Let me begin this review by saying that you do NOT have to have read the first book in this series in order to make sense of this one. While it appears that there are some things from the first story mentioned in this one, it isn't enough for readers to not understand this novel.

That being said, this story was non-stop drama and action almost from the get-go. I found it interesting the different ways the killer used to achieve the same goal (different ways of suffocation). There were also little snippets of historical facts placed at the beginning of each chapter that I really enjoyed. It wasn't overbearing, but enough to kind of give a hint as to how that particular chapter was going to go.

I do have to admit the fact that Meg's sister Cara is super skilled at puzzles and Cara's boyfriend is a fount of knowledge about the civil war was a little too convenient, the overall writing was enough that I was able to overlook those small things.

There were times when I wondered if Meg and her team (or lack thereof in same cases) would be enough to save a life, but in the end the story did not disappoint. I would read more from this author.

Overall, I am sure this story may appeal to those who enjoy a good thriller novel.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Eeeek! You have to love a book that features a gorgeous Labrador as one of it’s main characters! My thanks to Jen J Danna and Netgalley for providing me with a widget to download and read the second book in this awesome series!! Lone Wolf is the first book in this series and you can read my review HERE

The book starts in Arlington, Virginia and we are faced with fear, threats, the past, revenge, trust and the search for justice.

I was immediately pulled into the pages of this book from the get go – an emotive prologue and a #killerhook had me wanting more! more! more! My nerves were on end with this cat & mouse chase where the protagonist is at a loss of who she can trust. I loved the story-line and for me it felt like it had a personal touch and I wondered how much the author(s) injected a bit of themselves into this story.

YAY for Meg and Hawk! They are back with a bang and I have to say, I ADORE this pair! Despite Hawk being a gorgeous Labrador, the mutual respect, companionship and trust between this pair just oozes off the pages! And I loved when Meg used the command “Talon” to let Hawk know she meant business. Meg is a great character, determined, not afraid to break the rules but protective of those she loves. We see a more vulnerable side to her in this book – I won’t say why, but you’ll find out almost immediately. Her human-side outweighs her professional as she is determined to catch a killer. BRILLIANT!

We also see a little more of Cara, Meg’s sister, in this book and as much as they are alike – there are also alot of differences between these sisters. Cara is extremely clever when it comes to analysis and puzzle and it is this skill that has her pulled into this clverly plotted investigation. McCord, the journalist is back again and also helps the sister’s unravel the clues. Love him and I was pleased to see the direction his personal life was taking…won’t say anymore on that either! 😉

Todd Webb, a firefighter and Meg’s boyfriend also played a stronger role in this book. We had only been introduced to him at the end of Lone Wolf and I liked what I read back then. This time we see his protective nature on high alert but also his respect for Meg and her profession!

I loved the team Meg works with and so many of the other characters – I wish I could talk about them all. I do want to mention the killer, though. This is personal and the author feeds us bits of the clues alongside those Meg, her team and others are getting. Her past is coming back to haunt her and this killer is making it very clear that they mean business! Cunning and clever, we wait on tenterhooks to see what their next move will be!

Wow! Wow! Wow! Do I recommend this book? Hell-to-the-yeah, I do! I am absolutely LOVING this series; clever plots; interesting characters; twisted killers and suspense throughout – and Hawk! Well you #GottaLoveHawk ❤️

Before It’s Too Late by sara Driscoll
FBI K-9 #2

Meg and Hawk are a great human/K-9 team and it was wonderful catching up with them again. I don’t know if I could do the work Meg and her fellow K-9 handlers do for the FBI but I admire them and others like them heartily!

This book is as filled with suspense and danger as the first one was but instead of a maker of bombs to be caught there is a serial killer that must be stopped. With each victim a doppelganger of Meg and her name mentioned on each of the notes retrieved from the sites women disappear from Meg sees there must be some personal vendetta behind what is happening BUT who hates her enough to do what is being done? Each time a woman is taken there is a time limit set for the team to find her before she dies. Each time a woman is taken the stakes are increased and the time limit for the team to find and save the victim from death increasingly crucial. Rooting for Meg, Hawk and the team working on the case is a given. The intensity of each search is agonizing and tiring. The Confederate facts at the beginning of each chapter are essential, educational and pertinent to the story. The input from Meg’s sister, journalist McCord and Fireman Webb is indispensable.

I enjoyed this book as much as the first and look forward to what is coming next. Romance is not a big part of this story but it is lurking in the wings and I look forward to finding out what will be happening in this arena for Meg, her sister and some of the others in the book. The dogs are a delight and so very talented…just as are their handlers.

What can I say except – if you like dogs, K-9 stories, action, suspense, puzzles and more then you will enjoy this book…at least I did. As for everything in the book being totally realistic? Perhaps not BUT it definitely does not detract from the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

Oh…perhaps I should also say that though my eyelids were closing and my body fatigued I could not put this book down till I finished it in the wee hours of this morning.

5 Stars

Before it Is too Lake is a very well written suspense. The plot pulled me in immediately and has so many twists and turns that kept me guessing. If you enjoy that edge of your seat type of suspense I recommend this book.

Before It's Too Late is a fast paced crime thriller that kept me breathless until the very end. I'm not always a fan of police procedurals, but I loved this book and will read future books in the series.

Megan Jennings and her dog Hawk are part of the FBI K-9 unit in Washington D.C. A woman disappears and her dog is found is found with a note attached to it's collar. The note is addressed to Meg directly and is a puzzle to be solved that will lead her to the woman's body. The first time Meg gets a note, they get to there just a few minutes too late. Then another dog with a note appears and the unit realizes they're dealing with a serial killer who is preying on victims who look like Meg.

Meg's sister Cara is a puzzle solver, and she realizes that all the clues have something in common. Then a reporter friend gets involved, and he sees that all the clues are related to the Civil War. The clues keep coming, and the challenges get harder and more personal for Meg and her dog Hawk. Meg is determined to beat the killer before he gets to her.

The writing is solid and the plot is compelling. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In this powerful K-9 crime thriller, FBI Special Agent Meg Jennings and her trusted search-and-rescue Labrador, Hawk, must race against the clock before a diabolical killer strikes again…
Somewhere in the Washington, D.C., area, a woman lies helpless in a box. Beneath the earth. Barely breathing. Buried alive. In Quantico, the FBI receives a coded message from the woman’s abductor. He wants to play a game with them: decipher the clues, find the grave, save the girl. The FBI’s top cryptanalysts crack the code, and Special Agent Meg Jennings and her K-9 partner, Hawk, scramble to follow a trail of false leads to the scene of the crime. By the time they solve the puzzle, it’s too late. But the killer’s game is far from over . . .
Soon another message arrives. Another victim is taken, and the deadly pattern is repeated—again and again. Each kidnapping triggers another desperate race against time, each with the possibility of another senseless death. That’s when Meg decides to try something drastic. Break the Bureau’s protocol. Bring in her brilliant sister, Cara, a genius at word games, to decipher the kidnapper’s twisted clues. Meg knows she’s risking her career to do it, but she’s determined not to let one more person die under her and Hawk’s watch. If the plan fails, it could bite them in the end. And if it leads to the killer, it could bury them forever . . .
This is the 2nd in a series of books, but definitely can be read as a stand alone. I haven't read the first in the series but I will get it soon.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I've not read one where some of the main characters are dogs before ...

There are quite a few twists and turns in this book and it goes along at a nice pace. Frantic at times when the FBI are searching for the victims and a satisfying ending. 4.5*

The second in the Meg Jenkins series and equally as good as Lone Wolf. I love these detective books where there is a dog! This was well researched and fast paced, the kidnappings just kept on coming. Good solid characters and well written. I would recommend this book to lovers of canines and crime fiction. Thank you Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads.

Enjoyable and fast-paced thriller. Dogs, the Civil War and a hint of romance all add to this interesting story. Office/co-worker angst and relationships are also addressed. I look forward to reading the next one in this exciting series. Actually, I should go back to read the first one. Definitely not required to enjoy this one, but I am eager for more.

Great follow-up to first book in series LONE WOLF

I enjoy books about rescue dogs, service dogs, K-9 units, Search and Rescue operations, or just plainly books, like WHITE FANG or NOP'S TRIALS.

This book is the second in a series with FBI Special Agent Meg Jennings and her dog, Hawk - both part of the FBI Forensic K-9 Unit.

In this offering, a killer's targeting young women who look like Jennings. The killer sends a coded message to Meg c/o the FBI and draws her and Hawk plus the other K-9 Unit members into a sick, twisted game to find young women he's abducted, armed with coded clues and hopefully before they suffocate to death.

Meg and Hawk are a great working team and the author (who is actually two women writing under a pseudonym) keeps the action moving quickly with puzzles, unusual methods of murder, interesting facts about the Civil War, and a gutsy heroine.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it highly. It can be read as a standalone but if you can, read LONE WOLF first because it's a darn good book too.

I received this book from Kensington Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I saw this book on NetGalley and decided to read it when I saw that the setting is DC and involves a K-9 SAR handler with the FBI. I have not read any other books by the author but I hope to read more. I am so glad that I read this one! This is an action packed story that hits the ground running and doesn't stop until the end.
When the call comes in for a missing woman, the FBI team of four along with their dogs meet to get the information on the case before heading out. The missing woman's dog was found with a note on his collar for Meg Jennings, one of the team members. But the message was in a code that had to be decoded by a special team at the FBI headquarters in order to find out where they needed to go. This took time and they were too late. It quickly becomes apparent that the attack is personally directed at Meg when the victim is found to look like Meg. This starts a pattern that keeps going with women disappearing with their dogs left behind with a coded message, always with a short time to get to the scene. The messages are not only coded but are in the form of clues that have to be solved and each location seems to be geared to the missing woman.
This is a great mystery where the team has no clue who the antagonist is or what his motivation is. I certainly had no idea. But for some reason, Meg is someone he or she is trying to get to through the victims. Each location is tied in some form to the Civil War and the author gives a great deal of history about the locations and interesting tidbits about the war. This is a fascinating read that kept me reading as quickly as I could.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved catching up with Meg and Hawk. A great plot, excellent twists and turns and good characterisation made this such an engaging read. I couldn't put it down from beginning to end. I got drawn into the story and completely immersed in the action. Highly recommended!

Meg Jennings is the focus of a psychotic killer. Clues addressed to Meg at the FBI CRRU involve code breaking, and solving a puzzle linked to each victim with sites tied to the Civil War. Deciphering takes time and racing to save the victim before air runs out puts everyone to the test as Hawk leads the way in the rescue.

Great information on Civil War battle sites in DC, Virginia & Maryland.

This book is a well written mystery with high tension situations that come quickly, one after another. Book 2 in the FBI K-9 series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

When I first requested this book, I wasn't sure it was my cup of tea. Sure, I like crime, but nice, soft,predictable cozy mystery not thrillers. But there was a DOG, and it says FBI K-9 as the series title, so I was sold on that point. But could I handle the darker side to fictional crime? Hell yes!

Instantly I was sucked into the violent and unrelenting world of K-9 crime fighting. Although I hadn't read the first book, I don't think you really need to in order to understand this one, as well as the eventual motivations of the killer they are tracking. It's heart pumping excitement the entire time; will they save the victims before they succumb to the twisted killer's plans?

The writing matches the plot, it's solid and frenzied at times. There's no dancing around, it's just get into the story and find out what happens, and I appreciate that. I loved how each chapter gave you a snippet of Civil War history that was a prelude to what was going to happen next, if only you worked out the clues.

The character dynamics were excellent too; Meg isn't alone in being a great character as she's backed up by an excellent team too. Her friendships, relationship and rapport with Hawk the dog build this into an even more fantastic novel.

I definitely want to read book one now, as well as see the third book printed. I guess because this is outside the box for my normal reading pattern that it stands out as one of my favorite reads of the year. Five stars, really enjoyed this one!

This is a second in a series about FBI Special Agent Meg Jennings and her K-9 Hawk. Megan and her canine unit members are always prepared to solve crimes in the Washington DC area. This time a coded message indicates that a woman is buried alive somewhere in the area. The race is on. Will they get there in time to save her? Were the cryptic clues deciphered correctly or are they on a wild goose chase the wrong location? When they arrive too late, the team and especially Megan are crushed. But then another cryptic message arrives when another woman has gone missing. They are up against a serial murderer with a unique agenda.

Helping Megan puzzle out the clues are her sister, a word game buff and a reporter, a Civil War enthusiast. For them to assist her Megan has to break FBI secrecy but the stakes are so high, Megan believes the risk to her job is worth it.

In spite of the non-stop action, I did not find Megan or the book compelling. The dialog between characters was not all that differentiated, especially between the reporter and Megan’s boyfriend; and the myriad members of her team. Megan’s “luck” in having her savvy sister and the dogmatic reporter find clues quicker than the experts seemed over-the-top coincidental. The resolution of who-done-it did not seem to warrant all the prior mayhem. Most likely this book will appeal to those who want to read about canine assisted crime fighters.

Meg and Hawk are on another case and this one is close to home. The victims all resemble Meg.
Goodreads

Books with dogs on the cover always draw my attention, but often I'm disappointed in the story. Not this one! I really liked this fast-paced, clever story. I didn't realize this was a sequel, but it reads perfectly well as a stand-alone. I will however go back and read book #1 in this series. I enjoyed it.

Whirlwind of a ride that leaves you holding your breathe in suspense!
This is the kind of book that you won't be able to put down till the very last page! Even then you'll want more! I haven't read the first book in the series, but you can bet that I will be adding it to my list of books to read.
Meg is sent encrypted riddles to solve in order to find a slew of victims that are eerily similar in appearance to her. Meg and the other members of the Scent Detection unit, including their K-9 partners, race against time to do just that.

This was the second book I've read by Sara Driscoll and although I enjoyed this second book I preferred the first. I can't even say why, the same characters were there, including the fabulous Hawk. These characters were expanded on, we learned more of Meg and Hawks life story and got to know Meg's working and family members better, there is even a little love interest starting. The storyline was intriguing and moved well, in fact more interesting than book one, so all the ingredients were there to make book two superior but i didn't find that to be the case. It is not a bad read, it's just not a great read. I would probably read the next book because I am intrigued enough to know where the characters go but I have to say I was a little disappointed with this book

This is the second in the Meg Jenkins and Hawk series. The FBI is receiving clues from a serial killer. The clues, written in code, are addressed to Meg and in each case refer to an abducted woman who bears a striking resemblance to Meg. In each case it's a race against time to see if the woman can be found before she's dead.

This book moves at a fast pace. I read and enjoyed the first book, but I don't feel it's necessary to have read it before starting this one. Driscoll’s writing is nothing fancy, just straight forward stories with good characters. As before, her ability to capture the relationship between Meg and Hawk is a key ingredient. Like all my favorite mystery series, Driscoll adds layers to each member of the team. Here, she focuses on the non-FBI characters who play a crucial role.

This book is very well researched. Driscoll had to do a fair amount of work to discover all the Civil War details. As with the first book, Driscoll gives a definition at the start of each chapter. This time, it's all Civil War facts. Now, a lot of times I get annoyed and tend to gloss over those little quotes or whatever that start a chapter. Do not! These are well chosen, tied directly to the action to come and always interesting. I was impressed.

I liked book one but found this one to be much more engrossing. She's got me hooked and I'm waiting for book three.

I was interested to learn that Driscoll is actually a pseudonym for two writers. You'd never know it, the writing is seamless.

My thanks to netgalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of this book.

I loved how this book combined civil war history with modern day suspense. I actually learned stuff from the book