Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Series: Timber Creek K9 Mystery
on November 12, 2019
Genres: Mystery
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple




Two brutal murders, a menacing band of poachers, and a fearsome creature on the loose in the mountains plunge Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo into a sinister vortex.
An explosion outside a community dance sends Mattie Cobb and Cole Walker reeling into the night, where they discover a burning van and beside it the body of outfitter Nate Fletcher. But the explosion didn't kill Nate--it was two gunshots to the heart.
The investigation leads them to the home of rancher Doyle Redman, whose daughter is Nate's widow, and the object of one of their suspect's affection. But before they can make an arrest, they receive an emergency call from a man who's been shot in the mountains. Mattie and Robo rush to the scene, only to be confronted by the ominous growl of a wild predator.
As new players emerge on the scene, Mattie begins to understand the true danger that's enveloping Timber Creek. They journey into the cold, misty mountains to track the animal--but discover something even more deadly in Tracking Game, the fifth installment in Margaret Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 mysteries.
I found this Timber Creek K-9 series when I was looking at K9 series for the Series on Saturday meme. I started by reading the first book and liked it so much I went right on reading and then requested Tracking Game.
Mattie is part of a law enforcement team in a smallish town in Colorado. Robo, her K9 partner, is trained in scent tracking and detection, so he can handle tracking the lost in search and rescue, as well as hunting the bad guy. They also do sweeps for drugs, explosives and other contraband. I really enjoy the actual working with the K9 parts of the story.
There is murder to solve and the evidence is either lacking or doesn’t make sense. But Stella and Mattie, along with Brody and the rest of the team, keep working for information. Mattie and Robo were in a few tight spots out in the wild. I love a good mystery and eventually it is solved.
There are also the personal aspects of Mattie’s life and the relationship she is building with Cole, the veterinarian. His daughters and sister, and parents are more pieces in the picture. It’s great to see Mattie’s progress in having a real relationship and the wonderful parenting Cole does.
I would read this series in order because of the world-building and relationships, and Mattie’s self development. The books are so enjoyable; it won’t be difficult. I’m ready for more.
- 🎧 Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @kelleyarmstrong.bsky.social #TheresePlummer @macmillanaudio.bsky.social @MinotaurBooks @stmartinspress.bsky.social @MacmillanAudio#LoveAudiobooks - February 18, 2025
- Sunday Post – 16 February 2025 @caffeinatedreviewer.com @kimbacaffeinate @readingreality - February 16, 2025
- 🎧 Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis @stephanieburgis @stephanieburgis.bsky.social #AmandaLeighCobb@torbooks @torbooks.bsky.social @BrambleRomance @MacmillanAudio @macmillanaudio.bsky.social #LoveAudiobooks - February 15, 2025
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Releases
Definitely looking into this one as K-9 stories are my catnip! Wonderful review, Anne?
Thank you! This is at the top of the list with K9 stories I think. OK I also really like the Ruggle and O’Fallon ones too.
I’m so glad you’re liking this series, Anne. This is one of my favorite series and I missed that this was coming out this month. Thanks for letting me know it came out today. I’ve put it on reserve at the library!
It’s one of my favorite series too. I’m glad I could help you.
i love when i stumble across a book that leads me to the next one…and the next one…this does sound like one i would enjoy too happy reading
This is the 5th book in this K9 series and I’ve loved them all. I hope you enjoy them if you get to read them.
I have a book by this author but I don’t remember if I tried her books.
Well I would definitely read it! I update everything on Goodreads meticulously so I can always check if I’ve read and don’t remember but these are great and I would think you would remember if you had read them.
I discovered this series through an author recommendation – can’t wait to read Tracking Game!
I had it for awhile and couldn’t seem to get to it until recently and it was killing me.
I love books that feature K-9 partners. This definitely sounds like a series that I should check out. Thanks for putting it on my radar!
Definitely! This is one of the very best I found when looking for K9 stories. I read the first 4 and couldn’t wait for this one.
I really enjoyed this one. I read it before reading the others and now I’m going back to start at the beginning of the series.
oh no! I can’t read a series out of order like that – well maybe in contemporary romance but not other genres. Enjoy the rest!
this does look like an exciting series 😀 I bet the training parts are entertaining
It’s really more actual work than any training in this book. But I like the work and skill of the dogs.
[…] Here it is! […]