Conard County: K-9 Detectives

Conard County: The Next Generation #53

by Rachel Lee

Can his wartime K-9 save him
From homeland danger?

Don't interfere or you're next. Army veteran Kell McLaren won't comply with the threat. He and Jenna Blair—wrongfully discharged from the army—mean to investigate two suspicious deaths possibly tied to a mysterious church sect…and a drug cartel. With Kell’s military-trained K-9 companion, the troubled vets uncover unspeakable secrets, while finding in each other welcome respite from combat trauma and treacherous betrayal.

Genres: Romantic Suspense

249 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 2, 2023

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Rachel Lee is a New York Times best-selling author and the winner of Six Romantic Times magazine Reviewers' Choice Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and is a five-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America's RITA® Award. She has penned a wide variety of novels in several genres including fantasy, romantic suspense, and romantic comedy. She resides in Tampa, Florida.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

No offense to the human characters but the dogs were the best. This was a slow burn until about halfway through.

[Oliver Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable super slow burn romantic suspense.

[Harlequin Books]

Romantic Suspense, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective, Animal Fiction
Miniseries
Conard County: The Next Generation (Book #56)

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with a slow-burn romance and steadily intensifying suspense. I liked Kell and Jenna, the two main characters, and their dogs, Bradley and Misty. The book opens as Jenna returns to Conard County from her service as an Army nurse. She did not leave the army willingly, and her reasons for doing so were heartbreaking. Her ability to trust has been severely damaged, and she is a bit lost about what is next for her, though her first order of business is to retrieve her aunt's dog, Misty, from where she is being boarded. I loved Jenna's close connection with Misty.

One of the first people Jenna met was Kell, along with his dog, Bradley. Kell is a former Marine, and Bradley was his K-9 during the war. After Kell was injured, he returned to Conard County, bringing Bradley. Bradley also has PTSD, and my heart broke for him and Kell, who tries to help Bradley through his episodes. Bradley and Misty are great friends and playmates, bringing Kell and Jenna together almost daily.

Because of what she'd been through, Jenna is initially very wary of Kell. He senses that wariness and wonders about its cause but is very sensitive to her feelings. I loved how careful Kell was to respect her boundaries and how that care made it easier for Jenna to relax around him. The two dogs created plenty of opportunities for Kell and Jenna to spend time together. I liked seeing them grow closer, and I cheered when Jenna could tell Kell what had happened to her. Kell won my heart with his reaction and what it meant to Jenna. Meanwhile, the sparks of attraction were growing between them, and Jenna had to decide if her trust in Kell was strong enough to give in to them. I liked what followed, and it bodes well for their future. The ending was fantastic and left me hoping they appear in later books.

The suspense of the story was good. It started with a prologue that set the scene for what Kell and Jenna would face - a cult leader-like preacher with secrets he'll do anything to keep. Kell and Jenna get the first inkling that something is wrong when Bradley alerts on a neighbor's body as the EMTs bring it out of the house. Kell is puzzled and worries that something is wrong with Bradley but trusts him enough to take his concerns to the sheriff. It happens again with another neighbor, leading Kell and Jenna to believe that Bradley is onto something.

Jenna takes a chance and uses her experiences to attempt to get close to a former cult member, but it backfires. A threatening note accompanying a worrisome letter sends them back to the sheriff. I loved Gage's reaction and felt his frustration at his inability to do anything without solid evidence. Jenna and Kell felt the same frustration and decided to do something about it. Seeing them develop a plan and execute it successfully was highly satisfying.

There was another player in the drama, and I still have questions about him. We get his link to the prologue at the end, but he is not above reproach. Will he appear again in a later book?

I loved the two dogs almost as much as I did Kell and Jenna. Each has a distinct personality and relationship with their human. Seeing how the two pups get so excited to see each other was fun. They are terrific companions to Kell and Jenna, providing love and support when needed. Their actions and reactions are also frequently amusing and have a way of lightening a dark mood.

[Judy]

3.5 Serviceable. 2 veterans with issues bond through their dogs - one of the dogs was a working dog in the Marines, the other a nurse who was raped and wasn't believed. The working dog alerts them to 2 seemingly accidental but actually deliberate deaths, and it all leads to a criminal. It's a little confusing because there's another person after the criminal, and it wasn't all clear to me who was sending threatening letters. But the vets, and their dogs, solve it and fall in love along the way. Kudos to the author for dealing with some serious issues - PTSD, rape in the military, cult leaders and pedophilia. I liked the dogs the best and I think that the author did too. I just love stories about working dogs. They're so much better than people.

[Nancy Luebke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this intriguing romance that was brought together by two dogs. I bought this at a local store and I voluntarily chose to review it. I've given it a 4.5* rating. There is some sexual content and it is not for the under 18 readers. This pulled me in right away and the two dogs lightened the mood too. Seems some of these dogs that go overseas with our military guys, can get PTSD too. Anyway, this was a great read and brought a little light on a subject that we don't talk about very much about.

[Elaine Swinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written story with awesome characters. I have been reading this series for a long time. I love this series. I would encourage everyone to get this one it is worth your time. I really think you will enjoy this one.

[Sabrina R · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a terrible piece of trash. There's so much foreshadowing when we all know she's been raped. Then, once she reveals that, they have sex in the next chapter. At the end, he asks her to marry him. GTFO!

[Nancy Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. I enjoyed the characters - and especially their dogs. Interesting storylines of dealing with PTSD for dogs as well as humans. My first book in this series and also by this author. I will definitely look for more books in the series and other books by this author.

[Patty Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and Satisfying

Love the plot, only I am with Vince the pedophile could suffer more, but he was right. Prisoner even have morals. I only wish Jenna could see justice for herself as well.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book, insightful into ptsd, tape, and military vets suffering. The dogs were awesome, but I loved how intense the emotional pull was..

[Diane Morrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a good read from Lee. I really enjoy reading the Conard County series. I liked these characters and the plot of this book. Looking forward to reading more from this talented storyteller.

[Sheri Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read! This will be another book I'll occasionally reread.

[Rebecca Delio · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT BOOK

I love this series’s with the canniness it’s a great series and hopefully it will continue, I really love books with dogs…

[Kathy B. (NE) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time finishing this one. It just couldn’t hold my interest.

[raymond tidwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blah ending

After the story the ending fell short, yes they spoke of love for each other but HER issues were left hanging

[Linda Coleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read, though somewhat predictable. Who doesn’t love a story with a good guy, bad guy & 2 dogs

[Harlequin Books]

Romantic Suspense, Police Procedural Mystery & Detective, Animal Fiction
Miniseries
Conard County: The Next Generation (Book #56)