Lone Wolf (An F.B.I. K-9 Novel)

This book was a mystery in the sense that the main character did not know who was responsible for the bombings but as the reader you got to hear the voice of the bomber.

Let me start out by saying that I love dogs. In fact, I like them better than most humans so I wasn't surprised that I would be drawn to this story about Meg and her search and rescue dog Hawk. It was an absolute pleasure to read about a different side of law enforcement and the bond between handler and animal.

This book was a relatively simple mystery that moved quickly and I was able to finish it in a short amount of time. There were no complicated plot twists involved and no guessing who the suspect was. Sometimes I find it nice to read a straight forward book that doesn't make you think too much. This was one of those books.

I only have two minor critiques that I feel the need to mention...

The first was the connection that Meg made with a previous robbery that she thought might connect the cases. She used connections to get an inside scoop and a jump on the investigation. In my opinion, it was such a simple connection that I found it hard to believe that nobody else was able to make the same connection.

The second isn't really a critique but I need to mention it anyway. I wanted more Hawk! Although he was a large part of the story, it wasn't enough. I craved more about the Labrador and would have loved a little more time spent with him.

This was the first book in a brand new series so it looks like I will be able to get to read some more about the furry FBI sidekicks in the future. I look forward to following this series and the hard working service dogs that go with it.

I read this fast-paced crime-mystery novel today and enjoyed it thoroughly. An elite FBI agent/dog handler and her tracking dog hunt a serial bomber, whose horrible crimes have killed dozens of innocents. The story is appropriate for these uncertain times, when one never knows when or where a foreign or domestic terrorist might strike. The story feels real, the characters are well-drawn, the dialog rings true, and the plot unfolds at a pace that makes it difficult to put the book down. As an added bonus, I enjoyed the dog handling and training insights that are peppered throughout this book. Highly recommended!

A woman and her search & rescue dog doing heroic work as told from the inside should be a terrific story. The idea is certainly fresh and I was excited to read this book. Alas, it just doesn't live up to the potential.

The characters are never fully fleshed out and I didn't feel anything for them - well the dogs, but I am always inclined to find dogs interesting. The writing throughout this book feels very amateurish, for lack of a better description. In the very beginning the introduction to the sister, Cara and the living arrangements with Meg was handled awkwardly. Rather than organically disclosing that the sisters are roommates and have a shared, dog oriented backstory, the writers sort of dump it all on the reader in a lump sum in one short chapter. The bad guy tells his thoughts in one chapter and the next chapter we see a reporter "figuring" out the bad guy's thoughts in a conversation - essentially what we just read. Repetitive and awkward.

Throughout the book is a weird habit of stating the obvious in a way that is....well....obvious. For example - At one point, Meg and her friend have a bet on whose dog is faster up a hill. Then there's a sentence that actually says that the dogs ran oblivious to the bet. Well, no kidding. That sort of thing just takes me out of the story entirely. Again, a shame because I was very interested in the premise of this story and the dog stuff was handled correctly.

Excellent fast paced crime mystery. I loved learning more about the F.B.I K9 division. Such an articulate portrayal of how search & rescue works, especially loved the close bond of the dog and handler/owner. looking forward to their next book & would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves mysteries, and wonderfully written stories about the relationships people form with their pets.

I was surprised at the mixed reviews of this book. I do not have any pets but I do have pet peeves when it comes to dogs. People have their dogs ride as passengers on airplanes, people put their dogs in baby strollers and take them into stores with them. People put a handkerchief on their miniature poodle and try to pass them off as service dogs and of course leash laws are only for disobedient dogs. As a child, my only friend was my dog and I can understand peoples’ attachment to them, but in these times, it seems perfectly OK to disregard the rules, feel entitled, and lack any respect whatsoever for others. This book was a good illustration of something dogs do better than people, but understandably it requires a trained person to command the dog, and the partnership is a strong bond. I felt this book did an excellent job of showing how this relationship works and the dedication both dog and owner must have for each other. Perhaps the plot was slow, I did not think so, but too many people watch television where and a crime is committed and solved in a one hour time frame, minus twenty minutes for commercials. In the real world, this book was right on pace. Some thought the characters were not well developed, I disagree, the main characters were Meg and her dog. For my money (the book was free) this was a good example of the capabilities of man’s best friend. And kudos to those trainers who teach dogs to comfort the ill, sniff out drugs, pinpoint accelerants, find cadavers, detect cancer and countless other beneficial skills. Not to mention the untrained dogs who awaken their human families when danger is approaching such as fire. Kudos also to the people who rescue and care for abused dogs, these are often the ones who are taught these special skills. I rate this as a five-star read and hope there are follow ups. My final pet peeve, it causes me rage, are people who abuse animals.

I have received this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I really enjoyed this read and look forward to more from this team of Meg and her faithful talented rescue and search dog Hawk. Excellent read. A bomber is on the loose and people are dying.. The soul wrenching search for survivors of a bombing has stretched Meg and Hawk to the fullest. Children and adults buried under cement and steel Hawk helps find them even when you can't see or hear them he can. Finding a little ten year old seriously injured and buried under heavy concrete Hawk creeps under the concrete to lay by her side as firemen try to dig her out. This is only the beginning more bombs are threatened and they must find out who is doing it and stop them. Meg and Hawk are up to the job of tracking the killer and trying to save potential victims. This book has suspense, compassion, heart warming and heart wrenching plots that keeps your interest.

Even my love of dogs could not save this slow moving novel forme. an FBI search and rescue team is on the trail of a vicious bomber. As W.C.Fields warned, dogs and kids will steal the show every time. This book has dogs and kids and the dogs are the most interesting and likable characters. The people are one dimensional and the overall novel is flat and dry. The prose is clumsy and the writing inartful. The suspense feels contrived and i found it dull. The use of the dogs in criminal investigations was the one bright spot. The rest of it is completely forgettable and a challenge to sit and stay through the end. 2.5 stars

My personal preference for reading is more character driven fiction, this felt like the characters were underdeveloped, and as such I never really bonded to them, and didn't feel involved in the story. Without that element it felt dry and hard for me to read, also there was no hook in the beginning that made me want to continue, just a lot of description about a pursuit I didn't have enough info on to care about, and characters I had never been introduced to. I found the book to be more if information dumping than storytelling.

I really enjoyed reading this story about Meg Jennings, an FBI K-9 handler and her dog Hawk. They tackle many and varied cases from search and rescue to following the scent of a criminal fleeing from a crime scene.

Meg and Hawk are a formidable team and their very close bond is apparent in this book. I also enjoyed reading about the other teams and how they work. Prior to reading this book, I didn't know very much about K-9 teams but I have learned quite a bit more now and I am full of admiration about the sort of work they do - it is tough, physically and emotionally, and both handler and dog have to be in top shape to be able to handle what is thrown at them. They are so tuned in to each other, they almost know what the other is thinking. Their bond was wonderful to read about.

Trying to find a terrorist with his own agenda of death and destruction is challenging and not for the faint hearted. I can't even imagine dealing with some of the scenes that would await the teams under those circumstances but deal they do.

This was a very enjoyable book and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series!

Highly recommended from me :)

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. With thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books.

This was an interesting read because it went into quite a bit of detail about search and rescue dogs.
This is the first book of a series that will be built around the main character.
I liked that the author had chapters showing how the bomber thought and what he was doing, sometimes
that ruins the mystery, but this was more like an action/thriller, so it worked out well.

It wasn't too graphic, even though it dealt with bombing victims, it was handled very tastefully, so I don't
think it needs a trigger warning.

Recommended