Invited by the local Wildlife Manager to checkout hiking trails and looking for distraction from a family issue, Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K9 Robo, jog to the vista called Hanging Falls. Once there she discovers a dead body floating in the flooded river. Postponing her vacation, she and the other members of the Sheriff's department begin searching for the identity of the murdered man as well as his killer. On the personal front Mattie has discovered she has a sister and a grandmother she's going to meet for the first time. This book is a step forward in the development of Mattie's character, but not a great mystery. #netgalley #hangingfalls

This series just keeps getting better. Mattie and Robo are involved in a case with a lot of facets. They have dead bodies, a new group in the area, shady characters, and more. Personally, Mattie is meeting her family, dealing more with her past, and her relationship with Cole is facing issues with his daughter Angie. That's a lot of punch packed into these pages. It comes together in some unusual ways. There are plenty of twists to the separate plots. I was hooked and read it straight through. Can't wait for more!

Excellent mystery! This sixth book in the Timber Creek K-9 series is a fabulous continuation of the series. Two men are dead, a colony of possible polygamists have moved in, a farrier and a vet pharmaceutical rep, both of questionable character, are making the rounds, the relationship between Cole and Mattie continues to grow with a bit of push back from Cole’s teen-age daughter, and Mattie is reunited with her sister and grandmother whom she hadn’t seen since she was two. It is fast moving and intense, a bit emotional, and a definite page-turner. I loved it and can’t wait for more!

I can’t wait for the next book! This book keeps you on the edge of your seat. I love the way the author pays attention to details.

Hanging Falls (Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #6) by Margaret Mizushima is another case for Deputy Mattie Cobb and her partner Robo. I could not stop reading the story once I started! I really enjoy this series of mysteries and the character of Mattie Cobb. There is a family mystery of her past which runs concurrently during each of the books. Mattie is planning a vacation to meet her long lost sister and grandmother. She is excited and very nervous, but hopes to get closer to finding answers about her missing mother.
As Mattie and Robo are scouting the trail conditions with Glenna and Moose in the Colorado mountainous forest they discover a body caught within the rushing water at the bottom of Hanging Falls. After Mattie secures the body from washing away, she notices they are being watched from the top of the rim. I won't post spoilers, but finding one body leads to another murder in this same area.
The story artfully weaves together the events of two murders, assistance from vet Cole Walker, questions about a new polygamist group, and a horrible life-threatening injury that happens to Robo. I was not ready for the story to end and I am looking forward to the next book in this series!
Publication Date: September 8, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Mattie Cobb and the local game warden have traveled into the mountains surrounding Timber Creek to check on trail damage, along with their dogs: Mattie is a K-9 officer for Timber Creek and her dog is Robo; the game warden has a Rhodesian Ridgeback. But instead, they find a body dressed only in denim pants. As they work to get the body out of the overflowing creek, Mattie spots a man at the top of the falls. Robo and Mattie go up the trail and corner the homeless man in a tree. He is terrified of Robo and he knows more than he is saying about the dead man. Meanwhile, a group of fundamentalists has moved onto a farm outside of Timber Creek. Cole Walker becomes involved when one of the sister wives brings in her German Shepherd dog for vet visit. When Cole goes out the farm, he discovers that this group is actually a cult, following a religious zealot. As Mattie, Robo, Cole and the rest of the Timber Creek police force investigate, many secrets will come to light. Mattie is also coping with finding her sister and her grandmother who she never knew growing up. She, her brother, Willie, and her mother were all kidnapped when Mattie was very young. She is working to find her family. I like this series, Robo is practically the main character and who doesn't love a good dog?

Hanging Falls by Margaret Mizushima is the sixth in the brilliant mystery series featuring Mattie Cobb,Timber Creek policewoman, and her canine assistant, Robo. Mizushima deftly sets her mysteries in the Colorado mountains, creating a realistic and enticing Western setting. This murder mystery carefully weaves together the members of a polygamist cult; Mattie's growing romance with Cole, the local vet, and her developing relationship with his two daughters; and finally reveals more about Mattie's abusive childhood when she meets her sister and grandmother for the first time. Mizushima, among the best of mystery writers, carefully and compellingly sustains several threads of plot and character development that keep readers completely engaged and looking forward to the next book in the series.

Hanging Falls by Margaret Mizushima is another satisfying book in the Maggie Cobb and Robo series. These are well written and well researched and have the added attraction of a Colorado mountain town and it's surroundings.

In Mizushima's sixth book in the Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries series, Hanging Falls (Penguin Random House 2020), Mattie is a day away from leaving for a trip to meet the family she was separated from as a young child. The night before she leaves, she finds a dead body in a river and she and Robo (her working dog) frantically try to track down clues to find the killer. Before she can finish, another murder occurs that seems to be tied to the first and both have breadcrumbs that lead to a religious group living in the outskirts of Timber Creek. In an odd connection, Mattie's veterinarian boyfriend has been treating one of their dogs and several other of their animals. With two murders and no clear evidence of the killers, Robo's skills become more important than ever, making it impossible for Mattie to leave Timber Creek but that doesn't stop the reunion from happening.

I've loved every book in this series. They are all clever with great details about crime scene dog work and lots of respect for the dogs and their relationship to humans.

"His fur was wet and matted, his Kevlar vest still in place, protecting his chest. She ran the light over his head, figuring that would be where the knife had struck. In the beam, his eyes were narrow, his brow puckered, his pain evident."

"Robo’s limbs trembled, but he’d retreated into that space where wounded animals go to suffer."

I can't wait to read the next.

Family is a recurring theme in the latest Timber Creek K-9 mystery. Mattie Cobb is supposed to be meeting her long-lost sister when she and Robo run across a body. While the mystery in this installment was perhaps weak, the reunion of Mattie with her sister and Abuela, as well as Cole Walker's interactions with his teenager daughter helped keep the story together. This is book 6 in an ongoing series, and might be best read in context of the series rather than as a standalone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for access to a digital ARC.

I really love this series, and this entry did not disappoint. Mattie is working under several pressures in this book as she's meeting her sister and grandmother for the first time, dealing with resentment from Cole's daughter Angie, and trying to solve what quickly becomes a double homicide. On top of that, the story her grandmother tells her about Mattie's father's death just opens up a whole new mystery.

Complex, realistic relationships plus interesting plots make this a great series! My only hesitation is when Mattie's backstory (family-wise) threatens to take over the current murder mystery. I get the importance of a series arc, but I'm really in it for the murder. So I hope each individual title continues to be compelling.

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

A new story in Mizushima's brilliant series is always cause to celebrate. Mattie Cobb's police work with her canine partner is fascinating, as is her backstory as a kidnapped and abused child. This story probes more of that backstory, as well as the developing but complicated relationship with the local vet and his family. In addition, this particular story deals with a cult of polygamy, a situation that pops up again and again in the western U.S. The age-old conflict between religious freedom and societal care is senstively examined.

This is so much more than a murder investigation, as Mizushima explores her characters with great depth and understanding, and gives readers an outstanding depiction of the landscape and insight into animal care - horses and dogs, most often.

This is a sterling series that will appeal to contemporary mystery lovers, as well as dog and horse people. It's not a cozy, however - there are stark and realistic descriptions. Highly recommended for all fiction collections and mystery collections.

This series featuring Mattie and Robo is a great addition to the mystery genre. A dead body is snagged on a tree is the river during rainstorms and solving the case includes the force and friends.
Goodreads

Loved it! Another great installment to this K-9/small town sheriff series. These books remind me of the Longmire books and the Leephorn & Chee series (both are favorites of mine) - good people with strong sense of right and wrong who care about the residents of their communities and put their job responsibilities ahead of their personal lives. There's a bit of love in the air as well. This newest book contains some shady people, some newcomers, at least one unexpected death, many horses, and some unexpected additional info on the primary character's past. If you love books with strong female leads, give this series a try. It's best to start with the first book so you'll know the backstory but you could also start here.

I love this series, and this edition was no exception. I really enjoy the characters and the setting. All of their stories continue to unfold in the back drop of a great mystery. I love going in the Colorado mountains with Mattie and Robo as they do search and rescue. I admire their athleticism and physical fitness, as they traverse the hills and valley of the forest. In this story, Mattie and Robo meet up with her friend Glenna, and Robo finds a body while they are out keeping in shape. This discovery leads to a harrowing recovery of a victim, and a encounter with a possible suspect. Definitely, a page turner, filled with intrigue.

Police thriller with good characters and an interesting story .Lots of suspects and not much evidence, can the team solve the murders.?

This is one of my favorite series and this book is one of the best in it! I was so stoked to get this book and it was excellent. All your favorite characters are back and there is a whole new story line. I love the pacing in this series and it’s so much fun getting to really know all the characters in a short period of time.

5 stars

Mattie Cobb, police officer, and her canine partner Robo are on a run in the woods with her friend and game warden

Glenna and her dog Moose. The dogs discover a man's body tangled in some branches in a river. Mattie thinks she sees someone watching her and Glenna from atop the ridge. She and Robo hike up and she easily arrests the man as he is absolutely terrified of Robo.

Mattie is supposed to go to meet her sister and her grandmother for the first time the next morning. But she now feels obligated to assist with this new case. When she calls her sister to let her know that she needs a couple more days to work, her sister surprises her by saying that she and her grandmother will drive to her instead. Unsure, but Mattie says okay anyway. They hit it off famously – and she learns much about her childhood.

As part of the investigation, Mattie and her boyfriend veterinarian Cole meet a group of men, women and children who live together on an old ranch. They have an assortment of animals, so they will be using Cole's services from time to time. There is so much more going on at that place than happy families.

The case escalates and gets more complicated. Cole and Mattie's families both get involved.

I love Ms. Mizushima's writing!. Her characters are so colorful and real. I really like Mattie and Cole and I also like that the author writes about their family lives as well. I got more of a sense of who they were as people. Her transitions are seamless and the writing flows. The book reads quickly since the pages just fly by. Very well done, Ms. Mizushima.

I want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely delightful book for me to read, enjoy and review.