The Lost: A Mace Reid K-9 Mystery (Mace Reid K-9 Mystery, 3)

I have read all the books in this series and without a doubt, Mr. Burton has stepped up his game with this entry into the series.

The author knows how to create warm and carrying characters that the reader genuinely cares about. Mace and Kippy have such a genuine feel to them along with Mace’s pack of dogs, especially Vira (that’s Ira with a V) that you fall in love immediately with the whole gang. The story moved from the past to the present as smoothly as lotion on a baby’s bottom. The author hooked you with the last line in each chapter so that you had no choice but to read one more chapter. There were plenty of twist and turns as the author laid most of the mystery out for you, yet still managed to give the reader a mouth opening ending to wrap the story up. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

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my own.

2020, 2021, 2022. I'm looking for 2023. Finders. Keepers. Lost. Will the next be Weepers?

I'm hooked now. I've added this series to my Chet and Bernie and both my Andy Carpenter and K Team books. I'm catching up on all of the Andy Carpenter and there'll be a K Team in March but not Chet and Bernie in sight. I need the next Mace Reid in 2023.

Hopefully you can tell how good these books are the fervor in which I seek the next installment.

Finders was really good so purchased Keepers, still good so, got this, Lost. Lost pretty much describes what happened to the enjoyment previous books had given me. Lotta plots a mystery does not make, especially when as ridiculously unbelievable as these were. Not much "dog", the real reason I've purchased, save for the psychic, of course a Golden. BTW, 3 stars was a courtesy owing to enjoyment of previous.

Just received it yesterday. The copy I got was an advanced reader cpoy. Didn't realize these were available to buy. But will read it.

The Lost is the third Mace Reid K-9 mystery by by Jeffery B. Burton. Released 28th June 2022 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a solid installment in a very strong series in the animal mystery subgenre. The series started strong and has gone from strength to strength. The characterizations and descriptions are well rendered and distinct. Protagonist Mace Reid is a dog trainer who specializes in training human remains dogs (cadaver dogs). His "pack" includes ('Vira - short for Elvira), a golden retriever who is a natural wonder as a cadaver dog, and just might be a canine Einstein in addition. The plot arc is full of action and the author is adept at moving the narrative along without info dumping.

There is some anthropomorphism, but it's not out of control. Honestly for some readers who love animal mysteries, it will be a plus. I think there are relatively few readers who will be yanked out of the story by that facet of the writing. The dialogue is well done and flowed smoothly. Mace is sarcastic but eminently likeable, kind, and honest to a fault. Some of the secondary antagonists are caricatures, but that's more or less to be expected with cozy mysteries. There are some disturbing descriptions of violence and ruthless killers included, but it's in character and not egregious. The language is rough (R-rated) in places.

This is a strong addition to the series and I am eagerly looking forward to more. Four and a half stars for me, certainly 5 for fans of mysteries featuring dogs.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

another good story

Good story.

If you are a dog lover, you will love this book. I certainly did.

Kenneth J. Druckman, a wealthy investment advisor, has embezzled millions from his own company. Using fake identities, he's hidden this money in the Swiss Alps. Unfortunately for Druckman, a psychotic multibillionaire, Audrick Verlinden, has learned of his scheme and depleted his hidden wealth. Wishing to replenish his lost funds and abscond with his most cherished possession, his five-year-old daughter, Elle, Druckman steals his wife's jewels and fakes his daughter's kidnapping. Enter Mace Reid, trainer of Human Remains Detection (HRD) dogs, and his detective girlfriend, Kippy Gimm. Mace doesn't believe Druckman's story. Druckman has difficulty fencing the stolen jewels; soon, Russian mobsters want him dead and Elle sold to human traffickers. Mace, Kippy, and Mace's golden retriever, Vira, are in a race against time to find the lost Elle.

Jeffrey B. Burton's "The Lost" is an action-packed tale of embezzlement, murder, and kidnapping. Eleanor "Elle" Druckman (a.k.a. "Scarf") isn't the only character who is lost. Her father, Kenneth Druckman, has lost his soul. He lost it to greed. Eventually, Druckman loses his mind. Druckman's humble, ethical, hard-working parents gave him a conscience that wouldn't allow him to survive his own treachery unscathed. On the other hand, the novel's most vile villain, Audrick Verlinden, doesn't have a conscience. Consumed with vengeance, he lives in an enormous mansion at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. His only companion is a manservant who functions as his personal chauffeur, bodyguard, and hitman. This novel has several mysteries, which I can't discuss without ruining the plot. However, I can state there is one that is rather creepy: Who is being held prisoner in Verlinden's basement? It reminds me of an old horror film. One of the characters makes a shocking, gruesome discovery when they investigate moaning sounds.

Our novel's hero, Mason "Mace" Reid, lives in a trailer in Lansing, Illinois--a suburb of Chicago. His companions are five HRD dogs known as "The Finders." They are all named after hit songs from the seventies. In this third installment, Vira has the most significant role. Readers are shocked when her extraordinary sniffing abilities help her locate several corpses. Also, Mace and Kippy are spending more time together. It is obvious they are becoming more romantically involved. Frequently being thrown into dangerous situations and nearly dying helps bring people closer together. I am already hearing wedding bells in their future. How soon? I don't know. In one very tense scene, when guns are pointed at them and all seems lost, Mace and Kippy confess their love to one another. This novel contains a great amount of romance, mystery, suspense, and violence. The dogs and the missing girl are all adorable and make the plot more appealing.

As I stated earlier, "The Lost" has Russian mobsters. Lately, I've read several mysteries with Russian mobsters. Perhaps this has something to do with the war in Ukraine. Once again, Russia is our enemy and anything Russian is being feared. Also, kidnappings are becoming very popular. I just finished reading Liz Alterman's "The Perfect Neighborhood" and T. L. Finlay's "Girls Without Tears." Both were superb mysteries. The children missing from these novels were about Elle's age. Also, there are numerous K-9 mystery series in print and the Mace Reid series is one of the best I've read. Another popular one where the dogs play a very active role in solving the mysteries is Margaret Mizushima's outstanding Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series. I'm convinced that every police department in the country should employ a K-9 unit.

Jeffrey B. Burton's "The Lost" is an exciting, fast-paced thrill ride. I hated to see it end. The characterization is wonderfully diverse and realistic. I love Mace and his children, "The Finders." I feel so very sad for Maggie May for having lost one of her front legs in the previous novel; she is now a tripod dog. ("The Lost" can be read as a standalone; however, it is best if you read the series from the beginning, like I have done.) Also, readers are taken from a wealthy neighborhood in Glencoe (one of the most affluent suburbs in Chicago) to a secluded cabin in Galena, Illinois and then to a palatial estate in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. My favorite setting was the secluded cabin in the woods where there is much gunplay in the great outdoors and the lives of many of the characters are at stake. Overall, I love the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series. I would definitely feel lost if I didn't get the opportunity to read the next thrilling installment.

3.5 stars rounded up

I enjoyed the third installment of the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery, and it was just as fast-paced as the other two. However, I felt like it didn’t have as much of the cadaver detection as the rest. The dogs were still apart of this mystery, but they didn’t seem to have as big of a role as in the other two. The author did a good job summarizing Vira’s abilities without it being repetitive from the first two. Each dog has their own personality and I love the found family vibe they give off. I loved the fact that we got a POV from the villains, it always adds more to the story for me, but I wish that the change between POV was announced, sometimes it took me a little bit before I realized who I was reading about. I like Reid’s personality and its nice to see his relationship continue as they have fun banter. Each dog has their own personality and I hope the series continues so we can get to see each of them shine.