Tags
4 stars, Book Review, dogs, mystery, romance, Sara Driscoll, search-and-rescue, series, service dogs
Review of Still Waters
A dog on a book cover is one way to get me to check out a book. Still Waters revolves around the story of FBI agent Meg Jennings and her K-9 partner Hawk. Along with their partner team of Brian and his dog Lacey, they are taking part in a weekend challenge for search-and-rescue teams. Combined with the challenge is a series of water rescue training exercises.
The primary appeal of this book is the dogs, the training and the details of K-9 centered search-and-rescue. The secondary draw is the partnership bond between human and dog. Dog lovers will enjoy the book for just these two elements.
On top of all that, though, there is a mystery. The weekend challenge is supposed to be a friendly competition. But it turns out to be not so friendly when the body of one of the competitors is found in the water.
The fact that the victim had lodged a lying complaint against Meg, makes Meg look guilty. Law enforcement jurisdiction, the history of the contestants, and some very intuitive dogs all add complexity and interest to the investigation.
The solving of the mystery relied on suppositions and intuition. And not nearly enough hard clues for my taste. Also, one of the major suppositions relied on a previous complaint from the victim and everyone, including Meg, believed it to be true. Even though the victim had lied about Meg. So, three stars for the mystery.
But five stars for the dog aspect. Averaging out to 4 stars. This book is for dog lovers. Still Waters was my introduction to the FBI K-9 series. The book stands very well on its own.
I won an advance copy of Still Waters from the publisher. My review is my honest opinion.
About Still Waters by Sarah Driscoll
A training session in the Minnesota wilderness becomes a fight for survival for FBI handler Meg Jennings and her K-9 partner . . .
Keeping their search-and-rescue skills honed isn’t just a job requirement for FBI Special Agent Meg Jennings and her Labrador, Hawk—it’s essential to saving lives. A water search training weekend in the Boundary Waters area of Minnesota has attracted participants from all levels of law enforcement, each vying to win. The races are challenging, the rivalry is intense, and Meg is already under pressure when Hawk alerts to a scent in the water—and discovers the fresh body of one of Meg’s fellow competitors.
The contest is called off, but Meg’s still feeling the heat. The victim had made an unfounded complaint about her, one that could cost Meg her job and see Hawk removed from her care. The field of suspects is daunting, and all of them are experts in throwing others off the trail. And though Meg’s team flies out to Minnesota to help uncover the truth, they’re on unfamiliar territory, pitted against a killer with the skills, and the motivation, to stay hidden in plain sight.
*****************************
Links
Add Still Waters to your Goodreads shelf:
Purchase Still Waters: