annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Finders is the first novel in a new series by Jeffery B. Burton. Released 30th June 2020 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 288 pages and 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a standout murder mystery and truly a must-read for lovers of the animal mystery sub-genre. Protagonist Mace Reid is a dog trainer who specializes in training human remains dogs (cadaver dogs). His newest adoptee ('Vira - short for Elvira) is a golden retriever puppy with a traumatic past who is a natural as a cadaver dog, and just might be a canine Einstein in addition. The plot arc is full of action and the author is adept at moving the narrative along without info dumping. The characters are well delineated and fleshed out. I had no trouble keeping them straight or engaging with them (especially Vira, she's wonderful). The denouement was suitably creepy and engaging (no spoilers).
There is some anthropomorphism, but it's not out of control. Honestly for some readers who love animal mysteries, it will be a plus. I think there are relatively few readers who will be yanked out of the story by that facet of the writing. The dialogue was well rendered and flowed smoothly. I liked Mace Reid, he's a sympathetic (dog-crazy) intelligent protagonist and he works pretty well with law enforcement and the secondary characters in the book. The rendering of some of the minor (antagonist) characters, one in particular, struck me as a bit out there, but the author handled the more extreme plot elements logically and (mostly) believably.
This is a strong series debut and I am eagerly looking forward to future entries. Four strong stars for me, certainly 5 for fans of mysteries featuring dogs.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Finders is the first novel in a new series by Jeffery B. Burton. Released 30th June 2020 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 288 pages and 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a standout murder mystery and truly a must-read for lovers of the animal mystery sub-genre. Protagonist Mace Reid is a dog trainer who specializes in training human remains dogs (cadaver dogs). His newest adoptee ('Vira - short for Elvira) is a golden retriever puppy with a traumatic past who is a natural as a cadaver dog, and just might be a canine Einstein in addition. The plot arc is full of action and the author is adept at moving the narrative along without info dumping. The characters are well delineated and fleshed out. I had no trouble keeping them straight or engaging with them (especially Vira, she's wonderful). The denouement was suitably creepy and engaging (no spoilers).
There is some anthropomorphism, but it's not out of control. Honestly for some readers who love animal mysteries, it will be a plus. I think there are relatively few readers who will be yanked out of the story by that facet of the writing. The dialogue was well rendered and flowed smoothly. I liked Mace Reid, he's a sympathetic (dog-crazy) intelligent protagonist and he works pretty well with law enforcement and the secondary characters in the book. The rendering of some of the minor (antagonist) characters, one in particular, struck me as a bit out there, but the author handled the more extreme plot elements logically and (mostly) believably.
This is a strong series debut and I am eagerly looking forward to future entries. Four strong stars for me, certainly 5 for fans of mysteries featuring dogs.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
becsmars's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jennifermarla's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent mesh of suspense and humor! Some of the one-liners had me cracking up. But the end had my heart pounding and turning pages with trepidation!
Everyman is creepy as hell.
Mace Reid is the cousin I wish I had.
Everyman is creepy as hell.
Mace Reid is the cousin I wish I had.
calmaxtra's review against another edition
4.0
This book is essentially A Dog’s Purpose meets A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
As a dog lover, I knew I had to read this one. This was a total on a whim read and I have no regrets whatsoever. The story follows Mace Reid, a police dog trainer, his dog(s), and a murder mystery. It holds many unexpected twists and turns and gave me chills numerous times.
There are short chapters which help to keep your attention and is definitely a book you can read in one sitting. The main and secondary characters are well rounded which helped to build a good perspective of the story.
The writing style is mature, but amateur. I have no idea if this is the authors first book or what, but there were definitely some flubby parts of the book. Also, the r slur was in there a couple times which I really didn’t like.
I personally loved the story and will probably read more from Burton. However, the writing style wasn’t really my forte. :)
As a dog lover, I knew I had to read this one. This was a total on a whim read and I have no regrets whatsoever. The story follows Mace Reid, a police dog trainer, his dog(s), and a murder mystery. It holds many unexpected twists and turns and gave me chills numerous times.
There are short chapters which help to keep your attention and is definitely a book you can read in one sitting. The main and secondary characters are well rounded which helped to build a good perspective of the story.
The writing style is mature, but amateur. I have no idea if this is the authors first book or what, but there were definitely some flubby parts of the book. Also, the r slur was in there a couple times which I really didn’t like.
I personally loved the story and will probably read more from Burton. However, the writing style wasn’t really my forte. :)
dluce's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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? No
3.25
kbranfield's review
4.0
The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton is an intrepid mystery starring Mason "Mace" Reid and his lovable pack of canines.
Mason is more than happy to adopt a golden retriever puppy who survived a heinous act. Mace is a dog lover who runs regular obedience classes in addition to training dogs to hunt missing persons, drugs and the occasional cadaver. Despite his many years working with canines, he is shocked at how easy his new addition to the pack Vira has been to train. Which is why, despite her young age, Mace takes her to a search for a corpse when a serial killer leaves his calling card. Vira quickly sniffs out the victim but she also reacts in such a manner that Mace makes a very out of character decision. Unbeknownst to Mace, the results of his choice put him in the crosshairs of a prolific murderer who now has a settle to score with him.
Mace is recently divorced but gradually finding his footing in his new single life. He is grateful that training Vira helps take his mind off his heartache. When Vira's rescuer, Officer Kippy Gimm stops by the visit the golden retriever, Mace is surprised by the realization he would like to get know her better. But Mace and Gimm remain on a more professional footing as they hunt for a previously undetected killer that might have ties to the case they just closed.
With chapters switching between Mace's and the serial killer's perspectives, The Finders is an engaging mystery with a compelling storyline and appealing characters. Mace is an enjoyable character with an offbeat sense of humor that is sometimes eye-rolling and other times cringe worthy. Kippy is an intelligent police officer with keen instincts. The serial killer keeps to his agenda despite his plans not always going his way. Although savvy readers might divine the killer's identity before the police, Jeffrey B. Burton still brings this clever mystery to an action-packed and breathless conclusion. The Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series is off to a fantastic start that will leave fans eagerly awaiting the next installment.
Mason is more than happy to adopt a golden retriever puppy who survived a heinous act. Mace is a dog lover who runs regular obedience classes in addition to training dogs to hunt missing persons, drugs and the occasional cadaver. Despite his many years working with canines, he is shocked at how easy his new addition to the pack Vira has been to train. Which is why, despite her young age, Mace takes her to a search for a corpse when a serial killer leaves his calling card. Vira quickly sniffs out the victim but she also reacts in such a manner that Mace makes a very out of character decision. Unbeknownst to Mace, the results of his choice put him in the crosshairs of a prolific murderer who now has a settle to score with him.
Mace is recently divorced but gradually finding his footing in his new single life. He is grateful that training Vira helps take his mind off his heartache. When Vira's rescuer, Officer Kippy Gimm stops by the visit the golden retriever, Mace is surprised by the realization he would like to get know her better. But Mace and Gimm remain on a more professional footing as they hunt for a previously undetected killer that might have ties to the case they just closed.
With chapters switching between Mace's and the serial killer's perspectives, The Finders is an engaging mystery with a compelling storyline and appealing characters. Mace is an enjoyable character with an offbeat sense of humor that is sometimes eye-rolling and other times cringe worthy. Kippy is an intelligent police officer with keen instincts. The serial killer keeps to his agenda despite his plans not always going his way. Although savvy readers might divine the killer's identity before the police, Jeffrey B. Burton still brings this clever mystery to an action-packed and breathless conclusion. The Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series is off to a fantastic start that will leave fans eagerly awaiting the next installment.
susanatherly's review against another edition
4.0
This is kind of a hybrid of a cozy and a police procedural and I was definitely in the mood for it. The main human protagonist is a dog trainer who not only teaches obedience but also specialized cadaver dog training. The main dog protagonist (yes, there is more than one) is a Golden Retriever who is not only extremely talented at finding victims of murder but is highly intuitive and intelligent.
The human is under contract to local Lower Penisula Michigan police departments to locate bodies and blood traces when needed. I don't want to go much further than that. It was a fun read, particular if you like Goldens. Maybe less so if you do not like Hawaiian pizzas.
The human is under contract to local Lower Penisula Michigan police departments to locate bodies and blood traces when needed. I don't want to go much further than that. It was a fun read, particular if you like Goldens. Maybe less so if you do not like Hawaiian pizzas.
renwar96's review against another edition
4.0
When I read that this book was about dogs I had to read it! I'm so glad that I did. I loved the dogs in this story. The author really pulls out their different personalities which makes it fun to read. There is a plenty of mystery and murder and it keeps you on edge. I liked "The Dog Man" and would like to continue reading this series as the books come available! Go Vira!!
bobbiejowoo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH.
I’m not typical a fan of mystery books, there’s just too many things I don’t enjoy. Cliche depressed, divorced, substance abusing law enforcement/retired individuals. There’s usually too many characters for me to keep up with, and I just find them slow and boring.
This one was none of those things (well, the MC is divorced but it’s not a huge plot point.) The book is written as if Reid is talking directly to you- which I thought was a ton of fun, and he has s hilarious!
And don’t get me started on his dogs!! The way he talks about and treats them adorable! I just loved the interactions so much.
The mystery was engaging and interesting I found the antagonist interesting and well, I just thoroughly enjoyed this read. I look forward to book two!
I’m not typical a fan of mystery books, there’s just too many things I don’t enjoy. Cliche depressed, divorced, substance abusing law enforcement/retired individuals. There’s usually too many characters for me to keep up with, and I just find them slow and boring.
This one was none of those things (well, the MC is divorced but it’s not a huge plot point.) The book is written as if Reid is talking directly to you- which I thought was a ton of fun, and he has s hilarious!
And don’t get me started on his dogs!! The way he talks about and treats them adorable! I just loved the interactions so much.
The mystery was engaging and interesting I found the antagonist interesting and well, I just thoroughly enjoyed this read. I look forward to book two!