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lifeisaproblem's review against another edition
4.0
The last few Maggie O'Dell novels have felt stale. This new series, which still includes Maggie, feels much fresher, and the novel is one of Kava's best in years.
tjandrey's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
beastreader's review
5.0
It has been a long time since I have read a book by this author. I was lucky enough to score an early copy of this book. It was even better than I would have thought. I could not stop reading this book. I finished it over the weekend. Both Ryder and Maggie's storylines were equally strong. Sometimes when there are dueling storylines, one side is not as strong. The way that they both combined than was nice. It fit like a missing piece of a puzzle. Plus all of the other characters in the story helped add to the story. They did not feel like just secondary characters who were in the story just because there needed to be other people. All of Ryder's dogs were stars as well. I can not pick one as my favorite. I would have said Grace because she was more of the main dog but then other of Ryder's dogs made appearances as well and they each showed their own special talent. I look forward to reading more about Ryder and Maggie. They look to make a great team and I look forward to seeing what type of relationship they have together. Breaking Creed is a must read that will leave you wanting more.
trayceebee's review against another edition
5.0
Read this for my mystery book club--I'm so glad I did! I loved it!!! I'll check out more in this series, as well as her Maggie O'Dell series. Glad to read great writing from a Nebraska author!!!
clairelitch1's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars ⭐
I have read all of Alex Kava's Maggie O'Dell series, and while I absolutely adore that character, the endings always fell a little flat for me; they seemed rushed or very same-y.
This book is different, I actually thoroughly enjoyed it from cover to cover. I love that it's not centred on a typical policeman crime plot, instead following someone who trains scent dogs and is not strictly involved with law enforcement. I do however love that Special Agent Maggie O'Dell is still a main character in this series.
Ryder Creed is a very likeable character and I warmed to him immediately in Stranded; the previous book in the previous series. I really enjoyed the follow on from that in this book, where Creed's character becomes more fleshed-out and well-rounded. He is a good hero to focus a series on and I look forward to reading more about him and his dogs in the next book in the series, which I shall order myself at my local library on Monday!
I have read all of Alex Kava's Maggie O'Dell series, and while I absolutely adore that character, the endings always fell a little flat for me; they seemed rushed or very same-y.
This book is different, I actually thoroughly enjoyed it from cover to cover. I love that it's not centred on a typical policeman crime plot, instead following someone who trains scent dogs and is not strictly involved with law enforcement. I do however love that Special Agent Maggie O'Dell is still a main character in this series.
Ryder Creed is a very likeable character and I warmed to him immediately in Stranded; the previous book in the previous series. I really enjoyed the follow on from that in this book, where Creed's character becomes more fleshed-out and well-rounded. He is a good hero to focus a series on and I look forward to reading more about him and his dogs in the next book in the series, which I shall order myself at my local library on Monday!
cgcang's review against another edition
3.0
It's been a terrible few days for everybody, but I'm immeasurably lucky to have been able to read and even finish a book.
And this one's a bit difficult to judge. The whole premise is very interesting, it's basically another thriller with dogs, but this time a whole pack of them, and they don't even take the spotlight. The dogs, even Grace, are not the main characters, Ryder Creed and Maggie O'Dell are. It's not to say that they aren't featured enough or anything, but somehow I'm not sated.
The writing and the pacing is mostly good, but I have quite a few problems with how the plot moves. There are often weird jumps and gaps in the story, as if to justify the lack of twists, because most of what's left incomplete eventually ties into the sort-of-twist ending, though it's not much of a shock anyway, not to mention feeling a bit rushed.
I blame the presence of two main characters, because Maggie O'Dell is the main character of Alex Kava's other long-lasting series, and while this is a Ryder Creed book, somehow Kava can't seem to be separated from her, so some of the mystery is left for her to unveil, which in turn steals from Ryder Creed and his dogs.
While the book is effectively a page-turner, there isn't much confrontation and meaningful action, aside from the finale, and these are the two main things I look for in a thriller.
So... I'm torn. The book started off as a 5-star read, then dropped to a 4, then dropped to a 3, and seemed to pick back up towards a 4 in the last few pages, but in the end I guess I'm staying with 3 stars. However, I intend to give the Ryder Creed series another shot, so I'll be owing Alex Kava another star if I'm impressed with the second book, at the risk of sounding a bit cocky.
And this one's a bit difficult to judge. The whole premise is very interesting, it's basically another thriller with dogs, but this time a whole pack of them, and they don't even take the spotlight. The dogs, even Grace, are not the main characters, Ryder Creed and Maggie O'Dell are. It's not to say that they aren't featured enough or anything, but somehow I'm not sated.
The writing and the pacing is mostly good, but I have quite a few problems with how the plot moves. There are often weird jumps and gaps in the story, as if to justify the lack of twists, because most of what's left incomplete eventually ties into the sort-of-twist ending, though it's not much of a shock anyway, not to mention feeling a bit rushed.
I blame the presence of two main characters, because Maggie O'Dell is the main character of Alex Kava's other long-lasting series, and while this is a Ryder Creed book, somehow Kava can't seem to be separated from her, so some of the mystery is left for her to unveil, which in turn steals from Ryder Creed and his dogs.
While the book is effectively a page-turner, there isn't much confrontation and meaningful action, aside from the finale, and these are the two main things I look for in a thriller.
So... I'm torn. The book started off as a 5-star read, then dropped to a 4, then dropped to a 3, and seemed to pick back up towards a 4 in the last few pages, but in the end I guess I'm staying with 3 stars. However, I intend to give the Ryder Creed series another shot, so I'll be owing Alex Kava another star if I'm impressed with the second book, at the risk of sounding a bit cocky.
tobyyy's review against another edition
5.0
An enjoyable, almost Indiana Jones-esque read. I’m super excited to read more in this series!
dnemec's review against another edition
3.0
I have been a Maggie O'Dell fan since I found Alex Kava's books several years ago, but now it looks like I'll have to branch out. It's hard to resist a handsome ex-Marine that rescues and trains neglected animals. I look forward to many more Ryder Creed books!