The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton – a Review

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Description:
Mason “Mace” Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and specializes in human remains detection—that is, he trains dogs to hunt for dead bodies. He calls his pack of cadaver dogs The Finders, and his prize pupil is a golden retriever named Vira.

When Mace Reid and Vira are called in to search Washington Park at three o’clock in the morning, what they find has them running for their very lives. The trail of murder and mayhem Mace and CPD Officer Kippy Gimm have been following leads them to uncover treachery and corruption at the highest level, and their discoveries do not bode well for them . . . nor for the Windy City itself.

The Keepers is an exciting, fast-paced mystery filled with courageous dogs you’ll want to root for.

Review:

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton is the 2^nd book in his Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series. Mason (Mace) Reid, our hero, trains dogs that can hunt for dead bodies. He works with the police, and in the last book, he trained Vira, a golden retriever that also had unique abilities to sense things besides dead bodies, such as a slight paranormal element of sensing the murderer.  Vira lives with Mace, and the other three trained dogs, Sue, Maggie and Delta as well as a newbie dog, Bill, who loves to roll in the mud. Vira is an amazing dog, with special skills, as well as a terrific bodyguard.

Kippy Gimm, our heroine and detective, who worked with Mace in the previous book, and asks him for help on a murder case that she and her partner are in the middle of.  Kippy and Mace have feelings for each other, though Kippy is gun shy from a previous relationship, so now they are just friends.  When another murder happens, this being a federal prosecutor, Kippy, Mace and Wabs (her partner) suspect a corrupt and powerful person in a top position for the police, as well has his enforcer driver (who they feel is the killer).

What follows is a wild adventure, as things escalate when Mace and Kippy bring their opinions to a high up official, who turns the table on them, and they have to flee for their lives.  They both, with the dogs, go into hiding, as the news media (fed false information) has them being wanted and dangerous.  There were so many tense parts that held my breath if they can escape. Will they survive?

What follows is a wonderful exciting, tense thriller, with non-stop action, edge of your seat suspense, and a few twists along the way.  To tell too much more would be spoilers, and this is the kind of book you need to read to enjoy.  I will say I loved the scenes with the dogs, as they were fun and even humorous. Mace was a wonderful hero, and I really liked Kippy, as she was strong and tough; I really hope they up their romance. Despite two great characters, Vira remains the star of this series, being an amazing dog.

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton was another great addition to this series, as the story was exciting, suspenseful, intriguing and very well written.  If you enjoy murder mystery thrillers, with great characters and wonderful specialized cadaver dogs, you need to read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher