Gathering Mist

By: Margaret Mizushima
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
ISBN: 978-1639108947
Reviewed by: Lily Andrews
Review Date: September 30, 2024

Margaret Mizushima delivers another stunning page-turner in Gathering Mist, the eagerly awaited ninth installment of her A Timber Creek K-9 mystery series. Set in the dense, verdant forests of the Pacific Northwest, the book delves into a search and rescue operation that conceals intricate mysteries and intricate puzzles that may go unnoticed by the untrained eye.
On a quest to find a missing nine-year-old child, Deputy Mattie Wray and her partner Robo—a German shepherd who weighs almost a hundred pounds—are dispatched to Washington. According to her department's head, Sheriff McCoy, it would be beneficial for the department to help in another jurisdiction, and the two may even get praise for their outstanding teamwork there. Because she feels it is her responsibility to intervene when a child's life is in danger, Mattie decides to go without first consulting with Cole, her fiancé, whom she is expecting to marry in a week. If Cole does not understand her decision, she feels like their relationship might not be meant to be.
Mattie discovers that the missing child has a history of venturing into the woods, a place rife with dangerous terrain and wild animals. In the same location, two more children have been reported missing. As she joins search teams whose efforts have produced no results, battling the heavy rains in the woods is a crucial concern. However, it does not take long for Robo to find an M&M wrapper, raising the prospect of a lure and kidnapping situation. Nevertheless, considering that the mother of the missing child is a well-known celebrity and has previously received death threats for playing a character who tortured and killed her husband and child in a film, it is uncertain if she may be the target of an aggressor.
This gripping mystery preys on the reader's deepest fears as indications and signs of a terrible conspiracy are revealed. Here, strange findings made throughout the operation—like the discovery of tombs holding decaying corpses—confound both the search crew and the protagonists. Things change, however, when the matter becomes a criminal investigation, enhancing the prospect that the two protagonists will be sent home.
Creating compelling, intricate storylines that she always skillfully weaves together at the end is one of Margaret Mizushima's strengths. Gathering Mist is no exception. She sets the tone for the narrative admirably by introducing readers to the heroes' brilliance early on. Reading this series' volumes and interacting with her very likable array of characters is always a breeze. She constantly creates a stunning, vividly imagined environment to fascinate a wide spectrum of readers of all ages, even though the series' concept appears more appropriate for younger audiences.
Quill says: As soon as you flip the first page of Gathering Mist, you will fall head over heels for this engrossing, fast-paced, interesting, and action-packed mystery even if you are not a fan of search-and-rescue dog tales. It is a dramatic and passionate narrative that will enthrall you with its heart-pounding buildup.
For more information on Gathering Mist, please visit the author’s website at: www.margaretmizushima.com or the publisher's website at www.crookedlanebooks.com .