Good Book Good Dogs

I love hate when finding a new author to love. It has been decades since we lost author Virginia Lanier, who wrote fiction based on her experiences training and working search and rescue Bloodhounds. I

This book 7 was a good read as a standalone story, but now I will have to forge a trail back to the beginning.

Thank you. ( )

Special Agent Meg Jennings and her search-and-rescue Labrador Hawk didn’t have a good start on the first day of the water search training in the Boundary Waters area, where everything started to go downhill when the body of one of the competitors was found in the lake water – murdered to be exact.

STILL WATERS is gripping, atmospheric, well-paced, suspenseful, and a real page-tuner! At times it also evokes poignancy when the working dogs are being mistreated or suffer excruciating pain or even death.

With her extensive knowledge about the unique and unusual relationship and teamwork between a dog in K-9 work force and its handler, the gifted Sara Driscoll has creatively crafted this enthralling, suspenseful, and tug-at-one’s heartstrings FBI K-9 series that’s appealing to fans of suspense thriller and dogs! ( )

Still Waters by Sara Driscoll
An F.B.I K-9 Novel #7

I fell in love with Meg and her canine partner, Hawk when I read their first book. It is a love affair that has lasted seven books and is still going strong. I love not only the main characters but all the supporting characters, too, and eagerly wait for the next book to be published so I can read it. Highly recommend this series!

What I liked:
* Meg Jennings: civilian search and rescue dog handler for FBI’s Human Scent Evidence Team, in a relationship with Todd, team player, bright, fit, capable, great deductive skills, and so much more. Would love to have her as a friend.
* Hawk: black Labrador, rescued and trained by Meg, brilliant nose, supportive, part of Meg’s family
* Todd Webb: firefighter/paramedic, Meg’s partner and love interest, supportive, calming, great skills, puts Meg and Hawk first, there when needed, really like him with and for Meg
* Brian Foster: Meg’s human work partner, works with Lacey as his K-9 partner, married to Ryan, good friend, kind, caring, great to have in the series
* Clay McCord: news investigator, bit part of past stories, partner to Meg’s sister-Cara, has had big parts in previous books, hope he will be in many more books
* Craig Beaumont: special agent in charge of the Human Scent Evidence Team, older, wise, stands up for his team – human and canine, seems to be a great person and good leader
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* That I learned something new about how dogs and their handlers work
* That the story was complete by the end and that I am eager to see what will happen in the next book
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Knowing that there are evil people like those in this story that harm animals and humans and will kill without compunction

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )

Allow two days for this fast-paced contemporary PG FBI K9 procedural set in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Superior National Forest in Minnesota, and even that had me up well past my bedtime to finish it. I had an ARC from Between the Chapters and this is my voluntary review. ( )

STILL WATERS by Sara Driscoll
#FBIK9Mystery
Hawk, a scent dog, is the star of this book along with his handler, FBI Human Scent tracker, Meg. Meg and Hawk are at a training limited to only a few teams and the training crew in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota when a murder takes place in the camp. At first Meg is the lead suspect, but when weird things keep happening during the training and in camp, Meg and Hawk go into search mode. The FBI investigator sent to solve the crime was unfortunately clueless and full of himself.
The training and handling of the dogs was fascinating. The description of the Boundary Waters was right on target. The characters were well drawn and believable. Unfortunately, when I finished the book - liking the story and looking forward to another by the author - I reflected on the plot and realized it was not realistic. Although great stress was put on the limited number of suspects, the ones who were important to the plot (husband, partner, brothers) should not have been in the picture at all given the original terms of the training.
That aside, this was an enjoyable read. The story held my interest. The characters were likeable. A good book for a cold, rainy day, sitting by the fire drinking a cup of coffee.
4 of 5 stars for the genre. ( )