(3.5)K9's always intrigue me. Maya has had a pretty horrific past and steal keeps walking the walk. She lost her mom, her grandma and her Pops (grandfather) the Sheriff looks like will be hauled to task for trying to provide dignity to an disgraced ex cop. A lot is going on, main plot and a minor plot. For all that it moved slow to me. Josh is a deputy and friend. Maya,ex-military now with the K-9 Forest Ranger is intelligent and focused. So why dragging her feet by not giving Juniper (K9) his due? One of the plot twists I figured out in the beginning, first time on the page. Then the perp, not the red herring, I knew. That's ok, I just needed it to deliver as it played out. This is book 2 and everyone said it could be read as a stand alone. I kept feeling like I was missing something but hey that's me I am intrigued enough to want to read book 3, I have questions and want answers :) Thank you for the arc. I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions. #HuntingTheTruth #NationalForest K-9 #KathleenDonnelly #CarinaPress #NetGalley

I read this second novel in the National Forest K-9 series as a download from Net Galley. I am a big fan of K-9 series and have not been disappointed by Donnelly's characters, especially Maya Thompson, the main protagonist, and Juniper, the headstrong Malinois. The two plunge into danger while trying to solve the mystery of who murdered Maya's mother and grandmother and why they were killed. Add the growing romantic relationship between Maya and her friend Josh and we have all the makings of an excellent series. I'll be looking forward to book 3, Killer Secrets, which is due in March 2024.

DNF at 56%. Actually the story was great, but this was no romance book. I mean it had some longing looks, but that was it. I was in 2/3 before I realized it was part of a serial story and I didn’t read the first book.

This book had me hooked from the opening chapter. So much in this book is differentiating between who is the good guy and who really is the bad guy. Maya's background is tragic, having both her mother and Nana murdered at two different time; the first one, her mother, which she witnessed when she was 4 years old and her Nana many years later. Both cases were unresolved although many had their own assumptions of what truly happened. Ever since her Nana's murder though, Maya, a military K-9 officer veteran with PTSD, came back to live at home as the city life was too much for her. She got a job as a K-9 Forest Preserve Officer and was truly enjoying it, and using this avenue as a way to look into her family's unsolved cases. With new DNA evidence and recent events happening to Maya, the story takes many many turns that you will be anxious to find out how it all comes together!! I love stories that have K-9 characters that help solve cases etc. and reading about how they work and what the officers have to do in order to train them to be as successful as they are. Kathleen did a great job showing well researched in the professions and how they operate etc. Incorporating her PTSD from her time served in Iraq. The story starts with a strong friendship with Deputy Officer, Josh Colten. From how he is described, he is pictured very handsome and quite popular with the single ladies. But throughout the story, you know he only has eyes for her, and his loyalty and respect for Maya is commendable and admirable, and just has you rooting for both of them. He was determined to help her solve these cases. So many twists and turns.....they book will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and reading so fast to find out what happens next!!

To me this is 4.5 stars.....clean romance, clean language, and everything flowed very well. You can feel all the emotions with each character and the passion that Maya and Josh have for each other. I only doc a star because I would've loved more of an epilogue/conclusion on Maya and Josh's relationship in the future, whether several months down the road or even a year or two. With all that said -- HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for the ARC copy of the book!

This was another really good read in the series. A good mystery until the very end! Highly recommend the read😊

Maya Thompson is a former marine and K-9 handler. After she lost her military K-9, she never wanted to be a dog handler again. She returned home to Colorado and became an officer for the US Forest Service and now is paired with her K-9, Juniper.

Sheriff Deputy Josh Colten is becoming a very close friend to Maya. Could there be something more between them? Maya hasn’t decided her feelings for Josh yet and there is much to consider.

Maya’s mother was killed when she was just a little girl. Her grandparents raised her, but her grandmother tragically died when Maya was leaving the military. Now, new clues have come to light that cannot be ignored. Maya is ordered away from the case, but will she be able to distance herself?

Her mother’s killer thinks Maya has something they want. She will have to discover hidden memories to get to the bottom of this case and discover the truth.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Maya Thompson, Forest Service law enforcement officer and K-9 handler opens a cold case on her mother when new DNA evidence surfaces. Maya was four years old when her mother was killed and the details were suppressed in her mind by the trauma. Maya has always wondered exactly what happened that night and the flashbacks and unexplained comments haunt her.
In a story full of mystery and intrigue, you will be engrossed to the very end!

"Hunting the Truth" is a K9 mystery. It's the second book in a series, and it spoiled events in the previous book. It can be read as a standalone, but I wonder if I might have understood the "romance" better if I'd read the first story. Maya's relationship with Josh seemed more like a physical attraction than a true friendship on her part. She's not very nice to the guy. They didn't even work well together because she didn't work well with anyone. Maya just did whatever she wanted, even when she knew it'd worry or emotionally hurt those she supposedly loved and even if it went against the rules or an order. She's so emotionally distant from everyone--even her K9--that I had a hard time relating to her.

She just recently started working with her K9, and the dog clearly didn't respect Maya. The dog did whatever she wanted, and Maya was gratified when that happened to be what Maya wanted, too. Maya was clearly not the one in charge as she kept doing things to "make up" to the sulking dog. Maya thought that she trusted her dog, but the dog tried to alert her to things on several occasions and Maya just dismissed it. So they didn't have much of a bond or a good working relationship even if the dog was good at what she was trained to do.

The mystery had some twists and turns. Maya's mother had something that several people wanted. When Maya reopened her mother's murder case, those people assumed she'd found evidence against them and came to stop her. The suspense stayed fairly high as repeated attempts were made to kill Maya. Maya used her dog to find evidence, track scent trails, and bite bad guys. She got the bad guys to confess, but even so, some parts didn't really make sense to me.

Maya came across as competent when she was finding and disabling booby-traps on hiking trails (as a part of her normal job). When trying to solve the murder case, though, she came across as so very unprofessional that I can't believe she still has a job. She's been sober for several months, so there was no drinking in this story. There was no sex. There was some bad language. Overall, this book didn't engage me, but K9 mystery fans might be interested in it.

Though a stand alone, this book follows the story of book 1 in which we were introduced to the main characters and were left with some questions unanswered.
We are back in Colorado where Maya Thompson has returned after spending time in Afghanistan as a Marine MP K-9 handler. Her time there left her with PTSD as well as a recovering alcoholic. She’s determined not only to do well her work with the Forest Service law enforcement agency , but also find out who killer her mother 20 plus years ago, and more recently, her grandmother’s death .
After losing her K-9 in Afghanistan, she’s now working with Jupiter, the K-9 that once was handled by her now deceased friend.
Meanwhile, her friendship with deputy sheriff has deepened though she still doesn’t trust herself. Meanwhile, her relationship with Pops , her grandfather and local sheriff, though still fragile, is being mended.
That said, the danger continues to surround her as she gets closer to finding out who is responsible for the murders and attempts to her life.
The plot filled with whodunit and danger was engaging, though at times it seemed to drag and I have to confess I skipped a few pages. That said, my favorite part was how perfect the characters were because of their imperfections and struggles. All this making them more real. The story was also educational as we get to learn about K-9s and their handler’s interaction and work.
In the end , we get some questions answered. That said, though not truly a cliffhanger, some questions are left unsolved.
Looking forward to the next story of the series.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Hunting the Truth by Kathleen Donnelly was hard for me to read because of the stilted writing. I did like the story and characters and of course the K-9 Juniper and Maya Thompson. I would definitely try another book by this author because of that.

I didn't enjoy this as much as the first in the series--this story seemed to drag at times, but it did wrap up the storyline with Maya's Nana and mother. Going forward, I'm interested to see how it distinguishes itself from the other K-9 mystery series that are its natural competitors

Thanks to Carina Press for access to a digital ARC on NetGalley.

Enjoyable murder mystery – the dynamics between Maya and Josh are intriguing. Maya’s K-9 partner, Juniper, is absolutely adorable! I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.

New author for me, but I will look for more books by her. Maya and her K-9 Juniper were good for each other. She had lost one dog to an IED and she was working with Juniper every day. Josh was in her grandfather's police force but they were attracted to each other. Her mother and grandmother had been killed and it had been ruled a murder/suicide even though they were 2 decades apart. When she started investigating, she felt like someone was watching her. They were but not to harm her. The investigation gets bigger and some cops from Montana come in to help and then things get worse. She is told to back off, but of course, she didn't. I was surprised how the investigation turned out, but Maya was strong and determined to clear her family

I got this book from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Hunting the Truth was heart-stopping from the very beginning, Maya and her K-9 partner, Juniper, work on the cold cases of her mother’s and grandmother’s deaths when a new murder occurs. Evidence linking the cold cases together along with the newest murder puts everyone on edge. There were several twists and turns I didn’t see coming but a couple where I had my suspicions. I had a hard time putting this book down what with the action and suspense throughout. I highly recommend this book. Although not necessary, it is helpful to read the first book in the series, Chasing Justice, which is another fantastic story!

This book is exciting and fast-paced with plenty of twists to keep me guessing! I was captivated! I love the characters - Maya, Josh, and Pops, and especially Juniper. The story was complex, and the various issues facing the characters as they worked to solve the mystery added depth to the story. I was hooked from the first page. I look forward to the next book!