tayparks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.Burning Ridge by Margaret Mizushima is an intriguing and poignant mystery. Although this newest release is the fourth installment in the phenomenal Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend the entire series.
Veterinarian Cole Walker and his daughters, Angela and Sophie, are enjoying a pleasant outing in Redstone Ridge when they make a grisly discovery: charred human remains. Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo join the search effort to locate the primary crime scene and the remainder of the body. Mattie also notices an anomaly in a meadow which in turn leads to the skeletonized remains of three other victims. The MO in both cases is eerily similar but the two crimes have taken place over twenty years apart. Is it possible the same perpetrator is responsible for both crimes?
Mattie has slowly but surely been working to overcome her troubled past. When she was six years old, her father went to prison and she was abandoned by her mother. She has few recollections of her life with them but after recently reconnecting with her older brother, Willie, some of her repressed memories have surfaced. With her relationship with Willie improving, she has become more open to the two of them meeting. So when Matt's girlfriend, Tamara, calls to let her know that Willie is missing, Mattie is concerned. He is a recovering addict and initially, she is worried he has relapsed. But upon further discussion Tamara, Mattie has reason to believe that there might be a more ominous reason for his disappearance.
Mattie joins Detective Stella LoSasso as she questions possible suspects but the murder investigation remains slow going due to a lack of evidence. Once they have identified the newest victim, the case takes a shocking turn. Mattie is shaken but determined to help solve the murder, but the situation becomes incredibly dangerous as the perpetrator grows more desperate.
Burning Ridge is a fast-paced and engrossing police procedural. Mattie remains an absolutely fascinating protagonist who has grown and changed over the course of the series. Her relationship with Robo is exceptionally heartwarming and she is making progress with her slow-moving romance with Cole. The storyline is very clever and the identity of the perpetrator is truly surprising. With descriptive prose, Margaret Mizushima brings the setting vibrantly to life. Although the mystery is completely wrapped up by the novel's action-packed conclusion, stunning revelations will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series.
Veterinarian Cole Walker and his daughters, Angela and Sophie, are enjoying a pleasant outing in Redstone Ridge when they make a grisly discovery: charred human remains. Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo join the search effort to locate the primary crime scene and the remainder of the body. Mattie also notices an anomaly in a meadow which in turn leads to the skeletonized remains of three other victims. The MO in both cases is eerily similar but the two crimes have taken place over twenty years apart. Is it possible the same perpetrator is responsible for both crimes?
Mattie has slowly but surely been working to overcome her troubled past. When she was six years old, her father went to prison and she was abandoned by her mother. She has few recollections of her life with them but after recently reconnecting with her older brother, Willie, some of her repressed memories have surfaced. With her relationship with Willie improving, she has become more open to the two of them meeting. So when Matt's girlfriend, Tamara, calls to let her know that Willie is missing, Mattie is concerned. He is a recovering addict and initially, she is worried he has relapsed. But upon further discussion Tamara, Mattie has reason to believe that there might be a more ominous reason for his disappearance.
Mattie joins Detective Stella LoSasso as she questions possible suspects but the murder investigation remains slow going due to a lack of evidence. Once they have identified the newest victim, the case takes a shocking turn. Mattie is shaken but determined to help solve the murder, but the situation becomes incredibly dangerous as the perpetrator grows more desperate.
Burning Ridge is a fast-paced and engrossing police procedural. Mattie remains an absolutely fascinating protagonist who has grown and changed over the course of the series. Her relationship with Robo is exceptionally heartwarming and she is making progress with her slow-moving romance with Cole. The storyline is very clever and the identity of the perpetrator is truly surprising. With descriptive prose, Margaret Mizushima brings the setting vibrantly to life. Although the mystery is completely wrapped up by the novel's action-packed conclusion, stunning revelations will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series.
lisaeirene's review against another edition
4.0
Another good book in the series! In the latest installment, Mattie and her K-9 dog, Robo, are on a case when a charred foot in a boot is found in the forest. Robo leads them to uncover a horrific grave--a burned body. And that lead to more graves up in the forest being uncovered. Who are the bodies?
This case uncovers a lot of secrets and shocking things in Mattie's own past that she didn't know. It also brings her closer to Cole, the local veterinarian she's been seeing.
The story is fast-paced and I always love reading about Robo and how he tracks bad guys. I also love the relationship she has with her dog partner. Great read!
This case uncovers a lot of secrets and shocking things in Mattie's own past that she didn't know. It also brings her closer to Cole, the local veterinarian she's been seeing.
The story is fast-paced and I always love reading about Robo and how he tracks bad guys. I also love the relationship she has with her dog partner. Great read!
ollie1976's review against another edition
4.0
Having never read the previous ones in the series....great mystery. More complete review on MyShelf.com
ego8's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a_ab's review
3.0
While better than book 3 in the series, this one is introducing another series problem - too many things are hitting very close to home for the main character - it starts to feel like she is the reason the whole town is messed up. Which is clearly not the case, and is the problem that many detective series face - the tight rope between introducing too many new characters in every book or making the existing cast personally involved in every single crime that happens within the 100 mile radius or lowering the stakes by making the crimes unrelated to the cast community.
My personal preference is for series which lean towards lowering the stakes. This one is so far going for personal involvement in every crime within the 100 mile radius, which is getting a little ridiculous at this point. Especially given the short time between books - several weeks.
The veterinarian's character here is less annoying, but reduced to spouting what sounds like insincere platitudes - better than the insensitive self-serving hypocrite he was in the previous book, but still nothing to write home about. Not surprising that the victim of child abandonment and abuse would be ending up with someone like him, which is a sad fact of life in itself, but it spells nothing good for her future. In that respect the glacial pace of the "romance" and the main cast involvement in crimes in the series is a very good thing - gives me hope that the vet will disappear from the main character's life before things get too far. The author is trying to pass him off as this model caring father and perfect partner material, which is both annoying and icky.
Other than those 2 aspects, this was mostly enjoyable. Still a bit too violent for my liking.
My personal preference is for series which lean towards lowering the stakes. This one is so far going for personal involvement in every crime within the 100 mile radius, which is getting a little ridiculous at this point. Especially given the short time between books - several weeks.
The veterinarian's character here is less annoying, but reduced to spouting what sounds like insincere platitudes - better than the insensitive self-serving hypocrite he was in the previous book, but still nothing to write home about. Not surprising that the victim of child abandonment and abuse would be ending up with someone like him, which is a sad fact of life in itself, but it spells nothing good for her future. In that respect the glacial pace of the "romance" and the main cast involvement in crimes in the series is a very good thing - gives me hope that the vet will disappear from the main character's life before things get too far. The author is trying to pass him off as this model caring father and perfect partner material, which is both annoying and icky.
Other than those 2 aspects, this was mostly enjoyable. Still a bit too violent for my liking.
madiroo91's review
4.0
Another good addition to this series. This time it got personal when Mattie and Robo were the victims!
Finally getting a better look into Mattie's past. This book had a nice twist in it that opened up a whole list of questions! Curious to see what happens in book 5 and if we will finally get answers of what really happened to Mattie when she was a kid.
Finally getting a better look into Mattie's past. This book had a nice twist in it that opened up a whole list of questions! Curious to see what happens in book 5 and if we will finally get answers of what really happened to Mattie when she was a kid.
chuckri's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
sailaranel's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Good story, interesting to read. Some of the elements regarding the interaction with the handler and the canine felt much more like beloved pet then working dog, which threw me off the pace. Outside of that, it's a good story.