters were likable, interesting, and reacted realistically to events. The high suspense came from the danger from the bad guys, the tough terrain, and the increasing threat of the nearby volcano erupting. The FBI dogs tracked down the bad guys while a local K9 and his handler searched out nesting areas (where the bad guys were likely to be). The researcher looked into how the bad guys might be getting the birds off the island and where the desirable birds were most likely to be located--which was still a huge area to search. The goal: catch the bad guys, save any caught birds, and maybe even uncover the entire trafficking ring.

There was occasional use of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.