Member Reviews

I haven't written a proper review for this book yet, so until I'll have time to do that I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I'm a sucker for novels featuring dogs and this one didn't disappoint. I can't wait for more of this series!

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This author is new to me, but I will definitely be looking into more titles by them. The dog on the cover caught my eye from the get go, but then the storyline drew me in and kept me going til the very last page! What a page turner! You will not want to put this down!

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This is a new author for me, and this book is a total page turner. If you love mysteries and you love fur babies and excitement then you are really going to enjoy this book too! Thanks for writing such a wonderful book!

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“The Finders” by Jeffrey B. Burton introduces us to Mason Reid and his impressive cadaver dogs. Vira, the youngest dog of the pack, has an unnatural ability to not only discover bodies, but discover the killer through scent alone. Reid and Vira are called in to help with a Chicago murder case and end up deeper in the case than they ever imagined- especially when the killer holds a grudge against them both.
This book was cop-drama meets animal lover kind of mystery. The banter Reid has with cops and his dogs is quirky and entertaining, making Reid an easy character to root for.
The mystery level was pretty good, but I felt at arms length from the drama, despite the first person narrative. I felt like I was watching a cop show on tv more than I was reading a mystery novel.
That being said, I enjoyed this book more than other cop centered mysteries I’ve read in the past. I think Burton created an interesting mystery with clues and links I didn’t initially catch. The killer’s ultimate identity surprised me, which is key for any good mystery book, honestly.
In the end, I gave this book a solid 3 stars. With another book in the series set to come out shortly, I’m looking forward to see what Burton does with Reid and Vira. But also- do Kippy and Reid get together next book?? Because, yes, please!
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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I wanted to love this one. But it didn’t do it for me. It took me a while to get into the story and I found myself putting down the book and coming back to it.

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From the moment I started reading I was hooked! I’ve always been fascinated by K9 books. I’ve mostly read Search and Rescue and less cadaver dog. This combines serial killers with cadaver dogs. The book is fast paced and keeps your heart thudding with what happens. Starting the 2nd book The Keepers now…

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As an animal lover I truly enjoyed this book! The writing style was right up my alley! Very enjoyable from beginning to end!

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This is not for me. I did not like the writing style. I felt like the author was trying way too hard to be cool and up to date with terms and such. Also any violence against a dog is a no go for me.

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Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book I love animals and enjoyed reading this book

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Mason (Mace) Reid is a dog trainer and part time contractor with the police department when they need a cadaver dog. With 4 dogs of his own, he has his hands full. Hi youngest dog, Elvira (Vira), seems to have extra special abilities in that department though. The young police officer who saved her as a puppy thinks so, too. Everyone's wits are tested when a killer comes after Mace and Vira in retribution. Lots of action. Interesting characters. I am looking forward to reading The Keepers!

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I loved this book. I love animals, and cadaver dogs were at the center of this story. One of them, Elvira, was a little pup that someone tried to asphyxiate at the beginning of the story, but she survived. A cadaver dog trainer and handler saves her from the animal shelter and she is an amazing pupil. She is central to finding serial killers in this book. There's also a dog named Sue (who's a boy), and two dogs named Maggie May and Delta Dawn. Yes, the owner likes music and names his dogs after some of his favorite songs. Great fun read.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

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Mace Reid trains cadaver dogs. After his divorce and death of his dog, he adopts a golden retreiver, Vira, with a mysterious past. After he trains Vira they are thrown into a murder case where the killer sets his sights on Mace.

I loved this book. I spent 2 days reading it and I was sad when it was over. Vira is a very good girl. If you like dogs and thrillers, you will love this book.

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I’m mad at myself for not picking this up sooner. A golden retriever human cadaver dog? Sold. I can’t wait for the sequel.

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This was an interesting story, but it started off slow for me. I kept putting it down and picking up other things to read. After a certain point, I finally started connecting more with the characters (my favorite of which is Vira) and wanted to find out how their stories played out. I gave this a three-star rating because it didn't hold my attention very well and took me forever to finish, but it was a good start to what could possibly be an amazing series. I like the idea of a HRD (human remains detection) dog team and trainer solving crimes and also the idea of a relationship between Mace and Kippy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I love any book that has dogs in it and this one captured me for this reason and totally kept my interest. The suspense will suck you right into this novel.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for fair and honest review.

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Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

Ok, so I didn’t request this book. I was sent a Netgalley widget and thought it sounded ok- so I accepted the widget and about a week later, it got lost in a pile of books on my Kindle. Seriously happens all the time.

Many months later, I was looking through my Kindle and I saw this book and decided to check it out.

What I liked:

Even though I am mainly Team Cat, I do love a dog cover.

The hint of romance between Mace and Kippy.



What didn’t work for me:

Mace & his self-deprecating ways -and a little bit of that goes a long way.
The constant references to nicknames for the characters. Mace was called DogMan. There was a kid that was called Feral Boy. The bad person referred to himself as Everyman. It just grated on my nerves. In fact, there was a fairly lengthy paragraph type post where the character Mace must have used the name FeralBoy at least 10 times and it just did not need to be done.



Bottom line: For me, it was ok. The ending def upped my interest- I love when the bad people hide in plain sight- but I seriously doubt that I will be checking out future books in the series.



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

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3, or 3.5 stars

Mystery + dog = instant appeal. Mace is getting through some tough times and his new dog Vira is helping with that. He becomes deeply attached to her and even credits her with being a genius. He's practically obsessive about it. While does seem to be a smart dog and good at her work, genius is stretching it considerably. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief for that. I did enjoy the book overall; the story, the characterizations, etc. were enjoyable, and the story was entertaining.

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This is such a fun series! I can't wait for more adventures from Mace and Vira!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

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Thank you Minotaur books and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

This was a quick read, under 300 pages. It's the start of a series, and was a good book overall with action and, of course, dogs. I liked the aspect of the trainef dogs in the mix with the action and suspense. It added something different to the genre.

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A man who rescues and trains dogs, murder, action, mystery, and suspense… Yup. I’m there for it!

Mason Reid is a great lead character. He’s an average guy, easy to like but not so brilliant and heroic that he feels untouchable. The real heroes here are Mason’s dogs. They each have their own personalities, and the love between the man and his dogs is an unbreakable bond.

I wanted to read parts of this book with my hands over my eyes. Turns out, that can’t be done. So I squinted and probably squirmed as the action progressed, and Mason and his dogs crossed paths with a twisted killer.

The Finders is the first book in the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery Series. If you love dogs and mysteries, this is a perfect book for you!

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