I love a dog book. This is about a dog trainer who is just a regular easy-going guy. guy. He specializes in cadaver dogs and is used by the police department. He comes to the attention of a serial killer
I thought the writing was very good and the story fast paced, and action paced. There is very little downtime in this book. I liked that the characters were regular people.
I was surprised who the killer was. I enjoyed the story and wish there had been more scenes the dogs.

I am looking forward to the next book featuring Mace, Vera and the rest of the dogs.

I loved this story, first in a new series. Mace Reid is a dog trainer, specializing in human remains detection. His dogs are his family, and he has just added a new member, Elvira, who turns out to be fantastic at the work. Officer Kippy Gimm contacts Mace to help find the most recent victim of a serial killer, and he takes Vira to see how she does. Amazingly, not only does she find the body, she grabs a man watching the scene! Turns out he is involved, and the mystery begins. Taut thriller, great dogs and a series I will follow!

Mason Reid made my day with the tales about his exploits with his dogs. It's probably more accurate to say that the author, Jeffrey B. Burton made my day, but I was reading about Mason and his lovely dogs, mainly Vera. For me, the dogs were the special ingredient to make this novel enjoyable. Murder mysteries are common, but when a cadaver dog comes along to solve it, I bark.
There were a few points where things slowed down, mainly because police work itself gets quite tedious. But overall, this murder mystery is doggone good!
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Mace, Sue, Kippy, and the fierce but loyal Vira make for an action packed book. A guy and his dogs that are trained to search for human cadavers become the target for a serial killer, with some pretty violent scenes along the way. Thankfully there is some humor courtesy of Mace’s inner dialogue.

Thanks NetGalley and St Martins Press for the arc.

This is a hard-core suspense mystery with a lot of tension—and bodies. And one amazing golden retriever. Vira was absolutely the best character in this book. The others are pretty good too, but Vira took my heart—and I’m a cat person! Reid is a dog whisperer who trains dogs for a variety of duties, including finding cadavers. Some of the facts the author added to the story about dogs and their sense of smell are rather interesting and added to the book.

What I liked: Vira. Hands down, she is the main character and so interesting.

What I didn’t like: I received this book thinking it was a light murder mystery. I was very wrong. It’s bloody, gory, intense…with some lighter moments, but is definitely not a light mystery. It is not my kind of book at all… But, that being said, it is well-written with good characters, high suspense, and a satisfying ending. It’s not a bad book – it’s just not *my* kind of book.

Recommendation: This is the first in a series and if you like dogs and intense murder mysteries, you’ll probably enjoy this one. Will I ever read another book in this series? No. But…if you like suspenseful thrillers and a bit of intensity, then pick this one up.

This book was provided to me by the publisher.

The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton is exceptional. It is a very well done mystery with gripping action and psychological suspense and yet one of the primary characters is one of man’s friendliest best friend’s. Don’t let the golden retriever fool you, though, there is some fierce action in this book and both Vera (the golden) and Mason (her handler) are intelligent engaging characters that I look forward to seeing again.

Mason “Mace” Reid is an easy-going dog trainer who lives near Chicago. He specializes in training dogs to detect humane remains. With three dogs of his own, he is often called upon by the local police departments to help with search and recoveries.

While still mourning the death of his spaniel and the death of his marriage, he become the owner of a Golden Retriever pup he names Elvira. Nicknamed Vira, it soon becomes apparent that this is a dog that has extraordinary intelligence and instincts. In short order, Mace and Vira are drawn into a murder case that will threaten both of their lives.

The Finders is the first book in a new series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mace is an appealing character, his interactions with both dogs and people are entertaining, the subtle humor is excellent, and the plot is well-conceived. I’m a sucker for any mystery that portrays a dog on its cover. So, of course, I took a chance on a book by an author I had never read. Now, I’m so glad I did and I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

First, I am sucker for animal related books, so one about a cadaver dog immediately interested me. And I loved all the dog scenes in the book, especially the ones with Vira, who might even developed extra sensitivity and talent from her abuse as a puppy. However, the creepy serial killer didn't hold my interest. Overall it's a good read for dog lovers, but a only qualified recommendation for other readers. I'm rounding up from 3 and 1/2 stars because I enjoyed the parts about the dogs so much.

Oh My! Only a cold fish won't love this book. Dished up with warmth, humor and a compelling narrative laced with unexpected twists, Burton hits a home run with this first entry into a series featuring trainer Mason (Mace) Reid and the real stars ... the canines. The biggest star is a golden retriever pup ... later named "Vira". The puppy is discovered on a bed of discarded rags, lifeless, in a garage occupied by a running car and infused with carbon monoxide. Officer, patrol woman, Kippy Grimm discovers the abusive owner overcome and dead from the fumes in the adjacent kitchen, and then notices a glimmer of movement in the puppy. Eventually the pup is turned over to the care of dog trainer Mace Reid. Mace not only trains dogs for obedience and sometimes to detect drugs and explosives, but primarily for detection of human remains (HRD) - often referred to as "cadaver dogs."
With humor and the "pulling of heart strings" Mace Reid and his "family" of canines are introduced .... the alpha male "Sue" (thanks to the Johnny Cash song) a German Shepherd and the two female collies are presented ... each with their own unique personalities, and skill-set and all devoted to their "father" / trainer Mace . Later the golden retriever puppy, "Vira" joins the family and proves to be the actual star of the book. Mace feels that she is "the smartest and most intuitive" dog he has ever trained ....."Vira is off the charts ... she's a freakin' genius."
Mace and his crew are enlisted by the Chicago Police to aid in an ongoing investigation of the "Velvet Choker Killer" who is targeting young women passing through the Chicago area. Some of the chapters provide insite into the psyche of this emotionally blunted sociopath ... fear and love are meaningless ... his most useful sensation is the adrenaline rush he receives with each kill. He proves to be a quite capable and despicable villain.
Burton weaves a compelling, inventive and suspenseful narrative with unexpected twists culminating in a thrilling denouement. Multidimensional characters with complex motivations compliment the propulsive prose that leads to an entertaining and enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sara Beth Haring from St Martin's Press for providing an electronic uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review. I sincerely look forward to. further tales of Mace Reid and his crew.
#The Finders Book. ( from readersremains.com)

If you enjoy cozy canine mysteries, you'll like Jeffrey B. Burton's "The Finders", first in the Mace Reid K-9 series.

Its talented doggy heroine, golden retriever pup Elvira, is adopted by Mason 'Mace' Reid, and works with him abd his other cadaver dogs in human remains detection in the Chicago area.

In this first episode, they track down a serial killer, alongside Chicago Police Officer Kippy Gimm, as Kippy and Mace discover how much they have in common.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this fantastic book

who doesnt like k9 books and this one is spookily good....

when the police are called to a domestic they find to their horror a house filled with carbon dioxide from a car...the owner is dead in the kitchen as the smoke had entered the house but to the horror of the police as they went to switch the engine off in the corner is a puppy....left for dead...

mace reid calling it to train dogs to find cadavers but he has been known to train dogs to find missing people as well...

mace takes on vira and the adventures sure start early with this pair

this story kept me captivated from the very beginning and can only hope that there are more adventures to be had with mace and vira

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

Overall I really liked this novel about dog trainer Mace Reid and his canine crew. The story lagged a bit in the middle, but picked up speed in the end. I look forward to reading more in this series and hope that Kippy and Mace share more than their love for Vira, the amazing Golden and true star of the novel. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my unbiased review.

The first in a new series. A quick read to catch a killer who wants the Dog Man dead. Absolutely loved the dog part in this book. Not a normal genre for me but anything with a dog will always pull me in. Enjoyed the read. Thanks to Netgalley and the offer from the Publisher for the ARC

This book was intriguing from the start. The main character is a dog trainer and also consults with the police at times with his own dogs. Assisting on one case leads to so much more. With a puppy back from the brinks of death, this book keeps you guessing at every turn. Can't wait for more in the serious and get to know Vira , Kippy, and Reid more!

As an avid reader, and a dog lover, I was thrilled to learn a new series was being launched by Jeffrey Burton. And, in a twist, this series would feature cadaver dogs. The book is divided into four parts. The first part, understandably, serves to introduce us to the cast of characters (good guys and bad guys). However, it's in the second part that the book really takes off. The characters find their voices and the plot races forward to a great showdown. Burton's villain is sufficiently clever and despicable. The chapters from his point-of-view are among the best. You'll find yourself warming to the characters in this book (human and canine) and looking forward to their next adventure. Thank you to Sara Beth Haring, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for my advanced reading copy of #TheFindersBook.

First few chapters were total tear jerkers and I debated continuing, but once past them the story was well written. The identity of the antagonist was hidden until the end of the book and was a total surprise. Well written characters, looking forward to reading more in the future.

I just wanted to hug this book and read it again! A golden retriever is rescued as a puppy. Puppy is placed with Mason Reid who trains dogs and cadaver dogs. But this dog, Elvira, called Vira for short, is very different. You have to read this to find out. It is beautifully written and I just loved all the dogs. They each had a distinct personality and Mason had a very close affinity with each one. There was humour and I laughed many times. There certainly was a twist towards the end which I never expected. And it looks like maybe there was a start of a romance. I was delighted to learn this was just the first book in a series. I cannot wait for the next one!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a first rate murder mystery. The inclusion of interesting working dogs makes it a step above first rate in my opinion. A sweet golden retriever puppy, through no fault of her own, wound up in Animal Control. Mason Reid, a dedicated dog trainer, did an assessment of this totally shut down pup and knew he could work with her. Ten months later she is a promising cadaver dog and becomes a part of Mason's team of dogs who search for human remains. A cunning serial killer gives Mason's dogs a chance to shine.

The story is fast paced and held my interest from beginning to end. The characters are well developed and believable. I specially liked Mason whose sense of humor makes him a likable protagonist. I look forward to reading what comes next in this series.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from St Martin's Press through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#TheFinders #NetGalley

Fascinating book about a "genius" cadaver dog. The story seemed a little jumbled to me at first but once it got going. WOW! It was funny, tightly written, and kept me thoroughly mesmerized.

Really enjoyed this novel. Mace and his canine buddies are well worth the read. When he brings home a shelter puppy with seemingly paranormal abilities, the plot thickens. His relationship with Kippy is icing on the cake. Prepare to enjoy