by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Hunting Hour, and a link to purchase it from Amazon, and an indie bookstore where a portion of the sale goes to help support KRL.

After sifting through memories and discovering the truth about her abusive childhood, Timber Creek, Colorado Deputy Mattie has fallen into a morass of distrust and depression. Therapy helps, but it still comes down to the fact that there is no one Mattie trusts enough to let down her guard, share secrets, or reveal emotions. Mattie has even distanced herself from the friendship she had formed with veterinarian Cole Walker, allowing only her K-9 partner Robo to remain close. Robo’s support becomes critical when a thirteen year-old girl goes missing and is found murdered, since Candace Banks had been engaging in acts far out of her age range. The possibility of past abuse is a topic Mattie can’t ignore and hits too close to home, clouding her judgment and leading to biased conclusions.

Behind most of Mattie’s concerns are Cole’s own two daughters, Sophie and Angela. Becoming attached to them made Mattie vulnerable, which becomes evident with their next case. Mattie veers from suspect to suspect based on her recent experiences, and Cole Walker has his own prejudices due to a mentally disturbed client. Mattie’s traumatic history clouds her judgment and has her more desperate for answers, and it is only Robo and the steady mentorship of Detective Stella LoSasso that keep Mattie afloat.

A victim readers have grown to love in these past three books heightens suspense as Mattie and the Timber Creek detectives track down a kidnapping murderer. We are shown a very reactive Mattie, one whose emotions and judgment are unreliable. In this fragile state Robo becomes all the more admirable, especially when he goes through additional scent identification lineup training to aid in the investigation. Robo is still very much a dog, but his antics stop the moment he is at work tracking scents and alerting his handler. The connection between Robo and Mattie is the compelling feature of this series, be it in their official investigations or emotionally supportive at home. The Mattie who emerges at the end of this novel is stronger than when she began, due in no small part to the dedication and unwavering love of her K-9.

To enter to win a copy of Hunting Hour, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “hunting,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 23, 2017. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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Use this link to purchase the book & a portion goes to help support KRL & indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

Hunting Hour

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases using those links. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.