A K-9 hunt across a Colorado National Park for a missing expert witness will have readers keen to sniff out clues in this engaging mystery. ‘Dogged Pursuit’ by Tracy Carter certainly has lots to offer. Veronica Kildare moved from Ohio to Colorado after a violent attack left her injured and suffering a heartbreaking loss. Slowly re-building her life, Veronica left her previous career as a Legal Assistant to be a dog handler, offering training and support while also carrying out search and rescue missions and drug sweeps with her trusty Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Leda. There seems to have been an awful lot of knowledge and research put into the development of ‘Dogged Truths’ as the information around dog training and behaviour, drug sweeps and outdoor searches all feel authentic. The level of detail included in regards to the outdoor various outdoor and hiking equipment also helps to really ground the story. Veronica’s enthusiasm for dogs oozes off the page and this crime fiction story will have added appeal for dog lovers. The supporting human and canine characters also have their time to shine, with exuberant boarded dogs there to learn obedience to Veronica’s outdoorsy and protective father with a keen eye for research. This book delivers an intriguing mystery with moments of tension that build towards the story’s climax. As this is the first book of a series it also sets a good foundation of likeable characters to be revisited in future stories.
The debut book in the Veronica Kildare K-9 Mystery series opens with escalating suspense and intensifies into a resilient fight for survival. With its engaging combination of canine and human personalities, thrilling plot, and gorgeous Colorado backdrop, "e;Dogged Pursuit"e; will appeal to dog lovers, outdoors enthusiasts, and mystery lovers alike. Veronica Kildare cannot believe her luck - being shot at, again, by the bad guys. The sound, the feel of the bullet, and the hatred resonate for more than just the transitory moment of impact. She has relocated to a new state, but brutality has rampaged into this life as well. As the survivor of a senseless act of violence in her former life, Veronica struggles to recover from the lingering physical and emotional scars by working as a dog handler near Boulder, Colorado. Empowered by her intense bond with her search and rescue and drug detection dog, Leda, she finally begins to shake off the pain of her past. Then Veronica is drawn into the puzzling search for a scientist who has vanished near Rocky Mountain National Park. Dr. Randy Jeffers has inexplicably disappeared on the eve of his testimony in the high profile murder trial of a pro basketball player and the police are baffled. As Veronica and Leda traverse rugged Roosevelt National Forest in a desperate search testing the limits of their abilities, it is not initially clear who has targeted Dr. Jeffers, or why. But it becomes shockingly obvious that someone will stop at nothing to silence him forever. The kidnappers with murder on their mind have guns, but Veronica has Leda and her own blossoming resilience as her weapons in their struggle for survival.
