The Dead Years

April 13, 2020
This suspenseful series launch from Burton (The Chessman) introduces Mason “Mace” Reid, a trainer of cadaver dogs, and his star pupil, golden retriever Vira. The Velvet Choker Killer has haunted the Chicago area for years, until, at the site of his latest crime, Vira attacks and maims Nicky Champine, an apparently innocent bystander, who Mace discovers is the long-wanted murderer. With Champine arrested, it would appear that the killer’s reign of terror is over, but he has an unknown partner who has been murdering people undetected for decades. That partner decides Mace must die. Though Vira plays an integral role in the standard issue serial killer plot, it’s the nicely fleshed out Mace the reader comes to know and root for as he works to escape the killer’s wrath. Burton offers the right balance of humor and seriousness, along with a lead whose love and understanding of dogs will endear him to many, not just dog people. Hopefully, Mace and Vira will be back soon. Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.

Starred review from May 1, 2020

Officer Kippy Gimm rescues a golden retriever puppy from death by carbon monoxide poisoning, but it's Mace Reid, a dog trainer, who discovers the dog's abilities. Vira has an uncanny ability to find bodies, but then she attacks a man in a crowd watching at a crime scene. Mace is desperate to save the young dog after the order to kill her, so he breaks into the house where Vira's victim lives. He's able to rescue a woman imprisoned there and save Vira from death, but he's attacked, and his would-be killer dies. It takes several attempts on Mace's life before he and Kippy realize that Mace has unwittingly made himself the target of another killer. Now, the dog trainer is a witness and a participant in the search for a serial killer who has gone unnoticed for years. But it's Vira's ability to scent a killer that will send Officer Gimm and Mace Reid into a final confrontation. VERDICT This action-packed series debut will entice fans of Margaret Mizushima and Paula Munier's K-9 mysteries. The latest from the author of the Drew Cady FBI mysteries is an intense, graphic serial killer novel with a likable, aw-shucks hero and a remarkable dog. [See Prepub Alert, 11/18/19.]--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

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Starred review from April 1, 2020
A wonder of a thriller, crammed to bursting with everything genre fans are pining for: fascinating characters, sparky dialogue, wry humor, sweaty-palm tension?all in a literate narrative that is a joy to follow. It begins when an apparently dead golden retriever puppy gets up and walks. She's adopted by a Mason "Mace" Reid, who lives outside of Chicago and trains dogs to hunt for the dead; soon spooky things start to happen. Vira, as Mace calls the puppy, singles a murderer out of a crowd of bystanders. She visits a crime scene and informs the cops they've arrested the wrong man. Awed observers hint at psychic powers, making Vira the dog version of Will Graham, the gifted agent in Thomas Harris' Red Dragon. Then Vira and Mace, working as a pair, take on serial-killer everyman, who's been a spooky presence from the start and a vicious and fascinating one as the story builds to its climax. The confrontation surges for a good 50 pages and contains a few surprises for jaded genre fans who think they've seen it all. This debut in Burton's Mace Reid K-9 series is not to be missed; pair it with Robert Crais' Suspect (2013).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 5, 2024
This is a mighty impressive thriller. That should not be startling news to readers who've savored author Burton's earlier efforts, like The Finders (2020) and The Lost (2022). All share engaging qualities: unadorned expository prose, a curiosity about the characters (even the baddest), and a lightness of tone capable of startling shifts. Cory Pratt is a new hero, and like Burton's previous stars, he trains dogs. His Chicago-based animal academy has a burgeoning sideline thanks to his sister, Crystal, a Chicago police detective. ""I train dogs,"" Cory explains, ""to hunt for the dead."" They're called cadaver dogs. But he and Crystal end up hunting for a killer who seems to be targeting the cast and crew of a Netflix docuseries. Burton creates several pulse-pounding scenes of law officials attempting to trap the killer while, unbeknownst to them, an outsider, who must remain unidentified here, has deadly plans of his own. Of course dogs play a part in the solution to the mystery. Readers will take to Burton's brother-sister duo in this series launch and look forward to more Chicago K-9 thrillers.

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