Reviews

Stalking Ground by Margaret Mizushima

brittany_hays's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

reneesmith's review against another edition

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5.0

Fast-paced & fun. Touching developments as Mattie deals with her past. And Robo's still the best!

landerson93's review against another edition

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5.0

WOW! I’m not sure what to say about this book but wow. The whole book was an emotional roller coaster. I enjoyed getting to know the characters more and was surprised to find myself empathizing with Deputy Brody even though I really didn’t like him before. Getting to know more about Mattie and her past, seeing her deal with her past traumas, I felt so much for her. The author makes it so easy to love these characters and bring them to life. Though there are moments that make you roll your eyes (*ahem, Cole being clueless about being flirted with

liberrydude's review against another edition

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4.0

I enjoy the mountain setting and the characters in this series set in Colorado. Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner, Robo, are involved in a missing person case. The person is a girlfriend of a colleague. Cole Walker, the veterinarian, has taken on a housekeeper to help with his two girls and now there’s friction with the teenager resenting an interloper. And of course there’s the chemistry between the vet and the deputy that has yet to blossom. Mattie is also dealing with issues from her past that are to the point where she needs professional counseling. Lots of action in a remote area with limited resources. Nicely told.

liviaslibrary's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

tayparks's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

redheadtreefrog's review

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

kbranfield's review against another edition

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4.0

Stalking Ground by Margaret Mizushima is another perplexing mystery in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series starring Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner, Robo.

In this second installment in the series, Mattie and Robo are tasked with the unenviable job of trying to locate Chief Deputy Ken Brody's missing girlfriend, massage therapist Adrienne Howard. Although Adrienne has not be gone for very long, Brody is certain she is the victim of foul play but Mattie cannot help but wonder if she has just left. When the missing woman's car is found, Mattie and Robo try to track her but when Robo cannot find a trace of Adrienne, Mattie fears the worst. After receiving an anonymous tip, Mattie, Robo and Brody are faced with the grim task of searching for Adrienne's body in a remote mountainous area. When they uncover her remains, Mattie sends Brody to bring in the rest of the investigative team while she and Robo guard the burial site and gather evidence. When an early snowstorm hits, local veterinarian Cole Walker, who is also a member of the volunteer mounted patrol, brings them much needed supplies to endure the storm. The next day, Mattie and Robo once again team up with Detective Stella LoSasso as the investigation into Adrienne's murder begins.

While Mattie still relates better to her canine partner than people, she is making progress with her co-workers and friends. She enjoys spending time with Cole and his daughters, fifteen year old Angela and eight year old Sophie, but she is little uneasy about some of the feelings she has for Cole. She has a casual friendship with her co-worker, Rainbow but Mattie still remains close to her former foster mother Teresa "Mama T" Lovato. Mattie is estranged from her brother Willie but in recent months, he has been tentatively reaching out to her through Mama T. When he finally works up the courage to call her, she is at first happy to hear from him, but an unexpected revelation brings up unsettling pieces of memories Mattie would rather leave buried.

Mattie's professional relationship with Brody is much less contentious but he remains skeptical of Robo's skills and although she thinks he is too close to the case, she agrees to work with him. In the aftermath of their gruesome discovery, Brody goes back to regular patrol duties while Mattie and Stella spearhead the investigation. They discover some puzzling information about Adrienne's past but with few leads, they are not making much progress in locating a suspect or uncovering a motive for her murder.

Cole has a professional connection to Adrienne but unfortunately, he is not much help during the investigation. He has a lot going on both professionally and personally so his interactions with Mattie are somewhat limited. She does offer some useful advice for his ongoing issues with his oldest daughter Angela, who is still having troubling adjusting to her mom's abandonment and her parents' divorce. In the midst of the upheaval at home, Cole is spending quite a bit of time on the road as he travels to an isolated ranch to treat an extremely ill horse. Growing concerned over the lack of progress and some very puzzling symptoms and test results, Cole is stunned when he finally learns the truth about the cause of horse's illness.

Stalking Ground by Margaret Mizushima is a gripping addition to the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series. The characters are immensely appealing and they continue to grow and evolve as they work on their individual issues. The mystery surrounding Adrienne's murder is quite intriguing and while it is fairly easy to guess who the killer is, the perpetrator's motive remains elusive until the novel's rather dramatic conclusion. A well-written and engaging whodunit that old and new fans of this refreshingly unique series are going to enjoy.

ianmcnamara's review against another edition

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5.0

I only started this series last week and i can't wait for the next instalment by this Author. These are the Authors first two novels and I have to say I enjoyed them both very much. This is the second book in the series, this book can be read as a stand alone or as part of the series, however I recommend that you do read the books in order because this book does refer to certain things that happened in the last book, so if you have not read the first book before this one you could get a little lost in certain parts. In this the second installment of the timber creak Kaynine mysteries, Mattie Cob and her Kaynine Partner RObo are called back from a training excersize in order to help find Chief Deppertie Ken Brodies girlfriend who has gone missing in the mountains. Unfortunately they are two late and her body is found. Mattie and Vet Cole walker have to gard the body over night. It soon becomes a race against time to find the killer. I liked this book because it was the person i least suspected and i did not have it figured out until it was revealed. I am a big fan of this author already and can't wait until she brings out another book.

hsimonton's review against another edition

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3.0

I like the series. The second book is more well written than the first.