What a great read! When I first realized that Leave No Trace by Sara Driscoll was book 5 in her FBI K-9 series I
decided to go ahead and get the others - it wasn't necessary since each book is more than capable of standing
on its own - but boy was it enjoyable!! Loved the characters of Meg with her Labrador Hawk, and the whole group of co-workers / friends. Fast paced mystery with a little romance = looking forward to the next in this series.

WOW!! What an awesome book! This book is full of action, suspense and drama and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I can't say enough good things about this book without letting a spoiler slip out, so all I'm going to say is grab this book! I loved it and highly recommend it. Thank you Kensington Books via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Meg Jennings, agent with the FBI's Human Scent Evidence Team, part of the Forensic Canine Unit, tracks lawbreakers and killers with the help of her amazing working dog, Hawk. In Sara Driscoll's Leave No Trace (Kensington Books 2020), Book 5 in the FBI Canine series, the two partners are asked to solve a series of murders committed from a distance with a high powered recurve or compound bow. The only evidence usually is the arrow that kills the target--not much even for an experienced tracking dog like Hawk. Each murder, they get a little closer, in no small part because of Jennings amazing instincts and Hawk's never-quit ability to go beyond any human or canine partner.

I've read this entire series and loved every one of them. As usual this is a well woven tail at varied times frightening, inspiring, and heart-breaking. I learned a lot about bow hunting though working dog Hawk's tracking skills are the real draw for me. I'd be happy if the entire story was Meg and Hawk.  If I have one complaint--and why I gave it 4/5--it's that it’s not clever enough. I wanted to be surprised at every page turn and at times, Driscoll spent time on information and actions that were obvious with few opportunities for light bulb moments. Putting that aside, Hawk's charisma and Jennings skill at her job and respect for her job carried the story. I can’t wait for the next nook.

Protagonist Meg Jennings is back with her black Lab, Hawk. Her partner is Brian, whose dog is a German Shepherd, Lacey. They’ve been called in to track a killer using a compound bow that quickly escalates into a series of murders. Tracking high in the Appalachians is not easy and it’s not only the expert bow hunter that’s deadly—so are those mountains. The author manages to craft a remarkable canine-human story and teach as well. In this case McCord is back and his character weaves in some amazing history.

Meg and Brian go from one peril to another, often caught in deadly situations that only the young and extremely fit could survive. It’s action packed, calling training into the fore.

The well-plotted and fast paced narrative grabs the reader in scenes of extreme danger and pushes the pulse-pounding experience to start flipping pages faster. Lots of drama here: critical information regarding bows, survival techniques, doses of fascinating history, police procedures and communication, and in between the larger picture, the personal issues confronting those lives prominent in the immediate team, including Meg’s guy.

Of course I love the interaction between dog and handler. The conclusion answers the whodunit, but not all the questions, issues, things you might have wanted to know. Still, the ride has been non-stop and immersive, the characters engaging, and the narrative wholly entertaining and thought-provoking. Totally recommended. 4.5/5

I found this is the 5th book in the FBI -9s series by Sara Driscoll and the 1st that I've had the privilege to read. The teams were sent on a complicated case of murder by someone skilled in archery in the hills and valleys of land claimed and being reclaimed by past settlers, native Indians and the TVA for power. Interesting history was given throughout. Dead ends, murders, injuries, love interests and plenty of smart canines fill this adventure. The author kept this reader's interest in the progression of the case throughout. Recommend reading.

Leave No Trace is a heart pounding addition to the FBI K-9 series.
Meg and her K-9 partner Hawk, along with Brian and his K-9 partner Lacey, are called in to hunt a murderer whose weapon of choice is a high powered bow and arrow. The connection between the victims is the projected construction of a dam Two groups opposed are the current residents of the land and the Cherokee who wish to reclaim the land that was taken from them at the time of the Trail of Tears. Each trail they follow is more treacherous than the last, putting there lives at risk.

Leave No Trace is the fifth in the F.B.I. K-9 series but can be read alone without any problems. FBI agents Meg Jennings and Brian Foster along with their search dogs Hawk and Lacey, are called down into Georgia on a murder case when the the suspect is a dead shot archer. Taking on the wilderness, Meg and Brian face down bears and river rapids to stop a killer in the action packed thriller that has the pages flying by wondering what can possibly happen next. The whodunit leaves you guessing until the end as the story just keeps getting better with unexpected twists and turns. Full of danger and excitement, the story does not disappoint mystery and thriller readers for a enjoyably, wild ride. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

I love series that combine dogs and mysteries and this has been one of my favorites. In book five, Meg and Hawk are called out to Georgia to track a compound bow arrow killer. The victims are all tied to a possible damming of a river and what would be the subsequent loss of the surrounding land. Their friend, Washington Post reporter McCord joins them once again to help with research. Driscoll’s use of McCord also gives the reader a good history of the area and the background on the removal of the Cherokee people. She also starts every chapter with a description that further helps set the history, time or place.
As always, a large part of the enjoyment I get from this series is the interaction between handlers and dogs. There are multiple incidents where the handlers put their dogs safety above their own. Or where their worry for a dog is equal to that of a ther loved one.
Kudos to Driscoll for writing scenes so real that my fear of heights kicked in on one instance! The second half of this book is one action packed roller coaster ride, maybe a little too much as one section goes from one potential crisis to another. Forget lions and tigers and bears; think rattlers, coyotes and raging rivers. But it’s definitely entertaining.
My thanks to netgalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoy this series so it was great to catch up with Meg and Hawk as they tried to apprehend an expert archer. This one had a lot to to with Native Americans and their culture, with some excellent historical insights at the beginning of each chapter. Another great installment in the series.

5th in series

I loved the Cherokee facts and information! I learned while reading the story.
The events made it reality in my hands. It happened right before my eyes.
Sara did thorough research for this book.

I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Another stellar book, #5, in the K9 FBI series. Meg and Hawk are on a mission to stop a serial killer with a very usual method of killing. They will be pushed to the limits physically and emotionally. This installment is so well researched, I felt like I was actually visiting the geographical area in Tennessee and Georgia where most of the action takes place! This is a great series and I highly recommend it.

Each Sara Driscoll novel in this series builds on the characters' personal and professional lives, leaving you wanting more.

Tracking a bow hunter through rough wilderness terrain, puts added stress on the FBI K-9 Human Scent Evidence Team, both dogs and their handlers.

The history of the Native Indian experience on the Trail of Tears was heartbreakingly revealed as each chapter began with mainly Cherokee experiences in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, both past and present.

The scenery descriptions felt like I was trekking the trails and battling the rivers. The plot twists had Meg & Hawk in unrelenting dangerous situations.

Ending with solving housing issues left a warm feeling.

Leave No Trace – Sara Driscoll

FBI Meg Jennings and her partner Brian Foster, along with their dogs Hawk & Lacey, return once more as the FBI is called to assist with some murders in northwestern Georgia. Members of the elite ‘Human Scent Evidence Team’, their services are often requested for tracking in extreme circumstances, such as the Georgia Blue Ridge area. Arriving on the scene of the crime, the team learns that a Georgia State Trooper is the latest victim in a bizarre set of murders – each man killed with the single shot of an arrow from a bowhunter. In each case, there’s been no witness, and other than the arrow, no evidence.

From the arrow, Hawk & Lacey pick up a scent and head into the woods with their handlers only to lose it after a while, as too much time has elapsed between the killing and their arrival at the scene, but not without a chance encounter with the local wildlife. Back at the Blue Ridge PD, the team learns of a connection between the two men killed – both had links to a planned project in Blue Ridge – the building of the Copperhill Dam, which hopes to generate power and manage flooding that comes with climate change The towns involved are in conflict regarding the construction, with some at risk of losing their homes and land as a result.

When a third victim is killed the same way, the team re-deploys to the area, with the intent of remaining on scene to catch a killer But very quickly, the hunters become hunted with the team becoming separated after an arrow meant for Meg nearly finds it’s mark, leaving her lost and injured in the wilderness with only Hawk for protection. Meanwhile, Brian and Lacey encounter dangers of their own as they try to call for help and mobilize a search.

Meanwhile, a killer is free to hunt again…and it will take the combined efforts of the local PD, the FBI and a profile from Quantico’s infamous BAU to find and bring this killer to justice…

This was a GREAT read, and one I couldn’t put down. Though fiction, this novel is set in real places, with geography and bodies of water as described. Additionally, each chapter header involves a snippet of Cherokee history, and how the Indians were forced from their land by the US Government via the now infamous Trail of Tears. As a fairly new transplant to the deep southeast, I was equally fascinated and troubled by this sad piece of history.

I give deep thanks to Netgalley & Kensington books for the opportunity to read and review this book and for the addition of another author to my ‘MUST READ’ list!! Give it a try – you will NOT be disappointed!
(I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.)

I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series and it sounded really interesting. It’s a light and quick book. I thought the dog parts were interesting. At times I thought it was a bit wordy but I still enjoyed the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

"Leave No Trace" is a suspense/mystery. This book is the fifth in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. This novel did refer by name to several whodunits in the previous mysteries, though.

The main characters were likable, interesting, and reacted realistically to events. Much of the suspense came from the dangerous terrain that Meg, Brian, and their K9s had to navigate while tracking the murderer. Added to that was the danger that a highly accurate bow hunter could shoot them at any time. They also helped some with the investigation. Part way through, I wondered why they weren't even considering certain people, including one person that seemed worth investigating further to me. Later, someone pointed this out--that they are making certain assumptions that may not be true. As it turns out, I had correctly guessed whodunit, and they quickly figured it out at this point, too.

There was a fair amount of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful novel.

This story line is like a fast ride--- it will leave you breathless. A bowhunter killer is on the loose in the Blue Ridge Mountains, so Meg Jennings and Brian Foster are on the trail ,armed with bear spray and their search and rescue dogs. I like the extra bits of knowledge inserted in the story, whether it concerns history or arrows. The danger and adventure begins with animal attack and races on from there.
The history of the Trail of Tears and Death is discussed, as well as having Cherokee lore heading each chapter. That was a brutal period in US history, and Driscoll addresses it well. This is a good read.
I always review the books I enjoy.
I am thankful to Sara Driscoll and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

LEAVE NO TRACE.....SARA..Driscoll
Two deaths in the state with the hands of a bowhunter during turkey season, is no accident. To reach the target.at that distance the archer had serious skills. As Meg with her dog Hawk trek thru the mountains he stops alerting her to danger Two cubs and a mother bear, would the bear spray stop her.n Meg and Brian had been together for three years, continue on the scent and trail through the mountains, meeting other precarious situations.. Good flowing story with their K-9 dogs, and a little bit about their lives, make these a nice enjoyable stories to read.
Given ARC. by Net Galley and Kensington for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

This is a great series. I feel I have really got to know these characters and every book brings some new insights into them and into their relationships. The K-9 angle makes the stories a bit different and it is touching to see the closeness between the humans and dogs. All of this adds a sense of almost intimacy as the reader becomes enthralled in the plot and the sometimes complex paths through which is takes us.

Leave No Trace is an ongoing series featuring Meg Jennings and Brian Foster and their K 9 companions, Hawk and Lacey.
This being the first one that I have read, I didn't feel as though I was lost. There is just enough background material presented that made me feel right at home with the characters.
I love mysteries, and even better when they feature animals as an integral part of the story.
The TVA is going to build a new dam that is going to take out lots of land and businesses. That land once belonged to the Cherokee and then was raffled off or sold to white people.
So many people want to stop the project but one in particular has taken extreme measures in to their hands.
The weapon is a specialized bow and the archer, highly skilled.
It's up to the K9 team to solve the crime and put an end to the killing spree.
During the course of this action, Meg, Brian, Hawk, and Lacey are put in to several precarious spots.
Sprinkled in the action, you will find many interesting facts about the Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears.
I found this very interesting.
I highly recommend this book and author as the characters are so well developed and the plotting is intricate. This kept me on my toes, as well as provided some great reading.

This is Book 5 of the K-9 series about dogs and their handlers but you can read any one of them as a stand alone. Meg Jennings and her partner Brian Foster along with their K-9's are involved in a case in the Blue Ridge region of Georgia, where a body has been found in the woods. This is a different hunt for a killer than usual as this suspect obviously knows the forest well, uses a bow and arrow to kill human prey, moves silently and leaves no footprints. The search leads them to the perilous Ocoee Flume. The author does a fantastic job of building suspense and her descriptions of Brian's fall and Meg's drop into the river are vivid and captivating. There are some references to historical events such as the land lotteries and the relocation of local indigenous peoples of the area that remind you the suffering people experienced in the name of progress.
A fast paced, riveting story that will keep you engaged to the last word. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.