When Margaret Mizushima and Paula Munier blurb a book, it’s natural to expect a mystery featuring a dog. You’d be right with The Finders, Jeffrey B. Burton’s action-packed series debut. It’s an intense, sometimes graphic, novel about a serial killer. Even better, there’s a likable, aw-shucks hero, and a remarkable dog.
A serial killer, a rookie police officer, and a trainer of cadaver dogs converge, but it’s Vira who is the star of this fast-paced book. Officer Kippy Gimm rescues a golden retriever puppy from death by carbon monoxide poisoning. However, as much as Kippy would like to have the puppy, Mace Reid, a dog trainer, is the one who is given the dog. He’s also the one who discovers Vira’s unique abilities.
Vira has an uncanny ability to find bodies, but then she attacks a man who is in the crowd watching the police at a crime scene. The order is given to put her down, but Mace is desperate to save the young dog. He breaks into the house where Vira’s victim lives. Mace rescues a woman who has been imprisoned there, and saves Vira from her fate. But, he’s attacked while in the house, and his attempted killer dies. It’s then that he unwittingly makes himself a target for a determined killer. It takes several attempts on Mace’s life, and several saves by Vira, before Mace and Kippy realize someone is tracking him. Now the dog trainer is a witness and a participant in the search for a serial killer who has gone unnoticed for years. It’s Vira’s ability to scent a killer that will send Officer Gimm and Mace Reid into a final confrontation.
While The Finders is called “A Mace Reid K9 Mystery”, and Reid is the narrator, Vira, the “K-9” partner, is actually the star of this new series. She has remarkable abilities. Anyone who loves fast-moving mysteries featuring hero dogs will want to try Burton’s latest.
Jeffrey B. Burton’s website is www.jeffreybburton.com
The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton. St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2020. ISBN 9781250244536 (hardcover), 288p.
*****
FTC Full Disclosure – I received the book to review for a journal.
As soon as I saw the cover and read "Golden retriever puppy" I knew I had to send this to my friend Maggie. Sounds entertaining.
That dog was amazing, Jeff.
I am about 1/3 if the way thru it and am loving it. I do put it down a bit when I feel the dog is endangered (any dog, enjoying the other dogs as well as the cover girl)
I'm also reading a Book sent by my Australian friend, Jeff Popple, with a heroic wolfhound. It's art related and if I could remember the title/author, I'd note it.
I'm reading 2 other books that I am enjoying, but pick up the dog books first. I have my priorities set.
You do, Maggie. I'm glad you're loving it, but I certainly understand putting it down when the dogs are endangered.
I have this on my huge library hold list. The library is reopening on July 6th so maybe I’ll start getting some of my holds. Hopefully not all 50 at once.
good luck on the holds, Sandy. In San Diego CA, our library allowed new holds early in June. We are unable to return anything, as they can't figure out a way to sanitize the books. I understand in Australia and someplace else, they hold them for 3 days as that's how long the virus would last, and then put them back in circulation.
We just keep getting them renewed. I have about 12 things to return, some waiting since March.
Lisa: how does your library handle returns?
Maggie,
My library let me return some items last week when I did a curbside pickup. They are holding the returns for 4 days before they check them in. Currently they aren’t taking any more returns and are extending all checked out books into August and September. We aren’t supposed to return anything until the week it’s due. Apparently they have about 100,000 items checked out and obviously can’t handle them all coming back at once.
My library system holds them for 3 days, Maggie, in a "quarantine room". Battelle Institute in Columbus, Ohio, worked with Columbus Metropolitan Library, and they determined that the virus didn't survive 3 days. The materials are checked in after 3 days. We've been doing that for about 6 weeks now.
I put this on my "when the interlibrary loans return" list!
That's a good list, Gram. No hurry.
thanks for the info on returns. Our library hasn't figured that out. I'll have to let them know, but I am amazed they haven't reached out to other libraries.
It's nice having a lot of items out to read/watch/listen, but I feel bad about the ones I've finished that someone else might want.
You're right, Mary. I've been trying to return any books I have when others are on the waiting list.