Title: The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton
Mace Reid K-9 Mystery Series Book One
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
Jeffrey B. Burton’s The Finders marks the beginning of a fast-paced new mystery series featuring a heroic golden retriever cadaver dog named Vira and her handler, Mason Reid.
Mason “Mace” Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and specializes in human remains detection. He trains dogs to hunt for the dead. Reid’s coming off a taxing year—mourning the death of a beloved springer spaniel as well as the dissolution of his marriage. He adopts a rescue dog with a mysterious past—a golden retriever named Vira. And when Reid begins training Vira as a cadaver dog, he comes to realize just how special the newest addition to his family truly is…
Suddenly, Reid and his prize pupil find themselves hurled into a taxing murder case, which will push them to their very limits. Paired with determined Chicago Police Officer Kippy Gimm, Mace must put all his trust in Vira’s abilities to thwart a serial killer who has now set his sights on Mace himself.
Review:
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.
