Review - Killing Trail

Apparently fans of Nevada Barr and C.J. Box will love this explosive debut.  "This suspenseful series kick-off introduces small-town Colorado's best crime-fighting duo, Mattie Cobb and her police dog partner, Robo"  This is a new for me series although it was published several years ago, so lets see how I felt about this debut.

Author: Margaret Mizushima

Copyright: December 2011 (Berkley) 320 pgs

Series: 1st in Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries

Sensuality: clinical death of a teen, drug mules

Mystery Sub-genre: Police Procedural

Main Characters: Officer Mattie Cobb and pollice dog partner, Robo, 

Setting: Modern day, Timber Creek, Colorado

Obtained Through: Library Find

Book Blurb: "When a young girl is found dead in the mountains outside Timber Creek, life-long resident Officer Mattie Cobb and her partner, K-9 police dog Robo, are assigned to the case that has rocked the small Colorado town.

With the help of Cole Walker, local veterinarian and a single father, Mattie and Robo must track down the truth before it claims another victim. But the more Mattie investigates, the more she realizes how many secrets her hometown holds. And the key may be Cole's daughter, who knows more than she's saying.

The murder was just the beginning, and if Mattie isn't careful, she and Robo could be next. Suspenseful and smart, Killing Trail is a gripping read that will have readers clamoring for more Mattie and Robo for years to come. " 

Mattie Cobb comes with wounds having grown up in foster care. Thus she trusts her dog partner, Robo, more than any human. She is the only female deputy, and she also won a cross country endurance test to be Robo's handler. She is all business and doesn't have much of a soft side except towards Robo. She may not be for everyone, but I think she makes an interesting lead.  Robo is a star.  He is well trained, works hard and plays hard, and is loyal to Mattie without question.  

Cole Walker is recently separated and a work-a-holic veterinarian who could be a romantic interest for Mattie. But he needs to grieve before he is ready IMHO.  Detective Stella LoSasso arrives to handle the investigation and becomes a temporary mentor as she works with Mattie.  Sheriff Abraham McCoy is a mountain of a man who sees Mattie's potential and encourages her.  Chief Deputy Brody has never forgiven Mattie for winning the endurance test and being Robo's handler, thus he makes her life difficult at every opportunity.

Mama T is Mattie's foster mom and a great character I want to seem more of in future novels.  And then there is Rainbow, the hippy-raised dispatcher who is the optimist continually trying to make friends with Mattie.

Timber Creek is a smallish town developing a bigger town's drug problems. It sits in the middle of the majestic Rocky Mountains which are well described to place the reader in the splendor. Thus providing the ugly side hiding within the beauty. Well done.

I liked this police procedural more than I usually do the subgenre.  It is well balanced with Robo and the scenes from the Veterinarian's point of view to keep it from being the gritty big city style. The plot shows the struggle to fight the creeping of drugs into the community without being completely jaded. I devoured the book so the pacing kept me glued to the pages.

The climax was a nail biting suspenseful confrontation where Mattie learns to fully trust Robo and he delivers. The killer wasn't entirely a surprise, but wasn't my top choice so, that was well done.  The wrapup sets up for ongoing adventures.

I liked that the romance is a slow burn since both Mattie and Cole have some serious baggage to deal with. I absolutely love Robo and how he is portrayed. Mattie could have been a dark character, but she is evened out with moments of growth and the character has tremendous potential.  I also love that Rainbow and Detective Stella LoSasso are supportive women for Mattie, fantastic touch. 

The opening is my favorite for its humor:

     "Pulling her cruiser up to a stop sign, Mattie stole a quick glance.  Born in Russia, he was a handsome guy: straight black hair, intense brown eyes, and white teeth that flashed when he grinned.  Large and muscular, strong and rugged, he was the only one in the department who could outrun her in cross-country foot race.

     In addition to all that, he could sniff out a missing person.

     He was Timber Creek County's new police service dog, a German shepherd name Robo."

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list 

Review - Stone Cold Dead

This week I am reviewing a debut novel set in my home state of Colorado, in the nosebleed mountainous areas.  Let's see how it does on the setting with a native.

Author: Catherine Dilts

Copyright: Jan 8 2014 (Five Star) 332 pgs

Series: 1st in Rock Shop Mystery series

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy, Amateur Sleuth

Main Characters: Morgan Iverson, a widow stuck with her brother's Rock Shop, Rock of Ages

Setting: Modern day, Golden Springs, Colorado

Obtained Through: Author for honest review


Morgan believes she is visiting her brother for two weeks in the small mountain town of Golden Springs to cover while her brother and wife take a vacation. Upon arriving, she is informed that her brother and wife and not planning to return from their mission trip but rather stay in South America. Morgan finds a run down and failing rock shop thrust upon her. The next morning the two rock shop resident donkeys, Houdini and Adelaide, bust loose and neighbor/employee Del and Morgan go searching to round them up. In the course of the search, Morgan finds the body of a young woman, obviously Goth, with a gargoyle tattoo. The news quickly spreads and the town newspaperman, who dresses as if he were a 1940's reporter, makes Morgan front page news with a hint that she may have seen something important.

Morgan has several incidents that seem to be questionable near-accidents. In the midst of staying alive, Morgan is learning the local politics involved with running the rock shop, joins a church lickety-split, finds the dead girl made accusations against a local pastor, mixes with New Age shop owners, is cleaning and rejuvenating the rock shop, and joins a running club.

Morgan is pleasantly a mature woman having raised two children and recently lost her husband. She is a little out of shape. I liked her good heart and persistance. Delano (Del) Addison is an old cowboy that works in the rock shop and becomes protective of Morgan. There is some potential for this character to develop into a complex element. Bernie is a cafe owner and operator who is fast becoming Morgan's best friend. Kurt Willard, the retro fashion newspaper man turns out to be more than first impressions hinted at. Piers is a suave New Age shop owner who remains a mystery through most of the book. Trevin, the boyfriend of the goth girl, is perhaps my favorite surprise character. Then there is Houdini and Adelaide, the donkeys, who become celebrities in the course of this adventure.

Golden Springs and nearby "big town" Granite Junction in the winter are chillingly portrayed. I got cold reading the blizzard parts. Living in Colorado all of my life, it is a good representation of a small mountain community and I have been in many a rock shop that could have been Rock of Ages.

The story took a little while to really capture my interest, but once it did everything rolled along. The story had a good variety of suspects and some thrilling moments. There is attention given to the town, the rock shop business, and the town's people, which is to be expected in a cozy.

The killer reveal came about in a nicely thought out situation that created plenty of tension. The wrap up was heart warming and left me with a smile.

The mountain setting creates a unique setting for this cozy that provides plenty of interesting characters and a level headed mature heroine that gives this debut a special blend. If you like small town cozy mysteries, this is a special mountain edition for you.


Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list