A review by kbranfield
K-9 Cold Case by Elizabeth Heiter

4.0

K-9 Cold Case by Elizabeth Heiter is an intriguing mystery that takes place in the Alaskan bush. This third installment in the K-9 Alaska series can be read as a standalone. But I highly recommend the previous books as well.

Desparre Police Chief Keara Hernandez moved to Alaska to try to put her husband Juan’s murder behind her. She has grown to love the small town and she closely watches over its residents. When a bomb goes off in nearby Luna, Keara’s past comes rushing back when something found at the scene appears to link the current case to Juan’s still unsolved murder. Keara and FBI victim specialist Jax Diall (and his adorable K-9, Patches) work together to try to find the person or persons responsible for the bombing and Juan’s murder.

Keara is attracted to Jax but she does not want her personal interest in him to interfere with their investigation. She hopes that solving Juan's case will allow her to fully move on. Although his fellow agents doubt her conviction Juan’s murder and the bombings are related, they do give Jax the go-ahead to look their case files. Since he is not an investigator, Jax and Keara go through the case files together in search of  similar cases. With growing excitement, Jax and Keara discover information that backs up their theory. But this new lead is quite puzzling and they continue trying to figure out how this new information can help them unearth the suspect(s)’s identity.

Jax is also interested in Keara, and he finds it difficult to ignore his growing attraction to her.  He mainly succeeds in focusing on the ongoing investigation. Jax becomes a little frustrated with his fellow agents’ skepticism about his and Keara’s theory but he manages to push his irritation aside. Jax cannot quite turn off his psychologist’s mind so he is able to deduce a few things about Keara.  Jax is not the only one in tune with her emotions. His K-9 comfort dog Patches is also quite intuitive and she sticks close to Keara’s side.

K-9 Cold Case is a clever mystery with an interesting storyline. The characters are engaging and their reactions and issues ring true. Patches is a wonderful dog who will steal readers’ hearts. The Alaskan setting springs vibrantly to life.  With an unexpected plot twist, Elizabeth Heiter brings this incredible mystery to a breathtaking conclusion. Old and new fans do not want to miss newest addition to the outstanding K-9 Alaska series.