HANGING FALLS

A K-9 cop seeks to solve the case of a dead body in the woods so she can take time off to investigate the mysteries of her own family.

Mattie Cobb is finally stepping aside from her role as deputy and the human part of Timber Creek’s only K-9 team to connect with relatives she thought she’d lost many years before. Her sister, Julia, and her abuela have plans to welcome Mattie with open arms, if only she can get away for a few days. But those plans are put on ice when Mattie and her friend Glenna come upon a body while jogging at Hanging Falls. Robo, Mattie’s German shepherd partner, is needed to search the Colorado forests, so Mattie puts off her visit to find out who could have killed what appears to be an out-of-towner, then dumped him in the water. While Mattie keeps their shift from friendship to full-on romance private, she’s happy to have the help of Cole Walker on the case. Not only is Cole an adept vet whose knowledge is helpful in considering the possible role a horse tranquilizer played in the death, but his calm confidence steadies Mattie when she’s overwhelmed by emotions. A childhood of trauma and then foster care with Mama T has made Mattie slow to trust, and her police training has given her lingering questions about what really happened to split up her family. The sooner she solves the case of the body in the woods, the sooner she can reunite with Julia and Abuela to ask the hard questions about her own life.

An imperfect heroine and her beloved canine sidekick: What’s not to like?