Hunting Hour

Deputy Mattie Cobb is more emotionally attached to her K-9 partner, Robo, than she is to anyone or anything else, and it's this attachment that makes them one of the best teams in crime fiction. However, in this third book in Mizushima's riveting series, Mattie is much too emotionally involved to be objective, and readers get to see her coming off the rails in her frenzy to find Cole's daughter.

One of the reasons why Mattie loses her objectivity is because she really doesn't understand mental illness-- one of the issues Mizushima handles so well in Hunting Hour-- and this stresses the importance of proper training for all police officers, not just the four-legged ones.

As in the previous two books, Hunting Hour is a superb look at show more working dogs in a police department, their training, what they're capable of doing, and how those capabilities could expand. The book also has the author's trademark action sequences that keep readers glued to the page, and the rich relationships between the main characters that make them so easy to care about.

Evidently my whodunit radar was in fine fettle when I read this because I spotted the villain immediately. Perhaps it's the work I did in a mental health institution so many years ago. I really don't know. Be that as it may, I enjoyed Hunting Hour, and was happy to see a small hint at the end that leads me to believe that Mattie and Robo could have new challenges in the future. I really think a new direction is needed because the series has been heavy on child jeopardy. After all, Cole's daughters have had more than their share of terror!

If you're a fan of small town Colorado settings, action that gets your adrenaline pumping, solid mysteries, wonderful dogs, and a fine cast of characters, you're in for a treat with Margaret Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 series. Start at the beginning with Killing Trail! show less

This review originally appeared on my blog at www.gimmethatbook.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for a review!

Hunting Hour has the best of both worlds for me; a murder mystery plus a lot of canine activity. Not sure how I managed to miss this series, but I’m glad NetGalley decided to recommend it to me.

This book is number three in a series, which means that there are things alluded to from the first two books in order to flesh out the backstory. These flashbacks piqued my interest and I am going back to read the other books in the series, if only to see how Mattie was doing mentally before the history with her father came to light.

The author is brilliant, painting Mattie’s K9 partner as the only show more trustworthy companion she has. Despite her emotional issues, Mattie is a great cop. Some of her demons move to the forefront during this investigation, and she struggles to stay neutral and weigh all the evidence equally. Letting your personal history color your opinions is something that many people experience, and I found it refreshing that the story took this turn. Mattie truly wants to do the best she can for the victims, yet she can be blinded by personal issues. The other members of the police department understand what she is going through and are appropriately sympathetic.

There isn’t a lot of rollicking “cop talk” as you would find in a John Sandford book, but the action and suspense held my interest. The author threw in the required red herrings, but to my surprise, I managed to guess who the perpetrator was fairly early in the book. I had a strong suspicion, and was satisfied when it turned out to be who I suspected.

I absolutely loved that one of the main characters was a veterinarian! The animal medicine was true to life, not too gory, and added another dimension to the plot that was refreshing. The romance was part of the backstory, but kept at an acceptable level. (I’m not a fan of mixing mysteries and relationships.)

The inclusion of the animals makes this series stand out. Dogs are the best companions ever, and the human – animal bond shines through on nearly every page. Mizushima’s description of Robo’s facial expressions are perfect! I didn’t know what to expect, as some animal mysteries are written awkwardly; but there was nothing awkward about this one. I felt fully invested in the characters, the dialogue was smooth, and there were no gaping holes in the plot to make me cringe.

Hunting Hour was a great way to spend a few hours, and I look forward to the next adventure of Mattie and Robo. show less

4.5 stars.

In Hunting Hour, the discovery of a missing teen's lifeless body has a rather profound effect on K-9 handler Deputy Mattie Cobb. Although this latest release is the third installment in Margaret Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series, it can easily be read as a standalone (but I highly recommend the entire series).

Mattie is still trying to work through the deep-seated and extremely troubling issues from her highly dysfunctional and abusive childhood when her search for missing thirteen year old Candace Banks ends in tragedy. The subsequent investigation uncovers startling information that makes Mattie suspicious that the girl's father, Burt, might have been molesting his daughter. Although there is no evidence to show more substantiate her theory, inconsistencies in his alibi definitely make him a person of interest in the case. The investigation into Candace's death is barely underway when Mattie's friend, local veterinarian Cole Walker's youngest daughter is kidnapped.  Certain the two cases are linked, Mattie, Chief Deputy Ken Brody and Detective Stella LoSasso begin a frantic search to locate eight year old Sophie before it is too late.

In recent months, Mattie has distanced herself from Cole, his daughters and her co-workers as she undergoes therapy in an effort to come to terms with her traumatic past. With these terrible memories fresh in her mind, she is exhausted and emotionally battered as she and her canine partner Robo begin searching for Candace. After finding the young girl's body, Mattie and the team soon discover somewhat unsavory and very unexpected information about the young teenager and Mattie's childhood experiences lead her to a very troubling conclusion. Since Stella is the only person with any knowledge of the demons that are haunting Mattie, she gently, but diligently, cautions her to try not to let her past cloud her judgment and maintain her focus on the evidence they are uncovering.

Despite Mattie's unsettling suspicions, there are other viable suspects who have valid reasons for harming Candace. Several members of the high school football team are brought in for questioning but is one of the young men Candace's killer? After Sophie's disappearance, suspicion then falls on Gus Tilley, one of Cole's clients whose out of character behavior in recent days moves him to the top of the suspect list. Mattie and the rest of the Sheriff's office are also frantically searching for a recently paroled pedophile who has been spotted in Timber Creek, but their efforts have thus far yielded few results.

With an engrossing storyline and an intriguing mystery to solve, Hunting Hour is a riveting police procedural that is incredibly suspenseful. Mattie is a deeply flawed yet immensely appealing protagonist who is gradually making progress with coming to terms with her past. Cole is a wonderful possible love interest but he is also carrying emotional baggage that leaves Mattie doubtful he is ready for a new relationship. The investigation into Candace's death and Sophie's disappearance is fast-paced and without a discernible motive for either crime, Mattie, Robo and the Sheriff's department are faced with an almost daunting task as they ramp up their search for answers. Margaret Mizushima continues to keep the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series fresh with the addition of new characters, evolving relationships between Mattie and her co-workers and perplexing mysteries. This newest addition to this phenomenal series is sure to be a hit with loyal followers and readers who are just now discovering this fantastic crime fighting duo. show less

Do I feel bad for Cole in this story? Yes. Does he absolutely need to get a hold of himself and stop interfering with potential suspects and police procedure? Also yes.

Do I feel bad for Mattie in this story? Actually, I feel kind of angry at her for not realizing (or listening to people who have realized) that she is too emotionally involved. Brody had to sit out parts of the previous investigation when he was emotionally involved, but Mattie doesn't?

I'm still going to keep reading the series, but those two characters threw me off kilter in this book.

Hunting Hour is the 3rd book in the Timber Creek K-9 series. This series is one of my favorites! I like the characters, the setting and the suspenseful plots.

This time, Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner, Robo are searching for a missing teenager. When they discover her body behind the high school, the case quickly becomes complicated. It only gets worse. Another girl disappears, and this time it's Sophie Walker, daughter of the local vet. As they investigate and search for the missing little girl, the case gets even more confusing and strange. But Mattie is determined to find Sophie before her kidnapper kills her.

This story was so engrossing and suspenseful! Lots of suspects, investigation and action going on. Mattie is a great show more main character. She is intelligent and very good at her job. She handles Robo quite well, and they both worked hard to solve this case. There is some significant character development in this book. I'm enjoying the progression of the characters and their relationships, as well as Robo's continued growth as a police dog.

I listened to the audio book version of this story. The audio is just shy of 10 hours long and is narrated by Nancy Wu. Wu reads at a nice pace and does a great acting job, as usual. A very entertaining listening experience!

I'm definitely continuing to read this series. It has quickly become a favorite! Just one more book to read, Burning Ridge, before I get to read my review copy of the newest book....Tracking Game! show less

Timber Creek K-9 Robo is amazing and due some real Lassie worship! This is my first reading of Margaret Mizushima's K-9 mysteries of which "Killing Trail" and "Stalking Ground" are also a part of this series. Had no trouble following Hunting Hour even without first reading the other two. Hunting is what Robo and his handler Mattie Cobb do best as part of the local law enforcement team. Many bumps in the road are hit in this novel whose ball rolls down the hill at an amazing page turning rate. Modern issues of elderly care, teen drug and sex secrets and the need of counseling for life's challenges are all glimpsed. Murder investigation leads into another abduction and tests the skills of Robo and Mattie. Many twists and turns made this a show more mystery to enjoy along with hints of romance. "A copy of this book was provided to me by Crooked Lane Books and author via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read and my comments here are my honest opinion." show less

I've been wanting to read the books in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series for a while now and when I got the chance to read this book did I go for it. I love reading books about cops or ex-military that has a K-9 as a partner and I was looking forward to seeing how this book would turn out.

I have to admit that the book was harder to get into than I thought it would be. For some reason, neither the story nor the characters clicked for me and I struggled with the book. Not that it was a bad book, more like I couldn't find myself completely liking it. Mattie Cobb never came alive for me, and I wasn't interested in her childhood traumas. To have a psychological damaged main female character has become very common, and unless the character show more in any way comes more than a stereotype then it's pretty hard to muster any energy to like here. And, her "relationship" with Cole Walker also was an aspect that just didn't work for me. And, finding myself quite uninterested in the characters made it harder to enjoy reading the book.

Now, the book becomes better towards the end of the book, the story picked up and made my interest grew as I was curious to learn who was behind the killing and later the kidnapping of another young girl. I just want to say one crucial thing about the story, or rather the blurb. It gives away TOO MUCH of the story. I've seen this too often, especially when it comes to thrillers and crime novels. This damages often the enjoyment of reading a book too much. Takes away surprises and to be honest, I will try to avoid books in the future that gives away too much of the story. I don't want to know!

Hunting Hour was not a strong book. However, I do want to read the previous two books to see if they will work better for me.

2.5 stars

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! show less