Book Review: Lawyers, Dogs, and Money (Veronica Kildare K-9 Mystery, #2) by Tracy Carter

Lawyers, Dogs, and Money by Tracy Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While the author set the bar high with the series' excellent debut, she definitely met and surpassed it in this exciting follow-up.

Lawyers, Dogs, and Money is the second book in author Tracy Carter's marvelous working dog-centric series, the Veronica Kildare K-9 Mysteries, and continues the suspense-filled story of the title character and her canine partner, Leda, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever rescue. Carter set the bar high with the series' excellent debut, Dogged Pursuit, but she definitely met and surpassed it in this exciting follow-up.

The story unfolds from Veronica's point of view, and she is a calm and steady protagonist, although still healing from the past trauma of losing her fiancé, Zach, at the hands of a serial killer. Formerly a legal assistant in an Ohio district attorney's office, she relocated to Colorado to start over as a working dog trainer and handler far from the now-incarcerated murderer. She and Leda have gained renown as a successful team in search and rescue and drug detection in the Boulder area. Her narrative is told with a strong, confident voice, and she comes across as genuine, engaging, and relatable as she deals with her lingering grief and learns to let go of her lost love. She's always on the go, with numerous irons in the fire; however, she reacts authentically rather than super-humanly, knowing she needs regular rest and respite.

In addition to Veronica, several well-developed and engaging secondary characters are integral to her personal life and business operations, most notably her father, Bob Kildare, and her assistant trainer, Michael Fletcher, a young man she rescued from the streets of Denver in the previous book. I enjoy Michael's contribution to the story immensely and am delighted with his continued success in his studies and growth as a trainer and handler. However, I was completely charmed by Bob, with his unwavering support of his daughter, his skills in the kitchen, product demonstrations and reviews, and dogged investigatory computer research. Bob has been a widower long enough, and there is a hint of a romance in his future.

The book's opening sequence is attention-grabbing and exceptionally well done, absolutely setting the pace for what's yet to come. A central mystery unfolds, with a wide array of possible suspects and motives to investigate and rule out. Just when I felt I knew where the threat was coming from, new details emerged and sent the characters in an alternate direction. I thought that the author accurately depicted reality when the parties to the investigation were pulled away to work on other things and couldn't devote their 24/7 to the one case, as often happens in many mystery stories. The dog-training scenes were fascinating, informative, and entertaining, as were the interesting tidbits the characters shared about Kadri's birth country and the import/export business. The author uses the Colorado setting to advantage, painting vivid and enticing pictures throughout. I did have a very minor issue with Veronica's tendency to over-explain at times, using definitions that sounded like they came straight out of a dictionary; however, these were few and far between.

Even though this is the second book in the series, new readers shouldn't have any trouble catching up and enjoying the story. With its engaging characters, exciting plot, and non-stop action, I recommend LAWYERS, DOGS, AND MONEY to mystery readers, especially those who enjoy stories featuring working dogs, search and rescue, drug detection, or books set in Colorado.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.


View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

Children's Book Review - Harry: A Service Dog (Service Dog, #1.5) by Jack Heape

Harry: A Service Dog Series Novella by Jack Heape
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Warm and wonderfully inspirational story of the making of a service dog and a service dog trainer.

Harry: A Service Dog is the second book in author Jack Heape’s lovely middle-grade series about service dogs, their selection, development, and training, as well as the variety and range of assistance areas, and their young human volunteer trainers. However, while featuring youthful main characters and their experiences, readers of all ages can enjoy their journey and learn about this absolutely amazing partnership between humans and these special dogs.

Sophie Martin is the young teenage protagonist of the book, who, as a budding writer, attends a two-week intensive summer creative writing camp. There, she meets a deaf teenager named Lucas Walker, with whom she develops a close friendship and discovers the extraordinary ways he interacts with his world, using senses other than hearing. Curiosity piqued, she asks him to teach her about ASL (American Sign Language), and he shares some common signs with her during the waning days of their camp session. However, most of their conversations are conducted through written messages in notebooks they pass back and forth. It is an offhand mention by Lucas about how his sister’s dog alerts him to their doorbell ringing at home that sticks with Sophie and inspires her to research service dogs. Kudos to the author for crafting engaging dialogue and realistic interactions between the two teenage protagonists, which felt both natural and authentic.

The author tells a fun and absorbing story of a platonic friendship between a hearing girl and a deaf boy, who meet because of their shared interest in creative writing. However, their collaboration launches a deep desire in Sophie to help Lucas live a safer, fuller life, with the freedom a service dog of his own would grant him. Heape deftly shows the depth of commitment required to undertake the training of these dogs, as well as the reality of day-to-day life while doing so. I enjoyed Sophie’s determined campaign to convince her parents that she was serious and would be dedicated to following through on her plans. There is also the emotional side of the partnership; the trainer will be completely engaged with this dog, from puppyhood until they are certified, and then will part with them as they are sent to their new owner. The training is rigorous, and the dog could be determined unsuitable to continue in the program at any point along the way: not a bad dog, just not the right dog.

I recommend HARRY to middle-grade readers with an interest in dogs and dog stories.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

View all my reviews