Dogged Pursuit

Veronica Kildare K-9 Mystery, #1

by

Tracy Carter

Great start to this new K-9 mystery series!

Dogged Pursuit is the first novel in author Tracy Carter’s new Veronica Kildare K-9 Mystery series, and it is a wonderfully detailed mystery and a dog-filled and entertaining debut. A strong female protagonist and her much-loved, highly talented tracking dog lead readers through the mountainous terrain of the Colorado countryside on search-and-rescue missions, including one for a renowned scientist slated to testify in an upcoming, high-profile murder case. 

I really enjoyed the characters introduced in the novel and look forward to seeing them again in future adventures, especially the main characters Veronica Kildare, her father, Bob, and their newly welcomed employee and friend, Michael Fletcher. Veronica has a tragic past, and her recent move to just outside Boulder, Colorado, is a life-saving second chance. Her backstory slowly unfolds over the course of the novel, starting with broad hints that kept me coming back to hear the rest of her story. Her decision to extend her new life to the orphan, Michael, and the scared little dog, Coco, was heartwarming and inspiring. 

Of course, the story features a lot of dogs, and the relationship between Veronica and her rescue dog, Leda, is amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the details of Leda’s tracking and drug-detection sweeps, as well as the information about dog training and Veronica’s fledgling business, Dogged Pursuit. I even liked hearing about Bob’s articles and product testing! 

The plot is intriguing and has several unique features, such as identifying the unusual helicopter seen flying over Rocky Mountain National Park early in the story. Missing witnesses have been the subject of many mysteries, but the author delivered fresh twists that made the story feel above and beyond the ordinary. I was engrossed watching it all unfold. 

I experienced Dogged Pursuit as an audiobook narrated by new-to-me narrator Alyssa Baumann, and I was never disappointed. I thought she did a beautiful job, altering her voice to portray the different characters rather than doing a straight read-aloud of the material. The voices were consistent and recognizable for each character, and I especially thought her rendering of the male characters was convincing. 

I recommend DOGGED PURSUIT to mystery series readers who enjoy dog-centric or dog-themed stories. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.