The Keepers

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton
6/29/21; 288 pages
St. Martin's Publishing
Mace Reid K-9 mystery #2

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton is a highly recommended mystery and procedural. This is the second book in the series featuring Vira, a cadaver dog, and Mason (Mace) Reid, her handler.

Mace Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and loves dogs. He specializes in human remains detection (HRD) and he trains dogs to hunt for the dead, cadaver dogs, as well as for other searches. Vira has a special ability though, she can sniff out the guilty killer. Vira and Mace have a connection to Chicago Police Officer Kippy Gimm, and they often work together. Mace and Vira are called out to three different murder scenes, the third is in Washington Park at three o'clock in the morning and what Vira indicates leads to a shocking investigation into corruption and murder that eventually ties the three cases eventually

This is a series for those who love mysteries and dogs. This second novel can be a stand alone, but you will want to read the first book, The Finders. The writing continues to shine in this compelling, well-paced novel. As in the first novel, the chapters are short and to the point, which keeps the pace quickly moving along. Burton does an excellent job creating a sense of tension and urgency in the plot. The real question is who can be trusted with the information being uncovered since the corruption seems to go right to the top.

Mace is a well-developed, likeable character who is presented with a nice balance of analytical abilities, serious action, and even a good dose of self-deprecating humor. You will root for him, his dogs, and for Kippy Gimm. They are all believable characters. The dogs - Vira, Sue, the German Shepard, and collies Maggie May and Delta Dawn and new blood hound puppy, Bill (Billie Boy) - are all characters too and you'll see their individual personalities. You will need to suspend some disbelief about Vira's special abilities, but those who have dogs know that sometimes they seem to know more than you realize.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of St. Martin's Publishing.