Standing Dead
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-03-05 11:21:28
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Margaret Mizushima
- ISBN：1666629065
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Reader Views
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“Standing Dead” is the eighth installment of The Timber Creek K-9 Mystery Series by award-winning author Margaret Mizushima。 This read offers a deeply interactive experience with Deputy Sheriff and K-9 handler， Detective Mattie Wray， formerly known as Mattie Cobb， who has been trying to solve her father’s murder case but later finds herself fighting a more preeminent adversary than she had anticipated。Mattie’s childhood had been traumatic after being kidnapped at the age of two by the same gang “Standing Dead” is the eighth installment of The Timber Creek K-9 Mystery Series by award-winning author Margaret Mizushima。 This read offers a deeply interactive experience with Deputy Sheriff and K-9 handler， Detective Mattie Wray， formerly known as Mattie Cobb， who has been trying to solve her father’s murder case but later finds herself fighting a more preeminent adversary than she had anticipated。Mattie’s childhood had been traumatic after being kidnapped at the age of two by the same gang that forced her mother Ramona to witness the ghastly murder of her husband。 For a while now， Mattie has been investigating her father’s homicide case， which interestingly had no one assigned to it ages ago。 It had been rumored that he had been involved in a smuggling ring at the height of his border patrol career， but Mattie won’t have any of it。 In a recent turn of events that saw one of the killers dead and the other one languishing in prison， the protagonist can’t help but feel that her mother will now live without looking over her shoulders in fear。Accompanied by her sister Julia， Mattie reaches a small town in Mexico where she hopes to find her beloved mother who had severely warned her of ever coming back in fear of running into her husband’s assailants。 As they drew near the familiar house where she last saw Ramona， the sisters are shocked to meet an elderly woman who purports to have received the house from their mother。 She， however， bears no information regarding Ramona’s whereabouts， but a further inquiry at an auto shop owned by her mother’s brother-in-law sadly throws the experienced detective into a deeper hole of uncertainty and rekindled apprehension regarding the safety of her remaining family members。Mattie is a charming character who will once again win the hearts of the readers by being able to expertly analyze complex problems and find solutions with the help of her German Shepherd alongside other equally talented characters。 Her continued streak in brightening up readers’ faces across the eight-part series of The Timber Creek Mystery is a true display of Mizushima’s brilliance and prowess in creative writing and imagination。 She has thoughtfully provided clues that will challenge her audience’s critical analysis in getting logical conclusions based on what is presented to them。 This is a brilliant endeavor that will inevitably turn readers into amateur sleuths。The novel’s opening pages will quickly soothe a reader’s interest due to the employed dramatic elements and pulse-pounding settings。 These undoubtedly offer a great launch into a satisfying and exciting journey that ends with an eye-popping and shocking reveal。In conclusion， “Standing Dead” is a five-star text that shines with adrenaline-gushing action and a magnetic plotline that will have readers where Mizushima wants them- elated and gratified。 。。。more
Laura
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Sheriff Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo are on a case and it is personal。 The body of Mattie’s step-father is discovered in her town， Timber Creek。 The last time Mattie saw her mother， she and her second husband were living in Mexico。 It is disturbing to find his dead body in the town Mattie lives and works in， and where was her mother？It becomes evident to Mattie and her fellow law enforcement colleagues that they need to find her mother before she suffers the same fate as her husba Sheriff Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo are on a case and it is personal。 The body of Mattie’s step-father is discovered in her town， Timber Creek。 The last time Mattie saw her mother， she and her second husband were living in Mexico。 It is disturbing to find his dead body in the town Mattie lives and works in， and where was her mother？It becomes evident to Mattie and her fellow law enforcement colleagues that they need to find her mother before she suffers the same fate as her husband。 The entire Sherriff’s department is looking for the killer and trying to keep Mattie safe。 She feels she must be in on the investigation， but will she become a victim as well？ Mattie is willing to stake her life on saving her family， but at what cost？This is the seventh book in the Timber Creek K-9 mystery series。 Mizushima draws in readers from the first pages with the depth of her fast-moving plot with twists and turns throughout the book。 Her characters are fully developed， and as a reader of all of her books， it is like catching up with old friends with each new book in the series。 There are a couple of interesting sub-plots that are satisfyingly finished up at the end as well。Margaret Mizushima is one of my favorite authors and her characters come to life on the pages。 They are like old friends and sometimes crazy relatives to readers of the series。 I have read all of the books in this series and cannot wait for the next one。 If you have not discovered this fabulous author and series， Standing Dead works well as a stand-alone novel。 I highly recommend reading the entire series。Ms。 Mizushima’s Timber Creek K-9 mysteries are award-winning in the states and internationally。 She is a member of several writing groups， notably Sisters in Crime， Pikes Peak Writers and is the President for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America to name a few。DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the Author and Publicist Maryglenn McCombs and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review。 Copyright © 2023 Laura Hartman 。。。more
Juli
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I have been faithfully reading the Timber Creek K-9 series since book 1。 Standing Dead is the 8th book in the series， and I enjoyed it just as much as all of the others！ Margaret Mizushima never disappoints me！The basics: Deputy Mattie Cobb's mother and her husband disappear in Mexico。 A note taped to Mattie's door in Timber Creek， sends the sheriff's department into the high country to investigate。 Mattie is forced to go undercover to save her family members。 I'm not going to say more than bare I have been faithfully reading the Timber Creek K-9 series since book 1。 Standing Dead is the 8th book in the series， and I enjoyed it just as much as all of the others！ Margaret Mizushima never disappoints me！The basics: Deputy Mattie Cobb's mother and her husband disappear in Mexico。 A note taped to Mattie's door in Timber Creek， sends the sheriff's department into the high country to investigate。 Mattie is forced to go undercover to save her family members。 I'm not going to say more than bare bones info about the plot as it's always best to go into a suspense story without much information on the plot。 I can say that this story is gritty， suspenseful and downright creepy in some parts。 I enjoyed every word！I enjoy the setting， the action and the characters in this series。 Robo is an awesome K-9 officer， and Mattie is a very strong main character。 Margaret Mizushima is a very skilled writer， getting in all the nuances of a K-9 team， investigation， procedures and action。 I'm definitely eagerly awaiting the next book in this series！ Always an enjoyable read！ **I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books。 All opinions expressed are entirely my own** 。。。more
Barbara Tobey
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Great addition to a terrific series。 I always enjoy the time spent with these characters。 Exciting adventures。 Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley。 My review is voluntary。
Grace Koshida
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Deputy Mattie Wray & her sister Julia go to Mexico to visit their mother Ramona but they find that she & her husband Juan Martinez had abruptly left a month earlier。 Once home in Timber Creek， Colorado， Mattie finds a note on her front door telling her to look for someone among the standing dead （pine trees） in the high country。 Soon enough， Mattie & her K9 partner Robo finds the body of a man tied to a dead pine tree。 Mattie is stunned when she realizes the dead man is Martinez。 Another note is Deputy Mattie Wray & her sister Julia go to Mexico to visit their mother Ramona but they find that she & her husband Juan Martinez had abruptly left a month earlier。 Once home in Timber Creek， Colorado， Mattie finds a note on her front door telling her to look for someone among the standing dead （pine trees） in the high country。 Soon enough， Mattie & her K9 partner Robo finds the body of a man tied to a dead pine tree。 Mattie is stunned when she realizes the dead man is Martinez。 Another note is found with the body， stating that Ramona is in danger。 Then Julia goes missing & a Timber Creek Sheriff Dept employee is abducted & tied to a tree。 Now it's a deadly cat-&-mouse game with Mattie & a revengeful killer from her family's past。This was a thrilling read in the Timber Creek K9 mystery series。I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Anne - Books of My Heart
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This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Netgalley。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。4。5 heartsMattie's family issues come to a head in Standing Dead。 She has her sister and grandmother and knows more truth about her parentage and history。 She and her sister go to Mexico to find their mother but she and her new husband have fled。 Mattie returns home and the hits just keep happening。I love the Timber Cr This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Netgalley。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。4。5 heartsMattie's family issues come to a head in Standing Dead。 She has her sister and grandmother and knows more truth about her parentage and history。 She and her sister go to Mexico to find their mother but she and her new husband have fled。 Mattie returns home and the hits just keep happening。I love the Timber Creek K-9 series which has a K9 in a more realistic role。 Mattie has really developed a great relationship with her coworkers and personally with Cole and his family。 I would read this series in order because of the growth in both Mattie's personal and professional life。 Everything is set in the gorgeous Colorado high country。 I'll try to give you a feel for this book without spoiling。Cole has many demanding clients with horses that got poisoned and Sassy's new puppies getting sick。 His daughter wants him to hire another friend to work at the vet clinic。 He is very worried about Mattie as she investigates on almost no sleep in a dangerous situation。 There's been a murder。 Her mother and sister are in danger。 To free them， Mattie has to use all her training and skill， and risk herself。The pace is swift and I appreciate greatly how her co-workers are her friends and how well they support her， but also are very competent in their jobs。 It's suspenseful with all the things happening and trying to determine who the bad guys are and why they are targeting Mattie and her family。 I thought I knew but I didn't。 It was very satisfying to see Mattie handle things so well in what had to be a very emotional situation。 Also， I love to see the bad guys apprehended for their misdeeds。 。。。more
Sue Em
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4 and a half starsNumber 8 in Margaret Mizushima's excellent procedural series focused on Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner， Robo， in the Colorado high country。 Opening with Mattie and her sister， Julia， in Mexico hoping to reconnect with their mother。 When it seems her mother and stepfather have gotten spooked and disappeared。 Throughout the series， the murder of Mattie's father was been a major plotpoint， and this one is no different。 While it can certainly be read and enjoyed as a stand- 4 and a half starsNumber 8 in Margaret Mizushima's excellent procedural series focused on Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner， Robo， in the Colorado high country。 Opening with Mattie and her sister， Julia， in Mexico hoping to reconnect with their mother。 When it seems her mother and stepfather have gotten spooked and disappeared。 Throughout the series， the murder of Mattie's father was been a major plotpoint， and this one is no different。 While it can certainly be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone， I would recommend reading a few earlier in the series as background to increase your enjoyment。 Both the terrain and working with K-9 officers are essential elements in the story/series。 Pulse-popping action and strong characters will keep you riveted to the pages。 My slight ding in the star rating results from the plausibility and intensity of the revenge motive。 To say any more would spoil your enjoyment。 Happy reading！Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Carla Hostetter
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This is more or less a continuation of her last book in which Mattie finds her lost mother and tries to reconnect with her only to have her disappear again in this book， but the search comes to her when a man tied to a one of the standing dead pines turns out to be her mother's husband who bears a note that someone is after Mattie and her loved ones。 Meanwhile， her fiance， Cole， a veterinarian， investigates selenium poisoning of two horses in the camp ground near the killing。 The two plots come This is more or less a continuation of her last book in which Mattie finds her lost mother and tries to reconnect with her only to have her disappear again in this book， but the search comes to her when a man tied to a one of the standing dead pines turns out to be her mother's husband who bears a note that someone is after Mattie and her loved ones。 Meanwhile， her fiance， Cole， a veterinarian， investigates selenium poisoning of two horses in the camp ground near the killing。 The two plots come together as the story goes on。 Lots of suspects to sort out in this one and a dramatic ending as Mattie offers herself up to save her mother。 Her search dog， Robo， is as always a major part of the story and a lure for dog lovers。 。。。more
Stephanie Herron
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This story in the series is the most complex and action packed。 Mattie is at the center of threats made to her friends and family。 She and her colleagues at the sheriff's department are racing to figure out it all fits together and traces back to her father's murder。 Her fiancé Cole is kept busy helping horses that were poisoned near where her step-father's body was found as well as helping with Sassy and her puppies， who are offspring of Robo。 The tension builds slowly throughout the story and This story in the series is the most complex and action packed。 Mattie is at the center of threats made to her friends and family。 She and her colleagues at the sheriff's department are racing to figure out it all fits together and traces back to her father's murder。 Her fiancé Cole is kept busy helping horses that were poisoned near where her step-father's body was found as well as helping with Sassy and her puppies， who are offspring of Robo。 The tension builds slowly throughout the story and we see the close bond between Mattie and Robo， her k-9 partner。 By the time， the showdown is on， the tension is at a fevered pitch。 It is a relief when it is over。 A wonderful， suspenseful addition to the series。 。。。more
Brenda
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Beautifully written， refreshingly clean and engrossing Standing Dead is the eighth book in the fascinating Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series。 Along with cold case unit Lieutenant Sonia Alvarez， Deputy Mattie Cobb has been investigating the shooting of her border patrol officer father which occurred years prior。 She and her sister Julia travel from Timber Creek， Colorado to Mexico to search for their missing mother as the only witness。 But they discover she and her husband have disappeared。 The sto Beautifully written， refreshingly clean and engrossing Standing Dead is the eighth book in the fascinating Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series。 Along with cold case unit Lieutenant Sonia Alvarez， Deputy Mattie Cobb has been investigating the shooting of her border patrol officer father which occurred years prior。 She and her sister Julia travel from Timber Creek， Colorado to Mexico to search for their missing mother as the only witness。 But they discover she and her husband have disappeared。 The story takes the reader down a twisty path as Mattie receives a disturbing note about finding "him" as standing dead near a campground。 Her beloved K-9 Robo searches for and finds a dead body， someone known to Mattie。 But it doesn't end there。Meanwhile， veterinarian Dr。 Cole Walker， Mattie's fiancé， is called to a mysterious horse case which affects more than the animals。 I really like Mattie and Cole as individuals and as a team。 Veterinary information and animals always intrigue me。 Snippets of home life with kids add a feel of intimacy and balance while the outside world exudes trouble。My sincere thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this arresting novel。 。。。more
Jan Fore
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Standing DeadMargaret MizushimaMarch 7， 2023Mattie Cobb returns to us as Mattie Wray， taking her father’s name。 She is visiting Pueblo del Sol in Mexico with her sister， Julia making a visit with her mother， Ramona。 When they reach her home they find a stranger answering the door。 Her mother has left with her step-father， Juan Martinez。 The woman explained that Maria， as Ramona has come to be known， left without reason or contact info。 The sisters were beside themselves。 Had their mother been di Standing DeadMargaret MizushimaMarch 7， 2023Mattie Cobb returns to us as Mattie Wray， taking her father’s name。 She is visiting Pueblo del Sol in Mexico with her sister， Julia making a visit with her mother， Ramona。 When they reach her home they find a stranger answering the door。 Her mother has left with her step-father， Juan Martinez。 The woman explained that Maria， as Ramona has come to be known， left without reason or contact info。 The sisters were beside themselves。 Had their mother been discovered by the men who kidnapped Mattie as a child？ Back in Timber Creek， Colorado Dr。 Cole Walker eagerly anticipated Mattie’s return， as did her K-9 partner， Robo。 Being the only vet in the area his time was busy， however today he planned to quit early and prepare for his fiance’s homecoming。Standing Dead will be published on March 7， 2023 by Crooked Lane Books。 I appreciate their allowing me to read and review Margaret Mizushima’s latest episode of the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series via NetGalley。 I have read the entire series。 Standing Dead is #9 and I could not put it down。 Her writing is excellent， suspense is chilling - very much enjoy the way her characters are family oriented。 Her storylines include outstanding landscape descriptions and animal info。 All of these make the reader become involved in her plot。 Those who enjoy the series will snap this one up。 New to Mizushima？ She writes incredible， stormy suspense in cozy mystery style。 Do enjoy！ 。。。more
Jan Fore
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Standing DeadMargaret MizushimaMarch 7， 2023Mattie Cobb returns to us as Mattie Wray， taking her father’s name。 She is visiting Pueblo del Sol in Mexico with her sister， Julia making a visit with her mother， Ramona。 When they reach her home they find a stranger answering the door。 Her mother has left with her step-father， Juan Martinez。 The woman explained that Maria， as Ramona has come to be known， left without reason or contact info。 The sisters were beside themselves。 Had their mother been di Standing DeadMargaret MizushimaMarch 7， 2023Mattie Cobb returns to us as Mattie Wray， taking her father’s name。 She is visiting Pueblo del Sol in Mexico with her sister， Julia making a visit with her mother， Ramona。 When they reach her home they find a stranger answering the door。 Her mother has left with her step-father， Juan Martinez。 The woman explained that Maria， as Ramona has come to be known， left without reason or contact info。 The sisters were beside themselves。 Had their mother been discovered by the men who kidnapped Mattie as a child？ Back in Timber Creek， Colorado Dr。 Cole Walker eagerly anticipated Mattie’s return， as did her K-9 partner， Robo。 Being the only vet in the area his time was busy， however today he planned to quit early and prepare for his fiance’s homecoming。Standing Dead will be published on March 7， 2023 by Crooked Lane Books。 I appreciate their allowing me to read and review Margaret Mizushima’s latest episode of the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series via NetGalley。 I have read the entire series。 Standing Dead is #9 and I could not put it down。 Her writing is excellent， suspense is chilling - very much enjoy the way her characters are family oriented。 Her storylines include outstanding landscape descriptions and animal info。 All of these make the reader become involved in her plot。 Those who enjoy the series will snap this one up。 New to Mizushima？ She writes incredible， stormy suspense in cozy mystery style。 Do enjoy！ 。。。more
Kathy Martin
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Lots of threads wrap up in this eighth book in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series。 Mattie Wray and her recently met sister Julia go to a small town in Mexico where there mother has been hiding from the gang that murdered her husband and kidnapped her and her children when Mattie was two。 But Mattie and Julia find that their mother and her husband hve fled again， leaving them disappointed。When Mattie returns to her job as a Colorado Sheriff's Deputy and K-9 officer， she finds a note on her door Lots of threads wrap up in this eighth book in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series。 Mattie Wray and her recently met sister Julia go to a small town in Mexico where there mother has been hiding from the gang that murdered her husband and kidnapped her and her children when Mattie was two。 But Mattie and Julia find that their mother and her husband hve fled again， leaving them disappointed。When Mattie returns to her job as a Colorado Sheriff's Deputy and K-9 officer， she finds a note on her door saying that she'll find him among the standing dead。 She alerts the sheriff and grabs her K-9 Robo and heads up to the high country to find out who "he" is。 Discovering the dead body of her mother's husband begins a hunt for her missing mother and leads to more notes and more kidnappings。 Meanwhile， her fiancé veterinarian Cole Walker is dealing with cases of selenium poisoning up in the same high country and with canine coronavirus closer to home。 With Mattie as the target of a murderer who was part of the original gang that killed her father， the rush is on to finally unravel that plot and save her mother and sister's lives。 Excellent addition to an engaging series。 I really enjoy Mattie's relationship with her K-9 Robo。 。。。more
Sheila Lowe
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If you've read previous books in the series， you'll know that Colorado cop Mattie Wray struggles to deal with her seriously traumatic past。 In Standing Dead， the tension ratchets up to an unbearable degree as the people she loves most are targeted in order to hurt her for the deeds of others。 That includes her fiance， Cole and his family， who are placed in jeopardy because of their association with Mattie。 Once you start reading， you can’t stop。 If you've read previous books in the series， you'll know that Colorado cop Mattie Wray struggles to deal with her seriously traumatic past。 In Standing Dead， the tension ratchets up to an unbearable degree as the people she loves most are targeted in order to hurt her for the deeds of others。 That includes her fiance， Cole and his family， who are placed in jeopardy because of their association with Mattie。 Once you start reading， you can’t stop。 。。。more
Robin
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Book eight of this strong， enjoyable and very readable series finds Mattie Wray on the precipice of avenging the family trauma that made her childhood an extremely difficult one。 Two books back （Hanging Falls） Mattie at last reunited with her long lost sister; in the previous installment， Striking Range， she reunites with her mother。 As this book opens， she and her sister are heading to Mexico to see their mother together， but when they arrive， she and her husband have vanished。There’s quite a b Book eight of this strong， enjoyable and very readable series finds Mattie Wray on the precipice of avenging the family trauma that made her childhood an extremely difficult one。 Two books back （Hanging Falls） Mattie at last reunited with her long lost sister; in the previous installment， Striking Range， she reunites with her mother。 As this book opens， she and her sister are heading to Mexico to see their mother together， but when they arrive， she and her husband have vanished。There’s quite a bit of backstory to wade through at the beginning of the book。 To set the stage for a new reader， Mattie is an officer in the Timber Creek， Colorado， police department， where she works with her K-9 companion， Robo， who always has a key role in the stories。 Mattie is involved （and on the verge of marrying） the local vet， Cole， and his veterinary work and family are part of the strong backstory of the novels that ground the books， making them pack an emotional and relatable punch。As I had missed the last novel I had a bit of catching up to do， but when Mizushima launches the story that powers this novel it was hard to stop reading。 She uses two threads。 One involves the apparent poisoning of two horses and one involves the “standing dead” of the novel。 The horse story involves Cole; the other story， Mattie。 The standing dead are the trees in the Colorado forest that have been decimated by insects， and they are literally “standing dead” in a ghost forest。 The other standing dead， of course， is a dead body lashed to a tree， the body turning out to be Mattie’s missing stepfather。 And worse， there’s a note on his body， specifically threatening Mattie。As Mattie and the other officers clear the campground where the body was found， Mizushima sets up a nice pool of suspects for the reader。 She writes kick ass action novels， but she’s also – like Lee Child or Sara Paretsky – a mystery writer， and her mysteries are well constructed and thought out， the action tied to the detection work taken on by Mattie and Robo。 As violent incidents mount and more letters are found， there’s a ticking clock element to the story， one that’s accelerated when it’s clear Mattie’s sister has also disappeared。 As Mattie gets closer to a solution – and much closer to personal danger – the situation nicely illuminates the relationship and depth of commitment between her and Cole， and as always， the depth of the relationship between Mattie and Robo。 Robo finds the first body and he continues to be invaluable， discovering clues where human eyes have failed。 When the ultimate ending to the story involves extreme peril to Mattie herself， I promise you your fingers will be glued to the pages as you keep turning them to find out what happens。 A page turner and a good mystery – that’s what I call a great read。 。。。more
Nic
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A intriguing， suspenseful and intense page turner about Deputy Mattie Cobb and her dog Robo solving the mystery of her family。Mattie has her hands full trying to figure out what is going on。 With the help of the Timber Creek Police Department， she hopes to get answers as fast as she can。I have to say I haven’t read the previous books in the series。 I had no problem reading Standing Dead but will definitely be getting the rest of the series to read as soon as I can。All opinions expressed are my o A intriguing， suspenseful and intense page turner about Deputy Mattie Cobb and her dog Robo solving the mystery of her family。Mattie has her hands full trying to figure out what is going on。 With the help of the Timber Creek Police Department， she hopes to get answers as fast as she can。I have to say I haven’t read the previous books in the series。 I had no problem reading Standing Dead but will definitely be getting the rest of the series to read as soon as I can。All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Ilona
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Mattie Wray and Julia （her sister） go to visit their mom who has been hiding in Mexio。 When they get there， they find that she and her husband left without telling anyone where。 A note is stuck Mattie’s door， her family’s past is catching up with them， and the race is on to find her mom。Mattie， K9 partner Robo， and the rest of the Timber Creek Police Department are up to the task。As always a great pleasure to read Mizushima’s books – the details， storyline， 。。 all top notch。 And don’t be scared Mattie Wray and Julia （her sister） go to visit their mom who has been hiding in Mexio。 When they get there， they find that she and her husband left without telling anyone where。 A note is stuck Mattie’s door， her family’s past is catching up with them， and the race is on to find her mom。Mattie， K9 partner Robo， and the rest of the Timber Creek Police Department are up to the task。As always a great pleasure to read Mizushima’s books – the details， storyline， 。。 all top notch。 And don’t be scared off by starting at book 8， in no time you will be caught up， and wanting to read the previous ones。 。。。more
Donne
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I LOVE THIS SERIES！！！ Yeah， I know， I’ve said that before， but it has just become such an interesting and wonderful series with great characters and exciting stories。 Personally， the books would not work well as standalones， at least for me they wouldn’t。 Every book delves more and more into Mattie’s background and history and while there are updates in every book， I truly believe a reader needs to start the series from the beginning to enjoy the whole story and not miss out on any details。 JMHO I LOVE THIS SERIES！！！ Yeah， I know， I’ve said that before， but it has just become such an interesting and wonderful series with great characters and exciting stories。 Personally， the books would not work well as standalones， at least for me they wouldn’t。 Every book delves more and more into Mattie’s background and history and while there are updates in every book， I truly believe a reader needs to start the series from the beginning to enjoy the whole story and not miss out on any details。 JMHO😊Anyway， the book summary lays out the beginning of the story and the primary storyline of finding Mattie's mother that has gone missing along with her husband， and the discovery of a dead body along with threatening notes being left on the bodies for Mattie。 There is a lot going on in this book so there are other storylines as well。 In the early part of the story， Cole gets involved because horses were poisoned by a water trough near the crime scene and a friend of Mattie’s is shot investigating a campsite near the crime scene as well as several suspicious campers and locals who become persons of interest。Then in the second half of the story， the killer（s） start threatening， terrorizing， and abducting people Mattie loves。 Mattie and the team come up with a plan to go after the killer（s） and it’s a very dangerous plan for Mattie。 The conditions in the mountains are treacherous and it gets really scary and intense for Mattie and the team and Mattie’s family that kept me on edge from page to page。 It was a late night finishing the book because I could not go to sleep until I knew how the story ended。MY FAVE BOOK IN THE SERIES！！！ I can’t wait to read the next installment to see Mattie get her HEA！ Mizushima is a good writer and a wonderful storyteller。 The characters she creates are interesting， complex and flawed and the environments and locales she builds are beautiful yet unpredictable and risky。 On another note， I’m curious though why Mattie’s old name is still being used in the book summaries of numerous websites。 In the previous book， she changed her last name to her biological name， Wray， and in this installment， everyone is starting to use that name as well。 It’s not like the series is named after Mattie that her name change would affect the series recognition or identity on the internet or social media。Just something that I was wondering about， and think should be addressed in future series installments。 I know the author doesn’t have any control over book summaries， but I would think that the publishers do and would be more cognizant of that。 What do I know though？ I’m not a publisher; I’m just an avid reader and a fan of the series😊I want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review。@NetGalley @CrookedLaneBooks @StandingDead 。。。more
Liz
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The Timber Creek series is perfect for fans of police procedurals with working dogs。 Mattie Cobb/Wray is a K-9 handler in Colorado。 Returning from a trip to Mexico searching unsuccessfully for her mother， she’s immediately drawn into the search for a missing man。 The man is found dead and Mattie also realizes he’s her mother’s husband。 Mizushima does a wonderful job giving detailed explanations of both search techniques and veterinary practices。 Unlike some books about working dogs for which the The Timber Creek series is perfect for fans of police procedurals with working dogs。 Mattie Cobb/Wray is a K-9 handler in Colorado。 Returning from a trip to Mexico searching unsuccessfully for her mother， she’s immediately drawn into the search for a missing man。 The man is found dead and Mattie also realizes he’s her mother’s husband。 Mizushima does a wonderful job giving detailed explanations of both search techniques and veterinary practices。 Unlike some books about working dogs for which the dog seems more of a prop， this one fully incorporates the dog as a main character in the story。 I love how Mizushima understands the comfort a dog can provide - how even ruffling their fur or putting forehead to forehead can calm a person。 The story moves at a steady pace and I was pleased there was no OTT ending。 It kept me engaged as the villain is determined to go after all of Mattie’s family。 The story veers between Mattie and Cole’s POV。 It was Cole who really tugged at my emotions， his struggle to accept the risks Mattie was willing to take to save her family。 This might work as a stand-alone， but a lot of background will be missing from the reader’s understanding。 My thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
Margie
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Standing Dead by Margaret Mizushima is book #8 in the Timber Creek K-9 series。 In this storyline the past comes back to haunt and terrorize Maddie Wray， K-9 deputy in Timber Creek。 It seems what happened when Maddie's father was killed decades ago and Maddie， her brother and her mother were held captive by a member of the criminal gang that killed her father contributed greatly to the present troubles and danger。 Lives are on the line so Maddie and her police group have to take extreme measures Standing Dead by Margaret Mizushima is book #8 in the Timber Creek K-9 series。 In this storyline the past comes back to haunt and terrorize Maddie Wray， K-9 deputy in Timber Creek。 It seems what happened when Maddie's father was killed decades ago and Maddie， her brother and her mother were held captive by a member of the criminal gang that killed her father contributed greatly to the present troubles and danger。 Lives are on the line so Maddie and her police group have to take extreme measures to save lives。 I really like these characters。 Maddie and her K-9 Robo have such a special bond。 Maddie and her fiance veterinarian Cole Walker make such a great couple。 I really enjoyed this "edge-of-your-seat" suspense story。 There's plenty of action too！I received an ARC and this is my honest review。 。。。more
Cheryl
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（4。5） Please excuse the broken record。 This series is one that I love。 I have either listened or read them all except book 7 and I am going to grab that。 Each book can be read as a stand alone， but seeing as how Maddy with her K9 Robo grow， as well as Brody and Stella。 Come on， who can' remember the dipsh*t that Brody was in book 1 and how Stella was a detective who didn't really see the big picture。 They are each so much more in each book in this series。 I do a disservice to all the K9's with j （4。5） Please excuse the broken record。 This series is one that I love。 I have either listened or read them all except book 7 and I am going to grab that。 Each book can be read as a stand alone， but seeing as how Maddy with her K9 Robo grow， as well as Brody and Stella。 Come on， who can' remember the dipsh*t that Brody was in book 1 and how Stella was a detective who didn't really see the big picture。 They are each so much more in each book in this series。 I do a disservice to all the K9's with just adding "dogs" but each dog is special in their own way。 Each book has twists， red herrings and the knowledge that family is what you make it。 When Maddie Cobb， now Maddie Wray finds her mom missing in Mexico she comes home to regroup。 Arriving home the light sensors do not come on and she flashes to a previous instance where that happened。 Buckle in guys， it takes off from there。 She is gutsy， compassionate， stubborn and loves her job。 Come join the band wagon of Timber Creek K-9 and share your thoughts！ Thank you for the arc！ I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions。 #standingdead #timbercreekk9 #margaretmizushima #crookedlanebooks #netgalley 。。。more
Spiritedbookishbabe
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I really liked this book。 It was amazing。 It really kept me on my toes。 There was not one boring moment in this book。 i read this whole book in just a few hours。 I enjoyed learning more about Maddie’s family as she uncovered more about their past
Linda
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I started reading the Timber Creek mysteries in September of 2020。 I soon learned Mattie and her K-9 partner， Robo， had recently formed a working relationship。 I enjoyed the small-town setting in Colorado， the secondary characters and， of course， a good mystery。 Less than 4 weeks later I was finishing the sixth story， Hanging Falls。 I am only mentioning this because you need to read the series in order。 If not， you won't enjoy the books as much。 Mattie not only finds love just around the corner I started reading the Timber Creek mysteries in September of 2020。 I soon learned Mattie and her K-9 partner， Robo， had recently formed a working relationship。 I enjoyed the small-town setting in Colorado， the secondary characters and， of course， a good mystery。 Less than 4 weeks later I was finishing the sixth story， Hanging Falls。 I am only mentioning this because you need to read the series in order。 If not， you won't enjoy the books as much。 Mattie not only finds love just around the corner when she meets Veterinarian Cole Walker， but she also forms various friendships at work。 In addition， both Mattie and you， the reader， learn about her childhood。 She had plenty of familial baggage and， with each story， you learn more about the trauma she went through earlier in her life。Striking Range was published in 2021 and， finally， Standing Dead。 Mattie found closure。 It took a while， hence the four stars。 I am not sure if the author will continue with Mattie， Robo and Cole， veer off with one of the secondary characters or start a new series。 No matter what， I will be waiting。。。Thank you to NetGalley， Margaret Mizushima and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Valleri
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Big thanks to both Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Standing Dead！How I love Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo！！ Mattie's veterinarian fiancé gets called out to a campground to tend a pair of suddenly sickened horses and discovers they were poisoned with selenium， which could only have been acquired from the horse troughs nearby。At the same time， Mattie's mom and stepdad have disappeared from where they were living in Mexico。 As m Big thanks to both Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Standing Dead！How I love Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo！！ Mattie's veterinarian fiancé gets called out to a campground to tend a pair of suddenly sickened horses and discovers they were poisoned with selenium， which could only have been acquired from the horse troughs nearby。At the same time， Mattie's mom and stepdad have disappeared from where they were living in Mexico。 As more people in Mattie's inner circle start disappearing and/or being attacked， it becomes very personal！ Can the poisoning of the horses possibly be related？ I loved how Mattie's friends， co-workers， and beloved dog， Robo， banded together in Standing Dead， to work as a solid team。 This book is a pulse pounding， tense and satisfying ride that can be read as a stand-alone。 I definitely recommend it！ 。。。more
Jan
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I am addicted to this series。Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo find themselves in a mystery that is very personal。 Her fiancé is a veterinarian and gets called out to a campground to tend a pair of suddenly sickened horses only to find that they have been poisoned with selenium which can only have been acquired from the horse troughs nearby。 Then Mattie and Robo are called out to a stand of dead trees where they discover a dead man tied to a dead tree。 That man is the husband of her mi I am addicted to this series。Deputy Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo find themselves in a mystery that is very personal。 Her fiancé is a veterinarian and gets called out to a campground to tend a pair of suddenly sickened horses only to find that they have been poisoned with selenium which can only have been acquired from the horse troughs nearby。 Then Mattie and Robo are called out to a stand of dead trees where they discover a dead man tied to a dead tree。 That man is the husband of her missing mother （the history of the relationships is defined within the story）。 Then some valuable puppies are found to have been made ill， possibly also by selenium。 Later the dead man is found to have also been poisoned slowly by selenium。 Then another K-9 deputy handler is shot and seriously injured。 But the next issue is even worse; Mattie's sister has been kidnapped in California and a note is left threatening Mattie。 The tension just keeps ratcheting up and law enforcement is stretched beyond their limit。This is a tense and suspenseful procedural。 A really good read！I requested and received a free EARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley。 Thanks！ 。。。more
Linda
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Standing Dead。。。。。Just waiting for their demise。 22 million acres of Lodgepole pines in Colorado standing upright within miles and miles of forest。 Some already infested by the Mountain Pine Beetle but still rigid even in their death。 It's only a matter of time。 Steming the spread is like crime fighting。 No guarantees on the outcome。Deputy Mattie Wray knows that uphill battle。 She works for the Timber Creek Police Department in Timber Creek， Colorado as a K9 Handler。 She and her remarkable Germa Standing Dead。。。。。Just waiting for their demise。 22 million acres of Lodgepole pines in Colorado standing upright within miles and miles of forest。 Some already infested by the Mountain Pine Beetle but still rigid even in their death。 It's only a matter of time。 Steming the spread is like crime fighting。 No guarantees on the outcome。Deputy Mattie Wray knows that uphill battle。 She works for the Timber Creek Police Department in Timber Creek， Colorado as a K9 Handler。 She and her remarkable German Shepherd， Robo， have a long history of saving lives in Timber Creek。 Mattie is dedicated to the point of exhaustion at times。 That's just how she operates。Don't get scared off by the #8 in this series。 Margaret Mizushima fills in all the backstories nicely and we just spring forward as this reads as a standalone。 And don't eye this as a "doggie book"。 Mizushima is an actual veterinarian herself。 She doesn't pull punches here。 The crimes in this series are as serious as the headlines today。 Cozy is just not happenin"。It's personal this time for Mattie。 She and her sister， Julia， had ventured into a small town in Mexico where her mother， Ramona， and her husband， Juan， were residing。 No sign of either of them。 The women were told that Ramona and Juan left town in a hurry with no forwarding address。 Mattie realizes that the couple must be in danger。 Ramona witnessed the murder of her first husband， Border Patrol Agent Douglas Wray。 The murderers threatened to kill Ramona's daughters who were just children at the time。 Mattie fears that they will never find her mother and Juan。But Mattie soon receives threatening notes in regard to her mother。 And then Juan's body is found tied to one of those Standing pines。 These maniacs are serious as the next breath。And eventually Mattie will have to put herself in the scope of these killers in order to save her mother and sister。 But is she too late？Standing Dead is a superb read in the hands of Margaret Mizushima。 She knows police work and she knows the ins and outs of veterinarian medicine when we have several horses poisoned in the forest campgrounds。 Standing Dead has some of the most hardcore criminals that we've had throughout this series。 It's written in real tones with Mizushima guiding this storyline to an intense conclusion。 Don't miss it。I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review。 My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and the talented Margaret Mizushima for the opportunity。 。。。more
Jacqui
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In Margaret Mizushima's eighth installment of her award-winning Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries （Crooked Lane Books 2023）， Deputy Mattie Cobb and her sister Julia go to visit their long-separated mother Ramona only to find she and her husband have left her home in Mexico with no forwarding address。 Without leads to where she is， Mattie returns to Timber Lake to determine next steps， but the mystery follows her when her mother's husband shows up dead in Mattie’s backyard。 On his body is a note to Matt In Margaret Mizushima's eighth installment of her award-winning Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries （Crooked Lane Books 2023）， Deputy Mattie Cobb and her sister Julia go to visit their long-separated mother Ramona only to find she and her husband have left her home in Mexico with no forwarding address。 Without leads to where she is， Mattie returns to Timber Lake to determine next steps， but the mystery follows her when her mother's husband shows up dead in Mattie’s backyard。 On his body is a note to Mattie about more attacks to come and signed as a friend of her father。 When Julia also disappears， it is up to Mattie and her working dog partner， Robo， to track down the killer before he brings death to Julia and Ramona or others that Mattie is close to。 To do this， she must unravel the decades old mystery around her father's murder。I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series in large part because Robo is always integral and a respected group member。 So why 4/5 for this one？ It’s a little slow despite the seriousness of the plot， but not so much I won’t read the next。 Recommended to those who like dog stories and strong female leads。 。。。more
Ruth
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My review is based on advanced reader's copy courtesy of #netgalley and does not reflect the final published book。 My review is based on advanced reader's copy courtesy of #netgalley and does not reflect the final published book。 。。。more
Debbie
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"Standing Dead" is a K9-detective mystery。 It's the 8th in a series。 You can understand this book without reading the previous ones， and this book didn't spoil the previous mysteries。The main characters were likable and complex， and they acted realistically to events。 I cared about what happened to them。 They dealt with personal struggles while solving the mystery。 Mattie and Robo （her loyal and talented working dog）， Cole （the veterinarian who loves her）， and the rest of the sheriff’s departmen "Standing Dead" is a K9-detective mystery。 It's the 8th in a series。 You can understand this book without reading the previous ones， and this book didn't spoil the previous mysteries。The main characters were likable and complex， and they acted realistically to events。 I cared about what happened to them。 They dealt with personal struggles while solving the mystery。 Mattie and Robo （her loyal and talented working dog）， Cole （the veterinarian who loves her）， and the rest of the sheriff’s department worked to solve the crimes。 It was fun to see them all working together as a solid team。 This was a clue-based mystery。 It also had a lot of suspense due to the danger to the good guys， especially Mattie's family。The crime scenes were not described in gory detail。 There were no sex scenes。 The were a couple of uses of bad language。 Overall， I'd highly recommend this interesting and exciting novel。I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Kirsten
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A great continuation for the Timber Creek Series！ I enjoyed following Mattie as she uncovers more information about her family’s past while continuing to grow her relationship with Cole and his kiddos。 An easy， keep you on your toes read！Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy！
tpg0
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As an AI language model， I am not capable of having personal preferences。 However， I can provide you with generic information about the book "Standing Dead"， written by John Rode。 "Standing Dead" is a thrilling mystery novel that explores the story of a former Marine who tries to trace down his service buddy's killer。 Set in the unforgiving landscape of Montana， this intense tale of loyalty， betrayal， and violence quickly unravels to expose the deadly consequences of personal vendettas。 This book has received mixed reviews， with some readers appreciating the vivid descriptions and fast-paced storyline， while others found it predictable and lacking in character depth。 Ultimately， it's up to you to decide whether or not "Standing Dead" is worth reading。
tpg1
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As an AI language model， I cannot provide personal opinions about books， but I can give you some information about the book 'Standing Dead' by Bernadette Pajer。 It is a mystery novel published in 2014， and it is the fourth book in the Professor Bradshaw Mysteries series。 The story takes place in Seattle in 1901， and it follows the investigation of Professor Bradshaw into the murder of a young woman whose body was found in the University of Washington's Anatomy Building。 The investigation takes an unexpected turn when one of Bradshaw's students becomes a suspect in the case。 The book received positive reviews for its historical accuracy， engaging plot， and well-developed characters。
tpg2
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