This is the third book in this series and it was just as exciting as the first two. Vira and the pack of dogs are as delightful and smart as ever. Mace and Kippy are a great pair both work wise and romantically. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and it flowed smoothly as I read it in one day. There were a couple of unexpected twists and I would have enjoyed more of the dogs but overall it was a great suspense/mystery novel. Strong characters and the inclusion of dogs guarantee you will enjoy this book.

Very enjoyable read. I read the first two books in this series and loved them. The motley crew of dogs along with Mace and Kippy are entertaining and never boring. The twists in this one were well done, and Scarf was a character in her own right. I can't wait for the next book in this series. Well Done!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the e-ARC.
I love this series. This is the third and could definitely be read as a stand-alone, but do yourself a favor and read all of them. They're quick and fun. As a golden retriever dog-mom, I love that Vira is one of the main characters, and the author is either a dog owner himself,, or is aces at research. The "comments" from the dogs are hilarious and on point! I like the pace at which the relationship between Mace and Kimmy is moving. They make a great team. The only problem with reading this series is.....now you have wait for the next one! Well done, Mr. Burton.

Jeffrey B. Burton’s K9 mystery series features a heroic golden retriever cadaver dog named Vira and her handler, Mason Reid. The Lost is the third book in the series, but I was able to read and enjoy it without having read the first two books. A young girl is missing; throw in some Russian mobsters, some stolen jewelry, and a whole pack of working dogs and you’ve got plenty of details to keep your attention.

The Lost is a fun and fast-paced novel, with a lot of dead bodies but no one we care about (and, spoiler: no dead dogs). The series is set in the Chicago area and I liked the local color. Reid’s girlfriend is a smart Chicago Police Department detective. They both occasionally do some stupid things to keep the plot going, but largely due to the heroic dogs, all is never lost. If you enjoy light-hearted mysteries and/or intrepid dogs, you might enjoy this series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com.

I really enjoy these books. I think the dog element makes them unique and Vira's special something makes them even better. As Mace works with the FBI to help solve a home invasion and the kidnapping of a child and her mother he finds that there may be more to this case than meets the eye. This book was a little different than the other books in this series, and I'm not sure I liked it as much but it was still a good read. I love the dog hierarchy in Mace's crew and the quirks of each of the dogs, especially Sue.

While this is the 3rd book in the series, it isn't necessary to read the others, since the author catches you up on what went down in the last books in the beginning on this one. Fast paced, and some humor I think what I wanted more of was the creepy Belgian billionaire, there seemed to be so much more to this character and I feel like we only just tapped the surface. Druckman wasn't nearly as scary or interesting, I actually found him weak and spoiled.

Overall I have a love for Mace and his pack of cadaver dogs. I am fascinated by these animals and these books bring them to life. They are just as much major characters in the books as Mace and Kippy.

Mace Reid lives in trailer along with his pack of dogs who are trained as cadaver dogs. There is Sam, the GSD, who rules the trailer; Dixie and Molly, the farm collies; Bill, the bloodhound puppy, who may or may not be useful at any given moment. And then there Vira, short for Elvira, a golden retriever, who has a sixth sense about dead bodies. Vira is able to communicate with Mace and his girlfriend, police officer Kippy Gimm, when she detects something beyond just the dead body. When Mace and Vira are called to the scene of dead body in Glencoe IL, she "tells" Mace this was a murder, not a natural death. The death of supermodel Calley Kurtz leads to a search for her missing daughter, Eleanor. But as Mace and Kippy investigate, links are found to the Russian mob and more deaths. A fast-paced and entertaining read.

The Lost – Jeffrey B. Burton

Mason Reid, his girlfriend Kippy and his cadaver dog Vira are back with their 3rd must-read adventure!

It’s a beautiful late summer morning in Illinois, as Mace and Vira head to the gated estate of Kenneth Druckman, a wealthy financier, as they’ve been called to assist with the apparent abduction of his wife and daughter. The report is that three male individuals broke into the home in the early AM, assaulted Druckman and kidnapped his wife and daughter, with a demand for ransom money.

Vira, a golden retriever, is one of several dogs Mace has trained, but in addition to her ability to sniff out cadavers, she also has the unique ability to identify a perpetrator’s scent on a scene – and will signal Mace if she senses the killer nearby. It doesn’t take Vira long to discover the body of Druckman’s wife nearby, with an obvious head injury, and heads right back to the house, following the killer’s footsteps. But there is no sign of the couple’s 5-year-old daughter Eleanor.

As the search for young Ellie continues, the story is told in different timelines and from different perspectives – those that orchestrated the events leading to the alleged kidnapping as well as the present time condition of little Ellie, and of the machinations of a gentleman, known only as ‘the Belgium’, who seems untouchable, untraceable and ultimately responsible for everything…

I love Mace and his dogs and while I found this story a bit convoluted at times, with several different facets, it all comes together in another well-orchestrated, satisfying, suspenseful who-dun-it, thanks to our favorite canine, Vira! If you’re a fan of k-9 staring series, this is another great series for you!!

Available from your favorite bookseller on June 28th!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

The Lost by Jeffrey B. Burton is the third book in the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series. Burton has managed to seamlessly combine an amateur sleuth mystery with a police procedural that also highlights relationships between dogs and people as well as showing the dark side of people and how that can affect others.

Mason (Mace) Reid lives outside of Chicago and trains dogs with various end goals such as obedience and missing persons tracking, as well as searching for drugs and explosives. However, his specialty is training dogs in human remains detection (HRD or cadaver dogs). He is often called in to help the Chicago Police Department, local sheriff’s departments, and occasionally, the FBI.
He and his golden retriever Vira are called by Special Agent in Charge Len Squires to Glencoe, Illinois. During a home invasion, billionaire financier Kenneth J. Druckman was assaulted and his wife, former supermodel Calley Kurtz, and his daughter Eleanor were abducted. Vira seems to have an uncanny edge that borders on the paranormal in her ability to locate not just the dead bodies, but also their murderers by latching on to their chemical signature at the murder site. What follows is a terrific mystery with lots of action, twists and turns, a little humor, and some fantastic moments with Mace’s family/pack; his dogs and Chicago homicide detective Kippy Gimm.

Mace is a compelling and well-developed character with flaws that have led to a divorce and a job change. It was great to see some of the secondary characters show up again in this book and gain some depth. Additionally, the canines have been well-developed and their personalities came through as the story progress. They aren’t just an afterthought, but play important roles in the series and have distinctive personalities. It was also great to see the relationship between Mace and Kippy continue to develop.

The writing style is engaging, but also has an intensity to it that kept me turning the pages. The plot was clever, intriguing, creative, and intense. The final twist caught me by surprise. There were aspects that I did not see coming even though there were enough hints that I conceivably could have deciphered it. Like in previous books, the bonds between Mace and his five dogs continue to be a highlight and provide some humor. Themes include murder, abduction, assault, corruption, and relationships. My one quibble with this book is that there were some flashback scenes that interrupted the flow of the story for me. While I recognize why they were included, it still affected my reading experience.

Overall, this was an entertaining and suspenseful novel and a great continuation of the series. I look forward to seeing what is next for Mace and his pack. Additionally, I want to read this author’s FBI Special Agent Drew Cady mystery series starting with The Chessman.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Jeffrey B. Burton provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for June 28, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

I throughly enjoy this series by Jeffrey Burton, and love his style of writing. Combining mystery with dogs is always a winner. I look forward to more installments.

Mason "Mace" Reid and his golden retriever Vira are called to the scene of what seems to be a fairly simple home invasion. But when Vira finds a body, and then puts the murderer in the crosshairs of the police, what seemed simple becomes anything but. Looking for a missing child becomes their ongoing focus, but as clues pile up, and outside factors come into play, Mace and Vira may be in more danger than they expected.

This is a new author for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Looking forward to more from Burton about the amazing Vira.

The Lost is another great mystery in the series starring Mace, the dog trainer and Vira, cadaver dog extraordinaire. When a rich investor calls in an abduction at his home, Mace and Vira are called in to look for the missing. Vira quickly leads the trail to a body and then the scent of the murderer back to the house. In a complicated case involving blackmail, Russian mobsters, and a missing child, Mace, his dogs, and his girlfriend, Detective Kippy Gimm, Mace and Vira are playing catch-up and running short on time. The twists just keep coming as every time things look resolved, another wrench is thrown in the works. Action packed and suspenseful, the story is a page turner. My only complaint would be there’s less Vira and her abilities in play in this novel than previously but still an interesting mystery. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

I have read all the books in the series. The Lost is the third book in the series featuring Mace and his dogs. This one was very good. I enjoyed the interaction with the dogs and the humans. – I loved the writing featuring Vera the “main dog”. This book is different in that it has a good mystery about murder and kidnapping. There was less about the job of Cadaver dog and more about being a good therapy dog.

I enjoyed this installment and recommended it – thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Mason Reid, Kippy Gimm and Reid's rescue dogs are all back for another fun to read and laugh out loud mystery! As I mentioned before in another review of Burton's dog series - his books will remind the reader of David Rosenfelt and Harlan Coben's humor. Thanks for an enjoyable and fun book to read!

The Lost featuring Mace and his cadaver dog Vira was a fun read. I really enjoyed the human – dog interaction, especially Vira and Scarf. More development of the human characters would have made for a better read. I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley and the opinions expressed are my own.

This was my first read from this author. I’m always looking for a good book with dogs. Dogs make everything more fun. Reid the human is a handler for cadaver dogs. There wasn’t as much dog time as I hoped but I did enjoy the story.
Mystery, wicked characters, greed, totally twisted, a smidge of romance and sadness. A mother and young daughter are kidnapped from a wealthy man’s home. Ransom is demanded, but all is not as it seems, when the dog comes to sniff around, the beginning of a twisted sad tale begins.
I didn’t really get the romantic relationship. Maybe because I hadn’t got to know them in previous books ? I found it awkward, it never felt real.
I received a free copy form the publisher for a honest review

The Lost by Jeffrey B. Burton is a fantastic page-turner and new addition in the Mace and Vira cadaver dog series.

I could barely put this book down! It was high suspense and I absolutely loved the bond between Mace and Vira. The characters both human and canine are well developed and interesting. I can't wait for more in the series.

I adore this series! I mean what can be better than a twisty, turny murder mystery? One with Vira the amazing dog. Dogs and murder what a combination. Fast paced with the most amazing characters. A fantastic story line brought to life by a wonderful story teller. This book will make your blood run cold, and when you think you know what is what it twists again and leaves your jaw on the floor.

Another suspenseful, thrilling story and the best part is the detective dogs. I like the way the story start by showing what kind of people we will be dealing with and who the detective dogs will be looking for, it makes the tale more exciting. And boy some of these bad people are just a little scary. It's sad in this tale that the little girl loses both parents and will have to deal with what type of people her parents were in the future.
I really like it when the have the dogs involved in the detective work and that they seem to know who done it. It's to bad they can't arrest someone on their bases.

I want to thank St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this exciting books

The Lost by Jeffrey B. Burton is another in the Mace and Vira cadaver dog series. It was a bit slower than the last one but still a welcome addition to the Search Dog genre. The characters, both human and animal, are well thought out and I look forward to the next story.

This was an ok book with a slow moving plot. The dog wasn’t in the story much as he waited in the car most of the time. Not one of the best in this series
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc