Another fun book with the canine motley crew along with their humans. This one more with "Vira" than the others. Read the cover for descriptions, no book report from me. I would have done a 5 but it was a slow start and I had a hard time keeping all the mobsters' names straight. Trying the prologue back to the ending was a little rushed and not obvious as well. Not sure all that was even necessary. Anyway, great fun book.Enjoy!
I was provided an advanced reader copy and was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

The Lost is Burton's third novel in the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series. It is not at all like his first novel, The Finders, and I found The Lost to be a disappointment.

Burton's first novel, The Finders, had quite a bit more canine involvement and the central plot revolved around Human Remains Detection. In The Lost, like The Keepers, the focus veered away from the cadaver dogs theme. The concentration in those books focused more on corruption, and the mob. A big let down for me.

Needless to say, I wasn't at all thrilled with The Lost and it was difficult to plow on after 60% Too bad because Burton's first and second novels garnered five and four stars respectively from me. The Lost was really lost from me. A disappointing single star.

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

As usual, Mr. Burton does a bang-up job of incorporating his HRD dogs (Human Remains Detection) into a ripping good mystery.

Our lovable hero Mace is back, along with his talented dog pack and his girl/cop Kippy. They are immediately embroiled in the case of a wealthy financier's kidnapped wife and child. When the wife quickly turns up dead, the race is on to find the five-year-old daughter.

Twists and turns, bad buys galore, this quick read has it all. My only quibble, and it's a tiny one, is that we are only treated to the dogs at the beginning and briefly again at the end. I was halfway through the story when I realized I'd completely forgotten this was supposed to be about Mace and his special dog Vira. The story, while interesting and a page turner for sure, went for too many chapters without even mentioning our dynamic duo.

However, still a most pleasant way to pass an afternoon. Next time though, more dogs, please!

I just love, love, love this series! Each book in the series gets better and better! Mace runs dog obedience classes and also trains cadaver dogs. The conversations between he and his dogs is priceless. Each dog has its own personality and I feel like I got to know them. A romance is brewing between he and Kippy, a cop, a dog lover too. Judging from the ending, there will be a third book and I cannot wait!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When a rich investor calls in a kidnapping Mace and Vira are on the case. Mace a dog cadaver trainer and Vira the cadaver dog works the case and leads them to the body which is when the story takes a big twist. This was a good mystery story made a little better because of Vira the cadaver dog. Love a good story with a dog in it ❤️🐕

The Lost by Jeffrey B. Burton is the third book in the Mace Reid K-9 Mysteries. This is the first book I have read in this series. Mace is requested to bring Vira, one of his team of human cadaver dogs to search the property of billionaire financier Kenneth J. Druckman's residence. He called the police and FBI to report he had been a victim of o home invasion and his wife and young daughter were taken for ransom. Vira locates the body of Calley Kurtz but there is no sign of the young daughter. Vira signals for Mace to return to the mansion. The scent trail is leading back to the house. Mace understands this could mean the perpetrator may be Kenneth J. Druckman and this crime was staged. As the story progresses the reader learns Druckman's levels of deception and financial connections.
I really enjoy reading K-9 mysteries and thrillers, but the character of Mace Reid is different. I loved the description of each of the dogs on the team. I do not prefer to read books with unnecessary profanity by the characters. It was hard to finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC. The publication date is June 28, 2022.

A financier’s wife and daughter go missing and Mace is called in by the FBI. Vira, his HRD dog, finds the body of the mother, alright, but when everyone else is supplying theories, Vira disappears back to the mansion.

Mace lives outside of Chicago and has worked with the Chicago Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies before. His budding romantic interest is Detective Kippy Gimm. Mace gets to work on this one, keeping most of the other dogs in his pack at bay. There are lots of twists and turns, Vira (Elvira) not getting the accolade she deserves.

There are some well-developed personalities here, human as well as canine, each with their own signature and I enjoy the humorous aspect of Mace’s persona. The well-plotted narrative gets complex—nothing is ever simple—and the surprise in the conclusion caught me off-guard. I love getting the down-low on each of the dogs, their specific roles. The race to find the little girl is truly a matter of beating the clock with themes that go beyond abduction.

It’s a fast-paced mystery, filled with the flawed Mace growing a bit with each episode. I've enjoyed them all and looking for Book 4. 4.5 stars

Okay I'm a sucker for books that have dogs on the cover and I have always enjoyed the book and this book was no exception. Mystery, off balance characters, a lot of greed which made this a totally twisted book to read but I enjoyed the story immensely and look forward to more.

I like K-9 mysteries and novels with dog partners for PIs. This series is new to me and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the dog trainer Mace and his motley crew of dogs, including his main cadaver dog, Vira.

The dogs were personalized, individualized by their owner Mace, and dog lovers will enjoy them. The plot was spectacular in its twists and surprises and its cast of characters, a motley group of the good, the bad, and the ugly, interacting in amazing ways.

An excellent K-9 mystery/thriller that I enjoyed tremendously.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Lost.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love dogs, and this is a great series by the author.

I love Vira, Sue, and the whole pack; the dogs are as unique and spirited as humans, fiercely loyal, independent, and smart as heck.

I'm getting more used to Mace and his girlfriend; i think his character is a bit passive for my taste, or maybe that's the point. His dogs are the stars of the show (or series), and he's just there along for the ride.

My only caveat with this book in the series is that it's not a mystery; you know whodunnit.

There's no suspense or drama.

Still, the writing is good, and it's always wonderful to read about how awesome dogs are, not that I need reminding!

Thank you to Sara Beth Haring for the personal invitation to read this book and to NetGalley for providing it.
The first half of the book I found boring and full of seemingly unimportant information. About 60% into the book it started to hold my attention and the pieces started to fall into place. I had a few unanswered questions at the end about what happened to some of the characters, but over all it was a good book and I will look into the author's other books.

<i>The Lost</i> is another fascinating romp into the world of cadaver dogs. Mace Reid works with the police but he really isn’t a member of the police force. He is a dog lover and trainer they are his first concern. <i>The Lost</i> is part of a Mace Reid K-9 mystery series written by Jeffrey B. Burton.

Kenneth Druckman is a financier who’s doing very well. He’s extremely rich. He has properties all over the globe and he seems to have life by the tail. He is also married to a supermodel and he has a beautiful young daughter. Unfortunately, the reason the police are speaking to Mr. Druckman is because his wife and his daughter have been kidnapped. Home invaders have come in and taken the two of them. Mace is sent out with his dogs to see if he can find any additional evidence. He finds Mr. Druckman’s wife which elevates the crime to a murder investigation. But where is his daughter? As the story continues, we find out Mr. Druckman has a number of enemies he has accumulated over the years and he has to do something in order to get himself out of the mess he has found himself in. His family unfortunately is part of the resolution of these issues. Mace’s Dog, Vira, has a major role to play in this mystery because she can find the body and, based on sniffing the evidence on the body, she can also identify the murderer. This tends to take the story in unexpected directions.

Although Mace Reid is an interesting character I think the most fascinating part of what Burton does in this series of books is he gives the dogs personality. Each of the Mace’s dogs is fascinating and a major part of the story and how it unfolds.

The story is also fascinating because it starts out with one mysterious character who becomes intricately involved with Druckman. It also starts out with Druckman revealing how he is in serious financial trouble in spite of the fact that everyone thinks he’s a wonderful guy who is extremely rich and lucky to have the wife and child that he does. So, the story is quite confounding at first. It is very early in the book when you discover who committed the crime. The story is in fact about the details of the crime and why it was committed.

I recommend a story to people who love canine stories first of all but also murder mysteries. This one is convoluted and for that reason it is very interesting. I give the story of four and five. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a digital copy of this novel I give his review voluntarily.

A nice read! Not my usual choice of reading material but I am interested in reading more from this particular series now. It had lighthearted moments and enough little twists to keep it interesting.
I did have a bit of trouble staying engaged in the beginning, because of the excess italicized words and phrases. My mind automatically puts the emphasis on those, but in about 80% of the uses, it wasn't needed at all and only distracted and detracted from the story. I feel the author tries a bit too hard to be clever and witty with his main character, which I found a bit cringey from time to time, but overall a decent choice and good enough to make me want to try the rest of the series.

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC, provided at no charge for an honest opinion and review.

Another terrific effort in the Mace Reid and Vira series. Mace is called out by the FBI to the scene of a home invasion and kidnapping in suburban Chicago. When he and his best dog Vira do a little investigating of the home’s grounds, they find the remains of his wife. Vira, a cadaver dog, also senses DNA and, in this case, follows it right back to the house. Eleanor, the six year old daughter remained missing. The investigation leads in all sorts of directions including a number of red herrings. It is well written and a really enjoyable read. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for an ARC for an honest review.

I had read the previous two in this series so I was looking forward to reading this one. This book was a little different with more going on with the main characters. It just wasn’t holding my attention. I do wish there was more interaction with the dog.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

When a wealthy investment reports a home invasion that turns into an assault and kidnapping, the FBI calls in Mace and his golden retriever Vira (short for Elvira) to help search for the missing wife and young daughter. But things get out of control quickly when the mother is found dead and the little girl missing without a ransom request. Is it a kidnapping, or something worse?

Dog handler Mace Reid and his girlfriend, Chicago PD detective Kippy Gimm follow leads that just might involve the Russian mafia. Lots of action and likable characters make this a satisfying read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all the books in this series and without a doubt, Mr. Burton has stepped up his game with this entry into the series.

The author knows how to create warm and carrying characters that the reader genuinely cares about. Mace and Kippy have such a genuine feel to them along with Mace’s pack of dogs, especially Vira (that’s Ira with a V) that you fall in love immediately with the whole gang. The story moved from the past to the present as smoothly as lotion on a baby’s bottom. The author hooked you with the last line in each chapter so that you had no choice but to read one more chapter. There were plenty of twist and turns as the author laid most of the mystery out for you, yet still managed to give the reader a mouth opening ending to wrap the story up. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. When a crime happens at a wealthy families house in the suburbs of Chicago, Mason and his dogs are called to investigate. The more Mason investigates, the more questions he has. This book kept me guessing.

I gave this book 3 stars because for me it wasn't good, but it wasn't bad. I did not finish the book, because the writing style was not to my liking. The author goes into such detail when describing an event, person, or place, that the storyline is lost. If this is your cup of tea, you will love this book. It just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

It is always a pleasure to follow Mace and his well-trained cadaver-seeking dogs. In this adventure, we also get to learn more about Mace's police-officer girlfriend, Kippy. The group (people and animals) work well together to find clues and ultimately solve difficult cases.

As with the first two books in the series, the plot has numerous twists and turns that keep a mystery reader glued to the page. The human and canine characters are very well developed. Each of the dogs has a different personality and talent. The dogs are not just add-ons but are critical to the storyline.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost and look forward to future stories about Sue, Vira, and the others, along with their human friends.