When a husband, wife, and son are murdered in their Denver home and the family’s teenage twins vanish, the case draws the attention of FBI profilers Helen Belle and Benedict Hoffman. It triggers more than professional alarm. It mirrors a horrific case they investigated five years ago, when a boy slaughtered his family and went mute after speaking only a handful of haunting words. Among them: Midnight Man.
Then, nearly thirteen hundred miles away, one of the twins is found dead in a snowy Ohio field, and the parallels between the past and present cases grow more disturbing. Identical suicide notes. The same symbolic blood imagery. And a shared obsession with an online fantasy game. Its mastermind is an influencer who manipulates his most vulnerable and alienated players into killing the people they love most.
The Midnight Man is back.
Helen and Benedict must hunt the darkest corners of the internet to find him before someone else falls prey to an insidious evil that, for now, is in total control of the game.
A VOICE IN THE DARK (Benedict Hoffman and Helen Belle Book #1) by Barbara Nickless is a chilling crime thriller/FBI police procedural that is very relevant in all current discussions regarding AI, minors’ use of the internet, and the ever-present dangers on the world wide web. This is the start of a new series with two compelling protagonists and a serial killer crime plot that hooked me immediately.
Five years ago, Helen Belle and Benedict Hoffman had their belief in an outside influence and assistance from the Midnight Man in the slaughter by a boy of his entire family discredited in court. Helen goes on with her work at the FBI and Benedict walks out of his life and job. A detective from the old case is faced with a similar case as well as the kidnapping of the twin of the believed perpetrator and alerts FBI agent Helen Belle.
From almost identical suicide notes to a shared obsession with an on-line multi-player fantasy game, Helen believes the Midnight Man is back and reaches out to now Professor Benedict Hoffman for assistance. They put their personal past aside and work together to unravel hidden identities and motives as they realize they are racing the clock to rescue the missing twin and stop the Midnight Man before someone else is led to murder.
I was pulled into this story immediately and terrified by the possible reality of the crime plot. Ms. Nickless does a good job of not preaching that the internet is all bad and all gamers are going to become killers, but the gray of the situations and discusses the type of adolescents that can be influenced. The crimes are horrific but could also be ripped right out of the current news. Helen and Benedict are interesting protagonists with not only a somewhat unique outlook on humanist psychology on the study of crime, but with interesting backstories, also. This is a couple I will look forward to following in their future investigations.
I highly recommend this first book in this compelling crime thriller series!
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About the Author
Barbara Nickless is the award-winning, WSJ and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of nine novels; her first and third series have been optioned for film. A teacher and activist, she teaches combat veterans and civilians in the U.S. and Ukraine. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association, the World Affairs Council and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. A former fencer and falconer, Barbara lives in Colorado where she loves to hike, cave, snowshoe, and drink single malt Scotch.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for CAT & MOUSE: A Parker City Mystery by Justin M. Kiska on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a PICT giveaway. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Twenty years ago, Elizabeth Blakely was the target of a relentless stalker—someone who sent threatening letters, invaded her life, and left her living in fear. The case made headlines. The threats were chilling. And then… it all stopped.
Now, in the summer of 1985, Elizabeth’s past has come roaring back. A new letter appears—eerily familiar and signed just like the ones before. Then her husband is stabbed in their home.
Parker City Police Detectives Ben Winters and Tommy Mason are handed the case and quickly find themselves trapped in a decades-old maze of obsession, secrets, and psychological scars. As they peel back the layers of the original investigation, they begin to suspect the truth was never what it seemed—and the stalker may have never left.
With pressure mounting, the detectives must solve a mystery rooted in the past to prevent another tragedy in the present. But what they uncover will challenge everything they thought they knew about guilt, innocence, and what it means to be a victim.
Genre: Traditional Police Procedural with a Dual Timeline element Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: March 31, 2026 Number of Pages: 320 ISBN: 979-8898202118 Series: A Parker City Mystery, Book 6
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
CAT & MOUSE: A Parker City Mystery (Book #6) by Justin M. Kiska is another intricately plotted and intriguing dual timeline classic detective mystery. The Parker City Mysteries feature two recurring main detective protagonists in the mid 1980’s and two historic crime fighters in the past, but also always in Parker City. Despite spanning various decades or centuries, these crimes consistently exhibit a common theme, clue, or character. You get two exciting well plotted mysteries in one book which can easily be read as a standalone, but I have enjoyed reading all the books in the series.
Parker City 1965. Elizabeth Blakely is one of many women in Parker City receiving menacing letters from an unknown stalker, but her letters are handwritten and very personal. While the women of the town are all terrified only Elizabeth is singled out with escalating crimes. The police in 1965 have little to go on and no clues that help them find Elizabeth’s stalker.
Parker City 1985. After twenty years, Elizabeth and her husband returned to Parker City. She gets another chilling letter which is identical to the threatening letters from before. She and her husband bring the letter to the current police department, and Detectives Ben Winters and Tommy Mason are on the case now. With alternating decade narratives, can Winters and Mason solve this twenty-year mystery?
I always enjoy getting into a new book in the Parker City mystery series. The recurring detective protagonists in 1985, Ben and Tommy, are a smart, memorable, and enjoyable duo that I enjoy returning to in each book. The second past mystery in this book was interesting with the same cast of characters and continuation of the crime in 1965 and 1985. This story pulls you in with the police procedurals in both timelines and the differences in the handling of the case. I was engrossed in both and while not surprised at the conclusion, it was plotted well throughout both timelines. I always find it entertaining that 1985 is classified as historical, but it makes me think about the clues more, which the author is always fair on, because you do not have all the scientific expertise of present-day crime fighting.
I highly recommend this dual timeline historical traditional detective mystery in the Parker City series. I also recommend the entire series which are all worth reading.
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Excerpt
June 1985 . . .
“All I’m saying,” Detective Tommy Mason said to his partner as they walked down the sidewalk, “is that this was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen crazy. You know I’ve seen crazy. But this…this was crazy.”
“I don’t see why a trip to the vet has gotten you so worked up,” Ben Winters, Tommy’s partner, friend, and commanding officer of the Parker City Police Department’s Detective Squad said, shaking his head.
“I’m getting to it. I’m trying to set the mood. Let me tell it, will you?”
Ben rolled his eyes and chuckled but let him continue. He should have known. This was just how Tommy was. The two men had known each other since they were kids. They’d grown up together, gone to school together, joined the academy together, and put on the uniform together. They weren’t just friends; they were more like brothers. Which is why Ben was well aware of Tommy’s penchant for storytelling. The trick was to only believe about half of what he said. Tommy had a flair for the dramatic.
“Just hear me out,” Tommy pleaded, stopping under an awning to get out of the warm sun for a moment. “So, I’m spending the day with Christine, right? And she tells me her cat has a vet appointment. Okay, I mean, I’m not a fan of her cat. Truth is, I hate the thing. It’s pure evil wrapped in fur. But, as the good boyfriend that I am, I said I’d tag along. You know, trying to be sensitive and show an interest in things she cares about blah, blah, blah.”
“You’re terrible,” Ben interrupted.
“Hey! That cat cornered me one morning and tried to kill me.”
“Is this the time you hid in the bathroom like a five-year-old?”
“Really? You’re going to take the cat’s side when I’ve saved your life how many times now?”
“You’re a trained police officer. You shouldn’t be afraid of a little cat. And don’t even try to say you’ve saved my life more than I’ve saved yours.”
Anyone who spent any amount of time around the two detectives, whether on duty or off, knew this is how they talked to one another. They were like an old married couple. Constantly taking shots at each other and making wisecracks. It was their friendly jibes that helped to keep them grounded. Especially when they were working a particularly difficult case. And after only four years as detectives, they’d already seen more than their fair share of tough cases.
“Anyway,” Tommy said. “We take Satan’s pussy cat to this little townhouse out there on 9th. I swear, the sign in the window was written on cardboard, which made me start to question this vet’s credentials. Turns out, she’s some sort of all natural astrological pet healer. I didn’t even know that was a thing. But this vet—and I use that term loosely because she looked more like a gypsy fortune teller—comes out and takes the demon cat—”
“Satan’s pussy cat,” Ben reminded with a smirk.
“Satan’s pussy cat—and puts it on this card table to examine it.”
“Is the cat male or female?”
“I don’t know.”
“What’s its name?”
“Hellraiser…it doesn’t matter.”
“I’m just trying to get all the facts,” Ben said, knowing he was getting under Tommy’s skin. “It’s kind of what we do.”
Ignoring him, Tommy continued. “So, Lucifur is on the table, doing everything possible to get away and this voodoo priestess pulls out a tuning fork. She puts her hand on the cat’s back, then she whacks the back of her own hand with the tuning fork and listens. She does it a second time and turns to Christine and says the cat hasn’t been eating because it’s unhappy with where she moved the food bowl.”
Ben stared at him. “You’re kidding me.”
“I shit-you-not. And the worst part is, Christine then paid this hippie. Paid her!”
“I’m really not sure what to say. But I do have a question. Did Christine move the bowl back to wherever it was before?”
“Yes.”
“And?” Ben found himself surprisingly eager to hear the answer.
Tommy looked away, clearly annoyed. “Damn cat ate the whole bowl of food.”
Ben burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it. The whole story was so ridiculous. Absolutely absurd yet fitting somehow. Leave it to Tommy to find himself in a situation like that. But he was happy to see his friend getting so serious with someone. He and Christine weren’t just going out on wild dates anymore. They were doing the more mundane things couples did together. This was the longest relationship Ben could remember Tommy ever being in. Long enough that Christine was going to be Tommy’s date at his and Natalie’s wedding. Nat was thrilled. Not just because she liked Chistine, but she didn’t have to worry about Tommy sleeping with one of the bridesmaids now. And with the wedding only a matter of weeks away, it was nice to have one less thing to fret about.
Taking a final sip of the soda he was carrying, Ben tossed the empty cup in the trashcan next to the curb as the two continued walking down Commerce Street.
Today was a special day in Parker City. Six blocks of downtown had been shut down for the Summer in the Streets festival. Shops and restaurants had set up booths, offering local goods, special menus, and giveaways. The sidewalks were packed with residents and visitors. As music from local bands and church choirs echoed through the air.
An event like this would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. In 1978, Parker was devastated by a terrible flood that destroyed the city’s business district, leaving the once thriving commercial corridor in ruins. The damage had been so extensive, most business owners simply boarded up the windows and walked away, leaving empty, derelict buildings sitting for years. Right in the heart of the city.
The economics of the ‘70s had already taken its toll on Parker City to begin with, so the flood was the final nail in the coffin. A once bustling city practically turned into a ghost town in the span of three days as the rain fell and the murky waters surged through the streets. Once it was all over, the destruction was so severe, no one could see a clear path to restore the area. No one except the city’s young, energetic mayor. He made it his mission to return the downtown to its former glory. And though it had been slow going, the fruits of his labor were beginning to show. The abandoned buildings were being cleaned up, renovated, and leased, welcoming new shops and restaurants, and even a small art gallery. There was still a long way to go, but this outdoor market was a chance to show that the city was coming back to life.
As Ben looked around at the crowded festival, he figured at least half the city had shown up, not to mention the out-of-town visitors. Ben wasn’t sure who’d be happier with the turnout, the president of the Chamber of Commerce or the mayor. Regardless, it looked like the first Summer in the Streets was a huge success.
As members of the Parker City Police Department’s Detective Squad—albeit the only members of the Parker City Police Department’s Detective Squad—Ben and Tommy would not usually be on the street like this. But with an event of this nature, they’d been asked to lend a helping hand. Both were happy to do so, though Tommy made it very clear he would not be putting on his old uniform. Not on a hot June day in Maryland. Instead, the detectives were comfortably patrolling while wearing simple white polo shirts with the word POLICE emblazoned on the back and their badges hanging around their necks on silver chains.
If it were up to Tommy, that’s how they’d dress every day. But Ben insisted that they wear full suits and that only the police detectives on television and in the movies wore T-shirts, leather jackets, and jeans. Though he grumbled about it every chance he got, Tommy begrudgingly listened to his supervisor, Detective Sergeant Winters, and put on a suit in the mornings.
As they reached the corner of Commerce and 1st, Tommy glanced up the block. With wooden barricades set up at every intersection, there was no vehicular traffic, leaving cross streets virtually empty. Halfway up that particular block, next to a sandwich shop Tommy frequented, was a Maryland United Bank branch. Looking at his watch, seeing that it was one o’clock, he was just about to suggest they grab a bite to eat when something caught his eye.
A flash of red.
Doing a double take to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, he turned to Ben and asked, “It’s still June, right?”
Ben gave him a puzzled look. “Yeah. Still June. Why?”
“And it’s pretty warm out here today? About eighty-five degrees or so?”
“Right…” Ben nodded.
“Then seeing a guy dressed as Santa Claus would be considered suspicious,” Tommy said pointing up the street toward the bank.
Following his finger, sure enough, Ben saw a man in full Santa gear pacing around outside the bank, shifting his weight nervously, swinging a sack from shoulder to shoulder.
Unhooking the walkie-talkie from his belt, Ben keyed the button on the side and said, “Dispatch, this is PC-12. Come in.”
“Hey, Ben. How’s it goin’ out there, sugar,” the voice crackled over the radio.
“It’s a beautiful day and there’s a big crowd,” Ben answered. “So, Shirley, Tommy and I are looking at a suspicious person outside the Maryland United Bank on 1st. We’re going to check him out.”
There was a momentary pause before she came back with, “I show Spurrier on patrol in that area. I’ll send him your way. Do you have a description for me?”
Ben hesitated. “Um…yeah. It’s Santa Claus.”
“Come again?” she asked, her surprise coming over the radio loud and clear. “I don’t think I heard you right, puddin.’”
“No. You heard me. The guy’s dressed as Santa Claus. Full suit. Sack and all.”
“Well, ho, ho, ho,” Shirley said before sighing off.
Tommy looked at Ben. “So…think we’re looking at a robbery, or just a nutjob?”
Ben shrugged. “Either way, it’s going to be interesting.”
***
Author Bio
Justin is a theatre producer, director, and mystery writer who can usually be found sitting in his library devising new and clever ways to kill people (for his mysteries). In addition to writing the Parker City Mysteries Series, which includes Now & Then, Vice & Virtue, Fact & Fiction,Black & White, and Cops & Robbers, he is also the mastermind behind Marquee Mysteries, a series of interactive mystery events he has been writing and producing for nearly twenty years. Justin and his wife, Jessica, live along Lake Linganore outside of Frederick, Maryland with their pups Brownie and Cocoa.
A deadly pattern: Jenny Flynn, Chelsea Hobbs, Sophie Miller. All three children were snatched from the streets of Lincoln, England years apart. All stolen in the bitter chill of winter. All on their way home from school. Then Sophie Miller is found. She’s not speaking, but she may hold a clue to the whereabouts of the missing girls, if someone can get her to open up.
Somewhat reluctantly, Detective Swann calls in his not-quite ex-wife, the perfect woman for the job: Finnish Crime Inspector Elea Baker. No one knows the cases of the Ice Angels better than Elea, and no one is more invested in solving them. Ten years ago, Elea’s daughter Liisa was taken in Helsinki.
Alternating between Elea and Liisa’s perspectives, The Ice Angels is a propulsive and twisty thriller featuring a compelling mother-detective desperately clinging to the hope she can bring her daughter home.
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Elise’s Thoughts
The Ice Angelsby Caroline Mitchell has a gripping story that will have readers on the edge of their seats from the many twists.
The story has Finnish police detective Elea Baker probing the disappearances of two Helsinki 12-year-olds when her own daughter, Liisa, was kidnapped on the way home from school. These children were known as the Ice Angels. All three families received a single white feather in the mail when their child vanished. Now, 10 years later, Elea’s ex-husband, Swann, asks her to consult with police in Lincoln England on their investigation of three more girls’ disappearance. The similarity is that each family received a white feather. No one knows the cases of the Ice Angels better than Elea, and no one is more invested in solving them.
One of the victims,12-year-old Sophie Miller, escaped, and is found clutching a doll that resembles one of Liisa’s favorites. This seems like a breakthrough for Elea, and she immersed herself in finding Liisa.
Told from the alternating narratives of Elea in the present and Liisa in the past, readers get a perspective of how the victim feels and the different emotions of those families left behind.
The best word to describe this novel is WOW as the author emotionally pulls people into the character’s story! Hold on to your hat because this story will take readers on a wild roller coaster ride.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?
Caroline Mitchell: I wanted to have my detective, Elea Baker, challenged. I liked the setting where I live now, Lincoln England. Plus, my brother told me how amazing it is where he lives, in Finland, with the rivers, sea, and forest. I merged both areas. Ideas come quickly and freely to me. The theme can be “looks are deceiving,” and that monsters are not always apparent. I think it is more terrifying when the bad people appear like ordinary people. I had my detective come to the UK from Finland to help consult on cases of children’s disappearance.
EC: Since you had two settings is there a difference between the English and Finnish cultures?
CM: Here everyone talks to everyone else. In Finland, my brother says, they do not do small talk at all. They are very loyal. If someone makes friends with you, they are friends for life. Elea can appear quite standoffish but once people get to know her and she lets them in they see she has a heart of gold. Plus, the weather is different in that Finland has extreme cold winters.
EC: Did your professional experience help you write this story since you were a former police detective?
CM: Yes. Even the simple things like working with other colleagues including the banter and the emotional baggage. They call it here, the ‘thin blue line,” where a detective is personally involved but needs to remain professional and not get too emotional about the case. But of course, Elea does, which adds to the intensity of the story. All the cases I worked and the memories I had is like a tapestry.
EC: What about the Ice Angels?
CM: There were three original ones. Each walked home alone before they were snatched. Their parents were sent white feathers. One of the children was Liisa, the daughter of Detective Baker, who disappeared ten years before. The story has tried to find her own Ice Angel, her daughter, who also has a narrative. She was a mother first and a police officer second. She became broken, confident, passionate, loyal, has grief, sarcastic, and unpredictable.
EC: How would you describe Elea Baker?
CM: Having her child disappear put a strain on all her relationships including her marriage that eventually ended. This often happens in the case of missing children where the husband and wife cannot cope with the grief anymore and break up.
EC: What about Liisa, did she have Stockholm Syndrome?
CM: I wanted readers to think about it. Even I was not sure and could be open to interpretation. She had a very strong survival instinct and knew she had to placate them. During her entrapment she kept to herself, quiet, manipulated, lied too, and had a love/hate relationship with her captives. She never forgot her mom and the strong bond was evident. She could hear her mom’s voice in her head all the time.
EC: What about Swann, the lead detective on the new disappearance and Elea’s former husband?
CM: Elea tells him not to give up on Chelsea, one of the Lincoln girls who disappeared, like he gave up on Liisa. She is very hurt by how he acted. There is a scene in the book where he tells her, ‘You told me to leave,’ and she responds, ‘I did not think you would actually do it.’ He is currently jealous of her interactions with other men. He provided quiet strength for Elea at times. There was a weird dynamic because in Finland she was his boss, and now in England, he is her boss.
EC: What was the role of Swann’s current partner, Alice, who had a child with him?
CM: She is part of a love triangle. She is insecure and is uncomfortable with Elea around. She was a B – – – -. She was cruel and not a good person. She personally got pregnant to keep him. Alice has no redeeming qualities.
EC: How would you describe Liisa’s kidnappers?
CM: Psychopaths, evil, and took what they wanted without care or consequence for someone else.
EC: Next book?
CM: There is a sequel. Book two is titled The Night Watcher, coming out about this time next year. It is about a stalker and Elea consults on it, still in England. Readers will find out a lot more about the relationships with Elea, Liisa, and Swann.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
When a VA therapist is brutally stabbed, Kate Holland is stunned—the man had clashed with her own shrink days earlier. But the shock deepens when Kate discovers stolen military-grade explosives hidden in his home.
The victim had been investigating a war crime overseas, and now the fallout is erupting in Arkansas. With Ruger at her side and Arash in the fight alongside her, Kate follows a trail of secrets and corpses toward a killer who won’t stop until innocent blood is spilled.
To stop him, Kate must risk everything—including the fragile trust she’s building with the two allies she can’t afford to lose.
BLOOD ON THE WIRE (Hidden Valor K-9 Mysteries Book #5) by Candace Irving is another outstanding action packed and thrilling addition to this series. I enjoyed every book in the entire series and Kate and Ruger’s journey, but I believe you could read this book as a standalone and still love it due to the strategically placed background information you may have questions about.
Special State Investigator Kate Holland and her K-9 Ruger are called to investigate the stabbing death of one of the Little Rock VA’s psychologists. When she gets to the scene, she realizes she met this doctor arguing with Kate’s own doctor just a few days earlier. As Kate and the local detective search the doctor’s home, they discover two safes. One has a cache of military grade C-4 and the other has a notebook filled with writing in code.
As Kate investigates the murder, she discovers the doctor was looking into a crime from two years ago in Afghanistan. There are suspects that are almost too convenient and many tangled stories of truth and lies. As the body count increases, Kate realizes someone is trying to get rid of all ties to the real killer and crimes of the past.
I love this series! I look forward to reading not only an intricately plotted suspense/mystery, but an intimate story of a vet’s healing journey through PTSD and a terrible wartime incident all while she navigates her current job, her work and personal connection to her dog, and finally her learned ability to open up in her personal relationships. The intricate plot and twists in this book left me continually guessing until the very end.
I highly recommend this suspenseful police procedural/K-9 mystery! This is a well written, engrossing series and I cannot wait for more.
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About the Author
A former US Navy Lt., Candace Irving is the daughter of a librarian and a retired boatswain’s mate chief. Candace grew up in the Philippines, Germany, and all over the United States. Her senior year of high school, she enlisted in the US Army. Following basic training, she transferred to the Navy’s ROTC program at the University of Texas-Austin. While at UT, she spent a summer in Washington, DC, as a Congressional Intern. She also worked security for the UT Police. BA in Political Science in hand, Candace was commissioned as an ensign in the US Navy and sent to Surface Warfare Officer’s School to learn to drive warships. From there, she followed her father to sea.
Candace Irving writes gritty military thrillers. She is the author of the Deception Point Military Detective Thriller Series and the Hidden Valor Military Veterans/K9 Psychological Suspense Series. She also writes military romance and romantic suspense as Candace Irvin (without the “g”).
Chasing Justice, Hunting the Truth, and Killer Secretsare the first books by Kathleen Donnelly of the National Forest K-9 Series. She is an author that should be put on everybody’s radar. Having been a handler for a private narcotics K-9 detection company, she is able to use her experiences to craft realistic stories in these novels.
Each of the three books explains more of former Marine Maya Thompson’s and Deputy Sheriff Josh Colte’s pasts, shedding light on the emotional and physical scars of the hero and heroine. They delve into topics involving law enforcement, military reentry after serving overseas, and PTSD within a suspenseful storyline.
After losing her military K-9, former marine Maya Thompson swears she’ll never work with dogs again. But when she returns home to Colorado and accepts a job with US Forest Service law enforcement, fate brings K-9 Juniper into her life just as another tragedy unfolds. The mountain setting in all the plots adds to the suspense. The mystery/action stories are riveting, plus there are added bonuses that have good descriptions and details of how K9s train and work.
Maya and Josh are both recovering addicts who self-medicated their PTSD. She is a K-9 handler with the Forestry Service, and he is with the Sheriff’s office. Throughout the books their mutual attraction grows into a relationship of love.
The plot of book 1, Chasing Justice, involves a deepening drug war and the disappearance of her grandfather, Sheriff Wayne. Book 2, Hunting the Truth, has Maya investigating her past when her mother and grandmother were killed. Killer Secrets, book 3, has an avalanche exposing a serial killer’s dumping grounds in Antler Valley, Colorado. Now Forest Service officer Maya Thompson and her K-9, Juniper, must catch the murderer before they become the next targets.
Donnelly has also written another series involving canines. The first book, Colorado K-9 Rescue has FBI victim specialist, Mckenna Parker, and her crisis canine, Mocha, assigned to a case with FBI agent Evan Knox. McKenna and Mocha help people who have been through major trauma. In this book it is someone rescued from being kidnapped. Now Evan, McKenna, and Mocha must find other local girls who disappeared.
The link to Donnelly’s newsletter is https://kathleendonnelly.com/contact/#newsletter, and if someone signs up, they will receive a non-fiction compilation of short stories about her time as a K-9 handler, titled Working Tails.
Donnelly writes gripping stories that are very realistic. They take readers on a thrilling ride of action-packed non-stop adventure that have twists and turns. The characters will touch people’s hearts as they try to make a life for themselves and lean on each other as well as their furry companions.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Idea for the Forest Service K-9 series?
Kathleen Donnelly: I had the setting in Colorado because I grew up there and loved the mountains. My dad was a researcher in the forest service. It is so beautiful, but the mountains can be very dangerous. It is the perfect Jekyll and Hyde setting. I am a retired canine handler, where I did it for nineteen years.
EC: Were you a canine handler for law enforcement?
KD: No. I worked for a private company and owned one, Sherlock Holmes Detection Canine. We went to schools, private business, and some rehabs. Our dogs were trained to find drugs, alcohol, and gun powder. We did go through the same training and certification as law enforcement officers. I try to keep it realistic as far as police procedure and all the drugs in the stories are fact based.
EC: Did you speak with any law enforcement or military people?
KD: One of our handlers was a retired handler officer who reads my books and gives me feedback. I have another friend, a retired chief of police. I have a lot of sources I can reach out to in law enforcement. I was also able to connect with a forest service law enforcement canine handler. He is very helpful because some of my friends would say we would do it this way in city PD, but that is not how forest service will do it.
EC: What about Maya’s PTSD?
KD: I also had a fellow writing friend, Tara Darlene Smith, who was an army veteran who suffered from PTSD. I believe she drove convoys in Iraq. She told me what it was like. She has published a book, Sunflowers in Iraq about what she went through. She helped develop Maya’s battle with PTSD. She told me you do not get over PTSD, just learn how to manage it.
EC: Was the scene where Maya overruled her dog realistic?
KD: The storyline for the first book in the series, Chasing Justicewas based on my own experience. I thought as a handler I wanted to add this realistic aspect, where sometimes things do not go as planned. I had Maya, the handler, not wanting to do the work anymore because of an experience she had, but realizes she is just meant to do it.
EC: Did you base Juniper’s personality on real life dogs?
KD: My dog, Boomer, although not a Malinois, but a black lab, is high energy and does check our house for drugs when we come home. I do have to watch him and keep him away from the tree ornaments. The K-9s are very driven and high energy even when they retire.
EC: How do multi-purpose dogs alert and know what to do?
KD: Dual purposes dogs have more than one job. They have different types of collars or harnesses to show them what job they were going to do. Anytime a dog latches on to a scent for finding evidence, a body, or tracking, their body language changes. Their body language is completely different: the tail can go up, body tenses, they can lie down, or their breathing changes. One of the handlers I spoke with told me, which I added in the story, his dog did a sit for narcotics and laid down to indicate evidence. The dog work I keep as accurate as possible and try to work the storyline around that accuracy even when I was working and my dog was telling me that there was something there, but I missed it.
EC: How would you describe Maya over the course of the three books?
KD: She was a Marine who fought in Afghanistan. She is broken, closed off, loves dogs, she feels grief and anger which shows in her PTSD, and feels guilty over losing her working dog, Zinger, in Afghanistan, blaming herself. She tries to shut off her emotions, and at other times spirals out of control. She can be stubborn, jumps to conclusions, resilient, and a fighter. Maya also wants to be more like her grandfather Wayne, which is why she joined the military and law enforcement, always wanting justice. Because she knows loss, she works hard to help someone find closure.
EC: Is she a recovering alcoholic?
KD: Yes, she now realizes as evidenced in the book quote, she “drinks to quit feeling.” As a character she shows why she got PTSD, dealing with PTSD, and trying to recover from PTSD. I wanted to portray this accurately. A lot of veterans come home, and they do not have a “normal” anymore. She tries to shut down the memories, flashbacks, and nightmares through alcohol. She had a friend, grandfather, and cabin to pull her out of it.
EC: How would you describe Juniper?
KD: She helped Maya with her anxiety, to feel calmness, and gave her purpose. She made her realize her past fear and to trust herself with another dog. Juniper is Maya’s ears, eyes, and smells. She needs structure, is high energy, and high drive. She can be intimidating and loves to destroy objects. She is a typical Malinois, wound tighter than any working dog. When I would look for dogs at rescues, I wanted them to be friendly but are so high energy with extra drive that they could not be just a pet, but a great working dog. They need to be entertained even when retired. The Malinois like Juniper are similar, but only on steroids. One of the best portrayals of a Malinois was the movie “Dog” with Channing Tatum. They did not exaggerate.
EC: The role of Grandfather Wayne?
KD: Protective, stubborn, gruff, a fighter, strong, and indestructible. He did not want her to follow in his footsteps. He raised Maya with her grandmother. He is very proud of her, but it is hard for him to tell her. It was easier for Maya to speak with her grandmother because she understood her so well. Losing her grandmother adds to the grief and loss for Maya. Throughout the books Maya and Wayne try to find if she was murdered.
EC: How would you describe Josh?
KD: A good listener, charming, can be arrogant, kind, and not judgmental. His backstory has affected him and caused PTSD. He wants to help people.
EC: How about the relationship?
KD: He really understood Maya on a level no one has. They are attracted to each other but also found each other annoying. They were good friends first. She thinks she is not good enough for him and does not think she is in a spot to have a relationship. The relationship seems to progress with each book.
EC: How would you describe one of the supposed bad guy characters, Eric Torres?
KD: Cunning, ruthless, smart, charismatic, manipulative, a bad cop who took bribes, and he is not who he appears to be at first sight.
EC: How would you describe the murderer of the third book of the series, Killer Secrets?
KD: Manipulative, a hunter, uses drugs to get his victim incapacitated, feels powerful, obsessed with Maya. He is also methodical, controlling, meticulous, knows investigative techniques and likes to play games with the victims. I developed him off some of the FBI’s research on serial killers and then used my own characteristics.
EC: What about the other series, Colorado Canine Rescue?
KD: It is different than the Forest Service K-9 Series. It is much more of a romance series. Each character has their own story.
EC: How would you describe the female lead, McKenna?
KD: Vulnerable, strong, determined, resilient, and anxious. She is a survivor and wants to help others who had traumatic experiences. She faced her trauma more than Maya had faced hers. There is a statistic where those in law enforcement or the military like Maya have faced over 800 traumatic events where someone like McKenna had that one trauma.
EC: What about the male lead, Evan?
KD: Sometimes rude. Untrusting. A workaholic, driven, and outgoing.
EC: What about the relationship?
KD: At first McKenna thinks of him as a jerk. He likes to tease. Both are sensitive. He makes her feel safe.
EC: How would you describe the dog, Mocha?
KD: He is a canine victim specialist dog. I heard the FBI started this crisis program. They comfort victims. The dogs are deployed to horrific events. Mocha brings joy, provides comfort, and helped McKenna with her trauma.
EC: What about your non-fiction book, Working Tails?
KD: In book 4 of the Forest Service novels, Buried Lies, Josh’s past comes back to haunt him and he is framed for murder. This ties up a lot of his past. It comes out January 2026. Book 5’s plot has one of the bad guys coming back for revenge against Maya. It is titled, Deadly Revenge and comes out July 2026.
The next story in the Colorado Canine Rescue series will feature Cassidy, McKenna’s sister. Probably comes out in 2027.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for ILLUSION OF TRUTH (A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery Book #3) by James L’Etoile on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a Partners In Crime hosted giveaway. Enjoy!
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Book Description
A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery
Illusion of Truth takes Emily by the throat when her cop boyfriend, Brian Conner, responds to a disturbance only to be lured into a church bombing. Seriously wounded, Emily worries if he survives, will he be the man she knew? One-by-one, other officers linked to a crime years earlier are targeted. Was it covered up? Was Brian part of it? Emily discovers truth depends on who’s left to tell the story.
Genre: Police Procedural with a Thriller Edge Published by: Oceanview Publishing Publication Date: January 6, 2026 Number of Pages: 366 ISBN: 978-1608096497 (1608096491) Series: A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery, #3
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
ILLUSION OF TRUTH (A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery Book #3) by James L’Etoile is another suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat police procedural/crime thriller/mystery mash-up featuring Sacramento Detective Emily Hunter. I anxiously wait for each new book from Mr. L’Etoile in this series and the Detective Nathan Parker series. He has become one of my favorite writers in this genre with his fully developed memorable main characters and intricately twisted crime plots. While each crime plot/mystery is complete in each book, the characters and their relationships continue to evolve, and I feel the series are best read in order of publication.
Detective Emily Hunter receives a call that her fellow police officer and boyfriend, Sgt. Brian Conner, is in the hospital after being caught in a bomb blast with fellow officers on a fake call for assistance. As Emily and her partner, Det. Javier “Javi” Medina begin their investigation, the bombings continue to injure other officers and then finally the bomber murders a target. They discover all the officers were targeted due to a shared incident in their past.
Trying to pull all the threads from the past together in this investigation is not easy, while also dealing with Brian’s PTSD and TBI, and her mother’s continued mental decline due to Alzheimer’s. Will Emily be able to discover how the past is influencing the bombings of today and bring the killer to justice?
I find I need to set aside a block of time for these books because I cannot put them down. The books pull you in with Emily’s personal trials and her sometimes full hardy, but always genius ways of solving crimes and bringing the guilty to justice. While I follow every twist and turn of the investigation, I am always surprised by a last-minute twist in each plot that shocks me. You may think you know the resolution, but there is always more.
I highly recommend this addition to the Det. Emily Hunter series and cannot wait for more.
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Excerpt
Chapter One
“All available units, report of a large crowd and 459s in progress at the corner of Rio Linda and South Ave.,” the dispatcher’s voice called out over the radio.
Sergeant Brian Conner clicked the microphone in his patrol unit. “1-Sam-12 responding.”
“Hey, Tommy, isn’t there a church on South Ave.?” Conner asked.
Tommy Robinson, a Black rookie officer assigned to Patrol District 1 in North Sacramento, turned in the passenger seat, checking for cross-traffic at the intersection. “Yeah. It’s one of those pop-up, God-in-a-box churches. You know—no denomination, takes all comers.”
“Why would a church be a target for looting at midnight?”
“It’s right on the edge of Tru Heights Bloods territory. Could be gangbangers after the food pantry and the donations the church’s brought in.”
“Tommy, let me ask you something. You’ve been married a while, so you’ve got this whole relationship thing down. When Emily says she isn’t ready to move in together, what does that mean?”
“Um, Sarge, you think I’m the one to answer that? Shouldn’t Emily—I mean Detective Hunter—tell you why?”
“I mean, sure, but I thought everything was going great—and then, she’s not ready. You ever have anything like that?”
“No. But then my Baptist momma would’ve slapped me into tomorrow if I thought about living in sin.”
“That’s not helpful, Tommy.”
Conner shot north on Rio Linda. The flashing blue lights from other patrol units ahead marked the location. As Conner pulled into the church parking lot, he expected a crowd spilling out of the church and into nearby businesses. There had been a rash of daylight attacks on retail establishments in the city, where mobs of thieves grabbed armfuls of whatever they could carry. Hitting a church in the middle of the night was a new direction.
“Where are they? The looters?” Tommy said.
Conner parked near the church entrance, ahead of another Sacramento Police Department SUV, and stepped from his vehicle. He couldn’t spot a single person near the church, except for the six police officers who had responded to the call.
“Dispatch, 1-Sam-12, have a callback number on the RP? Looks like a false alarm.”
“Negative, 1-Sam-12. Caller didn’t give their name.”
An officer rounded the corner of the church building and approached Conner. “Nobody’s here, Sarge. What gives?”
The hairs on the back of Conner’s neck pricked up. He swiveled around and surveyed the darkened windows on the street opposite. They were lured here.
“Got movement across the street—second floor, left side,” an officer called out. His brass nameplate read Tucker.
Conner spotted the window and the flare of a cigarette. Someone watching the police respond to this snipe hunt?
“We see any evidence of a break-in? Broken windows, open doors, anything?”
“Nada. Simmons and I walked the perimeter. No sign of entry. No sign of anything,” Tucker said.
“Someone wanted all the units in District 1 to respond. A report of a large crowd breaking into businesses would draw us out here.”
“They needed a diversion so they could pull off whatever they were into somewhere else,” Tucker said.
“Maybe. I haven’t heard anything new from dispatch. Why would we get a callout to the edge of Tru Heights territory?”
“Westgate Crips are on the other side of the freeway. I could see them making a false report to push us to roust a couple of their rivals.”
“Well, nothing going on here. Why don’t you and your partner hit the road. Let dispatch know this was a dry hole,” Conner said.
“Got it, Sarge. You need Parker and Cortez in the other unit? They’re watching the back of the church.”
“Nah, send them on their way, would you?”
“You got it.”
“Thanks, Tucker. Be careful out there. I’ve got an uneasy feeling about someone sending us here.”
“I hear you.”
Conner started back to his SUV, paused, and turned. “Hey, Tucker, anyone check the front door lock?”
“Yeah, I shook it. Locked up tight.”
Tucker and his partner got into their SUV, shut off the lights, and backed out of the church parking lot.
Tommy Robinson wandered to the front entrance and peered through the smoked glass doors. “Place is empty. Nothing going on—hey, what’s up with this?”
A metal donation bin sat to the right of the front door. Gang graffiti adorned the side of the four-foot-tall, repainted mailbox.
Conner caught the glint from a thin wire attached to the donation box door. On the concrete below, a cut padlock lay in the shadow.
Tommy reached for the bin.
“Tommy! Wait!”
Conner ran to the young officer as he tugged on the lid.
“Stop,” Conner said.
Tommy was focused on the unlocked donation bin and didn’t hear Conner.
Conner shoved Tommy as a click echoed in the entry vestibule. A microsecond later, a fireball erupted from the donation bin.
A pressure wave of heat and metal shards exploded. Conner caught the blast in the back as he pushed Tommy away. The force of the explosion picked Conner off his feet and threw him into the brick wall opposite the donation bin.
Conner couldn’t hear anything through the ringing in his ears, and his vision was a blurred kaleidoscope of flames and smoke. From where he fell, he could see the parking lot and the window across the street. The glowing ember from the cigarette was gone, but he swore he spotted a flashing red strobe.
Another explosion sounded to his right. A flash of orange shot from the parking lot. Conner squinted through his warped vision and saw a police SUV on fire. Tucker and his partner, Simmons. He couldn’t see them anywhere.
He tried reaching for his shoulder-mounted radio microphone and his arm wouldn’t move. A quick glance down and Conner saw his broken arm pointing in the wrong direction.
“Tommy. Tommy, you okay?”
Conner couldn’t hear anything but the high-pitched ringing in his ears.
He wasn’t even supposed to be working tonight. Conner swapped the shift with a buddy so his friend could go spend some time with his kids.
Conner felt cold, and a heavy blanket of exhaustion fell over him. Emily. He wanted to tell Emily how much he loved her one more time. She’d wanted to take it slow, but now he felt regret. He should’ve told her how he felt when he had the chance.
The sirens in the distance pierced through his muffled hearing. They would not be in time.
“Emily” . . .
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Author Bio
James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, and director of California’s state parole system. His novels have been shortlisted or awarded the Lefty, Anthony, Silver Falchion, and the Public Safety Writers Award. River of Lies, Served Cold, and Sins of the Father are his most recent novels. Look for Illusion of Truth coming soon.
