Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima

Fighting Edge
by Margaret Mizushima

ISBN-13: 9798892426701
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Released: September 8, 2026


Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
A routine welfare check becomes a nightmare when Deputy Mattie Walker finds a young mother dead and a hysterical toddler, possibly the only witness to a brutal crime. Before the investigative team can start piecing together what happened, Mattie discovers another criminal act in Timber Creek.

During a traffic stop for speeding, Mattie observes a nervous driver and a teenage passenger frozen with fear. A quick sweep of the car with her K-9 partner, Robo, reveals a dangerous mix of drugs and suspected human trafficking, providing Mattie with grounds to arrest the driver. After she places the teenager in protective custody, the sheriff’s department hands the case over to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

As the team gathers evidence and information, Mattie’s husband, veterinarian Cole Walker, notices suspicious activity during ambulatory calls at dog kennels, indicating yet a third crime lurking in the shadows. What begins as isolated incidents quickly reveals a chilling truth: Organized crime has infiltrated their rural mountain community.

Every clue leads to more questions, and each answer brings them closer to greater danger. Can Mattie and her law enforcement partners shut down this criminal ring before it claims more victims?


My Review:
Fighting Edge is a K9-detective mystery. It's the 11th in a series. You can understand this book without reading the previous ones, and this book didn't spoil the previous mysteries.

It's a clue-based mystery. There was suspense, especially near the end, due to danger to the good guys and the trafficked teens. The main characters were likable and complex, and they reacted realistically to events. They came across as real people, and I cared about what happened to them. Mattie and Robo (her talented k9) and the sheriff’s department worked to solve the murder and uncover the possible human trafficking group. Mattie struggled with fulfilling her family responsibilities while also doing her job.

The crime scenes were not described in gory detail. There were no sex scenes. The was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this interesting mystery.


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.