Burning Ridge by Margaret Mizushima
Although I had heard of Margaret Mizushima's previous books in the Timber Creek K-9 mystery series, I hadn't read any of them. Burning Ridge , the fourth book, is an excellent introduction, even for those of us who haven't read the earlier ones. Deputy Mattie Cobb is only beginning to trust her feelings for Timber Creek, Colorado veterinarian Cole Walker and his daughters. Mattie's childhood was traumatic, and she spent most of it in foster homes. With her past, there's a reason she worries about Cole's daughters when their dog finds a boot with a human foot in it. However, her job is to assist with the investigation, along with her K-9 partner, Robo. Robo does find the remains of a body, a man who was burned in a shallow pit in the national forest west of Timber Creek. And, she recognizes the name on the man's tattoo. Although she hasn't seen her brother, Willie, in twenty-five years, after they went to separate foster homes, she'd just been talkin...