Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima Series: Timber Creek K9 Mystery #11
Published by Crooked Lane Books on September 8, 2026
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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A routine welfare check becomes a nightmare when Deputy Mattie Walker finds a young mother dead and a hysterical toddler, possibly the only witness to a brutal crime. Before the investigative team can start piecing together what happened, Mattie discovers another criminal act in Timber Creek.
During a traffic stop for speeding, Mattie observes a nervous driver and a teenage passenger frozen with fear. A quick sweep of the car with her K-9 partner, Robo, reveals a dangerous mix of drugs and suspected human trafficking, providing Mattie with grounds to arrest the driver. After she places the teenager in protective custody, the sheriff’s department hands the case over to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
As the team gathers evidence and information, Mattie’s husband, veterinarian Cole Walker, notices suspicious activity during ambulatory calls at dog kennels, indicating yet a third crime lurking in the shadows. What begins as isolated incidents quickly reveals a chilling Organized crime has infiltrated their rural mountain community.
In Fighting Edge, Mattie and Cole with their girls are still adjusting to their new marriage. Angie is struggling with the attacks at the vet clinic and they have scheduled some family counseling. But Mattie goes to do a welfare check and finds a dead young women and a live 2 year old. Then she has a traffic stop where things don’t seem right. She ends up arresting the driver on drug charges. The teen boy they detain for child services.
There’s much to do with talking to the family and friends of the dead woman and finding care the the toddler, Emma. Mattie worries about who will care for her long-term. The co-workers seemed close to the victim, but the ex-boyfriend is a piece of work. Then he ends up dead.
Cole has some new clients. One has him do a visit of a dog he is considering buying for breeding. His kennels are very nice and the dogs are being trained. He and his wife have some teen workers who clean the dog runs and are helping with some planting at their new place.
The seller of the dog is from a town farther away, but their vet calls because he has a family emergency to have Cole do his vaccine trials with the puppies there. Cole isn’t sure since it is sort of a puppy mill, but again everything is clean and well kept. He again sees some teen workers who also look young to not be in school.
The ex-boyfriend tuns up dead and all those teens are likely being trafficked. So things just continue to get more complex. Mattie and Stella do good work on gathering up enough evidence along with the FBI they have called in about the kids. It’s an exciting case as they work to round up the criminals and save the children. Robo does several drug busts, then unexpectedly finds the dead ex-boyfriend, and has a big role in the takedowns.
The Timber Creek K-9 series continues to give me a great working K9 in Robo, the mystery of police investigations and rescue missions, as well as a continuing to develop family life. I hope to read many more!
About Margaret Mizushima
Margaret Mizushima is the author of the award-winning and internationally published Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries. Active within the writing community, Margaret serves on the board for the Rocky Mountain chapter of Mystery Writers of America and was elected the 2019-2020 Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. She lives in Colorado on a small ranch with her veterinarian husband where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals.
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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- Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima @margmizu.bsky.social @crookedlanebooks.bsky.social@margmizu @crookedlanebks - September 5, 2026
- Fury in Death by J.D. Robb #JDRobb @stmartinspress.bsky.social #SpeccyFicChal - September 3, 2026
- 🎧 Believer by Ruthie Knox, Annie Mare @ruthieknox.bsky.social @anniemare.bsky.social #MiaHutchinson-Shaw#BrillianceAudio #7thFloorBooks #LoveAudiobooks #KindleUnlimited🎧 - September 1, 2026
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