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zacochsner's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
casey_mcd92's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
lynguy1's review
5.0
HANGING FALLS by Margaret Mizushima is the sixth book in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series. This has become one of my favorite police procedural series. It is set in and around a small town in the mountains of Colorado.
While this is the sixth book in the series and there are references to events and people that were in previous ones, the novel still worked well as a standalone. In this one Deputy Mattie Cobb, her canine partner Robo, local district wildlife manager, Glenna Dalton and her Rhodesian ridgeback are hiking to Hanging Falls. Heavy rains have impacted the trail and the falls. Once they get to the falls, they find a body floating in the water below the falls. With this start, the book is off and running.
Mattie and her K-9 partner Robo and the other members of the sheriff’s department begin an investigation that has a lot of twists and turns and some red herrings. As usual, Maggie’s boyfriend, veterinarian Cole Walker, helps with the investigation. The characters are appealing and the writing is compelling, engaging and entertaining. The plot is clever, intriguing and very realistic.
I was immediately drawn into the investigation and the lives of Mattie, Robo, Cole and many of the other residents of Timber Creek, Colorado. I enjoyed visiting with my relatively new friends. I believe the fact that the author and her husband run a veterinary clinic and live on a small ranch in Colorado helped with the visualization of the area. Themes include police investigations, murder, a religious cult, horse training, family relationships and dynamics, changing relationships and much more. There are some serious themes in this novel that I won’t reveal due to spoilers.
This is the second book that I have read about Mattie, Robo and Cole; and I can’t wait to read other books in this series. If you are a dog lover or just enjoy an engaging and suspenseful mystery, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, Margaret Mizushima and Net Galley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
While this is the sixth book in the series and there are references to events and people that were in previous ones, the novel still worked well as a standalone. In this one Deputy Mattie Cobb, her canine partner Robo, local district wildlife manager, Glenna Dalton and her Rhodesian ridgeback are hiking to Hanging Falls. Heavy rains have impacted the trail and the falls. Once they get to the falls, they find a body floating in the water below the falls. With this start, the book is off and running.
Mattie and her K-9 partner Robo and the other members of the sheriff’s department begin an investigation that has a lot of twists and turns and some red herrings. As usual, Maggie’s boyfriend, veterinarian Cole Walker, helps with the investigation. The characters are appealing and the writing is compelling, engaging and entertaining. The plot is clever, intriguing and very realistic.
I was immediately drawn into the investigation and the lives of Mattie, Robo, Cole and many of the other residents of Timber Creek, Colorado. I enjoyed visiting with my relatively new friends. I believe the fact that the author and her husband run a veterinary clinic and live on a small ranch in Colorado helped with the visualization of the area. Themes include police investigations, murder, a religious cult, horse training, family relationships and dynamics, changing relationships and much more. There are some serious themes in this novel that I won’t reveal due to spoilers.
This is the second book that I have read about Mattie, Robo and Cole; and I can’t wait to read other books in this series. If you are a dog lover or just enjoy an engaging and suspenseful mystery, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, Margaret Mizushima and Net Galley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
liviaslibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
reneesmith's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed binging this series as Audible freebies--until this last one, which was worth the Audible credit! Now I have to wait until September for the next episode in Mattie & Robo's story. Looking forward to it!
liberrydude's review
4.0
Mattie deals with a family reunion in San Diego but it’s all postponed due to her and Robo finding a body near a waterfall. They also apprehend a homeless man in the vicinity. Meanwhile her family in San Diego decides to visit her in Colorado. The homeless suspect is released but soon thereafter he’s found hanging from a tree on the forest. Both murders are related to a religious cult that’s recently moved to the area. Suspects are two old ornery brothers, a farrier, a veterinary pharmaceuticals rep, and several men from the cult. More intrigue as a teenage girl goes missing from the cult’s compound. It’s a fast and engaging read with Mattie finally finding more answers to her past which inevitably raise more questions.
faile12's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tayparks's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
Hanging Falls by Margaret Mizushima is an intriguing police procedural. Although I highly recommend the previous installments, this sixth mystery in the Timber Creek K-9 series can be read as a standalone.
Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo join wildlife manager Glenna Dalton in a hike to survey trail damage. They have just arrived at the lake when Robo and Glenna's dog moose locate a floating corpse. With a storm moving in, Mattie knows she needs to save as much evidence as possible. She and Glenna manage to remove the body and Mattie stays behind while Glenna goes to call for help. As she is surveying the area for possible clues, Mattie believes she spots someone above the lake. Believing this person might be involved or know something about the death, she and Robo hike to scout the scene after Glenna's return. Her instincts are right on target when they find a young man hiding the surrounding trees. Meanwhile Detective Stella Losallo, Deputy Ken Brody, and local vet and Mattie's love interest Cole Walker arrive to remove the remains and search for evidence. Returning to the station to their suspect, Tracy Lee Brown, everyone hopes the case will be wrapped up soon.
Mattie decides to delay her vacation and her trip to meet her newly found sister Julia and grandmother. After bringing Tracy Lee back to his campsite, she, Robo and Brody look for more evidence where the body was found. With Robo's invaluable assistance, they locate an item that leads them to a group of newcomers to Timber Creek. The religious group have recently relocated and they are establishing a new life for themselves. After talking to leader Isaac King and the others on the property, Mattie and Stella have a good idea who their victim is. But now they have to try to figure out why someone murdered the young man.
Mattie's sister and grandmother decide to visit her in Timber Creek and she is nervously preparing for their arrival. She knows they have information about her deceased father and she is hoping they might have details about her missing mother. Mattie is surprised at how emotional their reunion is and she is almost overwhelmed by what she learns about her long ago past. Unfortunately not all of her questions are answered initially and after the case is wrapped up, Mattie knows she must travel to her sister and grandmother to learn the missing details.
Hanging Falls is a fast-paced and engrossing mystery with a well-rounded cast of characters. Mattie has continued to grow and evolve to the point where she is willing to be a little more open. She and Cole are at a more comfortable place in their relationship and she is grateful for his and his family's support. The investigation moves at a brisk pace as they eventually uncover the truth about not one, but two murders. This latest addition to Margaret Mizushima's marvelous Timber Creek K-9 series is another fantastic mystery that old and new fans are sure to enjoy.
Hanging Falls by Margaret Mizushima is an intriguing police procedural. Although I highly recommend the previous installments, this sixth mystery in the Timber Creek K-9 series can be read as a standalone.
Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo join wildlife manager Glenna Dalton in a hike to survey trail damage. They have just arrived at the lake when Robo and Glenna's dog moose locate a floating corpse. With a storm moving in, Mattie knows she needs to save as much evidence as possible. She and Glenna manage to remove the body and Mattie stays behind while Glenna goes to call for help. As she is surveying the area for possible clues, Mattie believes she spots someone above the lake. Believing this person might be involved or know something about the death, she and Robo hike to scout the scene after Glenna's return. Her instincts are right on target when they find a young man hiding the surrounding trees. Meanwhile Detective Stella Losallo, Deputy Ken Brody, and local vet and Mattie's love interest Cole Walker arrive to remove the remains and search for evidence. Returning to the station to their suspect, Tracy Lee Brown, everyone hopes the case will be wrapped up soon.
Mattie decides to delay her vacation and her trip to meet her newly found sister Julia and grandmother. After bringing Tracy Lee back to his campsite, she, Robo and Brody look for more evidence where the body was found. With Robo's invaluable assistance, they locate an item that leads them to a group of newcomers to Timber Creek. The religious group have recently relocated and they are establishing a new life for themselves. After talking to leader Isaac King and the others on the property, Mattie and Stella have a good idea who their victim is. But now they have to try to figure out why someone murdered the young man.
Mattie's sister and grandmother decide to visit her in Timber Creek and she is nervously preparing for their arrival. She knows they have information about her deceased father and she is hoping they might have details about her missing mother. Mattie is surprised at how emotional their reunion is and she is almost overwhelmed by what she learns about her long ago past. Unfortunately not all of her questions are answered initially and after the case is wrapped up, Mattie knows she must travel to her sister and grandmother to learn the missing details.
Hanging Falls is a fast-paced and engrossing mystery with a well-rounded cast of characters. Mattie has continued to grow and evolve to the point where she is willing to be a little more open. She and Cole are at a more comfortable place in their relationship and she is grateful for his and his family's support. The investigation moves at a brisk pace as they eventually uncover the truth about not one, but two murders. This latest addition to Margaret Mizushima's marvelous Timber Creek K-9 series is another fantastic mystery that old and new fans are sure to enjoy.