From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series comes a thrilling novel featuring LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and his German shepherd, Maggie.Nine months ago, a shocking assault by unidentified men killed Scott James’ partner, Stephanie, nearly killed him, and left him enraged, ashamed, and ready to explode. He is unfit for duty—until he meets his new partner. … duty—until he meets his new partner.
Maggie is not doing so well, either. A German shepherd who survived two tours in Afghanistan sniffing explosives before losing her handler, her PTSD is as bad as Scott’s.
They are each other’s last chance. And they’re about to investigate the one case no one wants them to touch: identifying the men who murdered Stephanie. But what they find could ultimately break them both.
One of Booklist’s 10 Best Crime Fiction Books of the Year
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Great book
I loved reading about the relationship between the main character and the dog. Great action story.
I was bummed when I found out that this book had neither Elvis Cole or Joe Pike. But I read it anyway. I mean it was by Robert Crais! It turned out this is my favorite of Crais’s books. I fell in love with the dog! I wou!d love to see the two main characters team up with Elvis and Joe.
Author Robert Crais surprised me the way he handled one of the main characters in Suspect. A bomb-sniffing dog veteran of the Middle East War turned police dog in training. Wonderful twists and turns. At first I worried, but the more I read on the more I enjoyed the plot and the characters.
Suspect is the third Robert Crais book I’ve read, and though I thoroughly enjoyed the other two, Suspect is hands down my favorite. I can’t remember the first two chapters of any book being so absolutely compelling. I downloaded the sample and I was completely hooked! I love learning something new when I read, and I found the world of K-9 soldiers and police dogs enthralling. Wonderful story told so well, with two heroes that you immediately captured my heart. Congratulations to Mr. Crais for an exceptional story.
Robert Crais has a PI series with Elvis Cole and Joe Pike which I LOVE, but this is a stand alone story with Maggie (a bomb dog) as a main character! Anything with animals already gets a nod from me, but put one in a Thriller and I’m hooked!
can’t go wrong with a Robert Crais book! This is a stand-alone book. These characters overlapped into The Promise. I hope we see them again.
Need to love a K9 Shep…That’s it!
A very emotional story about the relationship between Adolf and his handler.Excellent read.
OMG this was a wonderful book, especially for dog lovers. I read it cover to cover in one sitting. Refreshing change of your everyday crime novels. All ages appropriate.
Loved this book, I wanted it to go on longer and kept waiting for another book to come out with the same characters.
Becoming Pack
Robert Crais has a very loyal following in the mystery community. I’ve read a few of his books over the years, and I keep meaning to go back and read more of them. But with the release of the stand alone novel Suspect, I knew I had a place to jump in. Now I know why he has such a loyal following.
Nine months ago, Scott James lost his partner and almost lost his life when they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, he’s still recouping from his wounds and joining the K-9 unit of the LAPD. He selects as his dog Maggie, a Marine Corp trained dog who lost her first partner in Afghanistan.
Both Scott and Maggie are suffering from PTSD and neither are certain about taking to each other. But as Scott begins to investigate the still unsolved case that cost him his last partner, the two begin to bond. Will it be enough to help Scott face the past?
Frankly, I’m a little unsure why I was drawn to this book. Between my allergies and owners who can’t seem to control their dogs, I’m not much of a dog person. And yet when I read the premise, I was intrigued. And boy did it pay off.
Scott and Maggie are both real and deeply sympathetic characters. I wasn’t that far into the book before I was rooting for the two of them to bond and have a happy ending. Remember, I’m not a dog person, so this is saying something. In fact, I would say that Maggie was my favorite character in the book. There are a few others that stand out in the supporting cast, but most of the time is spent with Scott and Maggie, and it’s a pleasure to spend the time with them.
The plot? Well, as a mystery this isn’t a barn burner. It’s always a thread running through the story, but it doesn’t become the main focus until just past the half way point. Once it does, hold on tight because it’s a great ride. Until them, I found the struggles that Scott and Maggie were facing plenty fascinating to keep me turning pages.
The book is mostly written from Scott’s third person point of view. Occasionally, however, we get a short chapter from Maggie’s point of view. No, she’s not figuring out clues on her own, but it is an interesting peak into how those who study dogs think dog minds work right now. It also helped me really bond with her character. I know, I was skeptical when I first heard about it, but it really does work and doesn’t take away from the story at all.
Now that I’ve read Suspect, I will be making time to read more of Robert Crais’ backlist. This is a masterful book that anyone, dog lover or not, will enjoy.
Really unique, with parts of the book from the point of view of Maggie the police K-9. Not everyone will love it, but I did.