Every time I read a book in Sara Driscoll’s F.B.I. K-9 series I fall completely into the world of its story. I am all in, trying to keep pace in a high action story where danger is never far away. The combination of human handlers and their canine partners is thrilling to see, or read about, in how it works. The trust between them is essential, and it pays off in saving lives. Meg Jennings and her Labrador, Hawk, are part of the FBI’s Human Scent and Evidence Team out of Washington, D.C. Meg and Hawk partner up with Brian Foster and his canine, Lacey, in search and rescue efforts. They are called in to find survivors in large- and small-scale cases. Hawk and Lacey are not cadaver dogs, those that search for the dead, but it can turn out that a search and rescue ends up in a body recovery status. Time is always a crucial element in the team’s work, and in reading this series, you feel the urgency of the searches.

Still Waters takes Meg and Hawk and Brian and Lacey to the wild terrain of the Boundary Waters National Forest in Minnesota, more specifically to the waters of Lake Superior which are part of the area. Always wanting their dogs to be at the top of their game, Meg and Brian have signed up for a water skills training competition. While Hawk and Lacy are both unbeatable in their land skills, the water training is new, as is the searching for something dead. The training is the most important aspect of the weekend, but the two handlers also would love for their K-9 partners to excel in the competition part. 

Along for the trip is Todd Webb, Meg’s paramedic/firefighter boyfriend, and his two firefighter brothers. Also accompanying the group for their big camp-out is Ryan, Brian’s husband. Todd has assured Meg that she will love the camping experience, with meals prepared by him and his brothers and an air mattress that she can get a great night’s rest on. It seems like the setup for a perfect weekend of spending time with her amazing K-9 partner and a group of great friends. Well, maybe not so perfect.

Both Meg, with Hawk, and Brian, with Lacey, have top results in the first day’s training, with the dogs being able to locate cadaver tissue in tubes down in the water while in a boat. However, when it comes time for the land to water trials, the competition part, Hawk seems to get confused at one point on the trail, which is completely unlike him. Lacey leads Brian to what he thinks is the top time, but when times are announced, another handler is named in first place. Brian is sure he timed himself correctly, but the judge of the competition rules against him. Something seems off in this competition right awy. The winner of the first day’s trail is Rita Pratt from the Laramie Sheriff’s Department in Wyoming. She is an arrogant, hostile person, unlike other handlers Meg has met. Meg has to step in when Pratt is berating another handler to keep the dogs from becoming agitated. Meg’s interference is not appreciated. Meg has another encounter with Pratt that evening, which will have serious consequences for Meg, maybe even causing Hawk to be taken away from her.                      

Pratt is discovered dead the next day when during the training session, Hawk sniffs out human remains in the water, after already finding the cadaver tissue hidden by the training crew. The F.B.I. agent who arrives to investigate the suspicious death focuses on Meg as the lead suspect, after hearing about her dust-ups with Pratt and that Meg’s dog found the body in a complex search area. It becomes apparent that Meg is going to need help beyond her supporters already there. A call to Clay McCord, her sister Cara’s boyfriend, who is an investigative reporter for the Washington Post and a call to her supervisor, Craig Beaumont assures that she will have the best people working on proving her innocence, as both men head to Meg's training location. There have been strange reactions from people concerning Pratt all weekend, but, unfortunately, Meg’s interactions are the ones most visible. The time is short and the facts are slippery in trying to ensure Meg doesn’t lose her freedom and her dog. And, Pratt’s death won’t be the only murder that weekend.

Still Waters incorporates all the successful elements of the past six books in this FBI K-9 series. The high energy of the humans and dogs working together in a clock-driven suspense plot. The bonds between humans and dogs and between humans and humans that mean the difference between life and death. The sense of community in the world of Meg Jennings, including her co-workers, her boyfriend, her family, and her friends. The settings which are different in each story, and in this story are a fascinating character on their own. The information woven throughout the story about how search-and-rescue dogs and their owners work. The story that always deals with something new, something you probably haven’t read about before. Writing that flows smoothly and puts the reader in the setting, in the situation, and in the lives of the characters. All these elements combine for a story not to be missed. Still Waters is one of my favorite reads this year in one of my favorite series every year.

 

Full Disclosure. I received an advanced copy of Still Waters from the author and from NetGalley for review. I enjoyed it so much, I plan on buying a hard copy, too.

I love this series! Sara Driscoll does a great job combining interesting characters and a hard-to-figure=out=mystery with fascinating facts about search and rescue dogs. I learn something new with each of the books in this series. I do have one request for the author - - - Sara, please let Hawk live a long and happy life with no traumatic injuries!!! Hawk and Meg are wonderful together - - and now we have a wedding to look forward to. I hate having to wait for the next book!!!

Having read all the other books in this series, I had been waiting to read this one too, and I wasn't disappointed :)

Meg and Hawk head off for a training exercise in the middle of the wilderness, along with Brian and Lacey, Meg's partner Todd, his brothers and Brian's husband, who all come along to do some fishing and/or relaxing by the fire.

Unfortunately for Meg, things do not run smoothly, to say the least and there is a person who ends up dead, with fingers pointed at Meg! She has to untangle the web of lies that surround the person who dies and it is a nasty one indeed.

As much as I enjoyed the murder sub-plot, my interest in this series is always the dogs, and the relationships they have with their humans. Therefore, I could have done with more of those interactions (although, to be fair, it probably will never be enough for me, bring it on!).

Trigger warning: there is a a short paragraph describing animal abuse which was awful :( If you are particularly sensitive, you may want to avoid or skim that part. I finished the book yesterday and that passage is still in my head today.

All in all though, a great book!

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books.

Still Waters is the seventh book in Sara Driscoll’s FBI K-9 Series. I have read this as a stand-alone and because of the great writing of Ms. Driscoll I had no problems with knowing the characters and their history. This is a well written, fast paced captivating story. This one has all my favorites, suspense, murder, mystery and unexpected twist and turns. Then she adds the dogs into the picture and it makes it an appealing story. The characters are dynamic and well developed. The plot is multi-layered with a wonderful ending. The details are on spot especially pertaining to the dogs. I definitely recommend this story. I hope to read more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Sara Driscoll for an advanced copy of this engaging story. My opinions are my own.
#netgalley #kensingtonpublishing #stillwaters #saradriscoll
#arc #jessecruz

The Meg Jennings series is perfect for readers who enjoy stories with working dogs. Meg and her black lab, Hawk, are a search and rescue team. In this, the seventh in the series, Meg and Hawk have traveled to the Minnesota Boundary waters for water search training along with a competition. Brian and his GSD Lacey, are also in the competition. Things quickly go hinky during the first trial. Then, Hawk alerts to something else under the water during the second day. Im not giving anything away not stated in the blurb to say Meg becomes a suspect in a suspicious death of a fellow competitor and may end up losing Hawk.
This is a great story, with lots of detail about how the dogs work. “Driscoll” sets the scene and it’s easy to envision how the story plays out. The main characters are such wonderful people, I would love to have them as friends. It’s the outdoor equivalent of an Agatha Christie novel with a set number of suspects. At one point, Meg even says “I feel like we’re caught in an English manor mystery with a dozen suspects who could all be murderers”.
Unlike many “dog stories”, the dogs actually play a major role here and figure in all of the action scenes.
Warning, there is a minor scene of dog abuse. Just a few paragraphs but enough to make my blood boil.
This would work as a stand-alone but you will miss the gist of some of the relationships as “Driscoll” doesn’t waste much time giving background spelled out in previous books.
My thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of this book.

Meg Jennings and her dog, Hawk along with Brian Foster and his dog, Lacey along with assorted family and friends, are in the Boundary Waters National Forest. Meg and Brian are civilian employees of the FBI's Human Scent Response Team and this is a working weekend for them. They will be competing and training in underwater scent detection. Finding the planted scent sample is the goal but Meg gets way more than training when Hawk detects a cadaver 80 feet down. When the diver investigates it turns out that the body is that of one of the attendees, one who Meg had an altercation with about how the woman treated her dog. It isn't long before the police focus on her as the prime suspect. If the police don't expand their investigation to find the real killer, Meg could end up fired from the FBI, have Hawk taken away and landing in prison. That gives Meg, Brian and the rest of their family and friends ample motivation to find the real killer - fast.

(Trigger warning: the dispute between Meg and the dead woman was over dog abuse. Meg witnessed it, reported it and the woman turned the tables and accused Meg of abuse. Add to that a dog dies - not Hawk or Lacey - and though it is a short scene, I want readers to know that I was skipping it as soon as I encountered it.)

The mystery involves fascinating information on human remains detection, K-9 teams and partnerships which I enjoyed very much. The cast of characters is large as just about anybody attending the training competition is suspect and motives abound. If you like mysteries involving K-9 working dogs this is a series to add to your must read list.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this exciting book

meg and her dog hawk are on a new training mission, teaching hawk how to find bodies dead underwater from scent.. and yes its a thing

hawk is good at his job and finds this new training challenging and he catches on very quickly, on their second day of training all is going well...hawk finds what he needs to find and as they are heading back hawk scents a body, was it animal or human but hes giving off all the signs that there is something out there

my goodness me what a storyline, so well written and i felt for the all the dogs involved.

its been a while since i last read a book from this author but i just jumped right in and found all the characters that i remembered and the dogs, it was like being greeted by an old family friend of the four legged kind

cant wait for the next book in this wonderful series

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I've enjoyed reading this FBI K-9 series, mostly through the library or KindleUnlimited. It's one of the better series where the dogs are part of the story and do actual training and work. There is the police work the characters are doing with the dogs. The development of the team and their personal relationships is well done. .

In this adventure, Meg and Brian with their dogs are at training in Minnesota at the Boundary Waters Canoe area. Their partners Todd and Ryan come along for vacation, and also Todd's two brothers. Having the firefighters along for first aid and support is always a good thing. There are also a competition in tracking.

Things go downhill fast. The competition seems to be rigged. Then the first winner ends up dead. Worse, Meg seems to be the primary suspect. Luckily, Meg has lots of support from both her boss and co-workers and her family and friends. Meg and Brian collect evidence using their dogs to help, and prove Meg is not the killer.

Still Waters was a different sort of story with a main character in trouble, although we knew she wasn't guilty. I enjoyed the Minnesota setting as I have lived there. I really appreciate the blend of smart police work, the supportive circle of family and friends, the K9 culture and a romance in the foundation. The mystery and investigation are the primary focus but the rest is there in every page. I can't wait to read more about these beloved characters and their dogs in their next adventure.

Forensic Canine Unit makes a trip to Superior National Forest for the opportunity to explore new possibilities.
The Human Scent Evidence Team is cross training with the FBI Victim Recovery Team. While visually seeing the Boundary Waters while I am reading. The mystery deepens with many suspects that will make your detective skills raise up.

FBI Special Agent Meg Jennings and her K9 Hawk are participating in a training session for human remain detection under water. This is a new area for Hawk, her FBI partner Brian Foster and his K9 Lacey. How successful will they be with HRD under water? When there is an issue with another attendee and her treatment of her K9, Meg steps in to protect the dog. This action backfires on Meg when Hawk not only finds the hidden sample of human remains, but also a dead body. She now has to prove that she wasn’t involved in the person’s death, but also that Hawk was solely responsible for the find. She calls on her friends, especially her sister’s boyfriend who is an investigative reporter, to dig into the backgrounds of the other attendees. Was there someone who had a reason to kill her? Meg is intent on finding the killer, worried how this will affect her career as well as if they would try to take Hawk, her own personal dog, away from her. An intriguing and fast paced mystery for Meg and Hawk. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Still Waters by Sara Driscoll is the fascinating, suspenseful, and captivating seventh book in the FBI K-9 crime thriller and police procedural series. Sara Driscoll is the pseudonym for authors Jen J. Danna and Ann Vanderlaan. The book features Meg Jennings and her Labrador, Hawk as well as her co-worker Brian Foster and his German shepherd, Lacey. They’re civilian employees of the FBI’s Human Scent Response Team.

They need to keep their search-and-rescue skills sharp and that requires training. This time, they got approval for a water-search training weekend in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. This training is combined with a three-part search and rescue timed competition. When Hawk alerts to a scent in the water and a competitor’s body is found, the suspects are law enforcement officers and those that are supporting them: pilots, divers, trainers, judges, observers, and the coordinators of the training session.

Dynamic characters and great descriptions of the area drew me in to this story. It has a deeply involved and multi-layered plot and an incredible setting. I was transported to this pristine area and felt as if I was living the events alongside the characters. With multiple viable suspects, will Meg determine who the criminal is? There is one disturbing scene in this book, but it is not described in detail.

Overall, this tense, engaging, action-packed, and exciting crime thriller gripped me from the beginning. I’m a fan of the series and looking forward to reading the next book.

Kensington Books and Sara Driscoll provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for November 29, 2022.

Meg and her dog Hawk and Brian and his dog Lacey of the Washington DC FBI K-9 group have gone to a dog training camp in Minnesota. Brian's husband Ryan, and Meg's significant other, Todd and his two brothers all came along to go fishing, and those of the group are camping in their own section of the camp away from the other attendees. The first morning each dog owner is in a boat with pilot, diver, and trainer. A small amount of human remains has been hidden at the bottom of the lake in different parts for each crew. Hawk barks when he smells it, and eventually leads them to the spot where the bait has been hidden. When the boat stops, the diver goes down and retrieves the bait. Hawk did very well.

Later in the day they have a competition on land. The contestants go one every 10 minutes and they are timed for how long it takes them to find the bait. Hawk is confused in the middle, but Brian and Lacey did very well. When the winner is announced, Brian realizes he was faster, but the judge claimed he was wrong with his time and Rita Pratt was the winner. Both Meg and Brian believe someone was cheating or paid off the judges. That evening when Meg was returning to the campsite, she sees Pratt almost strangling her dog. She calls to Pratt to stop and tells her she will call and report the incident.

The next morning on the water, Hawk finds his bait very quickly. On the way to shore he scents something else. Meg and Hawk gradually get to the site of the smell. The diver is down for quite awhile, and when he comes up tells them there is a body there. From the pictures he took Meg can tell that it's Pratt! They call the police, and the man heading it up immediately decides that Meg must have killed her since she knew where the body was, and was told that Pratt had reported her as mistreating Hawk! Meg calls her boss, Craig and her sister's friend, the reporter McCord. Can Meg and her friends figure out who the killer is before she is fired, has her dog taken away, and goes to jail? They keep sleuthing, even after there is another death (for which Meg finds the body again)!

This is a very exciting book, and the good guys are very good - smart and kind. This is the seventh book in the series. I have only read one other, but intend to read them all very shortly!

Meg and Brian, civilian employees of the FBI Human Scent Response Team, along with their K9s Hawk and Lacey, have made a trip for training in the Boundary Waters park a family affair, with their partners and others along to camp in style. They're also taking part in a competition, one which comes with animosity among the other dog teams. One of those competitors (no spoilers) is murdered and Meg and Hawk find the body, which is 80 feet down in the lake, during Hawk's training (and before anyone knows the Deputy is missing). Meg, by virtue of this and other things, becomes the main suspect- and ends up suspended from the team. That however doesn't stop her from hunting for the Deputy's missing dog (it took entirely too long btw for anyone to be concerned about that dog). And then the villain- well- read for yourself! I've been and no doubt will continue to be a fan of this series mostly for the details about- wait for it- the dogs and this was no exception (didn't know scent dogs could help in water searches). That said, there are a lot of characters in this one and I found myself a tad confused at times about who was who and how they were connected. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next one.

This is a bit different than the earlier books in the series. Rather than being on a case, FBI dog search and rescue teams Meg and Hawk and Brian and Lacey are in the Boundary Waters National Forest for a weekend of training. When Hawk discovers the body of one of the other handlers, the newbie FBI agent who’s been sent in to investigate makes Meg his number one suspect since she had an argument with the victim the night before.

A well written story with plenty of suspense and great characters. Plus I learned something new - I didn’t know dogs could be used on water searches.

This is a terrific and interesting series. It can be read as a standalone, but as typical with a series it is nicer to read them in order. I think I may have missed one or more, but the usual characters were familiar. Lots of new, temporary people to track. Not my favorite, but still quite enjoyable.

This book is an action-packed mystery that is full of suspense. There were a couple places I skipped reading; I can't stand reading anything about an animal being abused. If you enjoy reading a good K-9 unit story with mystery and suspense you will enjoy this book and the entire series.
I received a complimentary copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A tense and engaging read. I loved the setting, similar to a locked room mystery, with many plausible suspects. It's always interesting learning more about SAR dogs, their abilities and how they work with their handlers. I really like the characters and the writing style makes you feel like you're there with them. Aside from one unsettling scene, I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to Meg and Hawk's next adventure.
Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.

I couldn't get into this. Both the dialogue and descriptions are so long-winded that it makes it slow going and I constantly found my attention wandering off. I did find the dog work interesting but not enough to keep me engaged. I ended up giving up so won't be reviewing anywhere else as i DNF.

FBI Agent Megan Jennings and her K-9 partner, Hawk, are attending a water search training weekend where they are not only training, but they are also in a contest with other law enforcement personnel and their K-9 counterparts. While Hawk is training on the water he detects a body way below the surface of the water. It turns out to be one of the competitors. Meg is a suspect for several reasons. Meg and company will not rest until they find the killer and clear her name. I love the dynamics between Brian and Meg, as well as their K-9 partners, Lacey and Hawk. They have a true friendship and kinship as they work together to solve crimes, and in this case to clear Meg's name. McCord is Meg's brother-in-law and a journalist who has no fear. I love his heart for searching for the truth always without regard for his safety and wellbeing. Then there is Meg's hunky boyfriend, Todd. Todd is a firefighter and a protector, even though Meg thinks she does not need any protection. Meg does not take any crap from anyone. She is super protective of Hawk and all animals. She has no stomach for anyone who mistreats a dog. It is a toss up as to who is smarter of the two, but they play off of each other strengths. This is a good mystery/police procedural. There are some tense scenes that caused me to shiver, and at least one scene that caused me to cry. You do not have to read the entire series, but I highly recommend that you start at #1 and move forward to this book which is #7. If you like reading about K-9 units and how they work, you will like this book and this series.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Still Waters is the seventh novel in the FBI K9 mystery series by Sara Driscoll and I was so into the story I couldn't put it down. All the usual characters are there, but this time Meg, Brian, and their K-9 partners were out in the Minnesota wilderness for training exercises in water searches, but also a search and find race with K-9 units from all across the country. When Hawk, Meg's dog catches an extra scent while out on the lake, they discover one of the participants is found dead at the bottom of the lake. With a crazy complaint lodged against Meg by the victim before her death, Meg finds herself on the hot seat, possibly losing her dog, her job, and being accused of murder. This was a fantastic tense filled story; I totally enjoyed the plot and the characters. Meg is such a strong woman, I love the continuing relationship she has with Todd, her human partner, and her K-9 partner Hawk. It was nice to have the story take place out in the wilderness where we get to see more of the K-9 units in training. Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the chance to read an advance copy.
Trigger warning: abuse to dogs;