| Title | : | Suspect (Scott James Maggie, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0399161481 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780399161483 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 312 |
| Publication | : | First published January 22, 2013 |
| Awards | : | Anthony Award Best Novel (2014), Goodreads Choice Award Mystery & Thriller (2013) |
Maggie is not doing so well, either. A German shepherd who survived three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan sniffing explosives before losing her handler to an IED, her PTSD is as bad as Scott's.
They are each other's last chance. Shunned and shunted to the side, they set out to investigate the one case that no one wants them to touch: the identity of the men who murdered Stephanie. What they begin to find is nothing like what Scott has been told, and the journey will take them both through the darkest moments of their own personal hells. Whether they will make it out again, no one can say.
Suspect (Scott James Maggie, #1) Reviews
-
My mother is the office manager for a small city’s police department and several years ago I visited her at work, and she introduced me around the station. The K9 came in with his handler, and the dog ran up to my mom for a happy hello. He noticed me and immediately went into a Who-The-Hell-Is-In-My-Office mode. The officer gave him the ‘Be cool.’ command, and the dog was instantly friendly. After a quick sniff to make sure I wasn’t carrying drugs or explosives (Luckily, I had locked them all in the trunk.), the dog sat in front of me so I could pet him.
The cop was standing right beside him, and my mom said, “Just don’t grab the officer’s sleeve or arm or anything.”
I laughed a bit thinking she was joking.
“No, she’s serious. We’re so close that he’d get a couple of good bites in before I could pull him off if you touched me,” the cop said gravely.
I looked down at the dog who nodded as if to say, “Yes, I am enjoying the way you’re scratching my ears but if you touch my guy, I am gonna mess you up.”
Needless to say, I was very careful not to touch the cop.
So that's my police dog story. Here's one from Robert Crais:
LAPD officer Scott James had the bad luck to get caught up in firefight with a group of masked man that killed his partner Stephanie and severely wounded him. Months later, Scott is hiding the extent of his physical injuries that should have gotten him an early retirement. He's also suffering from a whopping case of PTSD and survivor’s guilt. He has asked to be a K9 officer not because he really loves dogs, but because he doesn’t want to deal with a human partner.
German shepherd Maggie was a Marine who sniffed out IED’s, but she was wounded in an ambush that killed her beloved handler. Heartbroken at the loss of her master and suffering from the dog form of PTSD, Maggie is about to be kicked out of the LAPD’s K9 program for being too surly and gun shy to be of any use. When Scott hears Maggie’s story, it strikes a chord, and he’ll need a good partner since he’s still determined to help track down Stephanie’s killers.
Robert Crais is good at writing damaged people. Whether it’s an ugly childhood like Elvis Cole and Joe Pike both went through or a cop left shattered by a traumatic injury like Carol Starkey in Demolition Angel or a police negotiator who loses his nerve after one bad day like in Hostage, Crais always makes you feel their pain. He includes empathy for suffering that is strangely lacking in a lot of crime fiction.
So the story of Scott and Maggie is right in his wheelhouse with the two damaged creatures forming a bond. You can’t help but like these two, and Crais is careful not to overdo it since it’d be really easy to play the injured dog card and ride it right to the best seller list. As always, he put in the effort to give a quality crime story and not just lean on the tragic parts too much.
However, this isn’t the best Robert Crais I’ve read. That’s kind of damning it with faint praise though. While I liked it a lot, it didn’t have quite the emotional heft of some of the recent Elvis Cole books I’ve read, and the mystery/action stuff wasn’t as relentless as in Hostage. But it’s still good, and Crais’s good is more than a lot of writer’s best.
Plus, you know, it’s got a dog in it. How can you not like that?
Three stars with a smiley face using the new Dan rating’s scale.
Also posted at
Shelf Inflicted. -
Amazon-Audible- Daily Special: Narrated by MacLeod Andre
I had never heard of this author - nor had I read any reviews. I liked the ‘sample’ - downloaded it and began listening right away.
Maggie is one of the greatest characters in this detective crime novel. Maggie is a German Shepherd, weighing eighty-five pounds. Oh my gosh ... I love her!
At the start we meet Maggie and her partner Pete Gibbs. They are both in the marines. While in Afghanistan, their unit is attacked by enemy fire. Pete and Maggie were a strong team - madly in love and devoted to each other —but when Pete is killed - PETE WAS GREAT TOO... I was sad to see him leave this story so soon. ( I get attached fast to my little friends in the novels I read).
Maggie physically insured.....( geeeee, lots of sadness at the start of this book)...
It’s clear Maggie’s heartbroken wound is much more serious than her physical ones.
Maggie is diagnosed with PTSD. I was so emotionally invested in this story. I’m thinking....”WHO IS THIS AUTHOR?” “I’m enjoying storytime!!!
Scott James, like Maggie, has also been physically wounded. Scott’s a patrolman for the Los Angeles Police Department - LAPD. Scott was shot several times one evening when he and his partner, Stephanie Anders was killed. Things happened fast. One minute Scott and Stephanie were expressing appreciation for each other’s partnership and looking for a noodle house, when suddenly they were smack in the middle of a shooting escapade. It was horrific— Scott couldn’t save Stephanie. He loss consciousness from the gun shots and woke up 9 months later in a hospital.
The reader can already see that Scott, with PTSD, and Maggie with PTSD, are going to become partners, buddies, and soul mates, — but we don’t care about the obvious predictability because - we’re happy they are bonding: period! Little by little we see Maggie and Scott growing as close as Maggie once was with Pete. They even compare battle wound scars with each other —-Maggie’s fur has not fully grown back to cover her scar and Scott’s scars are still pretty pronounced.
I felt like jumping into the ‘scar-game’ and showing them mine, too.
The bonding between Scott & Maggie is a treasure....but they have a job to do together too ....the mystery/ suspense unfolds at a great pace —- There are chapters written from Maggie’s point of view- a dog’s perspective- and it’s very believable- not at all cheezy.
Pure enjoyment- a nice surprise! My only question is.... what Robert Crais book should I read for my next selection? -
Best Dog Book Ever!
Perhaps you'll start this book, as I did, by wishing it had been Elvis Cole #14 and/or Joe Pike #5. But you will definitely finish it cheering and hoping that it is actually Scott & Maggie #1!
This was a great new read from Robert Crais with a cast of new characters (although the hyper sex-driven SID criminalist John Chen from the Cole/Pike books makes a cameo appearance in his usual sleazy style) centring around two post-traumatic stress syndrome damaged survivors trying to make a go of it again. The trick is, one of them is a dog!
This isn't one of those anthropomorphic animal books where the dog is assigned all sorts of unlikely human-like thoughts. Maggie the german shepherd comes across as a real dog with dog-like characteristics and no more than that, but those traits are more than enough to make you love her.
And by the end you will be looking at your closest loved ones (either two or four-legged) and smiling and thinking to yourself: "Pack!"
Highly recommended!
August 2017 Update
p.s. If you loved "Suspect," check out
The Right Side by
Spencer Quinn. It's not like the Chet & Bernie novels, but is grittier and harder edged. No more spoilers here. -
MWD Maggie T415 is an eighty-five pound black and tan German shepherd; she's also a Marine halfway through her second deployment in Afghanistan. With her handler, Pete Gibbs, she works as part of a patrol and explosives detection team. The two are devoted to each other and then one morning, while out on patrol, Maggie is sniffing out IEDs, when the unit comes under enemy fire. Pete is killed; Maggie is badly wounded and when they are choppered out together, Maggie is left with no one.
Scott James is a patrolman on the LAPD. Late one night out of nowhere, he and his partner, Stephanie Anders, suddenly find themselves in the middle of a shooting war when a gang of masked men attacks a Bentley rolling down the street in front of them. Two victims in the Bentley are killed as is Stephanie Anders. Scott James is very badly wounded and the killers get away clean.
Ten months later, Scott is back on the job, if only barely. He's in therapy, attempting to deal with the trauma that still haunts him and hoping to recover memories of that night, no matter how small, that might somehow jumpstart the investigation and lead to the men who killed his partner.
Scott's goal in the LAPD had always been to join the elite SWAT team, but there's no chance of that now. Instead, he's assigned to the K-9 unit. After an initial training period, he'll be paired with a dog. His new "partner" is still to be determined, but while in training he bonds with Maggie who has now mostly recovered from her physical wounds and is being retrained to work as a police dog.
Both Scott and Maggie still bear the scars, physical and mental, of their traumatic experiences. The sergeant who leads the training unit doesn't have much faith either man or beast, but reluctantly agrees to give them a couple of weeks to prove themselves.
In the meantime, Scott has managed to insert himself into the ongoing investigation of the crime that took his first partner's life. In therapy, he remembers a small but vital clue that reinvigorates the investigation and from that point the story progresses as we watch the progress of the investigation and the developing relationship between Maggie and Scott.
It's a terrific story, which will come as no surprise to people who have read earlier books by Robert Crais. But what is astounding is the development of Maggie, who becomes perhaps the book's central character. Certainly, she's the most intriguing character and at several points, the story unfolds from her point of view. It sounds sappy, but Crais makes it work brilliantly.
This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, one of those dopey books where dogs and cats think like human beings and are almost always smarter than most of the humans in the book. Maggie thinks like a dog, and she's totally believable; her role in the story requires not the slightest suspension of disbelief. She's one of the most unique and interesting characters to come along in crime fiction in a long time, and we can only hope that this won't be the last time we see her. -
I'm a big fan of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole series (and the Joe Pike spinoff series), but I must admit I have been less of a fan of his stand-alone fiction. This is not a knock on Crais as a writer; it's more about my own tendency to form attachments to series characters. So when Suspect came out and I realized it was a stand-alone, I was less than enthused. But in my desperation for something new to read, I reluctantly picked it up.
It turned out to be one of Crais' best novels.
LAPD officer Scott James is in bad shape, still dealing with the physical and mental wounds from an ambush shooting that left his partner dead. Maggie, a military working dog, is in equally bad shape, rehabbing from an IED/sniper attack that left her bullet-torn and her handler dead. Man and dog begin to form an alliance as they endeavor to heal themselves and each other, while Scott searches for the criminals who murdered his partner.
If you are a fan of mysteries -- or a fan of dogs -- you can't miss with Suspect. It moves along at a brisk pace, provides a slam-bang climax, and may even wring a tear or two out of you. -
In this first book in the 'Scott James and Maggie' series, the police officer and his K-9 dog do their initial training and investigate a crime.
*****
Police Officer Scott James is badly injured and his partner is killed when they inadvertently stumble into a heist on a Los Angeles street. Elsewhere, Maggie, a German Shepherd "Marine dog" is shot and injured while sniffing for explosives in Afghanistan.
Months later, after they heal, Scott and Maggie come together in the K-9 (cop/dog) unit of the Los Angeles police department.
Scott and Maggie train and bond under the tutelage of veteran handler Sgt. Dominick Leland. The bonding of man and dog is an important, touching, sometimes humorous part of the book as love and loyalty grows between the pair.
Meanwhile Scott continues to investigate who pulled off the heist which almost killed him since the robbery/homicide cops seem unable to solve the crime. As clues and witnesses to the heist are uncovered they tend to be discounted, lost, etc. - it appears some folks don't want the crime solved.
Two of my favorite characters are Maggie and Sgt. Leland; nice to see a man who values his dogs so fervently. The book flows to a believable and satisfying conclusion. I always enjoy Robert Crais's books and this one doesn't disappoint.
You can follow my reviews at
http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/ -
This sounded great! About a working dog (don’t even get me started, I’m fanatical in my admiration) and a police officer both struggling with PTSD. Maggie the dog was a bomb sniffer in Afghanistan, Scott an LAPD cop. Both lost their partners, both are wounded - unable to function - that is till they meet and form a healing bond. Well written, the debilitating symptoms of PTSD described with finesse. I mean what’s not to like? An interesting touch Scott doesn’t even LIKE dogs, only chose a K-9 career because he couldn’t face losing another partner. The point of view by Maggie was handled well – didn’t find it corny, her focus on preserving the pack rang true. Add to that it’s written by a highly respected author I’ve been looking forward to trying out.
So what went wrong? Short on the police procedural department, the unraveling of his partner’s murder formula stuff, a satisfying but predictable outcome. The characters felt flat with the notable exception of the Sergeant in charge of the dog handling unit – he rocked. And while I knew it was coming I still wasn’t prepared – the bit where Maggie’s partner dies? Overdone, reeked of emotional manipulation. Okay – overreaction – I really need to grow up. Weaned on *Greyfriars Bobby, add to that personal experience with messed up abandoned dogs - any story about a dog unable to deal with losing their owner and I’m a puddle.
So not saying this isn’t worth reading because it is. A quick read, entertaining escapism, a solid 3 stars, I just expected a bit more.
"They will see and witness your greatest shame, and will not judge you! These dogs will be the truest and best partners you can ever hope to have, and they will give their lives for you. And all they ask, all they want or need, all it costs YOU to get ALL of that, is a simple word of kindness."
*Greyfriars Bobby: In 19th-century Edinburgh Bobby was a wee terrier famous for his unwavering devotion – legend has it he couldn’t be coaxed away from sleeping on the grave of his owner where he remained till the day he died. -
A man and his dog. It's a beautiful thing.
Maggie the German shepherd kicked this up into the five-star zone for me. Crais made her so real that I wanted to zip down to L.A. and stage a dognapping. Of a fictional dog...
Scott James is a Los Angeles cop with PTSD. Maggie has PTSD too, following an event in her service to the U.S. Marines. Scott and Maggie team up to solve a murder, and they end up rehabilitating each other.
I loved the way Crais included small sections viewed from the dog's perspective. Not in any cheesy anthropomorphic way like certain dog books I won't mention. He just shows us how the dog sees with her nose and sorts out the various scents, and also how she finds her greatest joy in being part of a pack and serving the alpha, which in this case is Scott.
My childhood dog was a female German shepherd. Maggie's priorities, and the way she behaves based on her interpretation of events, perfectly matched my memories of my dog. So much so that I was brought to tears a few times from missing my dog, even after almost 30 years without her. I even gained some new insights about my dog regarding things that wouldn't have crossed my mind when I was a youngster.
And if you don't like dogs...well, this is still a good mystery. Crais is best known for his Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series, but this one is a stand-alone novel. -
I loved this book. Action, adventure and a look at the world from a dogs perspective.
It has such great detail about the relationship between the dog (Maggie) and her pack leader (police officer Scott James). You will love the descriptions of how Maggie feels throughout the book. A gem.
I also love Crasis multiple POV's in the story which I must say is also a characteristic of my own writing (Kill Crime).
Very different, very good!
Mike Slavin
Author of award-winning
Kill Crime and
Primed to Kill, Kill Crime 2 A Jeff Case Novel: Making the World a Better Place, Removing One Serial Killer at a Time -
This hard hitting riveting story of a cop and his doggedness is well worth the read or listen. Mr. Crais is a master of suspense and a true writer of thrills. 9 of 10 stars
-
I really enjoyed this book which tells about a police dog handler and the dog he is partnered up with. Both of them have been through very stressful times and the story of their bonding is just beautiful. Along with that there is a great police procedural/ mystery which ticks all the boxes. Such an entertaining and easy read and one that you just do not want to put down.
I enjoyed all of the characters but of course the star of the show is Maggie the German Shepherd. There are some delightful chapters presented as Maggie's point of view and although we can only guess what a dog is thinking I am pretty sure this author gets close to the truth!
This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last! -
4.5 stars
I gobbled this up for few hours -- safely to say that this is, so far, my FAVORITE Robert Crais novel, Cole/Pike notwithstanding.
For me personally, this novel is less on the thriller-suspense but more on the friendship between Scott and the amazing 85-pound black-and-tan German shepherd dog by the name of Maggie. Both Scott and Maggie have experienced a tragedy in their lives.
Scott got shot at the same night he lost his partner, Stephanie in a sudden nighttime assault. Scott always feels guilty because he thinks Stephanie's last thought was that of Scott leaving her in the moment of need (he didn't, he just crawled away to their police car to try to call for help). Meanwhile, Maggie also suffered from PTSD after her handler was killed by IED in Afghanistan, and she also got shot. Determined not to take medical retirement, Scott undergoes K9 training. On the day he is supposed to get K9 dog, Scott and Maggie find each other. They are both considered 'suspect' -- not right for the job. But Scott and Maggie prove everyone wrong.
It is such a wonderful story. Scott never considers himself a dog man, but he learns how to deal with Maggie, how to talk to her, how to love her. And Maggie learns about his new 'Alpha', his mood, his body language. They end up healing each other. The part where Scott breaks down and cry and hugs Maggie is simply heartbreaking. I love the chapters where Maggie is the narrator. Her thoughts are simple yet honest...
"The threat was gone.
Crate safe.
Pack safe.
Alpha safe.
Her job was done."
My other favorite secondary character would be the K-9 Platoon Chief Trainer, Dominick Leland. He seems to love his dogs more than he likes people *lol*.
It's a near perfect read for me. My only complain would be -- because Scott is not a homicide detective, he is not fully involved in the investigation of his shooting. Which is why I think the suspense is rather lacking. The ending also feels a bit rushed.
Despite of that... I know that I can just reread several sections of this book over and over again.
-
Robert Crais is one of my favorite authors of crime fiction. His work is sharp, well-crafted and beautifully paced. His characters have weight, his dialogue's smart, and it certainly doesn't hurt that his stories take place in my neck of the woods, modern-day Los Angeles, or that very few of his plots include forays into the entertainment industry. Oh, he dipped a toe early on, but his interest didn't stick and I'm grateful for that. Grateful he chose, instead, to explore the grittier side of the city - the South Central gangs, the Yakuza, the Russian mafia, illegal immigration, the feds, the LAPD, ex-cons, serial killers, the missing and the lost. There's plenty going on in this locale that will never make it to reality television. And while I could argue for days on end that, say, coyotes (the men who smuggle people across the border) have more realistic meat to them than any friend of a botox needle...well, who's going to listen? So let the world think L.A. is filled with ditzy ex-wives, celebrity psychics and preening real estate agents. Some know better, and Robert Crais is one of them.
It took a lot for me to set a Crais novel off to the side; to pull it from contention and cast it atop my dusty someday pile. That he was introducing new characters was not the problem. He'd done that before. But now...well...a dog. Didn't really matter that it was going to be an LAPD K-9, it was still a gosh-darn dog. A big ol' dog somebody was going to put in danger. A dog that, get this, came back from Afghanistan with a case of canine PTSD. This was all sorts of troublesome to me. And so, you know, years passed.
I wish I could say my soft heart hardened, but I'm losing hope that's ever going to happen. That's just about as unlikely as the halt in publication of Robert Crais books. Because he's still writing, and my reserve is stacking up. I decided I had to get on with this. And just about halfway through? It became pretty apparent how much of a ninny I'd been.
The guy likes dogs. Really likes them. And gets them. And gets that ineffable, core-of-the-heart bond that develops between human and canine. I mean, he's got passages here written from the perspective of a German shepherd. Took some brass to lay that down. But it works. The whole thing works and then some. I wasn't sure anything was going to top Joe Pike in L.A. Requiem - which stands untouched in the field of modern crime for me. Yet this story comes awfully close. It's just that good.
Which reminds me of something I'd been a fool to forget.
Robert Crais is an author I can trust. -
My second Robert Crais book, and this was a very entertaining, enjoyable, exciting read.
I am an animal lover, which helps with this book, I admire the work done with all dog trainers/handlers/soldiers/police, which is the base of this story.
What a team, one man and his dog, or one policeman and his dog.
You feel throughout this book the relationship grow and built between a dog recovering from injury and a policeman recovering from injury together.
The tension stays at an even pace for two thirds of the book, and then bang in one chapter the story speeds up to a great last few chapters.
The main characters were great, and I like the idea of the story from the different characters including the dog Maggie.
A book that makes you smile at times and also worry wants going to happen !
I am a softy and love happy endings, but does not always happen that way.
A great stand alone novel and highly recommended.
Now a group read book ! -
Great pacing, straightforward, good prose style, and detailed enough to be satisfying.
This is mostly a "classic" detective story, uncovering clues and knitting a big picture of a crime in linear fashion. The characters and police behaviour are quite believable, and the cop is heroic and is on a mission to solve the puzzle, and to save himself from his earlier mistakes.
The bonus here is the warm and wonderful bonding between the cop and his K-9 partner.
I spoke with Crais on 3 July 2018 in Staines UK about this book, and told him the bonded-pair of James and Maggie was actually a "super-hero" with senses and abilities far beyond "human alone". He loved it, and told me of the months he spent researching and working with police dog trainers in L.A. Fabulous!
A truly fabulous evening with masters Robert Crais, Joseph Knox and Abir Mukherjee at Waterstones in Staines -
Full size image
I will be reading more of Robert Crais' work.
Robert Crais
Full size image here
There are at least two of Robert's works that he wrote from the heart, with visible love and wonder and care, my very favourites:
1. The Man Who Knew Dick Bong
My review of the collection of short stories by authors honouring Marlowe:
Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe
2. Suspect, this story. -
What can I say here other than...SCORE? Excellent read.
What we got here is a story of two badly, badly injured individuals who are brought together by circumstances and help each other heal as they also help those who come in contact with them. The fact that one of the individuals is a German Shepherd makes no difference at all.
Or for some may even make it better...Dean Koontz would love this book. Someone needs to recommend it to him.
Maggie is a Marine. She has multiple jobs but one of them is ordnance disposal. She and her partner are bonded, close as a single entity.
Scott is a cop and he also knows what it means to have your partner's back.
Both these individuals suffer through something that makes the "higher-ups" decide they need to be retired. But these two are fighters. They get the chance to fill the jagged wounds in each other's lives.
This is one of the more rewarding books I've read in some time. No Elvis Cole and Joe Pike aren't here but I for one hope this presages the beginning of a new series.
Highly recommended. Enjoy. -
Book 1 in the Scott & Maggie series published 2013
A very entertaining 4 star read.
A damaged K9 police dog and an equally damaged police officer. This has all the hallmarks of something I want to read and it was everything and more that I could have hoped for.
Scott and Maggie make quite the pair.
Maggie started life as a military dog trained to find IED’s (improvised explosive devises). Whilst on duty in Afghanistan Maggie’s handler was shot and killed. Maggie was also shot but survived and is now being assessed as a police dog but it’s not looking good.
Scott’s story is similar inasmuch as whilst on duty he and his partner, female officer, were both shot. Scott survived but his partner did not. These incidents have left both Scott and Maggie psychologically and physically damaged.
Scott has asked for and been granted a transfer to the K9 unit and it’s here that Scott and Maggie meet for the first time.
It doesn’t take long for a bond to develop between the pair. They become constant companions, something that they both need and crave for.
Scott has never gotten over the death of his partner and he knows that until he finds her killers he will never feel free of the guilt that consumes him.
Whilst Scott can’t be a part of the official case he does what he can in his own time.
During his own investigation Scott find some evidence that could have some bearing on the case. He takes this evidence to the people in charge of the investigation. Not long after this event Scott finds himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
So with his back to the wall Scott and Maggie embark on a tension filled search for the truth.
Scott and Maggie are easy characters to warm to. The story never lets up and you’ll soon find yourself shouting “way to go Maggie”
A truly entertaining read. -
4.5 Stars! Gripping, intense plot...fantastic narration!
Maggie
My first read by this author and I really enjoyed it! While there was a satisfying ending, I could see these characters finding their way into another story, and I'm hoping that's a possibility! Do you hear me Robert Crais??
About the audiobook...
Macleod Andrews is one of my favorite narrators. This talented man knows how to use his voice no matter the genre of book he reads, and always gives it that extra little punch! -
This is a book that you need to read if you're an animal lover! I loved the whole aspect of the bond that formed between Scott and Maggie. They are both wounded warriors, grieving their lost love ones, and somewhat rejected because of their emotional/physical wounds. Maggie was so awesome, I felt my heart fill with love for this wonderful German Shepherd. I am a huge fan of this breed, and Crais presents their wonderful natures in the most truthful and vibrant way.
Crais fills in some interesting tidbits on the training of police dogs and their holders and what military dogs do. That aspect of Maggie in the frontlines with her handler just about tore my heart out. I cheer on military people who do that important and dangerous job, and it squeezes my heart as an animal lover how equally dangerous it is for their working dogs. Police dogs also serve a crucial role and they can face some very dangerous situations in the line of duty. Scott's boss reminded me of my dad who was a country boy who loved dogs. He had his down to earth manner and sense of connection to dogs that was almost spiritual.
Scott is a good character, but honestly, I needed more of his inner world. I feel that this was a function of this book being too short. I would have liked a longer, more expansive story that took place over a longer time period. While the bond between Scott and Maggie totally sells this book, I would have found it more believable had it taken place over a longer period of time. Such as it was, I loved it. Maggie is such a wonderful companion, and I liked that not only does she help Scott heal, he helps her as well. While I am a cat lady, I also love dogs, and this book made me long to bring home my very own German Shepherd Dog one day soon. Crais shows how important the human animal bond is in society and how therapeutic animals and people can be to each other. Sorry to go on my soapbox. I can't help it because this book really touches on this issue which is so dear to my heart.
The mystery part felt undeveloped, honestly. Crais is an excellent mystery writer, so I don't mean to put him down, but it was a bit simplistic compared to some of his other works. I was surprised at the culprits and the look Ta police corruption is sobering. The secondary characters add texture to the story, but some of their parts felt under-represented.
Man, I hate to put this book down in my review! I have so much love for the whole aspect of Maggie and Scott as partners, and I am truly in love with Maggie. She's up there with Einstein from
Watchers for me, which is really saying something. This book has something so powerful to say about the love between people and their pets/animals that it earns a special place in my heart. And honestly, I still feel it deserves four stars despite some of my issues with its brevity affecting the execution of the overall storyline.
Definitely check this out. The audiobook is really good and the narrator is excellent. -
Robert Crais' Suspect is a spectacular introduction to LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and his German shepherd partner, Maggie.
Scott is given a new police dog to work with as he begins to acclimate himself back into his job as a K-9 cop. He was out for on leave for quite a while prior after being gunned down, and almost succumbing to his critical injuries. Enter Maggie, his newly assigned K-9 partner. The relationship which develops between these two over the course of of the book is inspiring and heartwarming.
They both prove their loyalty and devotion for one another as the book progresses and the super-charged climax exemplifies their bond as we learn just how far they will go to protect the other from harm. #mansbestfriend.
Narrator MacLeod Andrews gives a tremendous performance as the solo voice for all of the characters - I did not want it to end. -
Eight months after being horrifically injured in an armed hold up in which his partner dies, LAPD cop Scott James is trying to get on with his life and is training to be a K-9 police dog handler. Not really a dog lover, something clicks when he meets Maggie the German shepherd, herself badly injured in Afghanistan when her army handler was killed.
Together Scott and Maggie start to form a bond and become a formidable team especially when Scott starts to look into why little progress has been made investigating the armed holdup that left him for dead.
This is a delightful story with the author allowing Maggie some chapters to show us her view of the events and her strong bond with Scott and bravery in trying to protect him against all odds. -
I just loved this book! I would've given it 3 stars just for the dog! But, it added to that with a great mystery-thriller-police procedural storyline and the relationship that grows between a man and his K9 partner (both of whom have PTSD) just makes it that much better.
I also really liked Maggie's POV. That was just cherry on the top. It also made me think of my relationship with my dogs all the more. They are pack and I am their pack.
I think even non-dog people would like this book, but if you are a dog person (and you know who you are) this book is a must-read! -
All the stars! I absolutely loved this one. Scott and Maggie (especially Maggie) are great characters that I instantly warmed to and I'm really hoping the author writes many more books about them. The actual case in this novel was secondary to me to the development of Maggie and Scott's newfound relationship and how it is essential to their recovery from their individual traumas.
P.S. Scott is a Police Officer. Maggie is a Marine.
P.P.S. Maggie is also a dog. :-D -
I heard Robert Crais talk about his book Suspect a while ago. I was immediately attracted to the story by Crais' enthusiasm for his subject. Many authors are dog owners, some host to a houseful. I thought Crais was one of them. Reading his bio I see his home is a feline one at present but I knew there had to be dogs in his past. Reading additional interviews Crais explains he had always had dogs from the time he was a kid. The last, Yoshi, was a big guy, an Akita. After living with Crais for fifteen years, Yoshi died in Crais' arms. Since Yoshi's death he has been unable to bring himself to choose another dog. He chalks this up to a feeling of disloyalty and yet he has always been interested in the dog-man relationship. This is apparent in Suspect. Craig dedicates Suspect to Gregg Hurwitz.
for Gregg Hurwitz, friend, dog man, writer, and his beautiful pack: Delinah, Rosie, Natalie, and Simba.
Scott James, an LAPD Cop loses his partner Stephanie one night when they are ambushed in a shoot-out while on patrol. Scott life is hanging by a thread. Eight months later he finds himself back on the job and assigned to the K-9 forces. On the day he is to be assigned his dog, he comes across Maggie, seemingly unfit for K-9 duty. Scott feels an instant camaraderie with Maggie and gets Dominick Leland, the head dog trainer to give he and Maggie a chance. Leland's take on Scott and Maggie is telling:
That poor animal is unfit for this job, and I suspect the same about him. I hope to God in His Glory I am wrong, sincerely I do, but there it is. They are suspect.
I don't have any dogs but thoroughly enjoyed learning about the training and bonding of these two broken spirits. I think Suspect was written as a stand-alone but it soon became apparent that fans of the book wanted more of this team, this pack of two. The Promise an Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel due to be published in November 2014 will see the return of Scott James and his K-9 partner Maggie. -
I liked this more the more I read. At first, it didn't seem that good, but it kept moving up - maybe partially because of the dog, Maggie; I like dogs, and since I haven't been able to own one in a while, I like reading about them and even watching the Youtube videos of rescue dogs. And this one is a bit special. She's huge, but has been damaged in her previous job as a marine, where her partner was killed. And Scott had something in common, as his partner was killed and he was badly wounded several months earlier. But Scott has been feeling guilty because he felt his former partner might have thought he was leaving her, even though he was not. But since she died, he was never able to explain what he was trying to do. Maggie, on the other hand, refused to leave her partner's side even when he was dead and she was wounded.
The story was good, and also had an underlying theme of redemption, where the man and dog redeemed each other, and both benefited enormously. This was nice to see. I think others may have benefited from Maggie's presence, including the officer who was in charge of all the dogs and wanted to send her back as unfit for the job.
-
4/5; 4 stars; A-
MacLeod Andrews did a good job narrating this audiobook. I think its always especially challenging to tell a story where part of the viewpoint is taken from that of an animal. I think the portrayal of the dog training/dog behaviour information in this book brought it from a 3 star to 4 star rating for me. The spotlight really shone on Maggie and what an extraordinary soldier she was. The training these working dogs and their handlers undergo is intensive and detailed. I think the book did that justice. The police mystery was pretty good it was overshadowed by the human/dog interaction.
One niggle, I find it hard to believe that an officer, so close to being pushed out after physical and mental trauma would be allowed so much latitude in his work. He was basically a wild card. -
Truly Outstanding. One of Crais' best. On a par with Taken and The Watchman. If you are a dog person you will know exactly what is going on. If you are a cat person you will learn a lot.
-
I loved this Robert Crais's novel. So much that I pre-ordered his next book (
The Promise), due out April 28. I'm looking forward to reading it.
I thought that because Scott is a policeman and his partner, Maggie, is a dog, it was very different from Crais' usual books, in which both partners, Cole and Pike are humans, with Cole being private detective and Pike, his long-time friend, always ready to assist in his investigations or when things go wrong.
But Scott is on paid leave, since he was shot several times and had to recover before going back to the job. Therefore, his participation in the investigation that takes place in this novel is more that of a private detective than of an active police officer. As for Pike, basically, it's a big two-legged dog. Pike is not a speaker, he is a doer, especially when things go bad. He is always ready to attack the enemy and save his friend, just as Maggie, the dog of war in Suspect.
Do not jump to the wrong conclusion. I looove Pike! And I loved Maggie.
Suspect keeps the readers on the edge of their seats from prologue to end. Some parts are even the kind that prompts us to bite our nails. I also liked the chapters that present what's happening from Maggie's point of view.
Crais is definitely one of the world's best thriller writers. My love for his work remains strong. -
SUSPECT had all the makings of a good novel, at least on paper anyway: well-rounded characters, intriguing plot, subplots, and interesting twists along the way. But I can’t help but think it was like kissing your sister. Sure, you can grin and bear it and hold back the gag reflex and then immediately drink a bottle of Scope, but there’s no spark, no flare. The moment ends and then you end up racing off in the other direction and having nightmares for weeks.
Maggie certainly had plenty of chutzpah, and her handlers Scott and Pete weren’t too bad themselves, but this novel seemed to skim over the surface, the way a good oil cleanup operation is supposed to work. The mystery proved interesting enough, but I missed the thrills along the way. I certainly didn’t have a burning need to race toward the end, sacrificing sleep, extraneous thoughts, bathroom breaks, and the basic necessities of life.
In fact, what drove me more than anything to finish this novel was my desire to return it to my friend. Otherwise, the end would have been delayed, as I discovered a read that grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me forward. That’s not to say this isn’t well-written. Because it certainly is. I just had to drag my left leg across the finish line. -
The award winning Cole/Pike series was fantastic so I was excited to pick up a stand-alone by the same author. Turns out Suspect won the 2020 Barry Award for best mystery/crime book of the decade.
🐕
Both the main character, a police officer, and his former Marine dog are recovering from PTSD and are each other’s last chance. As it relates to the aftermath, the author capitalized on the emotions and suspense while keeping the focus on character development in different scenarios throughout the story.
👮♀️
As someone who’s dealt with this condition in the past I thought the issues and subject matter were handled descriptively and accurately. Overall this was just a remarkable book.
