Lee Charles Kelley

Jack has a kind of snarky voice that is funny as long as you don't have to live with him in real life. Killer is the kind of tech-savvy mad man you hope gets caught.

A good mystery involving a former detective who is now a dog trainer. A missing young adult, female body found tied under a pier and a serial killer. How are they all connected and is the serial killer responsible for all the murders? Why is the dog Frankie always growling at the FBI agent? Will Jack and Jamie get married without a hitch? The unbelievable scene at the wedding is the only thing that spoils this book for me, other wise a rip-roaring read!

Nice beginning for the series, Jack is a little snarky but his heart is in the right place.

The main character, Jack Field, is a former NY city homicide detective who retired to become a dog trainer in Maine. Naturally he becomes involved when one of his dog-training clients is murdered. The plot is good, the characters are mostly good, although Jack definitely falls into the rather cliched maverick cop category. No matter who he's dealing with, or how reasonable they are, he has to make smart ass comments. At first my response, having seen this so often, is "it must be a guy show more thing. I don't understand." then I think to myself , "oh, yeah, and YOU"RE the one who keeps quoting "it is the duty of every citizen to be subversive" every chance you get, and how is this different?" But I do see a difference in questioning authority, trying to find the truth, and sharing it, with being snarky to everybody.

The book is fascinating in its discussion of dog training. Jack espouses a type of dog training very much out of the mainstream these days. He disagrees that dogs are mostly organized by dominance, instead that packs cooperate to hunt. Playing with them in ways that stimulate their hunting instincts is the best way to keep them interested and trained, and by using happy tones of voice. The author even gives a bibliography in the back, and says that Natural Dog Training by Kevin Behan is the best dog training book ever. (Note: I haven't read that book myself).

Good reading. show less