Mattie Wray is just a week away from her wedding when she and her German Shepherd, Robo, are called away from Colorado on a search and rescue mission on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. The young son of a famous movie star who is filming in the Pacific Northwest rainforest has gone missing, and Robo's unique skills are needed to help find the boy. Mattie and Robo travel from Colorado in the midst of a snowstorm, leaving final wedding planning in the hands of her fiancé, veterinarian Cole Walker, his daughters, and their trusted housekeeper.


When she arrives in Washington, exhausted from her travels, she finds a remote filming site in the midst of a rainforest. The missing boy, named River, walked away from his trailer when no one was watching him and hasn't been seen for nearly 24 hours. The densely forested area surrounding the site is about as inhospitable as possible, especially with the constant rain and cold, making any kind of search extremely difficult and dangerous. There are other K9 units included in the search, but none with the combination of tracking skills that the team of Robo and Mattie have developed. In these conditions, even Robo is challenged to the point that Mattie is not sure he can work effectively.


Mizushima evokes the rainforest environment so well that I sometimes felt I was in the incredibly cold, dense, and wet setting rather than nice and warm in my own desert home. Mattie struggles with the change from the dry mountains of Colorado as well, with Robo being the only one to take the rainforest in stride. As the two searchers, human and K9, move through the forest in a desperate attempt to find River before he succumbs to the environment, Mattie and local law enforcement officials are increasingly concerned that River's disappearance was no accident.


When another search dog becomes sick, Mattie reaches out to her fiancé for guidance. Cole is happy to help by phone, but he feels the call to join Mattie in the search as well as to support the dogs involved. His arrival at the filming site which has been transformed into a command center for the search helps Mattie, Robo, and others. It also provides an opportunity for Mizushima to further develop the characters of Mattie and Cole, as well as other key players. Although this is the 9th book in the series, character development is strong and does not rely upon the reader having a previous connection with the Colorado contingent. This book works as a standalone and could easily provide an entry point to the series.


While Mattie and Robo take center stage throughout the straight-line narrative of the book, the underlying mystery is complex. Many issues are raised and dealt with, adding depth and interest to the book. I was anxious as the action kept me fully engaged in the book, waiting for the twist that so many mysteries rely upon to provide resolution. However, Mizushima plays fair with her readers. As the conclusion is reached, it makes perfect sense given the information the author has provided throughout the story and, as such, I found it compelling and satisfying.


From GATHERING MIST, as from the other books in the series, the reader has the opportunity to learn a great deal about the use of dogs for search and rescue. While this book is by no means a cozy mystery, many of the characters have an essentially good core, making them sympathetic (including, of course, the dogs). I liked being in Mattie and Robo's company and look forward to meeting up again with them in book #10.

This was a highly engaging read. Although part of a series (I believe?) I was easily able to understand the character dynamics and plot. The characters were well rounded, realistic, and highly relatable. The suspense in the novel was also well done - edge of your seat without being cheesy. I will seek out more to read by this author, and will likely get a physical copy in the future.

Book #9 in the excellent K9 mysteries series. The character development and their back stories continue as the SAR team is deployed to find a missing child. What looks like a simple, straight forward SAR will become much more when the investigation turns up evidence of a kidnapping and prior disappearances. When one of working dogs is poisoned, the team becomes focused on a local suspect. The clues come fast and the twists add to the mystery until the reveal brings a huge surprise. I really love this series.

Deputy Mattie Wray is one week away from her wedding to veterinarian Cole Walker when she and her K9 Robo are sent on a mission to locate a missing boy. The boy is the son of a famous actress and they contend with not only the media presence, but also with the brutal weather conditions. Did the young boy wander into the woods, or was he kidnapped? If so, who would have been able to take him just at a time when he was not protected? Was it someone who was able to blend in with the film crew or a set up to promote the film? Resources are stretched thin as some of the searchers and dogs suffer from an unknown illness. Mattie continues to search on her own with Robo and finds two possible clues that might mean that she is in the right area. When she uncovers an area that appears to include long buried bodies, the seriousness of her mission becomes even more urgent. Meanwhile, Cole is worried about Mattie and has decided to join the group and is able to help care for the search dogs. It’s best not to discount Mattie and Robo’s determination to find the boy and bring him safely home. Loved the thrilling ending! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

An exciting and interesting addition to a terrific series. It will keep you guessing. Several surprises and tense moments throughout. The author is so wonderful at her description that I felt damp while reading about the search. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

It might be only a week before their wedding. but Mattie and Cole along with Robo are looking for missing children. It's not an easy hunt. especially since a villain is also targeting search and rescue dogs. This series just keeps getting better. It's tautly written with good characters and plots that are both twisty and topical. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier ones as this will be fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good atmospherics and storytelling are for a page turning read- and no spoilers from me.

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.

4.5 hearts

Mattie has continued to develop her professional skills with Robo and widen her personal connections in the Timber Creek K-9 series. In Gathering Mist, the man who originally trained her and Robo asks her to go along to a search for a 9 year old boy in Washington state. The Olympic peninsula has dense forests, chilling rain, and difficult terrain.

It's the week before her wedding to Cole, but Mrs. Gibbs, Angie and Sophie have everything under control. Cole is concerned about her leaving but after she arrives and another K9 is poisoned, he joins her. He has some issues with his mother he tries to smooth before he leaves.

The searching is exhausting and difficult. I really appreciate the details on the dog's work and searching. The locals are sometimes unwilling to have their woods searched on their property. Mattie senses from the beginning it might not be a lost child, but an abducted child. She keeps that in mind as she talks to witnesses and looks for the boy. There have been other lost boys in this area over the years, and when Robo finds the older remains of two boys it takes things up a notch.

The setting was so well developed. Mattie and Cole, her trainer, and his friend who invited them there are such good people. They work so hard and are compassionate for others. The pace is fast with excitement and danger throughout, then we get the wedding at the end. I'm always thrilled to read a new story with Mattie and Robo and hope for many more.

Gathering Mist by Margret Mitzushima follows Deputy Mattie Wray and her K-9 dog Robo in Washington’s Olympic peninsula to search for missing child boy named River.
This book was amazing and I believe all mystery readers will love this book.
Gathering Mist shows us how K-9 dogs and their handlers train and work out on the field in tough circumstances, Margret Mitzushima has definitely done her research. I cannot wait to read more of her other previous books.
The review will be posted on the 7th of October and both Margret and Crooked Lane Books will be tagged in my Instagram post with the handle @melbournereader.
Upon release day I will post a story with the author and publisher tagged in the post and also post my review on my story with a link to amazon for people who are interested in purchasing a copy.

Gathering Mist
Margaret Mizushima
October 08, 2024

In the 9th book of the Timber Creek Mystery series we find Matty and Cole getting ready for their wedding. It’s a week away and yet to be arranged are flowers and a few other items that Angie and Mrs. Gibbs will arrange. In the midst of all the whirlwind, Matty gets a call from Sargent McCoy stating that a boy has wandered away from his mother’s movie set in the wilderness area of Washington. His mother, Crystal Winter is an actress starring in a suspense film. Although her nine year old son, River had a nanny, she was on an errand for Crystal when he was left alone the Winnebago where the family stayed. Due to the notoriety of the woman, there was a need for more search dogs to help locate him. She left Colorado in the throngs of a snow storm and landed in Washington with other law enforcement handlers with their K-9s.
Gathering Mist will be published on October 08, 2024 by Crooked Lane Books of New York. I was able to read Mizushima’s latest K-9 adventure via NetGalley. It was truly a pleasure to read. Since I discovered Margaret Mizushima’s novels, I have been enthralled by this series. This latest really gives readers quite a page turner! It is excellent without reading from book #1, Killing Trail. I was hooked from the beginning. Do enjoy!

This latest installment of Margaret Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 series is a nail-biter. Putting Mattie, Robo, and Cole in the unfamiliar territory of Washington's Olympic Peninsula certainly ratchets the suspense. The mystery is a strong one, too, so strong that I misidentified the bad guy, which doesn't happen often.

But as good as the setting and mystery are, it's the characters that I always come back for in this series, and Gathering Mist is no exception. Of course, there are the wedding and family dynamics to deal with because there just has to be at least one person opposed to Mattie and Cole's wedding, but there's always more.

Mattie and Cole's relationship and the relationships between Mattie and Cole's daughters and their indispensable housekeeper are very important, but I'm always drawn first to Mattie's relationship with Robo. Mizushima does such an excellent job of showing readers what goes into the training of search and rescue dogs and their handlers. Over and over again, this author shows me how indescribably valuable and wonderful these dogs are. But what touches me even more is how the closer Mattie gets to Robo, the harder it is to let him do his job. They get into so many dangerous situations that Mattie is afraid of losing Robo-- and readers certainly can't blame her.

If you enjoy atmospheric, compelling mysteries chockful of wonderful two- and four-legged characters, the Timber Creek K-9 series is one you should read. Due to character development, I would recommend that you begin with the first book, Killing Trail.

I think this is one of my favorites in the whole series. Mattie Cobb and her dog, Robo, are summoned to the scene of a missing child who has vanished into some impenetrable Washington State woods. Even though Mattie's wedding is coming up, she can't refuse to help a missing 9 year old. As usual, her dog Robo's skills are front and center, and Mizushima provides some interesting facts about the way dogs can scent. Robo is trained as an air scent dog, as in, he can follow a scent in the air, not just on the ground. This is especially helpful here as the scene he and Mattie have been called to has been drenched in rain. The search is long, difficult and discouraging, but Mizushima maintains suspense and when Robo does discover a clue or two it makes it even more difficult to put this book down. A wonderful, suspenseful read, ending in a wedding. Perfection!

Mattie is back and wow! She and Robo have a dangerous case and it's one that keeps you guessing. I really enjoyed how involved Cole was in this one. I was glued to the story and read it in one sitting. The suspense will keep you on edge.

Deputy Mattie Wray leaves Colorado to join a search & rescue (SAR) team in Washington’s Olympic peninsula looking for a celebrity’s missing child. Mattie is hesitant to leave Timber Creek a week before her wedding but her K9 Robo's air tracking skills are needed in the dense forest. When one of the SAR dogs becomes ill, Mattie's veterinarian fiancé Cole Walker suspects poison. Fearing for Mattie’s and Robo’s safety, Cole joins the SAR team as veterinary support. When other unsolved missing children cases point towards a serial kidnapper, it becomes a desperate search for the team to find the boy in time.

In this latest installment Mattie and Robo travel to Washington State to help search for a missing child. I was a bit leery about the change of venue since I don’t usually like it when a series changes settings. But in this case the change not only worked but it served to highlight just how good a team Mattie and Robo are. This is a very hard book to put down.

Police Procedural Mystery that features a Colorado sheriff's deputy and her K-9 partner are summoned to Washington's Olympic peninsula for a SAR mission to find a celebrity's missing child.

5/5 stars: This is the ninth entry in Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 series which is a Police Procedural Mystery that features a Colorado sheriff's deputy and her K-9 partner who are summoned to Washington's Olympic peninsula to assist in a search-and-rescue mission to find a celebrity's missing child. When one of the SAR dogs becomes ill, and several wild animals are found dead she consult her veterinarian fiance who suspects poison. After it's discovered that the child was kidnapped not missing she and her team, including her fiance race find the child and uncover who took him before it's too late. With plenty of twists and turns, the Mizushima's write a gripping fast-paced investigative tale that will leave you on the edge of your seat until the final reveal. I really like how the Mizushima's plot unfolds and the deft way everything weaves together so effortlessly. This is a long-time favorite series, mainly because I love how Mizushima writes about patrol and SAR K-9 dogs. Additionally, Mizushima's writing and character work is stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's great to catch back up with Mattie and see her and Cole get married. And I love reading about all the working dogs and their handlers, none more than Mattie's partner, the awesome Robo. Mizushima's touch on some serious topics; so take care and check the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Killing Trail.

I received this eARC thanks to Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat! It's a gripping story about Maggie and Robo searching for a missing child. It's full of drama, suspense and tension. It's well written and holds your attention from the first page until the last. I loved it and highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love the story in this book. It felt very real, Im sure there are real cases like this that have happened. I was very surprised by who the bad person is, I didn’t have a clue. #GatheringMist #NetGalley

Margaret Mizushima's ninth book in the Timber Creek series follows Mattie and her K-9 partner, Robo, searching for a missing child in the mossy woods of Washington. Robo has proven he's one of the best in the game and he and Mattie are called out from time to time for trickier searches. The son of a movie star has disappeared from a movie set and they believe he's wandered into the woods nearby and got lost. Mattie senses right away that things may not be all that they seem. There is a history of missing children in the area and she's afraid this new disappearance is more sinister than first thought to be. She and Robo race to find the child before it's too late.

You can tell right from the beginning that Mizushima has done lots of research into the mechanics of K-9 detectives and it's really fascinating! All the different steps the officers go through to get their dog ready and the training they go through for the dog to differentiate what kind of search they're to be doing is so interesting to read about. And the fact that Robo is named in honor of a real life K-9 is amazing!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

With just days to go before her wedding, Deputy Mattie Wray and her dog Robo are called to Washington to look for a missing nine-year-old. River Allen was there in Washington while his mother starred in a movie. First thoughts are that he wandered off exploring the area as he had done before.

Horrible cold and rainy weather and an untamed forest make the search for the child very difficult. And River isn't the only child who has gone missing in relatively the same area. Two other boys have disappeared over the past few years.

It doesn't take long for Mattie to become suspicious that they are dealing with more than a lost child. The actress's ex is saying that she needs a publicity bump after the failure of her last film and might have staged the child's disappearance.

When another search-and-rescue dog is poisoned, Mattie's fiancé veterinarian Cole flies in to join the party and have Mattie's back. As they search, they find hostile homeowners and helpful ones too, but they don't find any trace of River until another young boy stumbles out of the forest.

This was an exciting story filled with the dangers and difficulties faced by those who do search-and-rescue and the brave, smart dogs who accompany them. I love Mattie's relationship with Robo. I also like her growing relationship with Cole.

This was a great page-turner. I couldn't put it down until I found out what happened.

Intense SAR search in the wilderness amid lurking dangers!

Deputy Mattie Cobb searches for a 9-year-old boy missing in the Washington wilderness. Speculation is he wandered away from the movie set where his actress mom is filming. But soon Mattie and her fellow SAR searchers suspect that the boy hasn’t just wandered off. Heavy rain, challenging terrain, and dense brush push Mattie and her SAR dog Robo to their limits.

During the search, one of the other SAR dogs becomes ill. Cole suspects poison and flies out to assist with his veterinary skills. Did someone abduct the boy? Suspects abound at the movie set and in the nearby town. Mattie and Robo must be at the top of their skills to find the boy before the worst happens! 

It was wonderful to see the development of the family. Mattie is marrying Cole in a week and becoming a stepmom to his 2 girls. The only thorn in their future is a rising tension with a family member over the wedding.

There are great descriptions of how SAR dogs track. And fascinating search techniques for following scent trails while battling the elements. The danger escalates due to the menacing unknown subject who has River Allen. You can feel the relentless rain and urgency of the search. Read Gathering Mist, an excellent fast-paced story, number 9 in the Timber Creek K-9 series! You will enjoy it and become as immersed in Mattie’s world as I am.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the digital review copy.