Tracking Game is a really good mystery. I highly recommend this author's series. I also recommend it be read in order of publication.

Tracking Game is the fifth book in the Timber Creek K-9 mystery series that follows K-9 trainer Mattie Cobb as she navigates life, love and murder. This books was a fast fun read full of twist and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I also love how this series gives you the family and pet aspect that really makes it more than just a standard crime drama, it gives each character depth and life that really connects the reader with the story so much that you will be routing for Mattie to find the killer so that the victim can get the justice they deserve. The family aspect also gives the storyline a bit of comedy that helps keep the storyline moving along and prevents the storyline from getting too heavy and dark. I highly recommend this series and this book to all mystery fans!

I actually enjoyed reading Tracking Game. It was the first novel I have read by Margaret Mizushima and hope to read more in the future.

The mystery surrounds two murders, an explosion, and an investigation that leads to the home of rancher Doyle Redman, whose daughter is Nate's widow, and the object of one of their suspect's affection. But it's not as easy as that and before they can make an arrest the police receive a call about a shooting.

Timber Creek is not what you expect!

This is the 5th book in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series. I highly recommend reading this series in order.

Deputy Mattie Cobb and her veterinarian boyfriend Cole Walker are at a community dance when they hear an explosion. Upon reaching the explosion site, they find a burning van, the body of outfitter Nate Fletcher. Mattie and her K-9 partner Robo and the other members of the sheriff’s department begin an investigation While investigating Robo finds clues, which lead to a shocking revelation about a popular local family.

I adore these characters and this series. The relationship between Mattie and Robo is wonderful. As a dog lover I am a fan!!
This book was full of twists and turns!

I very much enjoy the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series. Margaret Mizushima takes us into the mountains of Timber Creek in Colorado in this installment. If you haven't read any of the other books, it is okay, each of these can be read as standalones, but you will miss some of the character and relationship building. The story opens with Mattie receiving a call that there's a van on fire after an explosion. The occupant, Nate Fletcher, did not survive, but it wasn't the explosion that killed him, he had been shot. Mattie's K-9 partner, Robo sets out to search the area and finds a weapon that has been dropped nearby. As the investigation begins, another body is found. Do these two have a connection or are they looking at two different criminals?

I really enjoy how the author mixes both the personal and professional. Mattie did not know her family and was raised in foster homes, but in this book she is finally going to get together with her grandmother and sister who she has not seen since she was a young girl. As the investigation heats up, that reunion has to be put on hold for awhile. Nate's family, his wife and her family, the Redman's seem like they are hiding something, but Mattie is not sure what. When she and Robo come face to face with a predator that should not be in these mountains, they start to put things together. Working with the sheriff's department and local veterinarian Cole Walker, they track the animal and find themselves in danger in more ways than they expected. I enjoyed the plot of this mystery, it was quite interesting and believable. The characters are well developed and also very realistic. I really like seeing the role Robo plays in these books as he is a main character, not just a sidekick. I was on the edge of my seat as the story played out and I was rushing to the conclusion. Another great K-9 mystery by Margaret Mizushima, that I definitely recommend.

Tracking is the name of the game in this well detailed story of a woman and her faithful companion.
Tells of the trials and tribulations of being a female police officer, with an efficient and well trained companion by her side. All emotions bring you right beside her and her companion throughout the story.

Tracking Game

by Margaret Mizushima

I am fairly easy going, taking life’s interruptions as they come. I found my limits, however, as I read Tracking Game by Margaret Mizushima. I resented every disruption because I just wanted to keep reading.

Mizushima is a master of K-9 police procedurals. Her character creations are outstanding. They include Deputy Mattie Cobb who has numerous personal issues stemming from her childhood, but is courageous and determined. Robo, her K-9 officer, is an amazing, skilled, and intelligent dog. With Mattie’s talents in training and reading her dog and Robo’s abilities to interpret Mattie’s signals and branch out into fields he has not been trained in, they make an outstanding team. Also important in the story is Cole Waker, the local vet, who loves Mattie but lets their relationship develop slowly to meet her emotional needs as well as those of his two daughters whom he is raising alone.

The story starts gently at a dance at the Timber Creek community center but literally explodes with action and doesn’t slow down as they discover a victim in the explosion, but also find the death was actually caused by a gunshot. As the sheriffs try to figure out that complication, they peel back layers of the onion only to find lots of people with motivations. What could cause seemingly nice people to commit horrific acts? Possibilities include drugs, affairs, and blackmail, but the situation here is even more complicated. Mattie and Robo are in potentially deadly situations as they engage in various searches. Another search dog with a different specialty is brought in to help.

On a personal level, Mattie feels it is important to share her past with Cole, wondering how it will affect their relationship. Cole, meanwhile, is struggling to protect his daughters as they try to reengage with their mother who has mental issues.

The plot is complicated with some surprising twists that will keep you alternating holding your breath and turning those pages. As a police procedural, it is top notch. The reveal of the murderer and the motivation is a surprise and occurs in a very memorable scene. As the book draws to a close, Mattie receives information of a personal nature that leads the reader hanging in anticipation of the next book in the series.

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

Notes: 1. I am a Basset hound, ears hanging down, sort of girl, but even I come away from this book just loving and admiring the sharp, but fun, and supportive Robo.
2. #5 in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery Series, this book would probably be more fun if read in order in the series; but the action is most important, and the author brings the reader up to speed on any necessary personal details.

Publication: November 12, 2019—Crooked Lane Books

Memorable Lines:

She wanted to move forward in her relationship with Cole, but her childhood loomed between them like the two-way mirror Sheriff McCoy had recently installed in one of their interrogation rooms at the station. She could see Cole clearly, but she and her baggage remained hidden from him.

Robo edged closer, hovering at her left heel, growling as he searched the area with his eyes as well as his nose. A chill ran down her spine, and Mattie drew her Glock from its holster. She had no idea what they were facing, but she understood her partner’s warning.

Life seemed so simple for Robo: rest and relax when you can, take pleasure in a job well done. He didn’t lie awake at night wondering if he’d done the right thing. She loved him for it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is a part of a series. I would suggest that readers go back and read the earlier books in the series before picking up this one if they have not done so. I was not familiar with the series and while I didn't have much trouble following the story or getting to know the characters, it would have been much easier to delve into the story if I had had that background.

The book was a fast read with a conclusion difficult to see coming. The author did an excellent job of describing the wilderness search scenes without getting bogged down in details. It was very easy to visualize those scenes. Not only that, but the scenery was expertly used to create suspense.

In short, this was an enjoyable and fast read, but would have been better if I had read other books in the series first.

This book was an amazing story about the relationship between the owner and a K-9. I have not read any of the other books in the series but was able to pick up and read with no issues.

I love the narration by the author, the way the story flowed, and the over all content of the book. I will for sure be reading more work by Mararet Mizushima

In Margaret Mizushuma's Tracking Game, the 5th installment in the Timber Creek 5-9 Mystery series, this caper tells a wild tale of deception and betrayal, along with secrets and lies. It all started when Deputy Mattie Cobb reports on the scene of a car fire during the night of the dance. With her K-9 partner, Robo, they rush to retrieve two bodies from a burning car--one of them was dead and the other one was barely alive as he saved his life. That's where she started her investigation into Nate Fletcher's murder and who wanted him dead and set his van on fire. When she reported the bad news to his family, she learned interesting insight into Nate's life and his outfitting company. More than ever, she dug a little bit deeper with the rest of the Timber Creek County Sheriff's Office, which made them question some of them with motives. Meanwhile, Cole Walker, Mattie's significant other, is the local vet, and is dealing with some issues of his own concerning his two daughters, his ex-wife's battle with Depression, and his feelings for Mattie going forward. But things get wild and dicey, when they've found another dead body that's been mauled by a wild animal on the loose. Now it was up to them to track down that tiger and finds out how it'd gotten there and who wanted their next victim dead. Things come close of being slippery and dicey for Mattie, when she confronts the murderer and the tiger dead on in an intense climax.

Deputy Mattie is a police dog handler and Robo is her canine partner. As a survivor of a traumatic past she is left uncertain about her ability to commit or trust her feelings towards Cole the town vet.
Mattie responds to a report of a burning vehicle and on arrival finds one man dead and the other requiring urgent hospital treatment. When foul play is confirmed she will use all of her investigative ability and Robo’s training to track down those responsible.
I am a dog lover who really enjoyed this book and having a dog as one of the characters. I have to admit I was expecting a standard love story and was very surprised and engaged by the excellent storyline. All in all this had a fair bit of substance and the detail gave it a real life feel.
This book is part of the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series and could be read as a standalone but why would you forego the pleasure and not read the entire series. I wish I had!
It’s a curious feeling to be happy with the way a story ends promising more to come and feeling a little sad that part of the journey has ended. This was a fantastic read and a big well done to the author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review.

I can't get enough of this mystery series. I've read all 5 and can't wait for more. With each book, the characters evolve and leave you wanting more. I love a well-written mystery. I love a fictional series that you can learn from because the author has either lived that life or has done a great job in doing the background research. Kudos to Margaret Mizushima for doing both!

The story begins with a murder. Someone shot the young husband and torched his van. Mattie and Cole heard the explosion at the dance so they raced out to see what happened. As they start sorting through facts, they find that some of the man's time isn't accounted for. He didnn't go where he said he was going and he was back early. The more they dig the worse it gets.

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published November 12th.

They are tracking in the woods above the road he was killed on and they find another dead man. They also have a run in with a big cat. The worse part, the cat was chewing on the man. At least he was already dead. They try to convince her it was a mountain lion, but she knows what one of those sounds like and it wasn't that kind of growl. The wildlife expert agrees with her. The footprints are bigger and different shaped. It's a tiger...

With the sheriff and his deputies, two dogs and their handlers and Cole they go looking for the tiger. They know it's dangerous. It's got cliffs the cat could jump from or the hunters could shoot at them. But they want to save the cat and take the hunters into custody.

Who's going to succeed?

Written by Margaret Mizushima, Tracking Game follows Mattie, a police officer in the only K-9 unit in her town and her partner Robo, as well as her boyfriend Cole (important, as about half of the novel is written from his perspective). This is the 5th novel in the Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries, and in this novel a local man was shot in his vehicle, which was then set on fire. A close friend of Cole’s was injured by the explosion, while Mattie and Robo are on the case to find the killer.

This novel was well written, and is one of those that, while part of a series, could (and I did) be read on its own. Mattie is a reserved character, and this is very much a police investigation murder mystery not some private individual, but I enjoyed her character as well as Cole and their interactions with each other. I wish we could have seen a bit more of Brody or Stella’s personalities, but this isn’t a terribly long book and they serve purposes to the plot.

The twists were very much unseen, though looking back on the book there were some various clues.

If you enjoy a good mystery, with flawed characters (realistically) this is a great novel to choose. I, for one, will be reading the rest of the series.

I did receive a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Great continuation of the series. Love the story arc and development. Police and tracking work exciting. Characters are well described and believable.

Robo, Mattie Cobb's K-9 partner, is no longer in training in this fifth Timber Creek K-9 mystery set in the mountains of Colorado. Instead, Mattie and her human team are able to rely upon him completely. With different commands, he is able to find human bodies, locate hidden drugs even in minute quantities, and track both humans and animals through rough terrain. While I miss the details of training from the earlier books in the series, the relationship between Mattie and Robo continues to play a large part in this book, bringing the work of a K-9 officer and her dog to life.

As with the other books in the series, this book can be read as a stand-alone; its plot is completely self-contained. However, relationships (particularly that of Mattie and the local veterinarian, Cole) have been developing over time so some personal details will be lost by jumping in mid-stream. Nonetheless, Mizushima does a terrific job of filling us in on the most important aspects of that development while keeping the trajectory of the book moving forward. Characterization is strong, although Cole can seem a little too good to be true at times. It's nice to run across a strong male character who is also kind and sensitive, however, and his good-hearted nature helps make Mattie's healing from her childhood possible. In spite of the murders investigated in the book, there is an overall tone of gentleness not usually found in outdoor adventure murder mysteries.

As the book opens, Mattie and Cole are called away from a community dance to investigate a car fire. When they get there, they find a murdered rancher and another man badly hurt. Throughout the investigation, which takes some unexpected turns including the introduction of a huge exotic cat, Robo leads Mattie and the team to crucial evidence that fills in the gaps in the information gathered through traditional detective work. In the end, this sad story of the fragility of isolated ranching life draws to a plausible close, making sense of seemingly contradictory evidence.

The shattering of the ranch family's way of life is echoed in a subplot involving Cole and his children, as well as in aspects of Mattie's childhood which come to light over the course of the book. While this is a suspenseful mystery, it is also a book about the ways in which events in a family's life can bring about its dissolution. The thoughtful and introspective aspects of the book do not detract from the fast pace, however, with Mizushima finding a delicate balance between the two.

Margaret Mizushima's K-9 series are great mysteries, and her latest, "Tracking Game," is a great addition to it.

This was a snappy thriller set in a small town in the Colorado mountains. The first chapter will grab your attention, and hold you there until all has been revealed.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Dogs and mysteries - what's not to like?

This is the fifth book in author Mizushima's Timber Creek K9 series. It's not my favorite (that's probably STALKING GROUND) but still is an excellent mystery and romance.

Deputy Mattie Cobb with her K9 Robo are front and center again in this installment of stories in and around the small town of Timber Creek, Colorado. Her romance with veterinarian Cole Walker heats up in this book but there's still a lot of serious action in the story.

Mattie and Cole are at a town dance when they hear an explosion. They head out and find a van on fire and a man that was shot to death.

There are all kinds of twists in this story and it kept me guessing up to the end. I like Mizushima's style of writing and I loved all the canine characters.

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

Tracking Game (Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #5). By Margaret Mizushima. 2019. Crooked Lane Books. ISBN13: 9781643851365 (ARC ebook).

When deputy Mattie Cobb and her beau, veterarian Cole Walker, seek out the source of what sounded like an explosion interrupting the rural town of Timber Creek’s Saturday night festivities, they come upon a burning van and a man shot dead. As the investigation begins, several leads quickly develop, only to be interrupted by a distressed 911 call that sends Mattie and her K-9 partner, Robo, out into the Colorado mountains. The search ends with the discovery of a second murder victim and the threat of a large predator on the prowl. The double homicide points to the Redman cattle ranch, but ferreting out who the cold-blooded murderer is unfolds into a story with a nice mix of mystery, action, setting and character.

This is my first book by this author but Tracking Game reads as a standalone There are a lot of interesting details provided in how a law officer works with a K-9 partner; so readers who like animals involved in their mysteries will definitely enjoy this procedural. While it felt to me like Tracking Game opened stronger than it closed, the pace and plot are done well overall and I would be interested in future installments in this series, and for sure, reading the first book for the origin story of how exactly Mattie and Robo come to be partners.