Audiobook Review: Dogged Pursuit (Veronica Kildare K-9 Mystery, #1) by Tracy Carter

Dogged Pursuit by Tracy Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great start to this new K-9 mystery series!

Dogged Pursuit is the first novel in author Tracy Carter’s new Veronica Kildare K-9 Mystery series, and it is a wonderfully detailed mystery and a dog-filled and entertaining debut. A strong female protagonist and her much-loved, highly talented tracking dog lead readers through the mountainous terrain of the Colorado countryside on search-and-rescue missions, including one for a renowned scientist slated to testify in an upcoming, high-profile murder case.

I really enjoyed the characters introduced in the novel and look forward to seeing them again in future adventures, especially the main characters Veronica Kildare, her father, Bob, and their newly welcomed employee and friend, Michael Fletcher. Veronica has a tragic past, and her recent move to just outside Boulder, Colorado, is a life-saving second chance. Her backstory slowly unfolds over the course of the novel, starting with broad hints that kept me coming back to hear the rest of her story. Her decision to extend her new life to the orphan, Michael, and the scared little dog, Cocoa, was heartwarming and inspiring.

Of course, the story features a lot of dogs, and the relationship between Veronica and her rescue dog, Leda, is amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the details of Leda’s tracking and drug-detection sweeps, as well as the information about dog training and Veronica’s fledgling business, Dogged Pursuit. I even liked hearing about Bob’s articles and product testing!

The plot is intriguing and has several unique features, such as identifying the unusual helicopter seen flying over Rocky Mountain National Park early in the story. Missing witnesses have been the subject of many mysteries, but the author delivered fresh twists that made the story feel above and beyond the ordinary. I was engrossed watching it all unfold.

I experienced Dogged Pursuit as an audiobook narrated by new-to-me narrator Alyssa Baumann, and I was never disappointed. I thought she did a beautiful job, altering her voice to portray the different characters rather than doing a straight read-aloud of the material. The voices were consistent and recognizable for each character, and I especially thought her rendering of the male characters was convincing.

I recommend DOGGED PURSUIT to mystery series readers who enjoy dog-centric or dog-themed stories.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.

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Book Review: Vacancy (The Dust, #2) by Jann Alexander

Vacancy: Secrets and Second Chances in Small-Town Texas by Jann Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Secrets and second chances exact a price.

Vacancy is the second book in Jann Alexander’s West Texas-set women’s fiction series, The Dust, and in this novel two women at different points in their lives face tragedy and second chances, finding common ground in their losses. Keep a box of tissues at hand as these characters quickly wedge their way into your heart.

Helen McCabe, the middle-aged, widowed kindergarten teacher, is shocked by her husband’s sudden death, suffering the uncertainties and questions it prompts. In her grief, she becomes entangled in the life of one of her small students, a winsome, shy girl named Jillie, and concerns herself well beyond the boundaries she’d normally recognize. Charlene Simpson, Jillie’s mother, has been trapped in an abusive relationship with Jillie’s deadbeat, drunk of a father, and a new pregnancy is the last thing she needs. Not only is he in no position to welcome another child into her tenuous living situation, but her boyfriend, Ray, who didn’t want Jillie or Mick, his young teenage son from an earlier marriage, is going to take out his displeasure on her with his fists. Both women have drifted through their lives up to this point, and their conflict over Helen’s excessive interest in Jillie motivates both to seek a better way. A terrible accident reveals they have more in common than they ever thought.

Alexander’s characters are strong and vividly crafted, and their choices drive the plot. I was immediately drawn into these two women’s lives, waiting for the next shoe to drop because of the ominous foreshadowing from the beginning of the book. The descriptions of the struggling, dusty West Texas town of Hartless are cinematic, and the harsh extremes of the High Plains weather add another layer of challenge to everyone’s daily existence. The town’s name itself hints at what the besieged young single mother may find there when the dust settles.

I recommend VACANCY to readers of women’s fiction, especially those who want strong female protagonists and character-driven stories.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

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Children's Book Review: Ziva the Great by Cindy J. Vanous; illustrated by Rebeckah Gerstner

Ziva the Great by Cindy J. Vanous
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lovely story with unexpected emotional depth.

Ziva the Great is the name of a beautiful Maine Coon cat and the title of this lovely children's picture book by Cindy J. Vanous. When Ziva comes to the Freedman's, she finds a home full of warmth, safety, and love, and later, when a young girl named Elsie shows up on their doorstep, a single small suitcase in hand, Ziva recognizes a kindred spirit in the way only an animal can. Together, they bond and help each other heal, getting a new start on the kind of lives they were always meant to have.

The tale is a quiet one, with so much left to the reader's imagination. We are not told the backstories of either Ziva or Elsie, but we know both have been through troubling, traumatic times. The author points out the look deep in the cat's eyes as a window into her soul. Experiences in Ziva's past destroyed her trust in humans, especially strangers, but her life with the vulnerable young Elsie is a turning point for the cat as much as it is for the sad, little girl.

The illustrations by Rebeckah Gerstner are wonderful renderings of the story's actions and emotions. Each colorful image does its utmost to bring Ziva's and Elsie's story to life.

With its poignant inferences and lovely resolution, this story is as much for older readers as it is for young listeners. I recommend ZIVA THE GREAT to picture book lovers of all ages.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

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Book Review: A Small Town Christmas by Florence Witkop

A Small Town Christmas by Florence Witkop
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Enjoyable Christmas romance!

When Leah is unexpectedly laid off from her accounting job, her only choice is to take up residence in the old Victorian mansion her great-grandmother left her in her will. Her plan is to renovate and sell it and fund the next chapter in her life. However, the dilapidated condition of the old house immediately sidetracks those plans; Leah doesn’t have the kind of money needed to even get it ready to give away let alone make a substantial profit. Thankfully, there’s a steady income from the renter of the carriage house on the old property, and the hunky Knox just happens to specialize in renovating the type of Victorian homes that this Christmas town is famous for. Still, Leah is going to have to find a job to supplement her income to get the old house back in shape and on the market so she can get on with her life.

A Small Town Christmas by Florence Witkop is quite a lovely Christmas novella with a slow-build romance, starting over plot, and a little touch of danger. The author’s storytelling put me right with the characters as they work together to remodel a dilapidated old Victorian home left to the heroine by her great-grandmother and keep their day jobs going.

When the owner of the Christmas shop where Leah is employed suffers a medical emergency, she and Knox step up to keep his beloved business going despite her apprehensions and relative inexperience in retail and the spate of business burglaries that are starting to plague the Christmas town. There is such a warm hometown feel to this story: a closeness among the neighbors and shop owners that it feels like the possible start of a series. (I’d vote yes!)

I recommend A SMALL TOWN CHRISTMAS to readers of romance, especially those who enjoy a holiday-themed story.

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