onanotherplanet's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
catiandrah's review against another edition
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️
A solid 3-star book. The author's writing is improving with each book. The action scenes and the scenes with Robo are quite good. The only thing that doesn't ring true currently is the characterisation of the main characters in the book. No-one truly acts like a real person, but more a caricature of how the author thinks a real person would act. For example, the 9-year-old girl acts like a much younger child, and the teenager's personality is very flat. The love interest Cole is just a little too perfect. Oh! I realised what it is, it feels a little too uncanny valley; like the characters are extremely realistic robots that are acting in a way that an AI was programmed to make them act. Regardless, I do enjoy these books. And like I said earlier, each one improves on the last, which is all you can really ask from a new author.
A solid 3-star book. The author's writing is improving with each book. The action scenes and the scenes with Robo are quite good. The only thing that doesn't ring true currently is the characterisation of the main characters in the book. No-one truly acts like a real person, but more a caricature of how the author thinks a real person would act. For example, the 9-year-old girl acts like a much younger child, and the teenager's personality is very flat. The love interest Cole is just a little too perfect. Oh! I realised what it is, it feels a little too uncanny valley; like the characters are extremely realistic robots that are acting in a way that an AI was programmed to make them act. Regardless, I do enjoy these books. And like I said earlier, each one improves on the last, which is all you can really ask from a new author.
sailaranel's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Good story, interesting to read. Similar to the previous book in this series I read, the interaction between handler and dog pulled me out the story at times, being overly familiar with a working dog while working, and having very basic "calls" which could easily be used by the "bad guys" was distracting. But other than that, it's a good story
gothicvamperstein's review against another edition
5.0
As I'm a huge German Shepherd lover, I couldn't resist this crime novel. I wish Robo was real, so I could give him some cuddles and treats.
Alright, jokes aside, I really liked this novel, not only because of Robo and the other animals. The plot has several twists and turns in addition to a nice pace which made it more interesting. I also liked several of the characters, such as Mattie and Cole, which were well developed and the setting of a smallish town in Colorado.
Additional stuff that made the book interesting was the topics of wildlife trafficking, child abuse and trauma.
In general I want to read more books in this series.
Alright, jokes aside, I really liked this novel, not only because of Robo and the other animals. The plot has several twists and turns in addition to a nice pace which made it more interesting. I also liked several of the characters, such as Mattie and Cole, which were well developed and the setting of a smallish town in Colorado.
Additional stuff that made the book interesting was the topics of wildlife trafficking, child abuse and trauma.
In general I want to read more books in this series.
ladyofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting read. A standalone mystery, you really don’t have to read the rest of the series to get the gist, and it doesn’t give spoilers for the last few books in the series either, or at least not that I noticed. I liked it, overall, especially the dog.
It starts off with a literal bang-romance in the air, when a date is abruptly canceled when an explosion rocks nearby, killing one person…but it wasn’t due to the van exploding, it was two bullets to the chest. CPR definitely wasn’t going to revive that poor fella.
It goes on from there, tracking down who killed them, and there’s lots of hiking, mystery, twists and turns and overall plenty of goodness to be had within these pages. I’m terribly at writing reviews for mystery novels, can you tell? My problem is that I really don’t want to give away all the details, because I like going into mysteries blind with only a few things to guide me into if I want to read this or not. Or I pick the book because of the cover without realizing it’s part of a series. Lol, whoops.
Regardless, I highly recommend this one. It’s good, it’s not too long, and it’s not overly descriptive on either. There’s plenty of action to be had, and the characters are good enough that it almost seems like you’re standing there with them as they’re running for their lives.
4/5 stars.
It starts off with a literal bang-romance in the air, when a date is abruptly canceled when an explosion rocks nearby, killing one person…but it wasn’t due to the van exploding, it was two bullets to the chest. CPR definitely wasn’t going to revive that poor fella.
It goes on from there, tracking down who killed them, and there’s lots of hiking, mystery, twists and turns and overall plenty of goodness to be had within these pages. I’m terribly at writing reviews for mystery novels, can you tell? My problem is that I really don’t want to give away all the details, because I like going into mysteries blind with only a few things to guide me into if I want to read this or not. Or I pick the book because of the cover without realizing it’s part of a series. Lol, whoops.
Regardless, I highly recommend this one. It’s good, it’s not too long, and it’s not overly descriptive on either. There’s plenty of action to be had, and the characters are good enough that it almost seems like you’re standing there with them as they’re running for their lives.
4/5 stars.
klangevin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jeamar82's review against another edition
5.0
I love this series. Definitely one of my favorites. Love the relationship Mattie shares with her K-9 partner Robo.
Very well written and keeps you guessing. Definitely recommend if you love books with police dogs.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy.
Very well written and keeps you guessing. Definitely recommend if you love books with police dogs.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy.
yetanothersusan's review against another edition
4.0
Another wonderful installment in the Timber Creek series featuring Deputy Mattie and her K-9 partner, Robo. This time they aren't even certain what they are actually investigating as the clues don't seem to match. More and more I am enjoying how Ms. Mizushima writes! Several times I had to stop and reread and chuckle at comments regarding Robo. My favorites: "he sniffed the inside panel and then whiffed it again as if checking his work," and "free sniff whenever he walked past a car." I love how these infuse Robo with a rich character and make him a more central part of the story. As has been the case, Mattie's personal storyline has remained a bit lower key than the mystery presented in the book. I hope it steps up a bit in future books, but I did appreciate that Cole has stepped back from his overly possessive nature. Looking forward to the next book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.