This is an engaging and easy reading mystery. My Rating 4.25.

Mace is a dog trainer who has a special golden retriever, Vira. Vira not only sniffs out the dead bodies, but she also picks up the scent of the villains who delivered the death blows. The first scene involves a music artist and Vira is silent at the gruesome crime scene and at the funeral. Mace begins to wonder if Vira didn’t get the killer’s scent until Mace and Vira join CPD Officer Kippy to interview another suspect.

Shortly after solving the first murder, Mace and Vira are called in to find a missing person when foul play is suspected. Vira quickly finds the body which has clearly suffered a brutal death. Before leaving the area, Vira alerts to two men who arrive on the scene. Mace calms Vira and gets out of the way because she has just focused the crime on members of the authority.

Mace is soon threatened, and he is ready to move to Alaska. Kippy and her partner talk Mace into a plan to take their suspicions to another arm of authority. But they don’t realize the deadly determination of the criminals they are trying to gather evidence against.

The story moves quickly and has good action. I cringed when several characters suffered injuries. I enjoy the easy mode of the writing and I like the gentle, developing relationship between Mace and Kippy.

I enjoyed book one, The Finders, and book two. I will be glad to read more in the future. I recommend the series to fans of easy mysteries, especially involving dogs.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I will admit this one took me a little while to get into but once things picked up and I understood all of the characters and who they were in reference to the storyline, I really liked it. On average, I don't give mystery or action books 4 stars because they don't normally make me feeling anything but this one kept me going all the way through to the end. There are some surprising instances, some not so surprising instances and some really cute dogs who can do really cool things. What's not to like? I would recommend this book to people that like action mixed with suspense and a tiny bit of love thrown in for good measure. :)

The Keepers is the second installment in author Jeffrey B. Burton's Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series. Mason (Mace) Reid lives outside of Chicago and trains dogs with various end goals such as obedience and missing persons tracking, as well as searching for drugs and explosives. However, his specialty is training dogs in human remains detection (HRD or cadaver dogs). His dogs include Sue, Delta Dawn, Billie Joe, Maggie, May and Elvira aka Vira.

If you've caught onto the fact that Mace loves to name his dogs after famous songs, you'd be correct. Mace's most accomplished cadaver dog is a golden retriever named Vira, who "takes the art of human remains detection to the next level the Sherlock Holmes level." Vira is truly special. She can smell the murderer’s scent on a dead body. Of course, only a few special people know this and Mace isn’t about to tell others.

He is often called in to help the Chicago Police Department and local sheriff’s departments. His relationship with Officer Kippy Grim is that of friends who don't want to rush into any long term arrangement. Especially after Mace's ex literally walked out on him and is now marrying someone else. As the story opens, Mace and his golden retriever Vira are called to the apartment of an aging rock star named Jonny Whiting, whose head has been bashed in with a guitar.

Vira does her Sherlock Holmes thing, and Mace and Vira help Officer Kippy Gimm and her partner Officer Dave Wabiszewki (Wabs) solve the case. After nabbing the Whiting murderer, Mace, Vira, Kippy, and Wabs get involved in another case. This one focuses on the murder of Special Prosecutor Peter Feist, who's been trying to root out corruption in Chicago. The Feist inquiry has tendrils that extend to Chicago mobsters and nefarious government officials, which makes things VERY dangerous for the investigative team.

The bad guys are exceptionally capable foes, and there's plenty of intrigue and action in the book. Although most of the novel was told from Mace’s perspective, there are a few sections that would be narrated by one or more of villains. The dark revelations of Chicago’s crime-powered leaders was interesting and likely, all too realistic. It shouldn't shock or surprise anyone by the corruption and the dark underworld of Chicago. All you have to do is go back to the times of Al Capone to see that nothing is changed, especially when prosecutors no longer do their jobs and arrest those who break the law.

The characters are mostly carryovers from Burton’s first installment, The Finders. So in order to get the full flavor of the main actors, it is best that the reader start with the first novel in the series.

I enjoyed this sequel to The Finders. I loved how the forensic information was explained. It was done in a way that was very understandable if you didn’t know what a cadaver dog was or how it worked. This helped keep the fast pace. I loved getting a POV from the villain, being able to know their plans and actions adds to the thrill for me. You think you know what’s going to happen, but then you get some surprises. I will be continuing the series.

Thank you @stmartinspress @minotaur_books and @netgalley

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is the 2nd in the series. I have really enjoyed this series. I know it is only the second in the series but I am loving the main characters especially the dogs. In this one we meet a new dog. I love the connection between Mace and her dogs. Vera is a great dog too. OK enough about dogs.

The relationship between Mace and Kippy heats up some and the suspense of the book kept my attention and I wanted to know more. There were a LOT of characters in the book which was hard to keep up with a few times.

I can’t wait to read the next in the series. I really hope some station picks it up because how can you go wrong with a suspense series with dogs (oopps the dog thing again).

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is definitely for dog lovers. The main characters of Mace and Vira are called in to search Washington Park at 3 am in the morning for a dead body. What they find out has Mace and his police friend Kippy on the run. They uncover corruption at the highest level of the Chicago PD. Mace takes some of the dogs with him and he leaves a couple of them in the care of a friend. This is a short and fast paced book. The finale is action backed and Mace and his dogs barely make it out alive.

The Keepers, the next installment of the Mace Reid K-9 series that features golden retriever cadaver dog Vira and her handler, Mason Reid, was not quite as fast paced as the first novel in the series, The Finders. Although the relationship between trainer and cadaver sniffing dogs is fun and educational this mystery was a little bit of a let down after the first book was so fast paced.

The star of the show is a golden retriever named Vira. She has a natural talent for finding dead bodies. It is obvious the author, Jeffrey Burton has done his research into cadaver dog training. The main human character,
Mason “Mace” Reid lives outside Chicago and his pack of cadaver dogs The Finders.

When Mace Reid and Vira are called in to search Washington Park in the wee hours of the morning, what they find puts them in the line of fire. Mace and his police partner, CPD Officer Kippy Gimm follow the clues that uncover corruption at the highest level.

A fun read especially for dog lovers who want a new twist on police procedurals.

This is a story about a very very good dog.

Happy to say that I enjoyed this just as much as book 1! The author does a good job of creating a compelling narrative around the human/dog dynamics & infusing humor, which differentiates these books from the multitude of other procedurals.

Thank you so much Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for this eArc!

Mace Reid lives with four dogs, trained to find dead bodies, aka cadaver dogs. And then there’s Billie Joe, a bloodhound pup with a habit of finding poop to roll in, no matter where he is. He only has to be out of sight for a minute.

When Mace is called out, the dogs search for scents particular to bodies and then give a signal when they’ve been successful. Vira, his newest dog, a golden retriever, has special abilities. She not only can find the body, she sort of catalogues the scents around it and has pointed out the killers, even a week or more after. Mace doesn’t tell many people about her talent. Who would believe it?

He’s called to a crime scene, an aging rock star, killed with his own signature guitar. The scene is a bloody mess. Vira is technically there to look for drugs. Mace manages to get her near the body in the kitchen, just as a test of her special abilities.

Their next case is to search a park at three in the morning. A special prosecutor has gone missing. Vira finds him in no time, face down in a pond. Considering his body is facing up, this is even more shocking. From then on, Mace and his dogs are in danger. Extreme danger.

It’s hard to go into hiding when you don’t know who you’re hiding from and you have four dogs with you while doing it. And have to find a place for Billie Joe to hang out before you go.

To tell more would give away parts of the plot. Suffice it to say, it’s a page-turner thriller. This is book two in the series, and I look forward to many more. Mace is a guy smart enough to know his dogs are smarter than he is. He has a connection to each of them so close, he knows what they’re thinking and how they’ll react in any given situation. This is a book I’ll read again and again.

While I enjoyed The Keepers, I didn’t love it as much as the first in the series, The Finders.

What worked for me: We still have the trademark quick-witted humor from Mace. The dogs are stars, and I love the way Mace interacts with and talks to them.

What didn’t work as well: We have two plots. The first case was, to me, the more intriguing, but it’s quick and easily resolved. Ultimately, it’s unnecessary, only serving to introduce us to Vira and her special skills.

The main plot is overly complex, bordering on convoluted, with the mob, politics, and police corruption at its core. To me, it lacked cohesion and just didn’t grab my interest.

Despite an abundance of moving parts, the pace is excessively slow, especially through the first half.

Mace and his dogs are great to spend time with, and I have high hopes for book three.

Thank you, St. Martin's, for an ARC of this book!

I loved the first book in the series, The Finders. That means I had great expectations when I agreed to read and review this book. I have to say that I was not disappointed! This book started with action right of the bat. It felt as if I couldn't take a breath if I didn't want to miss anything. Great sequel!

This was a fascinating story of Mace Reid and his kids. He trains cadaver dogs. Mace lives in Chicago with the kids. Vira has a special talent to be able to take the scent of the killer off of the dead body. It gets them in trouble and on the run when the killer shows back up at the murder scene as a member of those there to find out what happened and who done it. This puts Mace, the kids and Kippy on the run to keep alive and get the information they need. Warning, if you are a dog lover as I am then you may feel really bad when the dogs fight with the bad guy to protect Mace. The last part of the story is very exciting.

I loved the first book in this series, The Finder as I realize dogs are so much smarter than people! Having taught high school and having "drug dogs" on campus, it was amazing to see how their sense of smell is crucial in literally "sniffing" out contraband (even in the trunk of a car)! This one just continues the journey as we see Mace and Vira solving crimes that are complex and intriguing when you realize these cadaver dogs are amazing and work for "treats." Who does that? No human I know! So I can't wait for the next in this series!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

The Keepers is the second book in the procedural K-9 mystery series by Jeffrey B. Burton. Released 29th June 2021 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Although it's a sequel, it works perfectly well as a standalone. It's filled with taut and well written action and the author can really produce superbly choreographed fight scenes. This is a book for readers who enjoy modern police procedurals with solid plotting and appealing *wholesome* characters. It's basically a buddy cop novel where the smart cop has 4 legs and fur and her lovable sidekick is a human.

There is Chicago crime and corrupt cops & politics aplenty and several evolving plot threads which entwine ever closer throughout toward an exciting denouement and satisfying resolution. The language is rough in places and there is more than a little physical violence. There is no graphic sexual content.

I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading more.

Five stars. Heartily recommended for fans of modern procedurals, American crime, action crime (sure to be a major motion picture coming to a theater soon).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Another great book in this series. Well written and an interesting plot. Always enjoy books where dogs take place in the story as well as the humans.

3.5

I really enjoyed the first book in this series but this one didn't wow me. Mace and his pups are back to solve several murders and uncover corruption within the system. Once again his dogs (plus a new pup!) are there to help steer detective work in the right direction; plus we get more of his love interest Officer Kippy.

It was a bit hard to get into because there were a ton of characters at the start and multiple story lines going on. They of course were all connected but I was a little too lost for a good bit.

Also, since I had just read the first one, it was a bit repetitive in terms of explaining what cadaver dogs do and the details about them. I still think it's fascinating and had I read this book solo or a few months after the first it would've been great!

As I got into the book further and things tied together it did get exciting and there was a lot of action going on! Not sure if there will be another book in the series but if there is I'm game to read it!

Great sequel, can be read as a standalone. I just realized that these are considered cozy mysteries which I don't really read lol but this is still a good series. I love all the dogs in this book.

When people ask Mason “Mace” Reid what he does for a living, they just do not understand why he trains dogs to hunt for the dead. Reid trains “human remains detection” dogs for the Chicago Police Department. He also testifies in court, so by necessity, he keeps detailed records of what he sees, what his dogs find, and everything of interest that happens along the way. Reid is casual, lighthearted, and informative as he talks to readers, but mostly he talks to himself and to his dogs. Alternating chapters present events and situations from other perspectives, giving a different view to the whole investigation and bringing out unsavory details that Reid does not yet know.

The second installment in the Mace Reid series is solidly exciting! Set in Chicago, this one has a more corruption/political plot line one that harkens back to an older Chicago. And it almost has a TV series feel to it at first, with Mace's special psychic-smeller golden retriever putting her skills to good use in solving crimes, when they stumble into a much bigger plot.

With some surprising twists to the plot and heart-in-throat tension at the climax, this one is quite hard to put down! I just loved it! There's humor, excitement and a love of dogs that fills the page. I also really appreciate the way the setting feels so accurate - I just love anything set here at home! And I am already excited to see where the series will go next!

Burton's writing reminds me a bit of David Rosenfelt's - the mob plot here is also a commonality between many books in the Andy Carpenter series. So I think that this will definitely appeal to fans of that series! There's more variety of dogs here, too! It would be fun to see an Australian Cattle Dog added to the mix!!

In The Keepers, the reader is reunited with Officer Kippy and dog trainer Mason Reid as they try to solve the murder of a special prosecutor. This book was fun to read. At times, relaxed and humorous and then taut and fast paced. An easy, enjoyable read.