Margaret Mizushima (Burning Ridge, Hunting Hour) has created another compelling mystery in Tracking Game, the fifth entry in her Timber Creek K-9 mystery series. Deputy Mattie Cobb is at a community dance with veterinarian Cole Walker when they hear an explosion. Running to the scene, they find a van on fire and the body of local rancher Nate Fletcher next to it. But Nate didn't die in the fire--he was shot twice in the chest.
Mattie and her K-9 partner, Robo, search the scene. They discover a gun nearby and traces of cocaine in the van door. As the investigation continues, Mattie learns that the victim was leading outfitting trips into the Colorado wild, and she begins to wonder if these trips could be covers for drug-running.
When the sheriff's department receives a 911 call from a man up in the mountains, Mattie and Robo head out, only to hear the growls of an apex predator and find huge paw prints around the mutilated body. Mattie doesn't think it sounded like a cougar, so the sheriff's department teams up with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to find the beast.
Tracking Game's interesting mix of law enforcement investigation and wildlife management will keep readers engaged. Mattie's personal struggles also lend depth to the story, as she seeks to balance her working life and her developing relationship with Cole Walker and his children. The vivid Colorado setting adds the perfect touch, making Tracking Game sure to appeal to fans of Margaret Coel or Nevada Barr. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.