This book was a little cheesy at times (especially the dialogue), but the story moved along at a good clip. I liked the way the bond between Meg and Hawk was depicted. Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
We're beginning to see an upsurge in mysteries featuring working dogs, and I'm glad. Whether they're police dogs, war dogs, or search and rescue, dogs bring a whole new dynamic to crime-solving duos. Having read some excellent mysteries featuring human/canine teams (from authors such as Margaret Mizushima, Robert Crais, and James Rollins) I eagerly picked up Sara Driscoll's Lone Wolf.
"Sara Driscoll" is actually the writing team of Jen Danna and Ann Vanderlaan, and Lone Wolf is the first book in the FBI K-9 series. The two have set up quite a good cast: Meg and her canine partner Hawk, Meg's sister Cara, Brian and his canine partner Lacey, and two men providing a bit of romantic interest, Clay McCord and Todd Webb. There is some interesting interplay between these people, and I especially liked the fact that Meg is the sort of character who's willing to go above and beyond the call as well as think outside the box. Also-- wonder of wonders-- the bosses in Meg's division are good, something that seldom seems to happen in crime fiction.
The final action scene is a good one, but I felt there were a couple of hiccups in the book. The pace is uneven, and there are some awkward bits where we're allowed inside the mind of the bomber only to have his thoughts interpreted by the good guys in the next chapter. This is not only needless, it slows down the action. Perhaps the biggest hiccup for me was the dogs themselves. There wasn't enough "canine presence" to suit me during the actual manhunt. Yes, we get to "interact" with Hawk and Lacey in the dog park, and the authors use K-9 search terminology as chapter headings, but I'd really like to see more of the dogs working the actual case. I'm very interested in seeing what happens in the second book in the series.
"Sara Driscoll" is actually the writing team of Jen Danna and Ann Vanderlaan, and Lone Wolf is the first book in the FBI K-9 series. The two have set up quite a good cast: Meg and her canine partner Hawk, Meg's sister Cara, Brian and his canine partner Lacey, and two men providing a bit of romantic interest, Clay McCord and Todd Webb. There is some interesting interplay between these people, and I especially liked the fact that Meg is the sort of character who's willing to go above and beyond the call as well as think outside the box. Also-- wonder of wonders-- the bosses in Meg's division are good, something that seldom seems to happen in crime fiction.
The final action scene is a good one, but I felt there were a couple of hiccups in the book. The pace is uneven, and there are some awkward bits where we're allowed inside the mind of the bomber only to have his thoughts interpreted by the good guys in the next chapter. This is not only needless, it slows down the action. Perhaps the biggest hiccup for me was the dogs themselves. There wasn't enough "canine presence" to suit me during the actual manhunt. Yes, we get to "interact" with Hawk and Lacey in the dog park, and the authors use K-9 search terminology as chapter headings, but I'd really like to see more of the dogs working the actual case. I'm very interested in seeing what happens in the second book in the series.
So, new author and a new favorite series for me. I've been reading a lot of books lately where there's a police or search and rescue dog. This is one of the better ones lately. So glad I ordered book two already because I really want to continue the series now.
First time reading Sara Driscoll. Will be looking for more of her K-9 stories. Thoroughly enjoyed.
