Puppy Love

This book is about relationships and family ties. The fourth in a series which has been exploring the present and past of Mattie Cobb, the murder mystery in all its complexity stands alone and yet is intricately woven into the furtherance of the enigma that is Mattie's past. The beautifully nuanced drama, which includes tremendous detail about wilderness maintenance and the deep connection between a working dog and his handler, pulls you along turning (virtual) pages as fast as you can read.

Fourth in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series, this is the most compelling, even if the most horrifying, to date. The characters are 3D, and we continue to learn more about Mattie, a complex young woman. I enjoy seeing how close the bond is that Mattie has with her K-9 partner, Robo, and how completely they trust each other. The setting, where Mattie is a life-long long resident, can be almost visualized, and the mystery is written well.
Deputy Mattie Cobb has not seen her brother Willie for 25 years, since her father beat her mother badly enough that she was hospitalized. Mattie was 6 years old and had called 911; Willie was 8. Her father went to prison and her mother abandoned both children, who went to separate foster homes. When Willie, an addict in recovery, contacted her 7 months ago, Mattie remembered the repressed years of repeated abuse. They plan to meet in a month, in Las Vegas, about halfway between where each lives.
Cole Walker is the local veterinarian and the man Mattie has been seriously dating. He and his daughters are horseback riding on nearby trails when one of their dogs finds a burned boot holding the grisly charred remains of a human foot. Cole leads men from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Sheriff’s Department, including Mattie and Robo, to where his dog was first seen with the boot. What they find there is most chilling, and the resulting case leads to horrible discoveries. The more they investigate, the clearer it is that Mattie and Robo are in the crosshairs of at least one vicious killer who has been operating in the area for decades.
I like Mattie, especially as I learn more about various life events. The woman she has become is amazing and is well-defined through realistic conversations and actions. The way she seeks resources for her teenage friend, Riley, and others, shows her love and concern. Her friends Stella, foster mother Mama T, and boyfriend Cole and his daughters are also described very well as befits their roles. Learning more about the unique partnership between human and K-9 is fascinating.
No. Way. Just…No. That is what I mumbled several times throughout this novel. I like how the author builds the mystery, step by step, including multiple suspects. The author also has put together a great working team and a set of friends who love Mattie more than she understands. While this is 4th in the series, it can be read as a standalone or in order of the series. The author does a fabulous job of giving sufficient information about the characters to appreciate this novel, yet Mattie’s life has not been problem-free, and we learn much about her journey in the earlier mysteries. This mystery is complex, and intensely stunning as the crimes of past and present converge. I like watching Mattie and Robo interact as partners and friends; I also like how some of the commands and workings of the K-9 relationship are explained for the reader to understand. I watched as each suspect is questioned, studied, and released, and was a bit sad when my “pet” suspects were freed. The real bad guys were barely on my radar. That surprise, coupled with the resolution of all open situations, makes for a story that is hard to put down. I highly recommend this cozy mystery to those who enjoy well-written novels with a complex mystery and law enforcement officers with K-9 partners.
From a grateful heart: I received a copy of this e-Arc from the publisher through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

Sensational, emotional, and riveting!


'She followed her dog through the trees for another fifty yards, the odor thickening as she traveled. The air grew heavy with the stink of rotting flesh. Robo picked up speed, dashing down into a hollow and then slowing. He pinned his ears, slinking up to a mound of dirt and debris.
Mattie raced to catch up. By the time she reached him, Robo had sat down and was waiting for her. His mouth opened in a pant, and he wore a smug expression as though quite satisfied with himself.
She squatted beside him and hugged him close, giving him lots of praise and pats for doing such a remarkable job. Since the stench was so bad, she wondered if this had been his destination all along, and he’d shown her the fire ring just for kicks.
She followed her dog through the trees for another fifty yards, the odor thickening as she traveled. The air grew heavy with the stink of rotting flesh. Robo picked up speed, dashing down into a hollow and then slowing. He pinned his ears, slinking up to a mound of dirt and debris. Mattie raced to catch up. By the time she reached him, Robo had sat down and was waiting for her. His mouth opened in a pant, and he wore a smug expression as though quite satisfied with himself. She squatted beside him and hugged him close, giving him lots of praise and pats for doing such a remarkable job. Since the stench was so bad, she wondered if this had been his destination all along, and he’d shown her the fire ring just for kicks.
“Here’s the big prize,” she said to Brody.
A shallow grave that had been ravaged by predators lay before them, putting on a partial display of its contents. Mattie’s stomach clenched as she took in the sight.'


********
Burning Ridge is the fourth book in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery with a twisty, emotional, and terrifying storyline that had me glued to the pages!

The characters in this series have become like family. It's rare for me to get emotional when events happen to characters in the novels I frequently read. That said, I discovered that certain events, good or bad, happen to the characters in this series, I'm not entirely immune to the emotional impact taking place.

I'm very sad to have come to the final story of Mattie and Robo, at least for now, but it's my hope that Margaret Mizushima will be continuing with the Timber Creek Mystery series and that the next book will come out soon!
This is one of my favorite book series!

I'd like to thank NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Margaret Mizushima for giving me this advanced copy to read in return for my honest review.

Burning Ridge

by Margaret Mizushima

The action starts in Burning Ridge in the first chapter where readers also get filled in on the series background and meet some of the characters. From a rough and tumble bar fight, this novel moves on to a bright and sunny horseback ride for Cole, the local veterinarian, and his daughters in the Colorado mountains. The family ride turns dark and the mystery begins.

Margaret Mizushima has written a K-9 police procedural. No cozy mystery, this work of fiction looks at an evil-plotting mind plagued by excesses of greed. Main characters Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo find themselves in danger as she tries to solve a horrific crime that turns personal. Many are involved in finding the murderer, and there are a variety of suspects. Get ready for a surprise ending. In the process of the investigation, Mattie discovers parts of her past that she never knew as well as secrets buried deep in her psyche. She learns to accept help and to expand her ideas of what constitutes a family.

Burning Ridge is a page turner as are the other books in this fast moving series. It contains lots of information about K-9 officers shared in a non-didactic fashion.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery, Thriller

Notes: 1. This is #4 in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery Series. It is good as a standalone, but be aware that each book reveals a little more about Mattie’s past as she comes to grips with it.
2. This contains more upsetting violence than I usually read, but it is within the acceptable boundary for me. Everyone is different so be aware that it contains some torture.

Publication: September 11, 2018—Crooked Lane Books

Memorable Lines:

An occasional clump of young aspen shot up toward the cloudless blue sky. Spring leaves, bright green and as yet unblemished by summer dryness, quivered at the ends of branches, their spade-like shape seeming to catch even the slightest of breezes. “Look at the aspen leaves, girls. They’re dancing.”

Robo lay on his cushion, his eyes pinned on her every move. She’d learned from experience that her emotions went straight to her dog.

“Life can be full of regrets if you focus on them. We make decisions for whatever reasons we have in the moment, not because we have some superhuman vision of what will happen in the future.”

I so wish I had a dog just like amazing Robo. His bond with Mattie seemed so realistic. This book was a rollercoaster of a read- full of action and many twists and turns. Loved most of the characters...even though I have not read the prior books in the series, although now I am going to! Each character adds more depth to the mysterious Mattie. I am intrigued to read the first 3 books in the series to better understand her complexity. Many thanks to Margaret Mizushima, Crooked Lane, and NetGalley for an ARC of this just published book. If you love dogs and their incredible bonds with their owners and books with action and mystery then this book will be a perfect fit!

This is the fourth in the Timber Creek K-9 series featuring Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo, but you absolutely don’t need to have read the others to dive right in here. While references are made to events which were obviously detailed in past books, there is little which seems to outright affect the plot of this one, apart from Mattie already having a relationship with Cole, the local vet.

It’s Cole who, when out on a trail ride with his daughters, makes a grisly discovery of human remains up in a lonely spot in the mountains, and Mattie and Robo are then called in to assist with investigating the crime. Things very quickly become personal, and when more bodies are found, it appears evident that someone is more than willing to cross unthinkable lines in pursuit of their goals. A personal connection puts Mattie and Robo squarely in the killer’s crosshairs.

I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters in this story; Mattie’s friendship with the lonely teenage girl who latches onto her was a favourite part and I’d enjoy seeing more of Riley in future books. As a romance reader, I’d have wished for a little more than just talk between Mattie and Cole, however.

The author has extensive experience with veterinary medicine and lives in Colorado, and this shines through in the story, a firm bedrock of knowledge. The police investigation felt real and there were plenty of red herrings to keep the reader from figuring out who the culprit was until it was time for the big reveal (though naggingly, a couple of plot points weren’t neatly tied off). The only other thing which bothered me was the apparent speed with which people loaded horses up, transported them around and then had them ready for long mountain rides. I have extensive experience with horses myself, and things never seemed to happen at quite that speed.

Four stars for an engaging, realistic story with well-written characters, but I have to knock one off for those untied loose ends and what was really a romance in name only.

Gripping ..even against my will .. I was out off by clocked worrying I guess about her relationship to boyfriend .. but she and the excellent forensic dig ate effective .. the spot of bother she gets into at end, and escapes by herself is really well done .. I guess I figured she'd get away because it's a series. Good light driven police procedural, really well done!

Good solid mystery with plenty of details about canine police partners. For dog lovers and even those just interested in police procedures, the book provides great background information coupled with a good story. A small town is the setting for a grizzly find that escalates into a kidnapping. The tale has a somewhat cozy feel rather than a thriller and many readers will enjoy the more relaxed tempo. I received my copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo

This is the fourth book in the Timber Creek K-9 series and I've read and enjoyed them all.

Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo live in Timber Creek, Colorado. She spends time with veterinarian Cole Walker and his two daughters and enjoys her job.

While horseback riding in the mountains one day with his daughters, Cole's dog finds a shallow grave that ends up containing a partially burned corpse.

This starts a series of events that bring all kinds of different people under suspicion and put Mattie and Robo in danger.

Great storyline, believable characters locations in Colorado - what's not to like?

I received this book from Crooked Lane Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

I have really been enjoying this mystery series. Mattie Cobb and her K-9 search dog Robo help investigate when some remains are discovered in a remote mountain area. The crime quickly becomes personal.

It is so interesting reading about how Robo and Mattie work. The pacing was fast, and the book was hard to put down. I'd give it 4.5 stars.

Burning Ridge (A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery) by Margaret Mizushima is part action, part suspense and part psychological thriller but all an astounding edge of your seat read. The past comes back to haunt Mattie Cobb in a very real way. This is an unput-downable-novel.

Excellent writing and excellent character development; love Robb and Cole Walker, with a scary villain. Along with this is the beautiful Colorado mountain setting that is such a contrast to the gruesome crime. This is a story that will stick with you long after you finish reading it.

Margaret Mizushima's Burning Ridge is the fourth book in her Timber Creek K-9 mystery series, a series which relies on good strong mysteries (most of which take place in the glorious Colorado outdoors), the relationships between the characters, and exciting scenes that put readers right in the middle of the action. A theme throughout the series has been Mattie coming to terms with her difficult past, and Burning Ridge brings this theme to fruition. Not only does Mattie have to deal with her past, she also has to come to the realization that she now has people around her who truly care about her, people whom she can trust. It's how Mattie deals with these emotional questions that adds so much to this book (and the entire series).

After the last book, Hunting Hour, I was hopeful that Mizushima would steer clear of any further child jeopardy, and I'm happy to report that she did. She still delivers a tightly woven, exciting mystery that takes place in the mountains of Colorado. Every time Mattie had to saddle up a horse to head up to remote Redstone Ridge, I was reminded of some of my own trail rides. Mizushima can pull you right out into the great outdoors, which is something I enjoy. In many respects, I'm reminded of Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series, so if you're missing Anna as much as I am, I'd like to recommend the Timber Creek K-9 series. Good characters, good setting, good mysteries. Good stuff!

When it comes down to a choice between a cat or a dog - either in a book or for real - gimme the cat every time, yo. But that doesn't mean I don't like canines, and for sure I'm a big fan of stories set in the wild and woolly outdoors (as evidenced by my undying love of books by writers like C.J. Box and Paul Doiron). And, of course, this one.

This book is the fourth in the series, and for sure it won't be my last. I read and enjoyed the third, "Hunting Hour," but sadly not the first two. I choose the word sadly not because the books I did read don't stand alone quite well - they do - but simply because they're so entertaining and easy to read that I wish I'd started at the beginning. The heroine, police officer Mattie Cobb, is a strong (not to be confused with headstrong), competent woman with whom I'd be happy to share a beer or two. She's not overly nosy, whiny or self-doubting like many of the cop ladies ladies I've encountered (well, she's got a bit too much of the latter characteristic to suit me perfectly, but her abusive childhood - much of which she can't even remember - means I'll give her a pass on that score for now).

The setting here is scenic and relatively remote Timber Creek, Colorado, where Mattie is apprehensively awaiting a meet-up with her brother Willie. Separated 25 years ago and reared in different foster homes, the two have been in touch only a few times since and Mattie has no idea what to expect. She absolutely loves her K-9 partner Robo, and she's close to acknowledging her love of local veterinarian Cole Walker as well (understandable - I, too, am very fond of them both).

One day, on a horseback ride with his two young daughters, Cole's dog finds a treasure to haul back to his humans. A dead animal it's not; rather, it's what's left of a badly burned human foot and ankle that's still stuck in its charred boot. A subsequent search led by Robo turns up the rest of the body deep in the woods; evidence unearths a surprising connection to Mattie. Still other clues lead to still other searches and the discovery of more charred-beyond-recognition bodies.

Clearly, whatever's going on has been happening for quite a few years, so now it's a search for connections among the victims (and more to the point, to Mattie) and ultimately to the identity of someone who may be a serial killer. The trail leads over the rivers and through the woods, with some tense moments scattered hither and yon. The ending calls into question some of Mattie's family history - bringing, I'm sure, a big surprise to loyal readers of this series (and, no doubt, providing a solid start to the next edition). I'm up for it - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to stay in the series loop. Good job!

Mattie Cobb was looking forward to reuniting with her long estranged brother. Instead, she is scouring the hills for a killer and is in danger herself. Of course my favorite character, Robo, is right in the thick of things with her in a great mystery. I really have enjoyed the Timber Creek series so far but this one left me a bit worried. Mattie Cobb is a deputy. Yet the local vet, Cole Walker, feels the need to stress over her like an over protective parent. As the chapters flip back and forth between the two of them, I got rather annoyed with his thoughts of not letting her do something when that something was her job. His protectiveness and possessiveness quickly went from being supportive and caring to sexist and chauvinistic. Hopefully Cole has a serious heart to heart with himself before he goes too far.

I have a real fascination with working dogs, whether it be search and rescue, cadaver dogs or drug detection. Margaret Mizushima has created a great series dealing with Robo, a German Shepherd assigned to a Colorado town’s police force and his handler, Mattie.

Her books are always fast paced, strong from the get go. This series works best if you start at the beginning, as Mattie’s history, the team dynamics and romantic relationship with Cole play an important part in the story.

The relationship between Mattie and Robo is particularly well done and always rings true.

This story involves the discovery of a partially burned body up on the mountain. And unfortunately, Mattie knows the victim. Additional bodies are found and Mattie becomes a target of the killer.

This is a great series for those that like police procedurals, even more so if you’re a dog nut like I am.

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

Brutal killer, suspense filled mystery.. Mattie and Robo are an amazing team. All of their skills are required to solve the mystery of her brother. Mattie hasn't seen her brother for years and has had very limited contact. She receives a phone call from his girl friend and the hunt is on. Well written, with excellent surrounding characters and emotionally charged situations.

Mattie Cobb is a K-9 officer in Timber Creek, Colorado. Along with her K-9 partner, Robo she works hard to keep the citizens of her town safe. She has an estranged brother she last saw at the time they were young children and put into the foster care system. After hearing from her brother, Willie after so many years she agrees to get together with him - in a neutral location - maybe Las Vegas - maybe sometime soon. Contact with her brother has brought back to her brutal memories of abuse when she was a child. Mattie isn't sure if getting together in person will help her or hurt her. She has questions about her mother's location. She abandoned Mattie and Willie after leaving the hospital following a brutal beating by her husband. Harold Cobb went to prison for that beating and was killed there. All this family drama will come back to haunt Mattie. Death and danger follow her as she tries to answer some questions from her past and her search for her mother. Her brother is now a "missing person." Is this somehow related to the past?

Burning Ridge is the fourth book in author Margaret Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series. This author should be crowned the Queen of Mystery and Suspense. All her books are expertly written page-turners. The suspense keeps your heart pounding until the very end. This is also very much true of Burning Ridge. It is a fast-paced read, definitely a book you don't want to put down. Mattie and her K-9 partner Robo are very much a dedicated pair. It is very entertaining reading about how they work together and their relationship at home as well as at work. The secondary characters are very three dimentional and realistic. Margaret Mizushima does an excellent job making all her characters come to life in the pages of the book.

This book is one not to be missed!

Exciting and interesting mystery. Several surprises and some tense moments. A few tears may be shed. I look forward to reading the next one in this terrific series.

This is the first book in the Timber Creek K-9 series for me and I loved it. Mattie and her search dog Robo really work as a well oiled machine as they have to deal with some heinous crimes. Mattie is a complex heroine who had a rough past, and she finds it hard to take comfort from Cole, the veterinarian who loves her. And the latest crime is gruesome and hits home personally. It was exciting and suspenseful with lots of twists and I found it hard to put down at 4 am when I needed to catch some zzzz. I plan on catching up with more in this series!

I received an ARC thru NetGalley in exchange for my opinion.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

i love these books...search and rescue dogs...and this is just one of those stories that grip you...

rolo is that dog being trained to search for people dead or alive and he loves his handler, who has had a tough life...an exciting ending that i didnt see coming

well worth a read