I received an eARC of The Keepers by Jeffrey B Burton from St Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
4 stars! Fantastic writing style and engaging story. Plus, who doesn't love dogs in a book?! I recommend this mystery series.

For some reason (maybe because the dog on the cover is so cute) I thought this would be a cozy mystery. But it wasn't! Instead it was a thriller with a good mystery, some pretty powerful antagonists, and a a small group of people, including police officers and Mace Reid, trying to sort out murder. Mace's dog Vira has the unusual ability of not only sniffing out cadavers, but sniffing/understanding something about who did the crime. I loved her and all of Mace's dogs - from the bloodhound puppy to the alpha male Sue.

This book had some violence and some twists and turns, and it was an exciting read. It wasn't super graphic either - certainly some terrible things happened, but I never felt sick reading them. It was a nice balance by the author.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for letting me read a copy. I'll be heading to the first book in the series now, as well as looking for future books.

I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. I thought the author did a great job with the main characters, including the dogs. You could definitely read this book as a standalone, but it was helpful to have read the first book so that I had the background. I found this to be a fast-paced, easy read with a fair amount of action.

The Keepers, by Jeffrey B. Burton, is the 2nd book in his fast-paced mystery series (Mace Reid K-9 Mystery) featuring dog handler Mace Reid and golden retriever cadaver dog Vira.
A compelling mystery with many twists and turns involving Chicago City politics, mobsters and murder.
I love the courageous specialized search dogs!
I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2021/07/13/the-keepers-by-jeffrey-b-burton/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I am a fan of K-9 books, so I discovered this <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/277419-mace-reid-k-9-mystery" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Mace Reid K-9 Mystery</strong></em></a> series.  I got the first title, <strong>The Finders</strong> at the library and then requested this one to review.  The beginning was a bit slow but it took off explosively.

Mace has several dogs who are all human remains or cadaver dogs.  There are a few different breeds. There is a special one,  Vira,  a golden retriever.  She not only detects bodies but also the scents of others involved in the death.  Vira is stunningly accurate.   But none of these dogs are trained to deal with bad guys or take them down.

We do get a view into the dog's personalities and see some of their work.  We don't get much focus on that aspect (which I enjoy) but more on the investigation.  Mace works with a team of cops, Dave and Kippy,  as a consultant, and also for some others at times.  He gets called out to find the remains in bad situations like fires or out in the woods.   Normally, Mace and the dogs are not part of the investigation.

Mace and Kippy are alerted to some information because of Vira.  Unfortunately, it looks bad for some powerful city officials.  It quickly becomes a case of who can be trusted which is no one.   Their safety has me on the edge as they worked to nail down evidence against the bad guys.  It will be interesting to see if Mace and the dogs are more or less involved in police investigations in the future.

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Vira the golden retriever is back, with her exceptional finding abilities and even more exceptional intuition. Mace Reid brings his skills as an investigator and dog handler to a new case that has him and his buddy, Officer Kippy Gimm, on the run from both the police and the bad guys. The novel starts out with Mace describing the setup and introducing the team, in a slightly too chatty way that had me waiting for something to happen. Once things get going, the action is well-paced, with a pervasive sense of danger that keeps things compelling. The number of bad guys (both corrupt and murdering) is a little over the top, and the reasoning behind this overabundance of evildoers (basically, “because Chicago”) is not persuasive. Once you ignore that, you can enjoy the unfolding action, the best part of which is always Vira and the other dogs coming to the rescue in dramatic ways. The evolving Mace/Kippy relationship adds interest, but the dogs have the best scenes, and—let’s face it—that what we all came for.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for a digital advance review copy.

This second installment in the Mace Reid K-9 series is a well done action packed follow up. The author’s engaging writing style draws you in and keeps you riveted and entertained until the very end. The storyline is very good, but the dogs steal the show. Each unique personality is so well described that you can visualize each of Mace’s dogs. The bond between him and his dogs is also a strong component to the story. This is such a good series! Not only are you engrossed in the action surrounding the investigation, but there are bits of information about the training and use of cadaver dogs in those investigations.

I admit it, I read books like this for the dogs and Burton does not disappoint. The dogs are the most well-rounded characters. Excellent dogs. (Not a bad plot, either.)

This book is perfect for fans of K9 stories. Mace and Vira are back in this second book that's even better than the first. The mystery has the right amount of action and suspense. The writing is excellent and there were several instances where I had a clear image in my head and got lost in the story. Highly recommend!

3.5 trigger warning: animal abuse

How does one decide “you know what. I think I’m going to train dogs to find human remains!” I’m so glad Mace and Vira are back and hope to see more of them.

While this is the second book in a series you can definitely read it as a stand alone. Love the characters but this book wasn’t as smooth as the first. However I will definitely keep reading to see what’s going on with Mace and his kids.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I was excited to read this book after reading “The Finders” and loving it. Mace and Vira are back and finding more dead people. With more surprises around every corner, this book was so well written it had me turning pages long after I should have gone to bed. I hope that there is a third book to come in this series

This book is set in Chicago and is the second book in the Mason Reid K-9 Mystery series. I had not read the first book but had no trouble following this one, and am now a fan of the series. Mason seems to be a little bit goofy at first, but he is also a thoroughly nice, decent man with courage and a backbone of titanium steel when it is needed. He trains dogs to find dead bodies and is also their handler at crime scenes. One of his dogs, Vira, also has another unexpected talent that is useful to the few police officers who know about it. I really enjoyed finding out a little about how cadaver dogs are used to find bodies.

Bodies of high-profile people murdered in gruesome ways are showing up around Chicago. Mason and his dogs are called in, along with Officer Kippy Gimm, a tough young policewoman whom he had worked with before. The two of them must work together to find the killers and avoid being killed themselves. The book kept me guessing - I wasn't sure who the bad guys were until almost the end of the book. If you like dogs, mystery, complex plotting, police procedurals, chilling danger, and a developing romance, then you will likely enjoy this book and the series.

Thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book. It was my pleasure to read and review it.

I loved "The Finders" and wondered if this new book in the series would live up to it. I needn't have worried - I loved this one too!

The story starts out slowly and gets somewhat bogged down in the murders and mayhem but is saved every time by episodes involving the dogs. Mace's dogs are just wonderful and their individual personalities are so distinct. Mace and Kippy make a great couple (even though Kippy is reluctant at first) and I liked their characters a lot; but the stars of the book are definitely Vira, Maggie May, Delta Dawn, and puppy Bill. I hold my breath every time the dogs are in danger but hopefully Burton will always make sure they come through ok!

The rather slow first half of the book gives way to hold on to your hat action that never seems to stop all the way to the explosive and satisfying ending.

The Keepers
By Jeffrey B Burton

I loved the first book in the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery Series and when I saw this book available I knew I had to read it! I flew through the first book and the second installment in the series reminded me just how much I enjoyed reading this series and the emotional connection Mason (Mace) Reid had with his cadaver dogs as he helps out with the local Sheriff's Department or the Chicago Police.

I was so happy to revisit Vira - so special in the ability to track but also with a sixth sense in determining the killers as well. I just loved getting back into the mystery world of this K-9 series. Burton writes another emotionally thrilling novel that is so engaging I just could not put this book down.

I highly recommend this book and series. This was another winner!

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton is a highly recommended mystery and procedural. This is the second book in the series featuring Vira, a cadaver dog, and Mason (Mace) Reid, her handler.

Mace Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and loves dogs. He specializes in human remains detection (HRD) and he trains dogs to hunt for the dead, cadaver dogs, as well as for other searches. Vira has a special ability though, she can sniff out the guilty killer. Vira and Mace have a connection to Chicago Police Officer Kippy Gimm, and they often work together. Mace and Vira are called out to three different murder scenes, the third is in Washington Park at three o'clock in the morning and what Vira indicates leads to a shocking investigation into corruption and murder that eventually ties the three cases eventually

This is a series for those who love mysteries and dogs. This second novel can be a stand alone, but you will want to read the first book, The Finders. The writing continues to shine in this compelling, well-paced novel. As in the first novel, the chapters are short and to the point, which keeps the pace quickly moving along. Burton does an excellent job creating a sense of tension and urgency in the plot. The real question is who can be trusted with the information being uncovered since the corruption seems to go right to the top.

Mace is a well-developed, likeable character who is presented with a nice balance of analytical abilities, serious action, and even a good dose of self-deprecating humor. You will root for him, his dogs, and for Kippy Gimm. They are all believable characters. The dogs - Vira, Sue, the German Shepard, and collies Maggie May and Delta Dawn and new blood hound puppy, Bill (Billie Boy) - are all characters too and you'll see their individual personalities. You will need to suspend some disbelief about Vira's special abilities, but those who have dogs know that sometimes they seem to know more than you realize.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Publishing.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and submitted to Amazon.

I was a huge fan of the first book in the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series and was really looking forward to this book. I have to say I had a little bit of a hard time getting into the story of this second novel, as it was very hard to tell in the first half where all of the individual story threads were going, which also makes it a little hard to do a recap. What I had liked most about the first book was the interplay between the two main characters Mace and Kippy and Mace's family of canines, and the emotion and humor throughout, and it took until the second half for these elements to shine in this entry of the series. However, once the plot threads came together, the story had me feeling all the emotions that I had been looking for and laughing aloud at the portions told in Mace's voice at times. I love how much personality each K-9 has, especially Vira. I would say if you enjoyed the first book in the series put in the effort with this one and you won't be sorry by the end. I'm interested to see where these characters (both human and dog) go from here in the next book in the series!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this novel by Netgalley for my voluntary and honest review.

Good second book in the series. Vira's still my favorite character in the series, and her interactions with the humans in her life are the best part of the story for me. A couple of the other dogs have their moments too. Mace is sort of an everyday kind of guy who is braver than he thinks he is.

The main story was interesting. Spoiler warning - I wonder if it might not have been better to save the smaller case for a novella or short story. The shorter case was interesting as well, but I spent a lot of the book searching for nonexistent connections. Probably just me. In any case, the book was very good and I get more and more fond of Kippy, Mace, and the kids as the series progresses.

Though this is part of a series it can absolutely be read as a stand alone and you’ll be fine. This is a wonderfully crafted mystery with some truly amazing dogs. Mace trains dogs to aid in police work. Their specialty is finding human remains. Not an easy task physically or emotionally. When he and Vira (an incredible golden retriever) are called to aid in a search in the middle of the night they find way more than they bargained for and then some more scary, crazy things thrown on top for good measure. The story line drew me right in and kept me reading well beyond the time I had planned. Mysteries are not my typical genre, though I do enjoy them. The story is well written and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It’s a great story and further proof that the world is better with dogs in it. Now I’m going to read the first one of the series and anxiously await what comes next!

Another great story for Mace and his amazing cadaver dogs. Vira is the one dog that has a special talent, and this time her talent is leading her towards Police Superintendent Callum. This story goes into Chicago’s corruption.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Mystery

Mace has an amazing pack of dogs that can do a number of jobs for the community, the police, and they are just great to have along with him. When they are called to a police scene, while they aren't super popular with the department, not everyone is so biased against them either. You get to see strange things start to unravel...

Kippy Grimm is a diligent, honest, and hardworking officer. She wants justice, no matter who is involved. When she and Mace find themselves with a mystery on their hands, Kippy knows that she'll have to ensure everyone survives.

Their city is under attack and when those around them can't be trusted, Mace and Kippy, along with the dogs, know they can only survive if they trust each other. You'll be cheering them on, frustrated with the bad guys, and fall more and more in love with Mace's pack of furry friends.

I really enjoyed this mystery. It was somewhat predictable, but I didn't think it was annoyingly so. I can't wait for more from this group.