Hunting the Truth is the second book in Kathleen Donnelly’s National Forest K-9 series. Forester and former marine k-9 handler Maya Thompson is now back home in a small town in the Colorado Rocky Mountains living near her grandfather, the local sheriff. Her mother was murdered when Maya was only 4 and her grandmother perished just a few years ago from the same gun that killed her mother. The CBI was quick to close her mother’s cold case and designate it as a murder/suicide even though years apart. When Maya makes moves to reopen the cases based on DNA testing it rattles someone who is now watching Maya.

As the plot unfolds, Maya and her k-9 Juniper find themselves working with Sheriff Deputy Josh Colton who is also a love interest. When it appears that Maya has become a target, Josh becomes even more involved in her investigation with the goal of protecting her. However, whoever the culprits are seem to stay one step ahead of them both as if they have inside information. This leaves an open ended array of potential suspects.

This is a well written, fast paced mystery set in a picturesque area of the western US. The characters are well drawn and the twists in the plot will keep the reader turning pages to the conclusion. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!.

This is a Romantic Suspense, and this is the second book in the National Forest series. I have read the first book in this series before picking up this book. This book was a little bit slower moving then I normally enjoy, but there was enough going on that I still enjoyed this book. I loved the suspense and mystery in this book. I also loved the characters. I really love a strong female character, and this book had that. Good solid read.

I re-read this book by listening to the audiobook for this book, and I liked the audiobook. I really enjoyed reading this book. I remember parts of this book from when I read this book in 2023, but I picked up on some different things as well. I really enjoyed the crazy suspenseful ride this book took me on. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

Maya Thompson is a law enforcement officer for the Forest Service. She has a K-9 Juniper that works with her. Maya's mother was murdered when she was four years old and she remembers bit and pieces of what happened that night.
Josh Colten is working for the sheriff which is Mayas grandfather. Maya also lost her grandmother a few years ago. Maya sends the gun that was used to kill both women and DNA off to be tested. This seems to stir up a bunch of problems for Maya; someone wants her dead now too.
Wonderful story features the help of the K-9 in solving the crimes happening around the area.

This book was exciting with lots of fast twists and turns. I had a good time listening to this story play out.

Hunting the Truth by Kathleen Donnelly is the second book in her National Forest K-9 series. I’m loving this series. Narrator Hayli Henderson does a fantastic job reading this story. You can distinguish between the characters easily. Maya Thompson a national Forest Service officer with her K-9 partner Juniper. In this book she is looking into the unsolved murder of her mother and grandmother with the help of Deputy Josh Colton. Lots of twists and turns. Not sure who they can trust. With someone trying to kill her, can she survive? Will she finally know what happened to her family? Thank you to #NetGalley, #Harlequin Audio and the author for this arc audio. These thoughts and opinions are mine.

This is my first book by this author. The book was very well written with good action. The mystery and suspense were great! However, this book was very “procedural” for me. The author clearly knows police procedure, and I loved that part. Maya suffers from PTSD from the military, and she’s also a recovering alcoholic. She’s complicated and doesn’t trust easily. I get that. I don’t know if it’s the author’s writing or just Maya as a character, but there needs to be more emotion. I need to feel how Maya feels. She felt emotionless to me. I also felt zero connection between Maya and Josh. Zero. It might have helped to have a few scenes from his POV. This one was just okay for me. I thought the narrator did a decent job bringing this book to life. Huge thanks to Harlequin audio and Netgalley for allowing me to listen and review this book.

Too much and not enough. That's how I felt about Hunting the Truth. The main characters were carrying too much baggage. PTSD, addiction, stalkers, childhood trauma, and even the beloved grandpa in trouble with the law - it really was too much, especially since while these factors should make the main characters sympathetic, they still really weren't very likeable. And I can't tell you why, but I didn't even find the dog that lovable. Highly trained, blah, blah, blah, but still destructive, and how many times does the author have to remind us that the dog's place in the car is separate and that the climate controls are always engaged? I'm not going to share this review on social media because I really can't recommend it. I was bored and annoyed for most of it even though the twist towards the end was satisfying.

Maya Thompson is a National Forest Law Enforcement Officer, also a military veteran differing from PTSD. She has a small cabin in the woods and prefers to be alone. She is accompanied by her K9 Juniper. But, she starts feeling like she is being watched and Juniper starts sending signals that there is indeed someone out there.

This is a mystery thriller with a speck of romance thrown and I thought it was a great listen. The narrator did a wonderful job.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Harlequin Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had the pleasure of receiving an ALC (Advanced Listener Copy) of this audiobook from NetGalley & Hachette Audio and I must say, it was a thrilling experience. The mystery element was captivating, constantly making me question who was behind the crime and who could be trusted.

The character of Maya was particularly compelling. Her struggle with sobriety and the challenges she faces in maintaining it, especially while juggling a high-stress job, were portrayed with raw honesty. This added a layer of depth to her character that I genuinely appreciated.

Josh, the love interest and Maya’s occasional co-worker is also newly sober. Although we don’t delve as deeply into his story, the glimpses we get make him a fitting partner for Maya. Their dynamic was engaging and added a touch of romance amidst the suspense.

The pacing of the story kept me on the edge of my seat, with secrets and lies slowly unravelling. The tension built up perfectly, culminating in a nail-biting climax.

However, the narration was a mixed bag for me. While it wasn’t bad, there were moments when it felt like the narrator was simply reading the text rather than truly performing it. This slightly impacted my overall immersion in the story.

Highly recommended for fans of mystery and suspense.

I'm breaking my cardinal rule about reading a series out of order, but my excuse is going to be the fact that I am being awarded these audio ARC's out of order. What's a girl to do?

So, this is the second book in this series (I guess the next book I'll read is the first book, since I've read #3, and then #2.....) Anyway. In this book K-9 handler Maya Thompson and her dog Juniper are already working for the Forest Service in the small Colorado town and she has met and is in the process of "getting close" with Sheriff's Deputy Josh Colton. Josh is a deputy under Maya's grandfather, who is the Sheriff of their small town.

We learn that Maya's mother was murdered when she was 4 years old and then 20 years later, her grandmother died. It was staged to look like a suicide, yet during the investigation, it was discovered that the same gun was used in both of the deaths- both mother and daughter. Maya and Josh have been looking into the deaths - on the side, and are determined to see if they can re-open these cold cases.

A strange thing occurs when a casual friend of Maya's is murdered and her body is found on federal forest land. When they finally locate the victims apartment and go to investigate - they discover an entire wall of photographs and information detailing every aspect of Maya's life. A multi-jurisdictional and multi-agency task force is needed when prints and DNA come back with one suspect linking everything - the murders in Maya's family and this new murder. The name that comes back is an ex-cop who is wanted for several killings. What in the world does he want with Maya? And how were Maya's mother and grandmother connected?

Once the story gets going, we are on a journey filled with action and twists and turns. In the middle of all of this we get to watch Maya and Juniper continue to try to stay ahead of danger. Juniper is a wonderful secondary character herself. She is definitely a talented working K9, but she also has a funny and unique personality that shows itself throughout the book.

As I mentioned before, there are several twists and turns and one of the twists was a surprise I did not see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on February 4, 2025.

Hunting the Truth by Kathleen Donnelly is a fast-paced thriller with a hint of romance. While the main character, Maya, can be a bit annoying, the story is engaging and keeps you hooked. Juniper is a standout, adding a unique spark to the plot. Overall, it's an enjoyable read with plenty of suspense. 4 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio!

🎧3.5-3.75⭐️

Book 2 in the series

This is my first book which works well as a standalone.

Maya is a Forrest Service law enforcement agent and K-9 handler with Juniper. Maya is also unofficially looking into her mother’s cold case.

I was drawn to this book for the K-9 element it covers this aspect really well as the author is a dog handler.
The story is told in the first person giving a more chatty style which I like. I found that the writing style and dialogue felt a little forced and concentrated on proper use of English rather than how people actually talk which I find conflicts with the chatty style.

I like Maya and her work partner Josh giving a will they won’t they romantic interest thread. Maya is a damaged protagonist from an experiences during her childhood and her Army service. The plot has enough going on to provide interest throughout. There’s also some poor decision making by Maya but if there wasn’t the story would be less interesting.

I found it easy entertaining listening, with no bad language or sex scenes which makes it suitable for a wide audience.

Though a stand alone, the audiobook and/or the ebook follows the story in 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.
The narrator, Hayli Henderson brought the story to life.
Looking forward to the next story of the series.
I was entrusted a copy of this audiobook by Netgalley and Harlequin Audio. The opinions expressed are solely my own.