Finalist, Willa Literary Award, Contemporary Fiction “Mizushima has a gift when it comes to crafting immersive settings . . . She also makes both the human and animal characters feel authentic.” — Associated Press “Mizushima’s take on small-town policing feels authentic and series fans will be thrilled to see Cole and Mattie getting closer.” —Publishers Weekly “Whether one likes stories about conflict or relationships, there's something for everybody in Mizushima's fine novel.” — Booklist “Part family drama, part animal-infused mystery, part ongoing exploration of the troubled heroine's psyche.” — Kirkus Reviews “Compelling and twisty . . . Fans of Western mysteries as well as those featuring dogs will enjoy this latest entry in the series.” — Library Journal “An inherently fascinating 'whodunnit' style mystery . . . [A] riveting read from cover to cover.” — Midwest Book Review “Mizushima has created another compelling mystery . . . The vivid Colorado setting adds the perfect touch, making Tracking Game sure to appeal to fans of Margaret Coel or Nevada Barr.” — Shelf Awareness “I am a big fan of this series.” — Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine “Full of suspense, I read this page turner in a matter of hours and will read it again.” — Kings River Life “A mystery you won’t be able to put aside.” — Manhattan Book Review “Mattie and her K-9 Robo are back, and they make a team to be reckoned with...A fasinating mystery in a rugged landscape . . . I can't wait for the next adventure from these dynamic partnerships.” —Anne Hillerman, New York Times –bestselling author “ Tracking Game [is] Margaret Mizushima's most compelling Timber Creek K-9 mystery yet.” —Scott Graham, National Outdoor Award-winning author of Arches Enemy “ Tracking Game crackles with high tension, a fascinating plot, and a new development in the ongoing mystery of Mattie Cobb’s family background.” —Pat Stoltey, author of Colorado Book Award finalist Wishing Caswell Dead “A thrilling mystery with terrific twists and a wonderful cast of characters . . . I couldn't put this book down!” —Barbara Nickless, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts–bestselling author of Ambush Praise for the Timber Creek K-9 mysteries: “Mizushima's classic police procedural adds a fresh angle involving the work of K-9s . . . Sue Henry fans will love.” — Library Journal starred review, Debut of the Month “The interactions between Mattie and Robo will tug the heartstrings of every dog lover . . . Mizushima’s debut reflects both her skill as a suspense writer and her respect for animals.” — Booklist , starred review “A compelling and savvy mystery that explores the big secrets in a small western town. I was cheering Mattie and Robo every step of the way.” —Maragret Coel, New York Times –bestselling author of The Man Who Fell from the Sky “Characters become so real they feel like friends.xa0Mizushima’s sleight of hand as a genre writer (she’s particularly adept at red herrings) only makes this fine series that much more enjoyable.” — Mystery Scene “Suspenseful and engaging, keeping readers on edge the entire way through this third Timber Creek K-9 Mystery.” — RT Book Reviews , Top Pick “Another thrilling adventure with Mattie and Robo.” — Red Carpet Crash Margaret Mizushima is the author of the award-winning and internationally published Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries. She serves as president for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, was elected the 2019 Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and is also a member of Northern Colorado Writers, Sisters in Crime, Pikes Peak Writers, and Women Writing the West. She lives in Colorado on a small ranch with her veterinarian husband where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals. She can be found on Facebook/AuthorMargaretMizushima, Twitter @margmizu, Instagram at margmizu, and her website at www.margaretmizushima.com.
Features & Highlights
A
Library Reads
“Top Pick”
Finalist, Colorado Book Awards, Mystery
“Another compelling mystery” in Timber Creek’s “vivid Colorado setting” that is “sure to appeal to fans of Margaret Coel or Nevada Barr” (
Shelf Awareness
)
Two brutal murders, a menacing band of poachers, and a fearsome creature on the loose in the mountains plunge Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo into a sinister vortex.
An explosion outside a community dance sends Mattie Cobb and Cole Walker reeling into the night, where they discover a burning van and beside it the body of outfitter Nate Fletcher. But the explosion didn't kill Nate—it was two gunshots to the heart. The investigation leads them to the home of rancher Doyle Redman, whose daughter is Nate’s widow, and the object of one of their suspect’s affection. But before they can make an arrest, they receive an emergency call from a man who’s been shot in the mountains. Mattie and Robo rush to the scene, only to be confronted by the ominous growl of a wild predator. As new players emerge on the scene, Mattie begins to understand the true danger that’s enveloping Timber Creek. They journey into the cold, misty mountains to track the animal—but discover something even more deadly in
Tracking Game
, the fifth installment in Margaret Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 mysteries.
Customer Reviews
Rating Breakdown
★★★★★
60%
(1.3K)
★★★★
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★★★
15%
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★★
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Most Helpful Reviews
★★★★★
3.0
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Okay read - like the mystery not the personal aspects
Tracking Game
Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #5
By Margaret Mizushima
First I'll say when I got this book I did not know that it was the fifth in a series but I did not have any trouble getting into the book. Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo are about to have a case on their hands (or paws) that is about to shake up the community of Timber Creek. The Summer of Romance dance is interrupted by an explosion - and explosion that critically injures a friend, leaves behind a murder victim, and attempts to destroy evidence of another crime.
Every potential witness or associate of the victim leaves Mattie and Timber Creek police force with more questions than answers. But when one of their potential suspects turns up dead Mattie quickly realizes they have a bigger, deadlier problem than a killer in their midst.
Tracking Game, for the most part, was fairly good. I'm not a fan of the ending or all the personal life stuff that was going on in Mattie's life. I think this is okay as a standalone read and to be honest I did not get attached to any of the characters or hints at what had previously happened to want to read any other books in the series. I like mysteries but I got clogged down over the personal life stuff so I actually found it to be a distraction. The mystery part was good and I did enjoy it and the who-dun-it was well concealed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Amazon's Vine Program with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.
3 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Good paced detective / mystery story
Timber Creek, a small town in the Colorado mountains is the scene of a brutal crime. Nate Fletcher the son-in-law of a well-known and respected rancher is found murdered next to his burning car. A little further away his best friend is laying severely injured.
Why would anyone want to murder Nate? And what, if anything, has his best friend Garrett to do with it?
And that’s what Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo have to find out. Their investigation leads them straight back to the ranch of Nate’s in-laws Doyle and Lillian Redman. However it’s hard to believe they have something to do with the death of their daughter Kasey’s husband. And soon the attention of the K-9 unit shifts to another suspect; Wilson Nichol. He has had his eye on Kasey since high school and conveniently shows up at her house right after Nate’s murder.
Just as Mattie and the rest of the team are about to make their move on Wilson a 911 call comes in. A man has been shot in the mountains and needs help immediately. A rescue mission into the mountains ensues with Robo taking the lead in finding the injured man. Will they get to him on time or will they have another death on their hands?
What they find is not what they expected. The growl of a wild predator startles Mattie and Robo and halts them in their tracks. While the mountains are riddled with mountain lions this sure didn’t sound like one. But what is it? And how did it get there?
Their tracking game leads them deep into the mountains to find this mysterious animal, but they might find more than they bargained for. Because something, or someone, much more deadly might be out there too.
All in all Margaret Mizushima created a good paced detective story with a general ‘there’s a murder, who done it’ plot with a few twists.
Furthermore, considering this is book 5 out of a series, this is perfectly readable as a stand-alone book. There are a few throwbacks to previous books but nothing that would throw a new reader off reading this one.
I found this book to be easy to read and I really enjoyed the twists when it came to the animal hiding in the mountains. It also –to some extend– draws attention to the illegal wildlife trade, poaching and even canned hunting. Something that really struck a chord with me on a personal level because the environment and animal welfare are so close to my heart.
So if you’re looking for a good detective story with likeable characters (and some adorable animals, like Robo) this book might be for you.
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
3 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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A killing, a K-9 investigation, and a romantic commitment
Deputy Sheriff Mattie Cobb and her beau, veterinarian Cole Walker, are enjoying a Celebration of Summer community dance when their evening is interrupted by an explosion that calls Mattie and her K-9 partner Robo back onto duty. They find a burning vehicle that was the source of the explosion and the lone occupant dead, not from the explosion itself but from two shots through the chest. They also find Cole’s best friend, who had stopped to try to rescue the victim, severely injured. Nate Fletcher, the murder victim, lived with his wife Kasey on her family’s ranch, where they had an outfitting business taking people on hunting and fishing trips in the area. Nate’s family struggle to hold their business together as they grieve their loss, while Mattie and Robo and the rest of the Timber Creek County Sheriff’s Department work to uncover who killed Nate Fletcher and why. It seems everyone involved with Nate is hiding something, but which secret led to murder?
I like to think of the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series as police procedurals on four feet. For me and many other readers our favorite part of the books is the Mattie-Robo relationship. Incidents in Mattie’s early life make many of her relationships with humans difficult, but there is no problem at all in her commitment to Robo. Mattie clearly loves Robo, and Robo loves both Mattie and his job. In addition to portraying the warm relationship between the two, there are fascinating details about how a forensically trained K-9 operates. For example, Mattie always gives Robo a drink of water before he goes off to follow a scent, because it sharpens a dog’s olfactory ability, and she uses different harnesses or collars, such as a narcotics detection collar, to signal to him what kind of task he is to perform.
The evocation of the setting in rural Colorado is an important element in the series. This element gets a new edge in Tracking Game from the roar of a wild animal that doesn’t quite sound like a cougar….
Like the previous books in the series, Tracking Game has a gripping suspense-filled plot. Nonetheless, this is definitely a character-driven series. If you have not read the earlier books, I strongly recommend you begin with the first book so you can come to know and care about the characters, their lives, and their relationships.
The development of the romantic relationship between Mattie and Cole is the biggest character-driven theme of the series. Tracking Game devotes more attention to it than any of the earlier books, which will no doubt delight many readers and annoy others. It is difficult for someone who has not had the abuse Mattie suffered in childhood to relate fully to the emotional scars such victims carry, but there were times when I felt she was overreacting and wished for less coverage of her internal struggles.
As the book ends, Mattie receives some new information about her past and eagerly shares it with Cole, a good sign of her commitment. No doubt these two topics, plus a new mystery, will be explored further in the next book.
3 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Robo and Mattie on the trail again
A panel van ablaze alongside the highway, drawing Mattie and Cole away from a dance. Thus begins this fifth exciting installment of the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series. I expect if you are reading this review that you already have an interest in the mystery genre and also likely in dogs, not to mention subtle romantic relationships, so this novel will not disappoint. If you also read the first four installments, you are already familiar with Timber Creek Sheriff’s Department deputy Mattie Cobb and her hero dog Robo. Robo, the K-9 officer is the real center of attention in this fine mystery series and will appeal to anyone who ever gazed with appreciation on a German Shepherd dog. Mattie seems to finally have a human boyfriend, but he has to be content with a back seat in the arrangement, even a seat behind Robo’s compartment in Mattie’s police vehicle. The real appeal of this series is the relationship between Mattie and Robo, which will bring tears at points to the eyes of the true dog lover. The relationships among the humans are also finely detailed and mature slowly, especially that between Mattie and the veterinarian in town. Nicely enough, the town vet is featured, as is his relationship with his two daughters and the family housekeeper. Margaret Mizushima, the author, does a wonderful job of interweaving the mystery in and among the human and canine relationships. Robo is not the only canine involved in this series. There is also Belle and Bruno, the two pooches who live with the vet and his family. Even horses like Mountaineer are featured in this engrossing tale. So, for readers who like mysteries leavened with satisfying human-human and human-animal relationships, then this is the series for you. Unfortunately, there is only one more installment now published and it will go back up on the shelf far too soon. Such, however, is the nature of the love affair readers have with their books.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Not a dynamic story
Story was slow moving-didn’t make me want to sit down and read. Had some good action parts.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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Great procedural with a K9 Law Enforcement Officer
The latest installment in the "Mattie Cobb and Robo" procedural/mystery series involves the murder of a local man. Mattie and her beau, veterinarian Cole Walker, are finally getting to go on a date, but the dance is interrupted when Mattie is called to the scene of a car on fire. There, they find Cole's best friend has been injured while attempting to get the driver out of the burning vehicle. The driver, back-country guide Nate Fletcher, was dead of gunshot wounds before the fire started.
When the Sheriff's department gets a call about a second shooting, Mattie's well-trained canine partner, Robo, tracks down the victim in the Colorado high country, but he and Mattie find a much larger and wilder critter has already claimed the body. Mattie and Cole's developing relationship, complicated by their own personal challenges, provides background tension as they team up with the new wildlife officer and her Rhodesian Ridgeback to find the predators, both human and feline.
These books are good, solid procedurals. Law enforcement officers act like adults and work out any relationship issues with one another, and Mattie's and Cole's relationship is also examined in excruciating detail in light of their individual past histories. While it's great to read a book in which the tension isn't provided by main characters, even protagonists, who act like idiots, the measured maturity of the characters and the prose, itself, does make the book less than the thrilling suspenseful story I think it could have been. While it's great that an exhausted Mattie takes time to realize she hasn't had the opportunity to 'work through' her feelings about something and so she responsibly postpones a discussion with Cole, the truth is that even people we like and admire do have faults and weaknesses and it would have made for a more interesting story and a more interesting protagonist if Mattie, instead, had gotten angry, or broken down crying or done something stupid, the way many of us would have because we're not perfect. I think the really great procedurals incorporate those character flaws into the story rather than setting it all up like a manual of best emotional maturity practices, helping us to identify with and attach to those characters more.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Arrived in good time.
Book in very good condition as advertised.
★★★★★
5.0
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Tail-wagging mystery will have you lapping up the whole series
Who let the dogs out? Margaret Mizushima does with “Tracking Game,” the fifth book in her “Timber Creek K-9 Mystery” series. This latest installment again stars Mattie Cobb, a cop and lifelong resident of Timber Creek, Colorado, and her trusty four-footed partner, Robo. Now they are on the case after an explosion leads them to investigate two murders, with a twist that quite literally roars.
Ms. Mizushima is as sure-footed a mystery writer as Robo is dogging along rugged Rocky Mountain trails. The author paints the ranch-and-rugged landscape with words the way Ansel Adams showcased it in his photographs; the setting comes alive, which is crucial for a mystery. Another key puzzle in creating a great mystery? Getting the reader to turn pages. Ms. Mizushima does just that, thanks, at least in part, because she knows her police procedures and her K-9s and she knows her readers—we want characters, human and animal, we can relate to, root for … and read about.
Indeed, the author is a clear master of the “cozy mystery” genre; “Tracking Game” is nothing if not cozy. Ms. Mizushima’s very writing style is cozy; no razzle-dazzle, look-at-how-clever-my-wordsmithery is here. No, she gets out of the way and lets her characters and the setting tell the story, so we cozy up even more to the people and the place.
With Mattie Cobb, Ms. Mizushima gives us a broken character: just the way we like our heroes. Mattie is tough when she needs to be, vulnerable when she can be (or wants to be), and sensible and smart — strong in all the right places. Robo, meanwhile, is the ideal partner (or “guide,” as the movie business refers to trusty sidekicks, begging the question: Why hasn’t Hollywood optioned this series for films?). Robo’s as likable as Mattie is. He romps, his tongue lolls, he scampers, rests on his bed in the Timber Creek police station … and follows every order and gives his ultimate loyalty to his master and our hero.
Finally, “Tracking Game” offers up coziness along the lines of what you’d find in a romance novel, thanks to Mattie’s brittle backstory, which serves a sub-plot: her nascent relationship with the local veterinarian, Cole Walker. But this isn’t some dime-store eye-rolling bodice-rippers; it’s cozy. Likewise, the absence of language one usually finds in a “gritty” police novel adds a cozier, almost family, feel to a fly-through-the-pages bedtime or by-the-fireplace read. Again: cozy.
Once you read “Tracking Game,” you’ll discover Ms. Mizushima’s series are a man’s—well, every mystery readers’—best friend.
★★★★★
4.0
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4 stars
I was unaware that this was a series of books when I requested to read this book. I was a little confused at first but I was able to do a little research and figured out the characters. The story is good, And I love the inclusion of the dog in this. I found myself instantly glued to the story line and I couldn't wait to find out what happened. The story line was very original, which is hard to do these day.
I removed a star due to lack of information given to me that this was in a set of books.
