The Keepers: A Mace Reid K-9 Mystery

In Burton’s enjoyable sequel to 2020’s The Finders, three separate murder investigations preoccupy Mace Reid, a cadaver dog trainer who assists the Chicago police and various sheriffs’ departments, and his pack of five working dogs, notably Vira, an exceptionally sensitive golden retriever, who “takes the art of human remains detection to the next level... the Sherlock Holmes level.” Vira is literally able to sniff out the guilty parties, leaving her wily human companions the job of figuring out how to bring the killers to justice. The murder cases—those of a union organizer, a former one-hit-wonder rock star, and the head of the Special Prosecutions Bureau inside the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office—eventually entwine, and draw Mace and the dogs into a disturbing web of political corruption at the highest level. Who can they trust? The answer seems to be no one as the fast-paced, action-packed plot builds to a thrilling finale. Burton carefully crafts each dog’s personality, ensuring that they, like the humans, are fully realized characters. Dog lovers are in for a treat. Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (June)