A Nose for Mischief

Finished March 6

A Nose for Mischief by K.T. Lee

This is the first book in the Riverbend K-9s series. Zoey Butler was a materials engineer working on a renewable energy project for Future State Energy in Denver when the FBI came in, charging the company with fraud. Zoey spent a lot of time helping investigators find answers, and then decided to leave the company. But with the company reputation what it is, she finds herself unable to even get an interview. She reaches out to the main FBI investigator, Alexis, and asks if there is any opening with them. She is offered an unpaid intern position at Alexis's division of K-9 training in Riverbend, Indiana, which is located at an old airport. It includes accommodation at an apartment in the small town. Zoey is paired with Liam, one of the trainers, with his dog, Tank. She is assigned a rescue dog, Tasha, that didn't meld well with its original trainer, and she finds the job interesting and is drawn to both the small town camaraderie and Liam. 

When her apartment back in Denver that she shares with her sister Elise is broken into and tossed, she is worried for her sister, and asks whether there is still something the FBI didn't learn about Future State Energy's activities. After some discussion with Alexis, she offers to take the job she's repeatedly been offered back at her old company and look for answers. Liam will be accompanying her as an undercover agent, posing as an entry level project manager. The two rent a house and pose as a couple for the purposes of this. 

As the two and their dogs become a real team, she and Liam become close, but the investigation at the company heats up as well as corporate espionage and possible sabotage.

I enjoyed the characters, particularly Zoey with her quick intelligence, and the engaging dog Tasha. 

The Ghostly Grounds: Murder and Breakfast

Finished January 11

The Ghostly Grounds: Murder and Breakfast by Sophie Love

This is the first book in a paranormal cosy mystery series called Canine Casper Cosy Mystery. Marie Fortune, a woman in her late thirties, has been working in an upscale dog grooming salon in Boston and as the book opens, she finally loses her cool at the attitude of the clients and her boss, and quits. She reflects on the life she is living and her long-harboured dream of running a bed and breakfast on the coast of Maine. This was a dream inspired and encouraged by her Great Aunt June, whom she spent summer childhoods with in Maine. She worries over what she will do next and when she invites her boyfriend Chris over to tell him, she finds evidence that he's been involved with someone other than her and finds herself ending that relationship as well. As soon as he leaves, she gets a call from a police officer telling her that her Great Aunt June has died.

Naturally she goes to the small Maine town June lived in for the funeral, and finds that June has left her the large house she lived in there and the property it was on, which includes beachfront. Marie can't help but see this as an opportunity to live her dream. She also finds another surprise waiting for her there, as was promised in the note June left for her. It turns out to be a dog, and Marie is happy to take it on as well. 

As she uses the last of her savings to do needed renovations to the house to make it work as a bed and breakfast she leaves in place the gothic touches that June decorated the house with as they seem to fit the place, and despite the fact that the house has a reputation for being haunted Marie doesn't really notice anything like that. But one of her first visitors seems to see something and before she knows it, she finds believers and nonbelievers making bookings hoping to either see something or disprove that there is anything haunting about the house. 

When one of those visitors dies soon after leaving the house, she finds herself under suspicion for the death, and questioning the activities that have been occurring at the house. 

A fun read, with touches of humour and romance. 

Silent Bite

Finished November 27

Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt

This is a novel in a long mystery series starring semi-retired criminal lawyer Andy Carpenter. Andy and his friend and former client Willie run the Tara Foundation, a dog rescue organization named after one of Andy's dogs. 

Willie has come to Andy with a request to represent his former cellmate Tony Birch, who is in jail for murder. The case seems cut and dried, but to Andy it seems like it's a little too wrapped up for the crime. He agrees to take it on partly because of Willie and partly because Tony has adopted one of dogs from the rescue organization. When one murder becomes two and then three, Andy isn't so sure, but he follows the logic of his client's case to find the truth. Why would someone who had left a criminal organization and been clean for years suddenly begin to kill? Or is someone framing him for these crimes? 

The tone of the novel is a cross between old-fashioned detective stories and dad humour. The plot is more complex, with a couple surprises along the way. 

Death on Torrid Ave

Finished November 12

Death on Torrid Ave. by Patricia McLinn

This is the second book in the Secret Sleuth series and the first with the main character Sheila Mackey in her new home in north west Kentucky. She has adopted a rescue dog, collie Gracie, who is about a year old, and Sheila is intent on being a good dog owner. She goes regularly to a dog park near here, one that has four different areas all accessed by gates from a central area. Two are intended for small dogs and two for larger dogs. There are a lot of people who use the park, and among them are two men who have a longstanding disagreement regarding proper dog training, Bob Coble and Dwight Yagos. They argue a lot and both have a group of followers. There are also many people that try to avoid those two factions. 

Sheila has made a friend, Clara, who has a dog Lulu that Gracie loves to play with. She is also working on repairs and changes to her older house. She's looking for a contractor now to add shelving in a couple of rooms, but has been disappointed in the lack of professionalism in the ones that she's contacted, who either come late to appointments or don't show up at all. 

To avoid being outed as the famous author she previously pretended she was, she has come up with a backstory of being an English teacher in upstate New York who has received a small inheritance allowing her to retire. 

When the two women befriend another new arrival in town Teague O'Donnell and his dog Murphy. He's a substitute teacher and a tutor. Sheila worries about whether him also being a teacher might jeopardize her cover story, and he does ask a lot of questions. But when he turns out to be handy, she hires him to do the shelving project in her home. 

Soon, though, there are more things to worry about, when one of the regulars at the dog park turns up dead in the park without their dog. With Sheila and Clara making the discovery, the local law enforcement seems to focus on Sheila as a newcomer. She and Clara decide to do a little investigating on their own. 

I liked the characters, including the details that gradually came out as the story unfolded. I liked the dogs and how the different breeds and individual dogs had their own quirks. The plot worked well, and didn't feel contrived. I like this series.

The Keeper of Stories

Finished April 15

The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page

This novel follows a woman who works as a cleaner, dog walker, and organizer. Janice is a quiet woman. She doesn't try to draw attention to herself. When one of her regular customers, a woman she thinks of as Mrs. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, because she is often on the phone saying this, asks her to take on the job of organizing and cleaning her mother-in-law's home Janice is wary. She doesn't want to go where she isn't wanted. So when she meets the older woman, she makes an agreement with her, and her relationship with Mrs. B. begins. Mrs. B. tells her the story of someone she knew of, that they refer to as Becky, and the story is told in installments as Mrs. B. feels like continuing it. In return Janice will tell stories, but she is very reluctant to tell her own story, as she doesn't feel she has one. Mrs. B. knows that she does and is the first person that really sees that. 

Janice has always loved stories, not only the kinds found in books. She also loves the stories of people, and picks up odd bits of conversation and stories she hears and keeps them in her mind. She also looks at people and tries to figure out their story. There is a bus driver she sees regularly who she thinks looks like a well-travelled geography teacher. She would love to know if she's right. Janice lives with her husband Mike, but he is a man with little patience, who flits from job to job, never staying for long. She isn't sure what she ever saw in him. But she doesn't know what other options she has. 

Janice has a so Simon and sees him occasionally, on her own. He doesn't visit, but sometimes they meet for a meal. Mrs. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah is a nervous woman with a husband who is overbearing, preoccupied, and demanding, a man that Janice thinks of as Mr. No, Not Now. They have a dog Decius that Mrs. B. walks, one that she has conversations with. She can understand by the dog's expression what he is thinking and they talk often. The dog has very witty comments that I appreciated. 

Janice also works for a young widow Fiona, who has a child Adam that she worries about. Adam sees Janice with the dog she walks and begins to join her for walks and he really bonds with the dog. 

As Janice spends more time with Mrs. B. and with Adam, she finds herself caring about them and about others. 

I liked how most of this story is centered on Janice, becoming her story, but we also see what others think from time to time. These sections have relevance to Janice, as she gets to know people and as people begin to see her as a person. Janice also has a back story, with a sister who now lives in Canada, and a recent comment by her sister has her thinking more and more about this past. We gradually come to know it, and see Janice in a different light because of it. 

I liked to see Janice coming in to her own, valuing herself as others tell her she is, and to take risks for what she knows is right. 

Save the Date

Finished March 31

Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews

This novel has romance, drama, and intrigue, all set in Savannah, Georgia. Florist Cara Kryzik is a recent transplant to the city, coming from Ohio with her now ex-husband Leo. She had been working as a florist, when the owner retired and gifted her the business and its assets. She put her own money into it, and it is now an up-and-coming favourite for weddings, thanks to a previous client. She has an assistant Bert, who she also considers a friend. 

As the book opens, there is much drama around last-minute changes and work needed for an imminent society wedding. The mother-of-the-bride, Lillian calls several times a day, and has high expectations. 

When Cara's golden-doodle Poppy slips her collar, she is searching the neighbourhood for her, and sees her with a strange man who refuses to give her back. She and Bert have to leave for the wedding venue, so she can't deal with it at the time, and the police don't seem to consider it a priority.

As is usual, Cara stays at the wedding awhile, and sees the man, Jack, who had her dog there. He turns out to be related to the groom. 

The wedding goes well, and the next day Cara is pleased to find she is one of the florists being considered for another society wedding. Her competition is new in town, recently expanding from another city. When she gets the contract, the bride insists that she do it all, and Cara is put to the test. 

And when Jack keeps showing up at the weddings she is working at, she finds him growing on her. 

Cara is tight financially, having put all her money into her business, and dealing with an unresponsive landlord, a building that needs a lot of repairs, her ex wanting her back, and a possible lawsuit over a missing decor item a client entrusted her with, so there is a lot going on. 

I liked Cara for the most part, but she definitely has some baggage, but she's also worked through a lot starting her business and really making it her own, with her own flair and style. She works hard and has a high standard that she sets for herself. She is also one who creates relationships with her clients, so there is ongoing business that comes out of the initial contract. 

I also liked Jack. He's another hard worker with high standard, but also has some baggage. I was definitely rooting for them. 

A fun read. 

Still Life at Eighty

Finished February 27

Still Life at Eighty: The Next Interesting Thing: A Memoir by Abigail Thomas

This is the second memoir I've read by this author, following Three Dog Night, a memoir she wrote after her husband's death. This memoir is about aging, starting as she begins her eightieth year. Abigail doesn't want to relive her life differently, but she finds memories coming to her, forgetfulness becoming more common, and her body failing her at times. 

She has moved from New York City to a house in the Catskills, living with her four dogs, who are also aging. She watches nature both outdoors and as it creeps into her home. As lockdowns from Covid keep her from much social contact she relies on friends and family for support, and finds herself with memories, emotions, and the ability to notice even the small things. 

She writes about aging and its accompanying challenges and emotions, about her losses and small joys. 

This is a lovely book that will have you taking the time to notice the small things in your life as well. 

Another Heartbeat in the House

Finished November 13

Another Heartbeat in the House by Kate Beaufoy

From the cover I thought this might be historical romance with a touch of mystery, but it was something with more depth than I expected. It is historical fiction, but deals with two time periods. The framing time period is late 1936 and early 1937. Here, Edie Chadwick is the main character, a young woman who works in publishing. This year had two tragedies for Edie, the death of her beloved dog and the rift in a long and close friendship with her friend Hilly. It is New Year's Eve as the book begins, and Edie is visited by another close friend, Ian Fleming, who she has known since she was a child. Yes, he is that Ian Fleming, but is a minor character here. After a couple of drinks in her flat, Ian convinces her to join him at a party he has been invited to. There, she runs into a distant relative, "uncle" Jack Frobisher and the conversation goes to a house he owns in Ireland. He and his family don't use it anymore and he needs someone to go over and shut the place up before selling it. 

After another tragic incident in Edie's life happens, she decides to take up Jack's offer and go to Ireland. She will be going through all the contents of the house, deciding what should go to auction and what should be kept or thrown away. She also plans to bring some of her copy-editing work so she doesn't fall too far behind. Ian shows up just before her train leaves and thrusts a dog on her, a Maltese with a pedigree. I love the way that she and the puppy have conversations over the course of the novel. 

In Ireland, she discovers handwritten pages in the attic, written by a woman who lived in the house in the 1840s, and that tell her story. She is a woman with ambition, one who intends to find a way to make a comfortable life for herself, but her plans find themselves getting more complicated than she intended and her life takes a different turn. The woman's name is Eliza Drury and she turns out to have a literary acquaintance that is someone who wrote a book considered a classic. As Edie learns more about Eliza, and the house itself, she finds herself learning about Ireland's history, the making of a novel, and about a woman who led a fascinating life. 

I found this novel engrossing in many ways, and enjoyed it immensely. 

Summer Romance

Finished July 16

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

This romance novel is delightful and heartwarming with touches of humour. The central character is Ali Morris, a woman who is struggling. Two years ago, Ali's mom Nancy died. She'd raised Ali mostly on her own, and after having children and moving back to her home town, Ali had relied on her a lot. One year ago, Ali's husband Pete told her he wanted a divorce and left. Ali has a professional organizing business that she runs part-time wherever she can fit it in, but her own home is a mess. 

Pete and Ali have a civilized separation. He takes their daughters, Iris (5th grade) and Greer (6th grade), for their sports practices and games, and for ice cream after, accompanied by their son, Cliffy (kindergarten). When he calls to say that after a year's separation, it's time to make things final with a divorce, things somehow become a little better for Ali. 

Ali's kids called her mom Fancy, a take-off on her given name, not because she wore designer clothes or had upscale tastes, but because she did things on a whim, things that were easy and fun, a passing fancy. 

Ali's best friend Frannie also lives in town, and runs her parents deli along with her husband Marco. Frannie's parents live in a big house downtown, run an inn that is also downtown, and are very quirky. They dress up in costumes for any reason at all, and are very involved in the community. 

After school lets out the kids are at day camp on weekdays, and Ali starts to work on her to-do list and move on with her life. She takes off her wedding ring, puts on something other than sweatpants, and takes their dog Ferris to the dog park. There, Ferris approaches a man and pees on him, and soon after Ali finds herself flirting with him. The man, Ethan, begins to make regular appearances in her life, and Ali slowly finds that she has a lot to think about. 

As she reevaluates her dying marriage in the course of the divorce, she finds that she's not been holding her husband accountable for a long time, and she has only herself to blame for that. She begins to make small changes in her life, and decides that a summer romance is just the thing, and Ethan is just the right guy. 

I really liked pretty much all the characters in the book, except Pete, and I found the book had a lightness to it despite some very serious plot points. I couldn't put it down, and found myself reading the whole book in one day. An excellent, and satisfying read. 

It Started with a Dog

Finished July 14

It Started with a Dog by Julia London

This is another Austin, Texas set romance with a meet-cute that is chaotic and brief. Harper Thompson is rushing to catch the Megabus to Dallas, the last one that will get her there for Christmas. The Lyft driver is friendly and chatty, but the weather and traffic are both awful, and everyone is relieved when he agrees to turn off the radio. The SUV is full with someone in front and Harper squeezed beside two others in the middle, and all the luggage in the back. 

When the vehicle stops suddenly due to traffic everyone loses their grip on their phones and then wildly searches the floor. Harper doesn't notice that the phone she picks up, although the right colour isn't hers. She is the first to exit and runs for the bus, collapsing into the last seat available. Harper is taking a break from her job with a wacky boss who talks in riddles and yet somehow has created a thriving food truck and coffeehouse business. In the new year, Harper will be opening their newest location, and hopefully setting herself up for a promotion.

Jonah is headed to the airport, to Chicago to help a cousin move and get away from the family business which he has been trying to resurrect. The coffee shop was started by his grandparents, and now run by his parents and aunt and uncle, but when his father became ill, he took leave from his aerospace engineering job to run the business side. But the restaurant hasn't been updated in years, and is losing money. He's tried a few things, but nothing has worked yet. 

Jonah discovers the phone mix-up when he's at the airport, and with the slightly unbelievable fact that neither of the them locks their phone, is able to contact Harper. 

As they text back and forth, and surreptitiously check out each other's photo collections, they find a lot in common in terms of interests and how they like to communicate. But it is Jonah's picture of his dog Truck that really intrigues Harper. She would love a dog of her own, but feels she's too busy and instead does volunteer dog-walking at the ACC (Austin Canine Coalition).

Once the holidays are over and both Jonah and Harper are back in town and meet up to exchange phones, they discover a mutual attraction. But can it overcome the business rivalry that they find themselves in. Or would teaming up there as well actually work?

A fun story, with lots of interesting characters, including a few dogs, and an intriguing plot. I read it in one day. 

This is actually the second book in an Austin series, and some characters from the previous book You Lucky Dog appear here as well. 

You Lucky Dog

Finished June 4

You Lucky Dog by Julia London

This novel has quite a few interesting characters, some adorable dogs, and a lively romance.The novel opens with a dog walker, with his many dogs in tow getting arrested as he sells drugs to a undercover cop. The result of this is that the friend who returns the dogs to their homes makes a mistake. 

Carla Kennedy is a woman struggling to get her PR business off the ground. She only has two  clients, one of which is a young high maintenance but promising fashion designer, and the other is a deluded woodworker who isn't open to change. Her parents have recently divorced, her sister is a panicky mom to several hard to control children, and she's recently become the owner of a depressed basset hound named Baxter.

Max Sheffington is a university professor and neuroscientist who's been doing research on autism and dogs. He was drawn to the subject because of his younger brother Jamie, who is autistic. Max is up for tenure again this year, and could really use the extra research funding that change in status could bring. He has his own dog, a cheerful and well adjusted basset hound named Hazel. 

Carla finds the dog left at her house more energetic and curious than she is used to, and soon realizes that this is not her dog. She takes it along to her client meeting and the dog ends up in the fashion shoot. 

Max also realizes that the dog left at his home isn't his. He finds it staring into a corner, seemingly uninterested in anything his dog usually does. He works hard to get it interested and tries different foods to get it to eat. Max has a weekend trip planned with his brother and is getting desperate for a dog sitter

When the two finally connect, they realize that their dogs like each other A LOT, and they quickly agree to some meetups for the dogs to play together. Carly also agrees to take both dogs for Max's weekend away. 

As the two get to know each other, and what each other's personal situation is, they find themselves connecting in other ways. 

There is lots of adorable dog stuff happening, as well as interesting pieces of fashion, autistic research, and PR processes. I liked the touches of humour, and the way the two main characters developed over the course of the book. This is an engaging and uplifting read, with some surprises along the way. 

Lessons in Chemistry

Finished May 28

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

I started this book months ago but kept setting it aside as it is so good I didn't want it to end. The ending is satisfying though, so I feel good about finishing it now. The novel takes place in the early 1960s in small town southern California, but the story reaches back further. While it starts with an incident in 1961 that has Elizabeth meeting Walter Pine and thus setting off a new career in television for her, we quickly jump back ten years earlier when Elizabeth Zott, a chemist at Hastings Research Institute met Calvin Evans, one of the head research chemists there. 

Seeing how the two met gives an insight into how chemistry both in the scientific sense and in the sense of human attraction is at play here. Elizabeth is a feminist because she's had to be to get as far as she has, dealing with multiple barriers along the way. 

We see her dysfunctional childhood, the loneliness of her life, and her drive for science. As we get to know Calvin, we find he has also had a difficult childhood and has had to make his own way through similar efforts to those of Elizabeth. However, because he is a man, one he proved his intelligence, it all became much easier. 

As they grow closer, we see how in some ways he makes things easier for Elizabeth, supporting her research, ensuring she has the supplies she needs, and in others making things harder because now she has been labelled as a woman who is sleeping her way to job success. 

When things go wrong and Elizabeth is left to fend for herself as a single mother and she struggles to support herself, her daughter Amelia, and their dog Six-Thirty. Six-Thirty had found Elizabeth and claimed her and they bonded quickly. 

There is so much in this book: love and loss; the fight for sexual equality, the subtle acts that work away at a person just trying to live their life. I loved this book so much. 

Six Weeks with You

Finished March 11

Six Weeks with You by Janet Koops

This novella is the first in a series called Lost and Found Family, set in Montreal. Vicki Meyers has recently moved to Montreal from Ottawa. She's ready for a fresh start, leaving behind an emotionally abusive boyfriend and a life that didn't fit her. 

She's got a small studio apartment in an old house, a part-time job waitressing, and is just starting to volunteer at the local animals shelter. And she's finding her way back to herself, partly through her art. She's always had a skill for drawing and she spends a lot of time using her art to let her feelings out.

At the shelter, she finds herself tasked with spending time with Gunner, a dog who's been there a while, trying to socialize him to make him more adoptable, and she finds herself connecting with him. She also gets taken under the wing of an older volunteer and invited out. 

Unexpectedly finding herself interested in a young man, Vicki decides to let herself try new things, and gives Daniel a chance even though she knows it won't be long-term.

An interesting book, with a character looking for a fresh start on her life, hopeful and upbeat. 

Harley the Hero

Finished September 6

Harley the Hero by Peggy Collins

This picture book is based on a real service dog who assists a teacher. The children in the class in the story are taught to understand the role of service dogs and how to behave around them. Because they can't interact with Harley, their teacher's service dog while he is on duty, they write letters to him. Told from the point of view of one of the children in the class this story shows how he feels about Harley and his teacher Mrs. Pritchard, how one of his classmates Amelia interacts with Harley, and how Harley understands Amelia in ways that her classmates don't always. 

Harley has an Animail mailbox to receive the letters and gifts (including) that the children have for him. 

Their class is one of the quieter ones in the school due to Harley's presence. 

The story deals in particular with one day when some curtains caught fire and the children had to react to the danger. Even though the children have practiced what to do in an emergency, when the real thing happens, they aren't as organized as they expected. There is noise and smoke and it is distracting and scary. Harley stays focused though and he protects all the students, as well as Mrs. Pritchard. Harley is the hero of the day.

I liked the way the kids learned here, and how they reacted in realistic ways to a difficult situation. This is a good introduction to some things that are important to know about service dogs as well.

Who Rescued Who

Finished June 8

Who Rescued Who by Victoria Schade

Elizabeth Barnes is a coder and communications executive who has recently worked at a female-oriented tech company. She reacted with a poor joke when under pressure during an interview and was let go as a result. As she struggles to decide what to do now, she gets a call out of the blue from a uncle she didn't even know existed. Elizabeth's father died a few months ago, and he never told her that he had family back in England. He's also left her with one final task that she can do if she accepts her uncle's invitation.

As a city girl, Elizabeth isn't prepared for lift on a small rural farm, with no Internet access. But she finds that her uncle and aunt are very welcoming, and the backstory that her father never shared with her is one that is meaningful to her. As Elizabeth makes friends, discovers that she can have relationships with animals, and reconnects with art, she also finds that life is deeper than the hectic life she's been living lately. 

Elizabeth's discovery of an abandoned puppy has her making unexpected connections, and spending time with her artist uncle has her rediscovering her own artistic endeavours at a younger age. It doesn't hurt that there are some rather good looking and nice men around the village as well as a great coffee shop for her caffeine fix.

This is a book about a woman who's been lonely for a long time without realizing it until faced with the possibility of genuine connections. 

Very Nice

Finished June 6 

Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky

This novel is set around a young writer, who had a successful first novel and is trying to find a way forward, one of his students, the student's family, and the writer's friends and acquaintances. 

The writer is Zahid Azzam, a man rebelling from his mother's expectations, dealing with the loss of his grandmother, struggling financially, and facing writer's block. Zahid has just finished a teaching contract at a university in New York City and, because he must return to India to see his dying grandmother, leaves his dog with one of his students temporarily. He has sublet his apartment, and made a foolish personal choice. When he returns to the U.S. sooner than anticipated, he must find somewhere to stay, try to overcome his writer's block to fulfill his new book contract, and consider his future.

His student, Rachel Klein, is young, nineteen, and has a summer job at a kid's day camp. She is staying at her childhood home in Connecticut with her mother Becca, whom her father left recently for a younger woman. Part of the reason she agreed to look after the dog was that the family dog of the same breed recently died.

Becca is a schoolteacher, so has the summer off. She is still grieving the loss of her dog, Poppy, and this new dog that her daughter has brought home, becomes a replacement for that dog in many ways. When Zahid arrives, Becca invites him to stay and a dynamic begins with these three characters. 

The supporting characters of Rachel's father, Zahid's subletter and her sister, and the brother of one of the children in Rachel's camp all have important roles in this plot as well.

This is a story of impulse and regret, of resentment and jealousy, of the ways in which people are focused on their own needs instead of those of the people around them. 

The Finders

Finished May 2 

The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton

This mystery story is centered around dog handler Mason (Mace) Reid. He lives in the suburbs of Chicago and owns several dogs that he has trained as cadaver dogs. He subcontracts to the police as the main part of his work, but also runs some dog training classes. 

The story has two preludes. One is of a woman being kidnapped, and the other is of a police officer and her partner responding to a call from a concerned neighbour that results in a case of carbon monoxide poisoning and a puppy that has survived against all odds.

Jumping forward, Mace has taken on the dog and trained her, now named Viro, as a cadaver dog. But she seems to have extraordinary senses around her work and her very first case leads to an unfortunate incident and the discovery of a kidnapper. 

But there is an even darker criminal associated with this case in a loose way, and he has taken a personal dislike to Mace that leads to entrapment and murders.

I liked the character Mace, with his real love for his four dogs. He is living close the edge financially and needs his work to make ends meets for him and his dogs. He is divorced and just starting to get interested in a new relationship, so when he meets a police officer that also has an interest in Viro, he begins to have hope for a future. The officer, Kippy, isn't ready for a relationship, but she is interested in Viro's abilities and in the case that seems to have Mace as a target. She is an intelligent and driven officer, putting in the extra work. 

This book is the first in a new series featuring Mace and his dogs. I look forward to seeing more of some of the police officers that appeared here as well. 

The Dog Who Saved Me

Finished January 16 

The Dog Who Saved Me by Susan Wilson

The main character here, Cooper Harrison, is a man still caught up in his recent loss and the feelings he has around that. Cooper was an officer in the K-9 unit of the Boston Police and he had a very special relationship with his partner dog Argo. But in an encounter on duty, Argo was killed, and Cooper was left with what he hopes is a temporary hearing impairment. It hit him hard and his marriage didn't survive it either. Cooper has retreated to his hometown, a small town named Harmony Farms near Boston. He has taken a job as an Animal Control Officer there, working in a small office with one other officer. He is staying in a cabin that he is looking after as part of his rental agreement. But coming back to his hometown isn't easy as there are a lot of memories there and not all of them are good ones. Cooper grew up with an alcoholic father, a man damaged by his own experiences, and lost his mother while he was still a child. His older brother Jimmy bullied him, and grew up to be a man often on the wrong side of the law. 

Now, Cooper's father Bull is a recovering alcoholic, working in the local lumberyard and using his bicycle to get around. He's love to renew his relationship with his son, but Cooper isn't looking for that at all. Jimmy is recently out of jail, and temporarily living with Bull in their childhood home, but he isn't necessarily on the straight and narrow. Cooper's cop instincts sense that and he worries about that and about whether Bull is being taken advantage of. 

But what about the dog? Ah, yes, the dog is a dog that's been injured and left in the woods scared and in pain. The dog is wary of humans, not sure whether he can trust people, and also physically impaired through his injury. When Cooper becomes aware of him, he is determined to find the dog, bring him in and help him. This isn't an easy task, and Cooper is bringing his own baggage to this task. Through his work, he's also come into contact with a woman Natalie who has also started a new life. She is running a horse rescue operation after leaving a city life behind, one with its own losses. 

Lots going on in this book, and it took me a while to get into it, but we really see into Cooper and the things that drive him, and the things that have brought him to where he is, many of them from his childhood. And we see how other in the story are also trying to start over, to be better, to move forward with their lives. A good read.

Harvey Comes Home

Finished June 17
Harvey Comes Home by Colleen Nelson, illustrated by Tara Anderson

This middle grade book about the delightful West Highland Terrier Harvey and his adventures is set in Winnipeg. When Maggie and her family go off on vacation, a dog sitter is engaged, but it doesn't take long for Harvey to follow his nose out of the yard to adventures.
Once Harvey has followed those interesting smells for long enough, he no longer smells his way home, and he must scavenge for food and shelter until a boy finally spots him outside a seniors home. Austin has been going to the seniors home daily, as a punishment. At the home, he helps his grandfather with cleaning and light maintenance work, and begins to interact with the residents. One of them asks for his help with crossword puzzles, and another supplies him with delicious baked goods. There is one resident, the oldest one at 96 who keeps to himself, until the arrival of Harvey.
Harvey provides a bridge for Austin to connect to Mr. Pickering, as the older man begins to share the stories of his childhood, Bertie, the girl who was his best friend, and his farm dog General.
Austin is reluctant to let Harvey go, and doesn't do what he should in finding Harvey's owner.
Meanwhile Maggie is kept in the dark about Harvey going missing until after they return from vacation, and then she is distraught. She makes up posters and begins posting them all over town, as she is desperate for his return.
The eventual reconnection as Harvey reunites with Maggie is poignant as Austin feels his loss and Maggie sees the connection that Harvey has made with Austin.
I really enjoyed this book.

The Dog Patrol

Finished June 16
The Dog Patrol: Our Canine Companions and the Kids Who Protect Them by Rob Laidlaw

This lovely book celebrates dogs and kids from around the world who work on their behalf. The author is an animal activist and biologist who has several dog companions of his own. I really liked the term companion rather than pet for these domesticated animals.
The book starts with a history of dogs and their relationship to humans, and goes on to give information on the amazing things about dogs from their sense of smell and how it is used to help us, to what dogs need from nutrition to socialization. There is also a large section for those who want to get a dog, guiding them to reputable sources and showing what to look for when choosing a source for your companion animal. Here it talks about breeders, shelters, and puppy mills, as well as rescue organizations. Information is also given on some of the physical issues that dogs may have, whether purebreds or not.
Another section shows how to act with your own and others dogs to make it easier for them and a better experience for everyone.
The book gives a Dog Lover's Pledge that has readers commit to forming a good relationship with the dogs they may encounter through their lives.
Throughout the book, various kids are profiled, each of them working in some way to better the conditions that dogs live in. These may involve specific types of dogs, such as sled dogs or senior dogs, may focus on specific actions such as finding forever homes or fighting for foster funding, or may just fight for dog welfare in more general ways. The kids are from all over, and of various ages, giving readers the ability to see how they too can make a difference.
The book ends with a glossary of terms, and gives a list of more resources readers may want to check out.
This is a great book for dog lovers of all ages!