Reviews

The Keepers: A Mace Reid K-9 Mystery by Jeffrey B. Burton

cyireadbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

Mason (Mace) Reid is back again with his team of Human Remains Detection (HRD) dogs. This time, Mace and his partner, Kippy Gimm must prove that there is police and government corruption at the highest level. But can they do it? They are being framed for several murders and are on the run.

One thing going for Mace and Kippy is Vira’s special ability to sniff out DNA and determine the culprits. At least Mace and Kippy know the “who” in the “whodunnit.” But now they must connect all the dots and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that government officials, the police department, and the mob are all in cahoots and that they are the real perpetrators in the ghastly murders

The Keepers is the second installment of the Mace Reid series and it did not disappoint. Although the plot didn’t really involve human remains detection, it was still an interesting read with some twists.

The characters are mostly carryovers from Burton’s first installment, The Finders. So in order to get the full flavor of the main actors, it is best that the reader start with the first novel in the series.

Although I liked the government corruption angle of the story, I would have preferred that the plot involve more of the dogs’ abilities and human remains detection to determine the perpetrators.

Overall, a pretty exciting novel but I didn’t find it as good as Burton’s first — The Finders. Four rousing stars.

I received a digital ARC from Minotaur Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

alittlediamond's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

4.5

I really want to be a cadaver dog handler. I love this series. 

annieb123's review against another edition

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5.0

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Keepers is the second book in the procedural K-9 mystery series by Jeffrey B. Burton. Released 29th June 2021 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

Although it's a sequel, it works perfectly well as a standalone. It's filled with taut and well written action and the author can really produce superbly choreographed fight scenes. This is a book for readers who enjoy modern police procedurals with solid plotting and appealing *wholesome* characters. It's basically a buddy cop novel where the smart cop has 4 legs and fur and her lovable sidekick is a human.

There is Chicago crime and corrupt cops & politics aplenty and several evolving plot threads which entwine ever closer throughout toward an exciting denouement and satisfying resolution. The language is rough in places and there is more than a little physical violence. There is no graphic sexual content.

I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading more.

Five stars. Heartily recommended for fans of modern procedurals, American crime, action crime (sure to be a major motion picture coming to a theater soon).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

arian_dragonelf's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75


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kbranfield's review against another edition

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4.0

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton is a clever mystery. Although this newest release is the second book in the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone.

Mace Reid and his cadaver dogs work with the Chicago Police Department when they need assistance locating deceased persons. His dog Vira is still in training but she has proven very useful in identifying suspect. Mace and Officer Kippy Gimm are a formidable team and they are working on a few different cases. The first time Mace is called out is to find remains in a burned-out warehouse. There is one deceased person, John Averback, and the evidence points to murder. Reid and Vira are next assisting Kippy on the murder of local singer/songwriter Jonny Whiting. Kippy hopes Vira’s special skill will help identify Jonny’s killer. The third case hits a little close to the CPD home when Special Prosecutor Peter Feist fails to return home following an after-hours meeting.  Everyone’s worst fears are realized when Vira discovers his body and there is no question he has been murdered.  After Kippy and Mace attract unwanted attention, they are soon embroiled in a hurried attempt to stay one step ahead of the people who are determined to silence them once and for all.

Mace has finally recovered from the shocking demise of his marriage. Now he is finished mourning his divorce, he protects himself from getting hurt again. Staying focused on training his pack of dogs, he welcomes the call from the CPD to check the warehouse for victims. Mace is also eager to help Kippy when she asks him to join her at the scene of Jonny’s murder. There is no need for a cadaver dog but Kippy has her reasons for Mace and Vira to walk through the dead rock star’s home.

The case that puts Mace, Kippy and Kippy’s partner Officer Dave Wabiszewski under the microscope is the one involving State Attorney Peter Fiest. His murder is brutal and at first, there is little evidence that points to any suspects.  But Mace has a secret weapon that puts him, Kippy and Dave on the right track. They walk right into a viper’s nest of corruption that is even more dangerous than they suspect. It will take all of their combined wits to escape an increasingly threatening situation.

The Keepers is an intriguing mystery that is quite engrossing. Mace and dogs are quite appealing throughout the story. Kippy is an ambitious police officer who would like to move up the career ladder. But she relies on her track record and strong work ethic for a promotion. The various cases are interesting and Jeffrey B. Burton brings this outstanding mystery to a very thrilling conclusion. Old and new fans are sure to love this newest installment in the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series.

lizslibrary0915's review against another edition

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5.0

Book Review: The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Published: 6/21/21

Summary: Jeffrey B Burton’s The Keepers is the next installment of the Mace Reid K9 series, featuring golden retriever cadaver dog Vira and her handler, Mason Reid. Mason “Mace” Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and specializes in human remains detection - that is, he trains dogs to hunt for dead bodies. He calls his pack of cadaver dogs The Finders, and his prize pupil is a golden retriever named Vira. When Mace Reid and Vira are called in to search Washington Park at three o’clock in the morning, what they find has them running for their very lives. The trail of murder and mayhem Mace and CPD Officer Kippy Gimm have been following leads them to uncover treachery and corruption at the highest level, and their discoveries do not bode well for them...nor for the Windy City itself. The Keepers is an exciting, fast-paced mystery filled with courageous dogs you’ll want to root for.

Review: I am going to start off by saying reading a book that is set around Chicago is extra exciting for me as I actually know most of the places they are talking about in this book. With that said, I am so glad that I picked up this book soon after it was released. It had the same amount of mystery and intrigue that the first book in the series did. I really enjoyed reading this book and following Vira and Mace through the mystery. Vira is an exceptional dog and I love how faithful she is to Mace. I also love that Mace calls the dogs his “kids” as that is how I see my dog and cats as well. If you loved The Finders, you will definitely love this book as well!

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kle105's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed the first book in this series. With Vira the human remains detection dog and her handler Mace helped Officer Kippy catch a serial killer. In this story there is a string of murders and Vira is picking up a scent. They find themselves on the run when the murderer points the clues in their direction.

While they are on the run they are chasing clues. Learning just how far the corruption goes.

The beginning of this story was very confusing and a lot of characters were introduced that I lost focused many times. The second half of the book does pick up and the ending was intense and I loved it. While it didn't wow me as much as the first book it was still an intense ride.

I received an ARC for review, all opinions are my own and given freely.

megs2kool's review against another edition

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4.0

Mace, the main character, is a bit of a bumbling goof who gets himself into life or death situations because of his job being a cadaver dog leader. His dogs, thank goodness, are much more adept than he is and always help him out. This was a light read, except for near the end - any sort of dog injury makes me cringe. Overall, a good book, and I look forward to the author hopefully continuing this series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

readinggrrl's review against another edition

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4.0

Thank you to Netgalley & St Martin Press for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the first book in this series and while I liked this one I struggled with the beginning. I don't know if it was that there were too many characters or what but I felt a little lost. Things quickly fell into place and we were off with Mace and his trusty dog Vira by his side.

Mace is a well developed character and I really enjoy relationship with Kippy as they try to maintain a "just friends" distance. Even the dogs have personalities that are well established. They aren't just a novelty they are actual characters in the book and storyline. Vira has a strange ability to know sniff out the killer of whatever crime scene she is on. Trained as a cadaver dog she not only finds the bodies but she can also alert Mace and company to the killer even days later. Its a bit unnerving and a little spooky but Vira hasn't been wrong yet. However when Vira identifies this killer it brings them to the attention of people they would rather not know about Vira's ability and it puts them in danger. Not to mention how do you explain that the dog identified the killer?

This is a unique and fast paced mystery. Its always fun when you get to cheer for the animals instead of the humans. The characters are well developed and the mystery keeps things moving quickly.

tboofy's review against another edition

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4.0

Another enjoyable book on this series. Maybe not as good as the first but still an excellent book.