SUSAN S. (susieqmillsacoustics) -
I love this series and I love this group of dogs! However I went into this third book with caution because the 2nd was almost too much for me. I can't stand animals in harm's way. I am glad I plunged ahead as this one was much more enjoyable and less stressful than the last one. This tale mostly featured Vira so we didn't get as much of the other dogs' antics. It was a good mystery with lots of moving parts though. I look forward to more.
Jeffrey B. Burton's series featuring the irreverent Mace Reid and his fabulous pack of dogs keeps getting better, and I enjoyed every single page of his latest, The Lost. The fast pace, the twists and turns of the plot, and the wit and humor all combine with the human and canine personalities for an exciting, fun ride.
Dog lovers should really get a kick out of The Lost, as each dog has a distinctive personality and knows exactly how to work Mace. I love how Reid chooses his dogs' names from song titles, too-- for example, Maggie (May), (A Boy Named) Sue, (El)Vira. Yes, Reid's star dog's name is pronounced Vira as in virus, not Vira as in veering off course. I'm vintage enough to know all the songs, so the dogs' names have a tendency to create their own playlist in my head.
There are some interesting bad guys to keep an eye on as well. The super rich (and super creepy) Audrick Verlinden. He's one of these people who is convinced he's above the law, but I do have to admit that I wouldn't mind eating a meal in that dining room of his. Russian mobster Armen Kuznetsov isn't your typical brutish muscle, it's his companion that you need to keep your eye on. And the more you learn about billionaire Kenneth Druckman, the more you want to take a bath.
As good as the bad guys are, the folks wearing white hats shine even more brightly. I love Mace and his dogs, but the kidnapped five-year-old Eleanor Scarf Druckman stole my heart. What a star!
Some readers may scoff at how Burton has a tendency to have Mace pull rabbits out of his hat to get out of tight spots, but what saves these situations for me is two-fold. One, the solution doesn't just appear out of thin air; the author actually plants the seeds much earlier in the book and it's up to the reader to see those seeds for what they are and contemplate how they're going to be useful later on. Two, I love how Mace Reid himself describes these moments: Cheeta riding in on a herd of elephants to save the day. Having watched more than one Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movie in my youth, this paints such a vivid picture in my mind that I have to smile.
If you're in the mood for a fast-paced thriller that's a ton of fun to read, by all means, get your hands on a copy of The Lost. There's enough backstory to prevent reader confusion, but don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the previous books in the series.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
Dog lovers should really get a kick out of The Lost, as each dog has a distinctive personality and knows exactly how to work Mace. I love how Reid chooses his dogs' names from song titles, too-- for example, Maggie (May), (A Boy Named) Sue, (El)Vira. Yes, Reid's star dog's name is pronounced Vira as in virus, not Vira as in veering off course. I'm vintage enough to know all the songs, so the dogs' names have a tendency to create their own playlist in my head.
There are some interesting bad guys to keep an eye on as well. The super rich (and super creepy) Audrick Verlinden. He's one of these people who is convinced he's above the law, but I do have to admit that I wouldn't mind eating a meal in that dining room of his. Russian mobster Armen Kuznetsov isn't your typical brutish muscle, it's his companion that you need to keep your eye on. And the more you learn about billionaire Kenneth Druckman, the more you want to take a bath.
As good as the bad guys are, the folks wearing white hats shine even more brightly. I love Mace and his dogs, but the kidnapped five-year-old Eleanor Scarf Druckman stole my heart. What a star!
Some readers may scoff at how Burton has a tendency to have Mace pull rabbits out of his hat to get out of tight spots, but what saves these situations for me is two-fold. One, the solution doesn't just appear out of thin air; the author actually plants the seeds much earlier in the book and it's up to the reader to see those seeds for what they are and contemplate how they're going to be useful later on. Two, I love how Mace Reid himself describes these moments: Cheeta riding in on a herd of elephants to save the day. Having watched more than one Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movie in my youth, this paints such a vivid picture in my mind that I have to smile.
If you're in the mood for a fast-paced thriller that's a ton of fun to read, by all means, get your hands on a copy of The Lost. There's enough backstory to prevent reader confusion, but don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the previous books in the series.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
