If you're new to this series, read them all, you won't regret it. If you're champing at the bit for this latest instalment, it's due out today (30th January, 2024). As with all of them so far, this means the wait for the next outing has commenced.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/good-dog-simon-rowell ( )

The Good Dog is the third excellent book in Simon Rowell’s series featuring Victorian homicide Detective Zoe Mayer and her trusted service dog, Harry.

When Zoe is called to the scene of a bullet ridden body on Mount Macedon, Harry’s discovery of a second body in nearby bushland suggests they may be looking at a case of murder-suicide. Yet it soon becomes clear to Zoe and her new partner, DC Ben Tarro, that the crime scene has been staged.

I quickly found myself invested the suspenseful plot of The Good Dog. There are plenty of suspects for the crime - the dead men, recently acquitted fraudster Piers Johnson, and his lawyer Antony Peterson, have several enemies, especially among those who lost a lot of money in Johnson’s investment scheme. There are twists in the investigation that keep things interesting, and the identity of Zoe and Ben’s quarry is likely to surprise more than a few readers.

The pacing of the novel works well, with the urgency of the investigation accelerated by threats levelled at the dead men’s wives, the ransacking of Johnson’s home, and the kidnapping of Peterson’s teenage daughter. The eventual confrontation between Zoe, Ben, and the killer in particular is tense and exciting.

Zoe is a strong, appealing character and her relationship with Harry, a golden retriever, who not only serves as Zoe’s anchor when her PTSD is triggered, but is also a useful investigative tool, is a great feature of the series. Ben’s introduction seemed inauspicious, and he still feels a little insubstantial, but he proves to be a good partner for Zoe over the course of the novel.

If you enjoy well-written police procedurals The Good Dog, along with its prequels, The Long Game and Wild Card, are a treat that will leave you begging for more. ( )