Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Deadly Revenge by Kathleen Donnelly Series: National Forest K-9 #5
Published by Carina Press, Harlequin on July 28, 2026
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 381
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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There’s nothing more terrifying than a trail of smoke over a summer-dry national forest—at least, that’s what Forest Service law enforcement officer Maya Thompson thinks when she and her boyfriend, sheriff’s deputy Josh Colten, spot the first signs of a fire over the Colorado mountains.
But when she learns that a teen girl has been kidnapped and taken deep into the wilderness, a new fear grips If she and her K-9 partner, Juniper, can’t reach them fast enough, the fire might not just destroy her beloved forest—it might be the end to an innocent girl’s life.
As with Buried Lies, I inhaled the next book, Deadly Revenge, in one sitting. The earlier books in the National Forest K-9 series were good but these last two were really good. Throughout we have been with the point of view of Maya, a forest service ranger. Her grandfather is sheriff and her fiancé, Josh is his deputy. Maya has a K-9 Juniper, and Josh has just finished training with Finn.
Some of the themes from the last book are expanded here. The dirty cop Abigail, arrested in the last book, is scheming her revenge for Maya and her father, Eric. Just as a big forest fire is raging in the area, a teen girl seems to have gone missing.
The pacing is quick and exciting. There are numerous plot lines with the forest fire, the missing teen, learning more about her father and half siblings, her relationship with Josh and the new cabin they are building, and an escaped convict dirty cop out for revenge. Juniper and Finn really play key roles and are involved throughout which is something I always prefer.
Maya is happy to work with the CBI agent Kessler but she doesn’t trust the others on his team or the guy her half sibling brought along, or even the teen’s father. Somehow Abigail has been a step ahead of them after her escape. It’s believed she has teamed up with someone else from law enforcement. So the tension of not being able to trust many of those involved and supposed to help is intense.
I can really recommend these romantic suspense thrillers with K-9 characters and layered plots. I would read them in order.
About Kathleen Donnelly
Award-winning author Kathleen Donnelly is a K-9 handler for a private narcotics dog detection company. She enjoys using her K-9 experience to craft realism into her fictional stories. Kathleen lives near the Colorado foothills with her husband and her four-legged co-workers.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 26-COYER
This is definitely a series I’d love to read. I’m glad you loved it. Plus I want to meet Juniper😁
Thanks Tammy. Juniper and Finn now. The series has improved for me as it goes along.
That scheming dirty ex- cop would definitely up the ante. I too, love it when the working dog is prominent throughout the story.
yes the working dog characters are often my favorite.
This sounds like a series I’d really enjoy. Thanks for the great review!
Thanks. This series just keeps getting better as it continues for me.
I think I’d enjoy this series and I just looked it up and it’s available on my Hoopla. I need to catch up with our read-along books first.
Interesting. I haven’t listened to the audio as I started reading the series as I was offered an ARC from the author. The first books are a little wild but they settle in as they go along. All of them have plenty of action though.
Yay for books that you devour in one sitting! Especially if you have time to do it. Glad you are really enjoying these. Great review!
They’ve gotten better with each book.