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Baby Protection Mission–kidnapping rescue
Baby Protection Mission
by Laura Scott
Jump right into the action as Cade, owner of the McNeal Four Ranch, arrives at the Elk Valley Park in Wyoming to meet his sister Melissa. He is puzzled by her text request as he has been taking care of her one month old baby Danny while she gets caught up on her sleep. Enter a masked assailant and Cade’s sister desperately screaming for him to protect Danny, followed on the scene by police officer Ashley Hanson and her K-9 partner Ozzy, a black lab.
Ashley is there as part of a larger investigation by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies into a cold case that has been revived when two new murders seem to be similar to the five previous murders. She is a rookie with a lot to prove as her father is a top official in the F.B.I. in D.C. Ashley has good instincts, a kind heart, and excellent rapport with her tracking dog.
The kidnapping of Melissa is confusing because it seems she might not have been the intended victim. Ashley, with help from her team’s support group, investigates the many possible perpetrators and their motives. While she does her job of detecting and protecting, she also tries to help out Cade by doing a little cooking and caring for Danny so he can perform the essentials of feeding the livestock twice a day. As there continue to be more life threatening events, Ashley stays at the ranch and alternates guard duty with Cade. Their physical proximity leads to feelings they know they need to keep a lid on.
Cade is a Christian and he prays with Ashley before every meal, a practice that is not part her life. She appreciates, however, that he gives thanks to God for the food and His protection. He also asks God to protect Ashley and the others involved in the search for his sister as well as for the safety of Melissa and Danny.
I enjoyed this story, especially the efforts of several K-9 officers. Watching them work has encouraged Cade to get another dog when everything settles down. Ashley and Cade each have past issues they need to work through before they act on the attraction they have for each other. The other officers in the story are respectful, hard working, and supportive of each other. Surprisingly, there are none of the power plays between different agencies as is often depicted in the movies. I liked the conclusion of the kidnapping thread in Baby Protection Mission. The wider search for the murderer in the cold case was not resolved, and I assume it is a continuing thread in future books in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Christian, Romance, Suspense, Mystery
Notes: #1 in the Mountain Country K-9 Unit Series, part of Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense (Inspirational Romance)
Publication: March 26, 2024—Harlequin
Memorable Lines:
Like most people, she didn’t realize many ranches were resource rich, meaning plenty of cattle and other livestock, but cash poor.
“Yet there’s no denying there’s just something about a big strong man holding a baby that makes me melt inside.”
He had to admit, a baby was more work than a dog. Well, maybe not more than a puppy.
Striking Range–another winner from Mizushima
Striking Range
by Margaret Mizushima
Striking Range is one of those books that can not be tidily put in a box with a label. It is a police procedural as the reader gets to see law enforcement, federal, state, and local, at work. It is a K-9 mystery, a who-dun-it where Deputy Mattie Cobb shares the limelight with K-9 officer Robo. He is her buddy and she is his handler; they look out for each other. Watching Robo’s skills is fascinating. This book has enough suspenseful action and danger that it is also a thriller.
The plot is quite involved as Mattie is reviving a thirty year old cold case of the murder of her biological father. Was he a dirty cop? There seems to be only one person alive who knows the truth. He is the same evil man who tried to kill Mattie, but in her determination to find justice for her father, she visits him in a Colorado state prison.
Another thread in the plot is the discovery of the body of a young girl. Only the day before, she was pregnant. What happened to the baby? Why would someone kill the baby? How does fentanyl keep tying into this mystery?
Cole, Mattie’s boyfriend, is a veterinarian and is active in the sheriff’s posse. He plays a prominent role in this story, and there are also a number of kids who figure strongly into the plot.
There are many suspects to sort through. Although I had guessed the motive from a number of reasonable possibilities, the identity of the murderer was a surprise. Complications to solving this crime keep adding up and weather conditions in the rural setting don’t help. Author Margaret Mizushima is a talented writer with descriptions that put you at the scene and let you experience the emotions of the characters. This series is my favorite K-9 series. I have happily read all of the published books in the series and am looking forward to the next one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: 1. #6 in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery Series. Although the characters continue from one book to the next, it would be excellent as a standalone as the author includes background information as needed.
2. It has a few instances of swearing, but no sex.
Publication: September 7, 2021—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
Getting the kids ready for school each morning before he hurried off to work was like lining up horses at the gate before a race—everyone wanted to run off in a different direction, and sometimes someone balked at going anywhere.
Narcan reversed the effects of opiates such as fentanyl, one of the street drugs most dangerous to narcotics detection dogs. It saved the lives of dogs, their handlers, and even addicts after accidental exposure or overdose. Nowadays K-9 officers carried two doses, one for their dog and one for themselves.
Always a sporty dresser, he straightened his bow tie, which was lime green with yellow polka dots, a cheerful addition that conflicted with the lines of fatigue on his face.
Hanging Falls–a different sort of community
Hanging Falls
by Margaret Mizushima
Three story threads are woven together to form the foundation for the plot of Hanging Falls:
- Mattie’s reconnection with long lost family members.
- Two separate violent murders near Hanging Falls.
- An unusual community, the Brothers of Salvation, comprised of a few males and many more women and children.
With a predominant theme of family, it is not surprising that a big part of this K-9 mystery focuses on Mattie’s canine partner, Robo, who is like family to her. Also important is her boyfriend Cole, a veterinarian, and his two daughters. Mattie’s sad past colors her relationships as she struggles to lead a normal life and help others as a deputy.
As always with the books in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery Series, the information on Robo’s skills and training is fascinating. Mattie and Robo encounter some dangerous situations. Margaret Mizushima’s Hanging Falls is another page turner in a very good series.
I would like to extend my thanks to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #6 in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone.
Publication: September 8, 2020—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
Their sudden distance had lasted longer than he’d thought it would, and it chafed him like an ill-fitting harness on a workhorse.
Hanging Falls would never be the same to her again. It was like trading a little slice of heaven for a big chunk of hell.
The turgid river roared off to one side, and he hated having it flow downhill at his back, knowing full well that a wall of water could come down the canyon at any moment, sweeping them off the trail into its maelstrom.
education pathways 