Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read ARC in exchange for honest feedback.

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton is the second book in a new series. I haven't read the first book but from all the reviews, I gather it is easily as good as The Keepers. Mace, who trains cadaver dogs, and his trusty sidekick, a Golden Retriever with special talents, are the protagonists in this easy to read, hard to put down book. Along with Kippy Gimm of the Chicago police department, the three try to bring down the mafia and corrupt Chicago officials. Mace talks and thinks with a wonderful sense of humor and an ability to make a bit lighter any difficult positions he finds himself in. But he is fleet of foot, loves his "kids" (four cadavre dogs), and bemoans the "just friends' relationship he has with Kippy.

Things happen fast in this book. Everything is related in the end and it's a shorter book that you don't want to end when you finish. It's fun which is an odd thing to say about a book that is full of blood, nasty people, and murders. It's probably the love of dogs (mine and the author's) that makes this book such a genuine surprise for me.
I look forward to #3 in this series.

First I would like to thank net galley for allowing me the opportunity to read this early release in return for an honest review...

This is the 1st book I read by this author and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it…

It was a quick read which I appreciated… I could read it in a few days which I appreciated ...as I have two older special need rescues in my home right now that take a lot of time ...

The book was well written ...had good characters with good development ...allowing you to know a lot about them but without bogging the book down with unneeded detail ... The story picked up quickly.. get right into the action and moved forward at a good pace and everything came together and was resolved well so that nothing was left out ...

As dog lover I would have liked to have had a little bit more development of the dogs backgrounds and personalities so when things came together at the end it would have maybe blended together better, however, this did not detract from the book nor the way it was put together and I am definitely going to look for more by this author? highly recommended!thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Keepers.

I love dogs so I was excited when my request was approved; not to mention I enjoyed the first book in the series and was interested to read about Mace and Vira's next adventure.

Not surprisingly, I enjoyed The Keepers very much; there's plenty of drama, suspense, and excitement.

Mace and his loyal, brilliant canines find themselves embroiled (unwittingly) in a political conspiracy of dire proportions.

Lives are lost, especially dear Wabs, and people and dogs are hurt, but thanks to Mace's cadre of incredible dogs, the good guys save the day.

The returning characters are great, especially Kippy. I was pleased to see the sexual tension between her and Mace is alive and well. She's capable, smart and ambitious and would make a good partner for Mace.

Mace, as always, remain a steadfast and good guy. A bit awkward, a bad liar, but an honest man. And, who wouldn't like a guy who respects and loves dogs as much as he does?

I look forward to the next book in the series.

I’m a sucker for any book with dogs on the cover, this was no exception. I really like Vira and her handler Mace. This book has more twists and turns but as usual the dogs are the heroes in this story. It’s fast paced and the end was great!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for my copy of this book..

4.5 Stars

I love sinking my teeth into a new series. I read The Finders earlier this year, and while it wasn't my favorite, I was a fan of Burton's writing style, and was happy to be approved for the second installment of the Mace Reid K-9 series.

Recovering from the events of Book 1, Mace is focused on training and taking care of his dogs. He's got a solid friendship-maybe-more working with CPD Officer Kippy Gimm, and he's settling into his routine, when a late-night call brings him to Washington Park. What he finds there is more than a body, and soon Mace, Kippy, and the dogs become entangled in a ring of corruption and murder that threatens to bring the city of Chicago to the ground--and put them six feet under.

I really enjoyed this book.

To start, this was a fast-paced yet literary read. I am a sucker for allusions, and I was not disappointed by Burton's references to other illustrious works, a feat that added depth to his characters and their motivations. I wanted a little more in terms of active dialogue (as opposed to explanatory prose), but it was cinematic and riveting in its entirety.

Mace's voice was engaging and dynamic. Where I was a little put off by his behavior in the debut--he often struck me as much older and borderline offensive--I found him to be much more well-rounded and accessible this time around. I appreciated his gritty humor and sarcasm. His conversational tone felt authentic and brought strategic comedic relief to some tense situations. I pictured him more as a Gerard Butler or a Bosch, a little rough around the edges, but lovable, complex, and caring.

I also appreciated his relationship with his dogs. Where animals are often seen as throw-away characters--used more to propel the plot of the protagonist than actual characters in their own right--here, we see them as smart, intuitive, and brave. They're given respect by not only Mace, but by the people he holds closest in life. They talk to them, account for their safety, and I genuinely loved to see that. My dog basically thinks he's a person, and I think any animal-loving reader is really going to relate to this aspect.

His burgeoning relationship with Kippy Gimm and Wabs, too, felt much more successful here. They have a mutual respect, a friendship, and it was nice to see them looking out for each other rather than leaving their feelings surface-deep and abstract.

Overall, The Keepers is an exciting, gripping, gritty crime thriller. I'd recommend for fans of The Wire, Bosch, or anyone who'd love to see cadaver dogs front and center of a suspense.

Big thanks to Minotaur and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

This is the second book of the series but can easily be read as a standalone. Mace Reid cohabitates with 5 dogs, all of whom he’s trained to seek out cadavers or find evidence. His golden retriever Vira is a genius and can smell trace elements in the air that enable her to pick out the killer. Because of this Mace and his dogs are in high demand by law enforcement, especially by police officer and friend Kippy, whom he really likes.
A fast paced intricate murder mystery that once again teams Reid, Kippy, and his talented dogs. The killer is revealed early on in the novel thanks to Vira, but how do they find the proof to convince others who the murderer is without revealing the dog told them, and sounding ridiculous.
I love how Burton writes each dog with their own unique characteristics and clearly shows Reid’s love and protection for them and theirs for him. But I do have a really hard time reading when the dogs became hurt.

I’m looking forward to the third book in this series.

I love a dog lover and author; this author is one of the good ones. The investigator has several dogs, one of whom has a special skill in that she can detect more than a scent of a victim, she can detect the bad guy.
A wonderful skill, but dangerous when the bad guys masquerade as something else.

While there are aspects of the story that strain credulity, this is a nice and active story, moves quickly and the dogs truly are the stars.
It was a pleasure to read and I will look forward to others with this crew.

Viras fluffy little soul just grips me and warms my heart... then terrifies me. I love this series so much. The incorporation of dogs into a suspense and murder story. Yes please! Nothing could be better in my world. This book is very well written with endearing characters that you get attached to. I was sad when I go to the last page because I had to say goodbye to this band of characters till the next book. It was fast paced and suspenseful and outright scary at times. This book needs to go way up there on your must read list.

In his second book about Mace, a cadaver dog trainer, and his star pupil Vera; Jeffrey B Burton creates an interesting look into corruption. Mace and Vera are called to help locate human remains in a local park, and unknowingly they become involved in a high stakes game of their lives. This story has it ALL! Murder for hire, mobsters, crooked politicians, Chicago storyline... and of course, DOGS!

I’m giving this book 3/5 stars. I did feel there was a little drag in a some parts, but it did not distract from the story. I would definitely recommend.

I want to thank the publisher Minotaur Books and NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

This is not some cutesy doggie story. But, a tale of three murders. World renown rocker Jonny Whting's crumpled body with smashed in skull and missing eye lies sprawled on the kitchen floor of his posh condominium. While his famous guitar lies in ruins next to his destroyed and decomposing body. David Siskin, real estate investor from Minneapolis, lies on the floor of the Chicago office of the Investment Group .... his body crushed, almost unrecognizable with compound fractures in all his limbs ... bones hideously protruding through the skin. And, lastly .... Special Prosecutor Peter Feist's neck was not only broken, but his head was facing the wrong direction. All portend ongoing high stakes corruption at the highest level. Linking to the ongoing murder investigations is the presence of Mace Reid and his band of humans remains detection (HRD) dogs. Mace's precious golden retriever, Vira, has savant style skills. Her skill set is heightened by her ability to forensically retain the almost DNA-like scent of perpetrators ... by merely sniffing the corpse.
Jeffrey Burton effortlessly spins a convoluted narrative laced with wit and guile, escalating to a satisfying denouement. Along the ride, a myriad of threads are laid down in tantalizing details to ultimately culminate in a complex web. Burton provides a compelling storyline infused with suspense and aided by characters with complex motivations that leads to an entertaining and enjoyable read, This second book in the series is a much more complete and complex mystery and can certainly be read as a standalone. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for
providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

Keeps the action pulsing with enough intrigue to make it hard to turn the virtual pages fast enough. Thoroughly fleshed-out characters you tend to either like or dislike with enthusiasm. A great bedtime read that'll keep you engaged till the very end. Highly recommended!

*This book was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest review. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to participate in this program.*

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton. Vira and Mace's second book does not have the charm and appeal of the first The pups are not featured as much and when they are they are put into dangerous and life threatening scenarios. The cases have more violence and profanity. There many twists and turns involving murder, political corruption and even the mob.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mace Reid’s dogs are trained in human remains discovery, but his young Golden named Vira (short for Elvira) has a special talent. It seems that she can detect the scent of the killer on the victim. When Mace and Chicago PD officer Kippy Gimm are called to the scene of a body found in a park, Vira reacts wildly to the police commissioner’s entourage when he appears on scene. What is going on?? And just how many are involved in the corruption?

I enjoyed this second story much more than the first. It started off a little slow with too much explanation but things picked up and moved quickly. I loved how the dogs are individuals 😁.

This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I did read The Finders of the Mace Reid K-9 series and was so excited to see that the Jeffrey Burton has continued the series with The Keepers and it's another mystery that will leave you awestruck. Mace, Vira, and Officer Kippy Grimm are at it again but this time it is with a trail that leads to a murder in Washington Park and the results not only leave them at risk but the entire city of Chicago. All will stop at nothing to solve this murder even if it means putting the team and their own lives at risk. I absolutely could not get enough of this book and I can't wait to read the next installment of this series.

We will consider adding this title to our Adult Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

The Keepers was an interesting read when it came to this type of dog training, and the dogs doing their job in the field to sniff out cadavers. But the mystery cases part of the book was hard for me to stay interested in for some reason. I think perhaps maybe a personal thing, that I was actually put off by the main character, and the use of profanities.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is the second book about Mace Reid and his cadaver dogs. I want to thank Net Galley for an advance copy for an honest review. I have read the first one and this one was just as good. Mace is called to a crime scene to help figure out what happened. He has one of dog, Vera that has a nose for the killer. Mace and his dogs get involved with the Mob, corrupt police, and murder. He helps his friend Kippy and her partner, Wabs. The story is well written, lots of action, and kept me reading. This is book can be read as a standalone, but I think I enjoyed it more after reading the first one. I recommend this book and this author

2 stars

I loved the first book in this series and I was so excited for this one to be released. Unfortunately, it is a snoozefest. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen and it never did. So disappointing.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Mason Reid lives near Chicago and uses dogs to detect human remains. Mason is called to a park early one morning. What he finds will open up a can of worms. You don't know who you can trust. This book kept me guessing until the very end.

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton is the second book in The Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series. I absolutely loved the first book, The Finders, so as soon as I saw that the next installment was here, I knew I had to read it. And boy did it live up to my expectations.

After establishing a history and foundation in the first book, this one starts off from the go. As before, we get plenty of suspense, mystery, intrigue, and complex plots to solve right along with Mace, Vira the amazing GR (his prize pupil in his team of search/cadaver canines), and Officer Kippy Gimm, amongst others. I loved the plot twists, the sharp edges, and the conclusion. I especially enjoy reading about the tight bonds of the highly-trained working dogs and their owner/handler. Nothing is more exciting then that.

This book, and series, has everything that a murder/mystery and police procedural book enthusiast could ask for.

This book is a great addition to this awesome series. It just keeps getting better. I cannot wait until I can hang out with the team again!

Excellent. 5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/29/21.

murder-investigation, not-quite-horror, verbal-humor, dogs, law-enforcement, the-mob, corruption, suspense*****

Mace Reid trains and works with cadaver dogs. Neither he nor his family of dogs wear a badge nor police protective gear and they work alongside Chicago PD, not for it. It is not vital to have read the first in series. Here the bodies have been brutally destroyed both before and after death and there is no doubt in the reader's mind about who the murderer is, only about who hired him, but that is also revealed. Far reaching corruption is discovered at the root of it all, but the threats to Mace, his dogs, and the CPD officers he works with are just too scary. Lots of suspense, plot twists, and more. Good work!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
If anyone is interested in a nonfiction view of cadaver dogs try No Stone Unturned: The True Story of the World's Premier Forensic Investigators
by Steve Jackson (print January 1, 2002, audio May 04, 2015)