#nottobemissed – Page 10 – Rosepoint Publishing

Chasing Justice: A Thrilling K-9 Suspense by Kathleen Donnelly #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

National Forest K-9 Book 1

Book Blurb:

A former marine learns to love again in this suspenseful, action-packed K-9 search and rescue from Kathleen Donnelly

After losing her military K-9, former marine Maya Thompson swears she’ll never work with dogs again. But when she returns home to Colorado and accepts a job with US Forest Service law enforcement, fate brings K-9 Juniper into her life just as another tragedy unfolds.

Juniper, a beautiful two-year-old Malinois, isn’t the only new addition to Maya’s life. Josh Colten, the local deputy sheriff, insists on helping with her new case. Handsome and mysterious, he’s all anyone in town can talk about, but Maya can’t let herself like him, let alone trust him.

When Maya’s grandfather goes missing amid a growing drug war, Maya must put her faith in Josh, and her own battered instincts, to find him. But there’s a web of secrets tying her grandfather to the tragedy that brought Juniper into her life—secrets someone would kill to keep hidden.

My Review:

I love it when I find a new author and book series I can really get into. This is one that hooks immediately and keeps a reader’s attention throughout.

Not my first book regarding a female National Park employee as I’ve read most and loved Nevada Barr’s park ranger Anna Pigeon series, the last one being A Superior Death. Whereas Anna Pigeon is appointed to different US parks, however, Maya Thompson is solidly assigned to the US Forest Service in Colorado. (And, of course, I do miss the Pigeon series narrator Barbara Rosenblat but I chose to read, not listen, to this novel.) Also, I do love and have read most of Margaret Mizushima’s Timber Creek K-9 books, the last being Gathering Mist. It’s hard to beat a Timber Creek K-9 installment.

Maya lost her K-9 while she was in the service in Afghanistan and swore she’d never go through that loss again, but circumstances found her the owner of Justice, a young, brilliant, and energetic Malinois. Oh yeah, and Maya has returned home with PTSD.

Maya returned to the area where her grandfather is the local sheriff. Also, you guessed it, there is a new deputy in town, Josh Colten, handsome and available who tends to set her heart tingling. Again—something she swore off of after returning home.

They end up in a high profile drug case that allows the spotlight on Juniper often and Maya’s demonstration of how to manage a high energy, high prey drive animal. The forest is atmospheric and adds a deep dimension to the scene.

Malinois parachuting from airplane. — **Fun fact about the Belgian Malinois:**
🐕🦺 **They can skydive!**
Belgian Malinois are so smart, athletic, and brave that military and police units often train them to parachute out of airplanes alongside their handlers. Some have been part of high-profile special ops missions! Basically, they’re like the Navy SEALs of the dog world. AI generated fun fact from ChatGPT. AI generated photo courtesy Gemini.

I like both characters, Maya and Josh, but I’m not in love. Her military service gives her an edge of experience in combat, she’s sharp, intelligent, and can strategize well with her service dog. Josh is not exactly battle hardened but carries baggage of his own. So, yes, I loved the dog and the personality she is given. I noted a few edit misses and tend to tire a bit with repeated (romance) issues, but enjoyed the premise, the plot, the dog, and the pace enough to go look for Book 2—and found it. Look for Hunting the Truth shortly.

Thanks to my local library for the loan and providing me the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own. If you enjoy animal, dog stories, this is a good series to start and I can recommend them.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Animal Fiction, Police Romance, Cozy Animal Mysteries
Publisher: Carina Press
ASIN: B097YJ2FD3
Print Length: 351 pages
Publication Date: May 24, 2022
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Award-winning author, Kathleen Donnelly is a handler for a private narcotics K-9 detection company. She enjoys using her experience to craft realism into her fictional stories. Kathleen loves the beauty of the mountains, which inspired her choice of setting for her series. She lives near the Colorado foothills with her husband and her four-legged co-workers.

Visit Kathleen on her website at http://www.kathleendonnelly.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/AuthorKathleenDonnelly/, follow her on Twitter @KatK9writer or find her on Instagram @authorkathleendonnelly.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Watchers by Dean Koontz #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

On his thirty-sixth birthday, Travis Cornell hikes into the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. But his path is soon blocked by a bedraggled Golden Retriever who will let him go no further into the dark woods.

That morning, Travis had been desperate to find some happiness in his lonely, seemingly cursed life. What he finds is a dog of alarming intelligence that soon leads him into a relentless storm of mankind’s darkest creation…

My Review:

Yeah, so I’ll admit it—the cover got me first—and then, despite my son’s admonition about my reading choices (“Koontz is a horror writer, mom”), I grab a Koontz book when I see one.

Watchers by Dean Koontz — Watchers cover posted on Goodreads

Well, mercy, first we are introduced to Travis and the golden retriever (Koontz’ favorite dog) whom he later names Einstein. Travis is an ex-Delta Force now reduced to a lonely, lost soul without much that’ll get him up in the morning. Whether PTSD or the losses he’s suffered and, inexplicably, blames himself (it’s a curse), he’s lost any macho he ever had.

It’s the dog that saves him from a lonely walk in a deserted forest that hides an unnamed monster. Explaining to the dog that he can’t keep him (he’s cursed), he notices this is not your average dog at the outset. Yeah, he keeps him.

In the meantime, we are introduced to Nora, and it’s pretty obvious this will be a romantic match—these two severely damaged persons are made for each other. Nora, never having had a pet is not put off by the dog or his size and quickly realizes that he must be special.

So, wait…

Have you read this? It’s not like it’s a new book and there was quite some sentiment about it. Admittedly, there were a few problems that even I discerned.

Still, I got so involved in the storyline that I couldn’t stop flipping pages. Yeah, I read it—this was not one of my audiobooks. So, I’m flipping pages, and I just LOVE this dog. Unfortunately, he has a history, and the history is trying to catch up with him.

He’s a lab dog. I don’t mean Labrador—I mean laboratory. And the same lab that spawned him also spawned his opposite. Not a dog—but a brutal, nasty animal. Travis (even Travis) realizes this is not a dog he can return to the lab. Poor doggy.

Also, did I mention there’s a hit man out there on a mission?

If you haven’t read it, I don’t want to spoil it for you. You’ll just have to trust me. It’s a wild ride whether or not you have to suspend some disbelief. Just go with it and enjoy the story.

I received the eBook loan from my local library for the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own. I do enjoy a Dean Koontz doggy story! Recommended.

Book Details:

Genre: Ghost Suspense, US Horror Fiction, Horror Suspense
Publisher: Berkley (reprint edition)
ISBN: 0425221806
ASIN: B001974DG0
Print Length: 402 pages
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Dean Koontz, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirits of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Rosepoint Reviews – March Recap – Spring Cleaning and Getting Fit

Rosepoint Review Recap-March-Hello April!

March is usually a good month for me, a birthday month and fewer frozen temps. By now in California, I’d have veggie and flower starts getting ready for transplant. I’ve learned the hard way, however, that in upper Midwest, you’d better wait for Mother’s Day (May). So, April, rather than sequestering with a good book, hot chocolate, and favorite chair is time for Spring Cleaning. Garage to deck, the whole place needs a thorough clearing, cleaning, and paint touch ups. Reading time may suffer a bit, but I’ll certainly make use of audiobooks!

Just in case Spring Cleaning isn’t enough, the CE and I decided it was time to get back into shape and rejoined our old fitness center. Still not satisfied with that one, however, I decided to look into “the Y” again and discovered my handy dandy insurance would cover the fees. Joy!

Good grief, we were overwhelmed with the mammoth size of the facility, much less all the new machines, technology, classes, social opportunities (we signed up for a “Senior Soiree” 20s dinner dance next week), indoor and outdoor pools, spa, outside courts, as well as many other scheduled outdoor activities. Usually content with walking and riding my bike in the summer, I discovered muscles I’d forgotten about. (They didn’t forget me.) The sophisticated machines also reported on my height, weight, and “BioAge” the latter being happy news. I even looked at swimsuits!

So, yes, I anticipate using audiobooks more in April and probably May as well while I begin to plant both veggie and flower beds for the summer. Usually relying on Libby to find the audiobooks I was interested in and couldn’t find, decided to revert back to my old account in Hoopla and, wah la! There were several I’d failed to find in Libby, both Hoopla and Libby available at my local library. Love that library!

Of course I still find ARCs in NetGalley, as well as receive author and publisher requests. March, of course, is #ReadingIrelandMonth25, the #Begorrathon25, hosted by Cathy at 746 Books, and I participated in that again, managing five books, one movie, and one article–an old St Patrick’s Day story. We read and reviewed ten books between us in March that included six audiobooks. As always, the links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase or source information.

Rosepoint Reviews - March Recap

The Builders by Maeve BInchy (#begorrathon25)
The Greatest Band That Never Was by Jeff Meshel (CE for Netgalley)
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (audiobook)
First Pub on the Right by Irish Anderson (#begorrathon25)
Milkman by Anna Burns (audiobook – #begorrathon25)
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin (audiobook)
Cher by Cher (audiobook)
Into the Storm by Rachel Grant
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney (audiobook)
Long Island by Colm Toibin (#begorrathon25 – audiobook)

Favorite Book of the Month

While I greatly enjoyed Cher’s memoir, I was a little disappointed she did not wholly narrate and that it was Part I. Gotta wait for Part II? But, no, Water for Elephants had me glued to the pages—well, earbuds. I stopped a couple times to research certain points of the novel, from Circus practices to elephants. Who couldn’t love Rosie? Then I went looking for the movie and was disappointed it wasn’t streaming on anything I could watch.

**Favorite for March – Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen**

My Reading Challenges page…

My Goodreads Challenge is currently at 44 of a 2025 goal of 125. As always, my Challenge page suffers from neglect. Surely there’ll be a quiet time when I can catch up.

Just a small rant before I close: I’ve used Yahoo for my email since I started using a computer. The changes recently ravaged by whoever decided it was time to destroy it has got me thinking of fleeing. The problem being, I’m not a whole lot happier with any of the others. Yahoo has managed to combine both my blog account and my personal account, making for a nightmare of duplications and deletions. When I decided to just delete everything in the personal account, it also deleted all emails from my blog account. (Sorry if you didn’t hear from me.) Are you struggling with the new Yahoo as well or should I put it down to my age (again)?

Welcome to my new subscribers! So glad you joined this group and I hope you found a book or two that appealed to you here. I always appreciate your comments! Have an invigorating April!

Where will your books take you this month?

Netflix Movie Riverdance – #AnimatedAdventure – #IrishFolkMusic – #readingirelandmonth25

Introduction

Perfect for the St Patrick’s Day holiday, I found this little 2021 ditty, Riverdance: The Animated Adventure on Netflix and of course, I had to view it for one of my contributions to the annual #begorrathon and #ReadingIrelandMonth hosted yearly by Cathy at 746 Books.

Blurb

“After a heartfelt loss, Irish-born Keegan and his Spanish-born friend Moya learn to dance through danger and despair with a magical herd of spirit deer,” the mystical world of the Megaloceros Giganteus. Fancy footwork meets furry fun in this uplifting tale with new songs from Grammy-winning “Riverdance” composer Bill Whelan.

My Thoughts

There have been a number of fantasy or animated adventure releases with some amazing cinematography—many aimed at adults as well as children.

Sorry, this might not be. Perhaps it’s the spirit deer that, for me, reduces the feature more for children, but there were a number of scenes that were amazing.

I loved the dance scenes! So therein lies the difference between the CE and myself who felt that it definitely scored a high level multi-generational scope of entertainment. That might be the best part of the musical fantasy—a movie you can safely view with younger children without an involuntary crossing of your eyes or the need of earplugs.

Keegan loses his beloved Grandpa (Pierce Brosnan—gotta be one of my favorite Irish actors) early in the show. This poor kid has known loss before and is being raised by his grandparents who clearly love and adore him. Grandpa runs a lighthouse and is teaching Keegan all about it.

Sam Hardy - actor and voice of Keegan — Sam Hardy – Actor and voice of Keegan

Keegan is being played by Sam Hardy (though the photo of Sam Hardy on Google’s website shows a picture of actor Sam Hardy born in 1883. Nope.) It’s difficult to find the Sam Hardy whose voice this is; Riverdance being his most recent credit of four in IMDB. Cute kid.

Keegan finds the devastating loss intolerable. It’s Moya who cajoles him into following him into the fanciful magic land of the spirit deer. And it’s Moya whose delicate and perfectly choreographed steps and dances leads him outside of his grief where he begins to push through the pain and find a positive celebration in life.

The animation ran from rather basic to amazing, depending on the scene. The water looked real half the time, the animated dancing remarkable. The storyline is really just a vehicle for the music and dancing. Sorry, but I didn’t understand where the Spanish girl came from and the deer kinda cooled my jets.

Riverdance, a theatrical show originally created as an interval act for a contest in 1994 in Dublin was written and composed by Bill Whelan and featured the incomparable Michael Flatley. The film was made by Cinesite for River Productions and Aniventure. The director was Dave Rosenbaum. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 67%.

There are a number of timely messages within the fairy tale musical. It’s sweet with traditions and friendship and deals with grief and community. Presented as a soft and natural, kind way of handling the subject, there is occasional comic relief, giving a respite to both children and adults alike. It’s thought provoking.

But Beauty and the Beast it’s not. Sick of that other one you’ve seen with your kid eighteen times? Check this one out. If not the frogs or stags, you might enjoy those dance scenes. And, can someone tell me if this kid is Irish?

It’s out now and streaming on Netflix.

Have a Great Sunday

Cher: Part One: The Memoir by Cher #AudiobookReview #BiographiesofWomen

Amazon Charts #19 this week

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Cher: The Memoir, Part One promises to be an engaging and exciting audiobook experience, befitting this incredible book. Read in part by Cher herself, the book is introduced, and each chapter launched, by the author. Rounding out each chapter as she continues the narrative is celebrated stage actor Stephanie J. Block. Stephanie starred on Broadway in The Cher Show for which she won a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award. Together, Cher and Stephanie share the storytelling duties, alternating within the chapters to create a unique audiobook treatment that will bring listeners fully into this period of Cher’s life—from her earliest childhood memories, to her meeting Sonny and their ascent into superstardom, her painful divorce from Bono, her relationship with Gregg Allman and her reach for independence. It is a story of creativity, individuality, motherhood, love, and loss, as only Cher could recount.

“Lending my voice to help deliver Cher’s memoir has been an honor and a thrill. Her life is fascinating, glamorous, surprising, exciting… and at times, completely heartbreaking. Her story is a beautiful balance of ULTIMATE stardom and accessibility. She is CHER for a reason and this book helps the reader get behind ‘the reason,’” says Block.

“When it came to completing the audiobook, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it all myself due to my dyslexia. But then I thought of Stephanie, who won the Tony for playing me on Broadway in The Cher Show. I knew she would be the perfect choice to get across to the reader the essence of me. I called her and within hours she re-arranged her schedule to start the recording. I felt so safe having her help share my story, and she did a beautiful job,” says Cher.

My Review:

Ooh, I do love memoirs, especially of those I’ve grown up/old with. And, Cher? Yes, one of a kind—didn’t need a first and last name.

Yes, of course, I got the audiobook, although not narrated wholly by Cher, you can hear that unique voice at the beginning of the chapters. I hadn’t known about the part that Stephanie J Block played on Broadway giving her a Tony Award (among others). She does sound like her and there were a few times when I realized I was no longer listening to Cher, but Stephanie.

Still, it was Cher’s “voice,” the telling of her childhood, meeting Sonny, the babies, the split, and still was only the first part of the memoir? I guess the second part is due out late this year.

Always a fan, I’ve been both appalled and amazed at the trails she was blazing, a contrast in naiveté and ballsiness when she needed it. The sixteen-year-old found a steadfast lover, father figure, friend, and (at times) questionable agent in Sonny.

Crazy childhood, she frankly relates the years with the different “dads,” the birth of “G,” and her mother. It was wild and later free of her mother, but then Sonny, eleven years older, took over. He was a hustler, a player, always trying one thing or another and wasn’t long before he noticed something very unique and special about Cher.

No, Cher didn’t just happen. They tried out a couple different names prior to the transition into Cher. But they “clicked” and had fun for years. I loved the Sonny and Cher Show and it’s gratifying now to know that what we were seeing, on the show, was real.

Their split was tough. Like losing Desi and Lucy (George Burns and Gracie Allen before that). Fans are often left lamenting the end of musical groups—it’s a divorce from their public as much as each other. Too bad, as it was so special.

Thoroughly entertaining, nostalgic, and probably most of everything you ever wanted to know. She doesn’t pull punches. Amazing stories about so many big names. She was there. A memoir I’d recommend, fan or not, and better than a National Inquirer.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Actor & Entertainer Biographies, Biographies of Women, Biographies of Celebrities & Entertainment Professionals
Publisher: HarperAudio
ASIN: B0D5J76G3H
Listening Length: 15 hrs 47 mins
Narrators: Cher, Stephanie J. Block
Publication Date: November 19, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Cher - photo courtesy Goodreads bio — Photo courtesy Goodreads bio

The Author: Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian, (1946) later adopted by Gilbert LaPierre) is an American pop singer, actress, songwriter, film director, record producer and author. Among her many career accomplishments in music, television and film, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards among others.

Cher first rose to prominence in 1965 as one half of the pop/rock duo Sonny & Cher. She also established herself as a solo recording artist, releasing 25 albums, contributing to numerous compilations, and tallying 34 Billboard Top 40 entries in the U.S. over her career, both solo and with Sonny. These include eighteen Top 10 singles and five number one singles. Cher has had 16 Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart between 1965 and 2003, four of which reached number one.

She became a television star in the 1970s and a film actress in the 1980s. In 1987, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the romantic comedy Moonstruck.

With a career surpassing 40 years, Cher is an enduring pop icon and one of the most popular female artists in music history. Since her debut in 1964, Cher has sold over 200 million records worldwide as a solo artist[3] and 75 million more as half of the duo Sonny and Cher.
http://www.cher.com/

#AudiobookReview

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

An atmospheric tale of life and love in a Depression-era traveling circus.

Nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski reflects back on his wild and wondrous days with a circus. It’s the Depression Era and Jacob, finding himself parentless and penniless, joins the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. There he meets the freaks, grifters, and misfits that populate this world. Jacob introduces us to Marlena, beautiful star of the equestrian act; to August, her charismatic but twisted husband (and the circus’ animal trainer); and to Rosie, a seemingly untrainable elephant.

Beautifully written, with a luminous sense of time and place, Water for Elephants tells of love in a world in which love’s a luxury few can afford.

My Review:

Oh, wow. I loved this audiobook. Two narrators; the young one and the nonagenarian. They were wonderful!

No doubt everyone knew about this book except myself that not only became a movie but a successful Broadway production. The prologue sets up the 90-something with his memories of the years with the Benzini Brothers—the Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It’s hard core exposé behind the scenes are probably what most people view as the reality of not only the animals but the persons involved from trainers to clowns.

And it’s not a pretty picture.

Jacob Jankowski is ready to sit his final exam as a veterinary student when his parents are killed and he discovers they pulled out all their financial stops to get him through school, leaving nothing upon their death. Indeed, the bank will take everything. With no where to live, no obvious means of support, and a bankrupt economy as well with few options, he hops aboard the first train he sees. It’s a circus train and it’s 1931.

Now, and throughout the novel, the reader is flipped from the twenty-something to the ninety-something reliving those years with the circus and his attraction to Marlena, the wife of the sadistic ringmaster owner-operator August. The introduction of Rosie the elephant comes late into the book just about the time I was beginning to wonder when she would appear.

The author weaves a raw, emotional story of the young man as he gradually meets and gets to know the characters of the circus and the animals whom he is now charged with their care. The compelling characters are outstanding, well developed, come alive through the voices and their varied positions within the circus.

No, I never saw the 2011 movie with Reese Witherspoon, Robert Pattinson, and Christopher Waltz, but now that it’s on my radar, I will. I’m a big fan of both Witherspoon (who performed all her own stunts) and Waltz, an amazing actor who nails his parts so convincingly you want to kill him bare-handed.

Yes, it’s frankly honest, can be cruel and disturbing. But the tale it tells is mesmerizing, page-turning, and tension-filled right up until the rewarding denouement. If you haven’t had the opportunity to read or listen (the latter of which I’d highly recommend), now is the time. Already read it? Did you love it? Or not. I’d love to know.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: 20^th Century Historical Romance, Coming of Age Fiction
Publisher:
HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
ASIN: B000G12CEK
Listening Length: 11 hrs 26 mins
Narrator:
David LeDoux, John Randolph Jones
Publication Date: May 24, 2006
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Water for Elephants – Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Sara lives in America with her husband, three children, two dogs, two cats, three goats, and a horse. She already has her eye on another horse and a donkey. [Amazon author page]

Sara Gruen is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of five novels: AT THE WATER’S EDGE, APE HOUSE, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, RIDING LESSONS, and FLYING CHANGES. Her works have been translated into forty-three languages, and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS was adapted into a major motion picture in 2011 starring Reese Witherspoon, Rob Pattinson, and Christoph Waltz, and then into a smash Broadway musical, currently running at the Imperial Theatre, written by Rick Elice and PigPen Theatre Co. and directed by Jessica Stone.

She lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the world’s fussiest goat. [Goodreads author page]

#ThrowbackThursday

Rosepoint Publishing Reviews – February Recap – March Holds a Spring Promise

Rosepoint Publishing Reviews - February Recap

I loved it for a while, but alas, the AI freebies are over (used my free credits) both on Canva and Gemini. Now I’m back to sampling Freepik—without much luck. The background of the bookcase below is a sample, but obviously not very close to my description of the picture I’d envisioned. Must admit, Gemini came closer to creating the images I wanted, but it too is bye-bye. I used to try to use only those pictures I originated, my pictures or designs. That’s no longer working. Got a source you like? What is your favorite go-to for images?

February is a short one and it flew by. I used to love March. Spring. Warmer weather. New growth, babies. Promise. Of course, for me, it’s also birthday month and as usual the body is saying one thing and the mind another. It’s a clash of wills but it may be the body who wins and both the CE and I are beginning to make more of those dreaded trips to the doc. We used to joke we’d need a car only for groceries and doctor visits. Ugh. Not so funny anymore, but that’s where some of our reading time went.

I’m still using Goodreads to find good audiobooks, as well as blogger buddy suggestions. My library has most of what I look for but it’s amazing the number of books that are on waiting lists despite having numerous copies. Of course, I still find books at NetGalley, as well as author and publisher requests.

We managed ten reviews between us in February that included four audiobooks. As always, the links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase or source information.

Rosepoint Publishing Review - February Recap — Background bookcase courtesy Freepik.com AI

You Have Gone Too Far by Carlene O’Connor
The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne (audiobook)
This American Woman by Zarna Garg
Connie: A Memoir by Connie Chung (audiobook)
From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough (audiobook)
Valley of the Wolves by Brock Farrow (CE review)
Guardian of the Crossroads by Melanie Forde
To Catch a Spy by Mark ONeill (CE review)
Gathering Mist by Margaret Mizushima
Audition by Barbara Walters (audiobook)

Favorite Book of the Month

WOW, it was a tough one this month! A number of them could have been five-star reads from either of us, but despite a small issue that may have knocked off a half-star, the story was still outstanding. Included in the month—several memoirs! In particular though, This American Woman—super, Guardian of the Crossroads—excellent, and Gathering Mist—love the dogs—really ticked off all the boxes. Zarna Garg has an amazing view of issues—some alien to mine but always with a sense of humor. Melanie Forde definitely pushed outside of her familiar family sagas. This one deeper, darker than I’d seen before and it worked, leaving me slack-jawed. Most readers have sampled Margaret Mizushima’s books. Always good, fast paced, and informative. So which one gets the coveted Rosepoint nod?

Favorite for February – Guardian of the Crossroads by Melanie Forde

My Reading Challenges page…

My Goodreads Challenge is currently at 33 of a 2025 goal of 125. No, keeping up with my Challenge page wasn’t a New Year’s resolution. I’ll get to it…

Welcome to my new subscribers! So glad you joined this group. I hope you found a book or two that appealed to you here, and I’m always looking for your suggestions! And to all my readers, have a beautiful March!

It's so hard to choose! — Gemini-generated AI image

Gathering Mist by Margaret Mizushima #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Secrets hide within the fog deep in the mossy forests of the Pacific Northwest in this ninth thrilling installment in award-winning author Margaret Mizushima’s Timber Creek K-9 mystery series.

Deputy Mattie Wray, formerly Mattie Cobb, is summoned to Washington’s Olympic peninsula for an urgent search and rescue mission to find a celebrity’s missing child. With only a week left before her wedding, Mattie is hesitant to leave Timber Creek, but her K-9 partner Robo’s tracking skills are needed.

Dense forest, chilling rain, and unfriendly locals hamper their efforts, and soon Mattie suspects something more sinister than a lost child is at play. When one of the SAR dogs becomes ill, her fiancé, Cole Walker, suspects poison. Fearing for Mattie’s and Robo’s safety, Cole joins the search and rescue team as veterinary support.

Secrets that have lain hidden within the rugged terrain come to light, and when it is uncovered that the missing child was kidnapped, the search becomes a full-blown crime scene investigation, forcing Mattie, Robo, and Cole into a desperate search to find the missing child before it’s too late.

My Review:

I love mysteries and crime thrillers and throw in an awesome service dog and I’m there. This is one of my favorite K-9 series and this installment becomes a page turner very quickly.

With one week to go before her wedding to Cole, a veterinarian, Maddie is called in to fly to the northwest in Washington state to find a missing child. The change in climate is a shock, cold, windy, and buckets of rain with the attendant saturated soil and underbrush and difficult not only for ground trackers but scent trackers as well. The atmospheric description really sets up the scene and becomes a strong integral part of the plot.

This is one reason I enjoy these books so much. You learn so much about canines, their atheleticism, and learning capacity. It’s such a part of the prep for search or take down, however, the info is easily slipped in and just adds the wow factor rather than slowing the pace.

When one of the other search dogs becomes sick, it’s apparent that he might have been poisoned and Cole makes arrangements to join her. Together with the search teams and local search and rescue, they form the grid and begin methodically canvassing the area which includes interviews with off-the-grid residents.

The tension ramps up as the search intensifies. There are a number of support characters and the parents present a divided and suspicious countenance. The story turns to a darker subject than I ever remember being used before and the climax is hard and fast.

The writing style throughout is engaging with no slack in the storyline. Robo shines as a masterful SAR dog, intuitive, smart, and protective. Love the action scenes. Heartily recommended.

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals, Women Sleuths
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
ASIN: B0CRTG7JRQ
Print Length: 252 pages
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Margaret Mizushima writes the award winning and internationally published Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries. She serves as past president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and was elected 2019 Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Active in the writing community, she is also a member of Sisters in Crime, Northern Colorado Writers, and Women Writing the West. She and her husband recently moved from Colorado to a home in the Pacific Northwest. Find her on Facebook/AuthorMargaretMizushima, Twitter @margmizu, Instagram @margmizu, and her website http://www.margaretmizushima.com.