Bea Reviews Leave No Trace by Sara Driscoll

Series: FBI K-9 #5
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: Kensington Books
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: Dec. 29th, 2020
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Blurb from goodreads:

FBI handler Meg Jennings and her search-and-rescue K-9 partner are heading south where it’s hunting season. But this time the prey is human.

One arrow through the heart could be a tragic hunting accident. A second one, within days, looks more like a crime. That’s when Meg Jennings and Brian Foster of the FBI’s Forensic Canine Unit head to Georgia to investigate. With their dogs Hawk and Lacey, Meg and Brian are enlisted to follow the scent of a killer. At first, nothing seems to connect the two victims–a county commissioner and State Patrol officer. But the blood sport around the southern town of Blue Ridge is just beginning.

As the body count rises, the compound bow killer becomes even more elusive, appearing and vanishing like a ghost. However, with each new slaying Meg is beginning to suspect the grim design that’s escalating in the shadows. At its heart, a tragic event that reaches back nearly two centuries in Georgia’s history is now turning Blue Ridge into a hunting ground. But as Meg gets closer to solving the puzzle, the closer she is to stepping into the crosshairs of an elusive murderer with deadly aim, and motives as deep and dark as the woods

My Thoughts:

I'm a sucker for mysteries with dogs, especially when the dog is not just dressing but part of the story. The leads in this story, Meg Jennings and her dog Hawk, are an FBI K-9 team and work well together. Meg and Hawk are partnered with Brian Foster and his dog Lacey. This time they go down to Georgia to find someone who is committing murder using a bow and arrows. Different, for sure. 

"Leave No Trace" weaves together history, politics, environmentalism, murder, family drama, romance, and action. Soooo much action and yet, sometimes this slowed the story down as Driscoll can be heavy on details which took away from the pacing. A lot happens in this book, too much actually; it felt overstuffed, and the ending, with Meg and her boyfriend, felt contrived. Now, I also didn't read books two through four, so maybe if I had, I'd feel differently.

Meg, Brian, and their dogs are frequently at risk or in danger, so much so I questioned sometimes how competent they actually were but given I know nothing about the work they do, I'll cut Driscoll some slack there. Meg and Brian consistently place the health and well-being of their dogs above their own. Sometimes they have to choose between the safety of their dogs and tracking the killer which is a challenge at times for local law enforcement. 

Perhaps the most fascinating, and saddest part of the story, was the history of Native Americans in that region and the abuse and broken promises they endured at the hands of the US government. That history, worthwhile on its own, plays into what's happening now as does the decision to create a new dam and the ramifications that has. Driscoll made good use of reporter McCord here. A regular since book one, he's involved with Meg's sister but also works with Meg, researching information for her cases in exchange for first shot at publishing stories about those cases at the newspaper he works at. He dug up lots of information and helped them connect the dots. I worried, when Driscoll first brought in Native Americans, that she would resort to stereotypes or be disrespectful of them but she was sensitive in their portrayal. I also appreciated the tactful way she handled the disrespect and racism that a local police officer, who was not white, had to deal with on a regular basis.

The mystery kept me guessing for a while, there didn't seem to be a pattern, but then one emerged, and I began to suspect one person. The clues, and some red herrings, were sprinkled throughout but not too obvious. I would have preferred a little less drama and a little less technical detail and more time spent on the killer's motives but "Leave No Trace" was enjoyable and engaging. It's a series I'll keep reading.