I've just found my new favorite mystery series! Author Margaret Mizushima does a heck of a job with her Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, Hunting Hour, which is actually #3 in the series. Enough back story is included, however, that it could be a stand-alone. I'm always fascinated with the way human and canine work together so simpatico. This K-9 trained German shepherd, Robo, was easy to "watch" in the minds' eye with the author's detailed descriptions of the scenes. An entertaining point of this novel is the little tidbits of police procedurals involving canines, the use of their instincts, commands, and connections to their handlers.

This is an emotionally stunted female detective protagonist with a tumultuous history of her own. In this series, Deputy Mattie Cobb, Robo's handler, is called in following the discovery of the questionable death of a junior high student. Mattie can be strong and efficient when she needs to be, and is confident in her ability to handle the powerful breed when he is on the job.

The support characters are compelling, well fleshed out, and assign empathy where desired and strength where required. I particularly enjoyed the well-rounded and compelling vet, Dr. Cole Walker (and a possible conflicting love interest), and Stella, the complex and also (well-trained and) competent detective. Following closely behind the discovery of the junior high student, Dr. Walker's youngest daughter goes missing. Mattie can see the "unsub" in every new interviewee, and adamantly jumps to false conclusions, while the author throws in another questionable, but flawed possible perp. Stella admonishes her to stay objective, difficult with this case. Still, really, it doesn't take long before we know the real culprit and wonder how long it will take Mattie to realize it as well.

Dialogue flows well and is natural; the locale featured prominently enough to smell the pines, easy to set the scenes. Couple little points of confusion did not reduce the enjoyment of this book and I read straight through. This is a Crooked Lane Books offering and my thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read. It was my pleasure and I heartily recommend whether or not you're a dog person, a small town USA person, or a crime, police procedural person. You'll love it.

A solid read. This is the first book of the K-9 series that I've read and Mattie drew me in with her vulnerability. The mystery was well setup with multiple suspects and the suspense ratcheted up as they became more desperate to find Sophie. Robo was an awesome dog. However, the reason for her kidnapping came across as emotionless to me and most of the characters were rather bland. Definitely more plot based than character based.

I received a review copy.

Excellent story and quite chilling as a mother of two young boys. Though the story is quite a serious matter, reading about Robo and his role in the investigation brought a smile to my face as I've had several German Shepherds as pets over the years. Good Job!

Such a captivating mystery novel! This reader was hooked from beginning to end, with suspenseful twists maintaining interest in well developed characters! I will now delve into more of this series.

Hunting Hour: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery
By Margaret Mizushima
Crooked Lane
August 8, 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

After sifting through memories and discovering the truth about her abusive childhood, Timber Creek, Colorado Deputy Mattie has fallen into a morass of distrust and depression. Therapy helps, but it still comes down to the fact that there is no one Mattie trusts enough to let down her guard, share secrets, or reveal emotions. Mattie has even distanced herself from the friendship she had formed with veterinarian Cole Walker, allowing only her K-9 partner Robo to remain close. Robo’s support becomes critical when a thirteen year-old girl goes missing and is found murdered, since Candace Banks had been engaging in acts far out of her age range. The possibility of past abuse is a topic Mattie can’t ignore and hits too close to home, clouding her judgment and leading to biased conclusions.

Behind most of Mattie’s concerns are Cole’s own two daughters, Sophie and Angela. Becoming attached to them made Mattie vulnerable, which becomes evident with their next case. Mattie veers from suspect to suspect based on her recent experiences, and Cole Walker has his own prejudices due to a mentally disturbed client. Mattie’s traumatic history clouds her judgment and has her more desperate for answers, and it is only Robo and the steady mentorship of Detective Stella LoSasso that keep Mattie afloat.

A victim readers have grown to love in these past three books heightens suspense as Mattie and the Timber Creek detectives track down a kidnapping murderer. We are shown a very reactive Mattie, one whose emotions and judgment are unreliable. In this fragile state Robo becomes all the more admirable, especially when he goes through additional scent identification lineup training to aid in the investigation. Robo is still very much a dog, but his antics stop the moment he is at work tracking scents and alerting his handler. The connection between Robo and Mattie is the compelling feature of this series, be it in their official investigations or emotionally supportive at home. The Mattie who emerges at the end of this novel is stronger than when she began, due in no small part to the dedication and unwavering love of her K-9.

For not having read the first two books in the series, it was fairly easy to catch up on all the main characters and their backgrounds. This story was a thrilling murder mystery that moved quickly with twists and turns that kept me completely engrossed from beginning to end.

I also enjoyed the interactions between the characters...there was no wasted writing to just take up space and drag the story on. I was impressed with the genuineness of the characters who came to life through the eyes of the author. I found them to be believable, with dimension and depth. The dialogue was smart and fast paced, exactly how a story of this should be.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley.
While I really enjoyed the 1st book in the Timber Creek K-9 series, I found the 2nd to be somewhat draggy.... all the adolescent emotional angst and drama really slowed the story down. However I have often found the 2nd book disappointing after the first n=and decided not to give up on this series (yet).

While Robo was still featured in The Hunting Hour, I felt he was kinda there just to support the main theme of mental health.....or the lack thereof in a small town. Skyping sessions with you internet therapist??? Really????? C'mon Mattie, get real help or stick with FaceBook. Quit fooling yourself. At least Cole was committed enough to the process he made the effort to get dressed and drive to his counselor's office for his sessions. I'm guessing even poor old Gus will be doing better than Mattie in a couple of months.

While the mystery itself moved along between "sessions" and began with a fairly large suspect pool, the drama kept putting the brakes on the pacing or maybe I'm just frustrated with the lack of character development. If I trip across the next book in the series and have nothing better to read at the time, maybe I'll read it. But I doubt I'll be looking for it.

2.5 stars

An amazing book. Very glad I had the chance to read and highly suggest it for fans of this genre.

I can't resist Margaret Mizushima's mysteries!!!! Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo are an irresistible pair of lead characters. Since this mystery focuses on child abduction it is definitely timely. That focus and the very human personal struggles of Mattie, her friend Cole Walker, and other characters will provide plenty of discussion topics for any discussion group. The fact that there were a number of reasonable suspects for the abduction kept the reader guessing and involved throughout the book. I can hardly wait to read about the next mystery facing Mattie, her colleagues, and her friends!!! Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing electronic access to the ARC of this title.

This is the third installment in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series and I really never get tired of reading about Maddie and Robo tracking down the bad guy. Who can not love a smart, intelligent dog that always saves the day? I love when I find a series that is consistently good and I will definitely be reading more!! 4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

It's funny how a series can grab you. I've really liked this one since the first book so I was glad to get an advance copy of this, the third in the series. Mattie is an interesting character, smart, but damaged. But this time around, it was Cole with whom I really connected.

For anyone who likes Archer Mayor, Sara Driscoll or Angela Marsons, I can really recommend this series as well. In similar fashion, the entire police team is well developed. In particular, Stella continues to be well drawn.

Mizushima’s stories are consistently fast paced and engrossing. Of course, the addition of Robo, Mattie’s police dog heightens my enjoyment of this series immensely. Mizushima does a wonderful job of showing us how the dog works and aids in police investigations. She also totally understands the bond between dog and human and how often we rely on them for so much more than the job.

My only quibble is this is the second book when I could pick out the bad guy early on in the book.

My thanks to netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of this book.

The characters don't seem to connect it this thriller but the chapters on the 'hunt' with the dogs and their handlers are riveting in their strength and abilies described

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

The basic plot is about a small town that suffers when a teenage girl is discovered missing and found dead. Subsequently another child goes missing. This time it is the daughter of a well known veterinarian and close friend to detective Mattie and her search dog, Robo.

What I Liked about the book: I always enjoy a good mystery and this was no exception. Good plot. Surprise bad guy. And dogs. Loved Mattie and her police dog Robo. I enjoyed all the details and the fact that there were so many potential suspects. Looking forward to reading other K9 mysteries in the series. The author was very good at creating a visual image for the reader. From the treks through the woods to the dark cellar, to the way the characters interacted and shared their emotions. I could see it all through her words.

What I didn't like about the book: the book left me wanting more. I guess that's actually a good thing. I found at the end I was saying to myself, "that's it?"

Looks like I will be seeing out the first two in the series. Lots of opportunities to keep writing more books with these characters. I always enjoy that.

would like to thank crooked lane books and netgalley for allowing me to read and review this fine book

i absolutely loved this book, another new author i have found to follow with interest, her style of writing was very easy to read and her characters were so real you felt as if you knew them all your life...

the story is about mattie and her dog that is being trained as a seeker and boy do you fall in love with her dog...an interesting storyline (no spoilers) that wont disappoint and will leave you wanting more

cant wait to read more of this authors books in the future

Hunting Hour
Margaret Mizushima

Well developed story with enough suspense to keep readers transfixed. The Cover is perfect for this theme.
Realistic characters and attention to detail. Robo is well-trained detective dog. He guides his partner,Deputy Sheriff Mattie Cobb,as they search for the missing girl and the killer of the first girl.
Well developed plot with some personal problems to spice things up.
Set in a small town there is not as much hassell as with a big city.
Everybody knows everybody else, but secrets are still to be uncovered.

This book is just perfect for dog lovers and espically for those who love K-9 search and rescue stories.

Definitely recommended.

Be sure to read the first two books.
Stalking Ground: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery
Killing Trail: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery


I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So glad I did.

Mattie and her dog, Robo, are called out to look for a missing junior high girl. They find her. She's dead. But the search for her killer gets really complicated. The thirteen year old girl was sleeping with high school guys. The father has no alibi. There are sex offenders in the area. How many more suspects will turn up?

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published August 8th.

The relationship between Mattie and her dog is special. It makes reading the author's mysteries even more enjoyable. I also enjoy Mattie's almost romance. She's been abused in her past and has trouble trusting men. She also has trouble letting her painful past go. But she's working on it.

As they keep tracking down answers about the people in the suspect line, another girl is abducted. This one Mattie knows well, it's her boyfriend's youngest girl. She is determined to get her back alive it it's at all possible.

There's emotional trauma everywhere, Mattie has trouble setting aside her own emotional problems when the cases seem to similar to her experiences, Cole is going nuts because his daughter is missing and he should have been there when she came home, and the whole time all this playing out, they keep investigating. There's an old man who has paranoia problems (he's not taking his medicine) and they suspect him for a while because the girl has been in his truck. She went there to pet his dog but didn't tell her dad about it. He's the one that ultimately helps them find the girl. He reports he heard the deer screaming but Robo smells her scent further down the road. Off they go, they are going to find Sophie!

This was a fascinating mystery with a lot of psychological factors thrown in. I enjoy Ms. Mizushima's writing and how she shapes her stories. She also makes her characters human. If you haven't read her work before, give it a try. I bet you'll follow this series, too.

In this episode, Mattie and her dog Robo are called out to look for a missing junior student. They find her dead on Smoker's Hill behind the high school. the girl was asthmatic but her posed body seems to indicate that she wasn't alone when she died. The investigation triggers some of the issues that Mattie is dealing with when she suspects the girl might have been abused by her father. Mattie was abused by hers when she was a small child and is still working through that and a number of other trust issues.

Mattie's issues have caused her to pull away from veterinarian Cole Walker and his girls. She fears closeness and is still concerned that he loves his ex-wife despite her abandoning the family. When Cole's youngest daughter Sophie also goes missing, the stakes are raised to find her before she ends up like the girl on Smoker's Hill.

There are a number of suspects in the murder including the high school football players who were taking advantage of the girl. There was also the mentally ill man who had frequently brought his animals to Cole's practice for treatment. Robo found Sophie's scent on his truck. Then there were the convicted sexual predators who decided to plan a fishing trip in Mattie's town.

This story was fast-paced and engaging. The details about working with search dogs added interest to the story. I liked Mattie's relationship with her dog. I liked the way the tension built in the story. The fact the the police worked on well past the point of exhaustion to find the girl was realistic. Cole's relationship with his ex-wife was clarified in this story. This is the third story is this series and I am looking forward to more.

An outstanding police procedure featuring K-9 dog, Robo and his handler, Deputy Mattie Cobb. The information on Robo's training is educational and how a police department broaches a missing person is enlightening. This is the third book in the series and a new author for me. The story switches between Mattie and Robo with a veterinarian, Doctor Cole Walker. The sheriff officers all are well developed. The backstory intrigued me and I will be reading the previous books before too long.
Mattie and Robo are asked to find a missing teenager who did not return home from school. They follow normal procedures and when they find the girl she is dead. Robo's activities are great as he continues to aid in the solution. Before the killer is found one of Cole Walker's daughters is missing. The twists and turns this story will keep the pages moving. The use of how the K-9 dogs are used, in this case, is extremely informative. I highly recommend this book.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

Wow! As the lives of a couple of young female students are snuffed out, law enforcement resources are all used to try to figure out the identity of the person responsible. The trails lead in multiple directions, and the tension is palpable. Characters are well-drawn, with dialog that's believable and appropriate. Loved it!