The Hunting Hour by Margaret Mizushima

The Hunting Hour is the third in this series set in the small town of Timber Lake.  I liked Stalking Ground, the first in the series, but somehow missed the second one and will have to see if the library has a copy.  

Deputy Mattie Cobb and Robo, her K-9 tracking dog are involved in the search for a missing 8th grade girl.  When the girl is found dead, the small town of Timber Lake is on edge.  A child murder is always horrifying, but in a small community, the shock is amplified and personal.  

Then Sophie Walker, the daughter of Mattie's close friend Cole Walker, turns up missing and the sense of fear ratchets up.  Despite the efforts of many volunteers, searchers fail to find any trace of the girl.  Mattie and Robo are at a loss as well.  



I like this series because of the characters, the mountain location, and of course, Robo.  Robo is a working dog, and I find the information about search and rescue dogs fascinating.  I also like that Robo is not overly romanticized.  He is both comfort and companion to Mattie, but he is trained to perform and is, in his own way, a dedicated law enforcement agent.

I'm quite fond of these characters, the small community of Timber Lake, and the well-crafted plotting of Margaret Mizushima.  Must find a copy of the book I missed.

Read in April; blog review scheduled for July 24.

NetGalley/Crooked Lane Books.

Police Procedural.  August 8, 2017.  Print version:  320 pages.