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KILLING TRAIL

Margaret Mizushima

A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery

Killing Trail is a gripping read that will have readers clamoring for more Mattie and Robo for years to come. Fans of Nevada Barr and C.J. Box will love this explosive debut.
When a young girl is found dead in the mountains outside Timber Creek, life-long resident Officer Mattie Cobb and her partner, K-9 police dog Robo, are assigned to the case that has rocked the small Colorado town. With the help of Cole Walker, local veterinarian and a single father, Mattie and Robo must track down the truth before it claims another victim. But the more Mattie investigates, the more she realizes how many secrets her hometown holds. And the key may be Cole's daughter, who knows more than she's saying. The murder was just the beginning, and if Mattie isn’t careful, she and Robo could be next. Suspenseful and smart, Killing Trail is a gripping read that will have readers clamoring for more Mattie and Robo for years to come. Fans of Nevada Barr and C.J. Box will love this explosive debut. Margaret Mizushima balances writing with assisting her husband with their veterinary clinic and Angus cattle herd. Her her short story "Hayhook" was published in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers 2014 anthology, Crossing Colfax. She lives with her husband on a small ranch in Colorado where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals.
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Published 2015-12-08 by Crooked Lane

Comments

Winning heroine…strong debut…a realistic view of how a K-9 team works, treating Robo as an important character, but never stooping to anthropomorphism. And it's impossible not to fall in love with Robo.

This series kickoff...reveals just enough about ancillary characters to suggest untapped opportunities while fleshing out solid backgrounds to make a cozy cozy.

Margaret Mizushima's KILLING TRAIL introduces a fine new crime-fighting team, Mattie Lu Cobb and her partner, Robo, who happens to be a dog. They're put to the test in Timber Creek, a small town in Colorado, and the result is a satisfying mystery with a couple of cops you're going to be glad to meet. Check it out.

Pair this with Robert Crais' Suspect (2013). The interactions between Mattie and Robo will tug the heartstrings of every dog lover...Mizushima’s debut reflects both her skill as a suspense writer and her respect for animals. The shocking conclusion will stay with readers while they wait for the next story in the series.

Mizushima does an excellent job of developing [Mattie and Robo] as characters, allowing readers to feel a personal connection to them both. Overall a great debut for an up-and-coming mystery writer.

French rights at auction to Belfond (2-book deal for KILLING TRAIL and her next, STALKING GROUND coming September 2016)