Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima

Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima ISBN-13: 9781629533810 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Crooked Lane Books Released: December 8, 2015

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When a young girl is found dead in the mountains outside Timber Creek, life-long 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, local veterinarian and a 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 hometown 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.


My Review:
Killing Trail is a K9-detective mystery. Officer Mattie Cobb is learning to trust her dog and pick up on what he's telling her. Since she's going to run the local high school's anti-drug program, she also has to move beyond her past as a foster kid and rebellious teenager. Cole Walker is very busy with his veterinarian practice which has led to his wife leaving him and their daughters. Add to that pain, his teenage daughter's friend has been murdered. He struggles to be there for his daughters while dealing with his own pain.

The characters were realistic and likable. Robo is a well-trained working dog who loves his job, so don't expect a "cutesy dog." The author clearly put a lot of effort into getting the K9 and vet parts correct. These details made the story feel real without slowing the pace.

The crime was a clue-based, puzzle mystery. About halfway through, I had two strong suspects. Mattie soon picked up on the more obvious one. I could understand why she didn't suspect the other one despite various clues also pointing that way. The story keep my interest to the exciting, action-packed end as I wanted to see how it all played out.

There were no sex scenes. The was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable, interesting story.


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.