Renegade
by Jodi Burnette
To me, this was just another in a long string of "K-9" mysteries that I'm trying with great hope that one will approach the masterful writing and excellent storytelling of Donna Ball. And I'm sorry, but this was another in the not-quite-there category.
It wasn't bad, at all. But after having read a good bit about real dog training for search/rescue/police work/etc, I had some real issues with her depiction of the dog's behavior. I do not believe a real K-9 police dog would EVER be allowed to growl or menace a human being without a specific command from the trainer. In fact, this sort of behavior would probably disqualify both trainer and trainee from active duty.
I was also really put-off by the dog owner's lack of judgement in sending her dog in to active attack without considering any of the alternatives or the consequences. And then, after the dog suffered severe injuries and a blow to the head, she puts it back in action. What the hell was "she" thinking? (By "she" I mean both the character in the book and by design, the author who created her.)
Sorry to be so negative, but add on top of that a sappy love interest that I had no interest (pun intended) in continuing to read, and it's clear I won't be taking on another one of this series anytime soon.
All that said, the mystery plot was really good. If she fixes her characterization of the human and dog and sends them both to some realistic working dog training courses, I'd read another just for the great plot.
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