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Margaret Mizushima is the author of the Timber Creek K-9 mystery series, which includes Killing Trail (Crooked Lane, 2015) an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award nominee for best first mystery; Stalking Ground (Crooked Lane, 2016) a Colorado Book Award and International Book Award finalist; and Hunting Hour (Crooked Lane, 2017), an RT Book Reviews Top Pick. She has a background in speech pathology and practiced in an acute care hospital before establishing her own rehabilitation agency, which specialized in services for children and adults with developmental delay and acquired neurological disorders. Currently, she balances writing with assisting her husband with their veterinary clinic and Angus cattle herd. She enjoys reading and hiking, and she lives on a small ranch in Colorado where she and her husband raised two daughters and a multitude of animals. She can be found on Facebook/Author Margaret Mizushima, on Twitter @margmizu, and on her website at www.margaretmizushima.com.
Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite
I really enjoyed Stalking Ground. There is mystery, light romance, and a wonderful K-9 dog that makes it hard to stop reading. Adrienne Howard, girlfriend of Deputy Brody, is reported missing. Robo, an amazing German Shepherd K-9 dog, and his human partner, Mattie, lead the forensic team and they soon find Adrienne’s body buried in the snowy mountains. It is necessary for Mattie and Cole to spend the night watching over Adrienne’s grave. Dr. Cole Walker, DVM, is recently divorced and kept busy caring for his animal patients, his two daughters, and helping in the case. Deputy Brody, Sheriff McCoy, and Detective Stella LoSasso all work relentlessly, following clues and interviewing the many possible suspects. No one will rest until the murderer is found and brought to justice.
Margaret Mizushima has written an intriguing mystery with Robo, a K-9 dog, as the hero. I enjoyed learning all of the training and hard work that was necessary to teach Robo and Mattie how to perform so well together. The characters were all believable and the plot was easy to follow. While this is the second book in the Timber Creek K-9 series, it read well as a stand alone. I have not yet read the first book, but found no problems or confusion as to the relationships of the characters or the storyline. I recommend all readers who enjoy animal stories and all mystery fans to read Stalking Ground. There is not much violence, no sex, and therefore its great for young adult readers.
