Crime Scene Secrets

Mountain Country K-9 Unit #4

by Maggie K. Black

A wedding becomes a crime scene…

now a K-9 team seeks a serial killer

After shots are fired at a rehearsal dinner, FBI agent Kyle West arrives just in time to chase the gunman away. But attacks persist. Could this be the Rocky Mountain Killer—or a deadly copycat? Now Kyle and his K-9 partner must team up with investigator Ophelia Clarke to hunt down the shooter…before this wedding party becomes a mass murder.

From Love Inspired Courage. Danger. Faith.

Mountain Country K-9 Unit

Book 1: Baby Protection Mission by Laura Scott
Book 2: Her Duty Bound Defender by Sharee Stover
Book 3: Chasing Justice by Valerie Hansen
Book 4: Crime Scene Secrets by Maggie K. Black
Book 5: Montana Abduction Rescue by Jodie Bailey

Genres: Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Love Inspired Suspense, Romance, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Christian

208 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 25, 2024

About the author

Maggie K. Black is an award-winning journalist with a thirst for adventure. She's lived in the American South, Europe and Middle East, and left a piece of her heart in each. She now makes her home in Canada, where she writes stories that make her heart race, chases her dog around the park and shares her adventures with her one true love and and their two daughters.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a good story, but too many mistakes, Calling the police but leaving before they get there. Ar instead of are, and serial instead of cereal.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly slow read for me .. good characters and
great dogs. Ophelia, CSI and FBI agent Kyle West are MC’s.
Decent plot with an unexpected twist .. nice wrap-up at end.
This rating is lower because of the many typos in this book. There were at least ten.
Please send me any future ARCs .. I would be happy to find the typos.
The RMK struck me as cartoonish … but then three violent murders was way too real ….
A bit over the top over all.

[Elaine Applebury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Black writes a story full of action and suspense. Who knew a wedding could have so many twists, turns, and deaths?
CSI Ophelia Clarke gets roped into her cousin Jarod’s wedding, but will the wedding ever get to take place? After John Doe is found shot in the wedding event barn, FBI agent Kyle West teams up with Ophelia to try to track down the gunman.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I loved the premise, and the setting, the book itself fell a little flat for me. Still good, but not one of my favorites.

Ophelia is an investigator, with CSI. While heading out to attend her cousins wedding, things go awry, and a dead body is found. She calls in for backup….

Kyle, is an FBI agent with the K-9 unit. He and Rocky (K-9) hit the scene shortly after the call goes out. He’s happily surprised to find Ophelia in on the case, but it’s the first time he’s seen her out of her usual uniform… He always loved and appreciated her hard work and dedication to the job, but also thought she was much older than she actually is!

As plans for the wedding march on, Ophelia (and her grandma) are surprised they are not holding off on the wedding.. I mean a dead body and all. But, the wedding is full steam ahead!

As more bodies turn up, more and more is pointing to the fact that this may be the Rocky Mountain Killer at it again! But they really need to find out who is responsible!

Some big twists, and some sweet love notions too!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for an ARC of the audiobook. Release date is 3/4/25, so look 👀 for it in a couple of days!

#CrimeSceneSecrets by #MaggieKBlack. Narrated by #SarahTyndal.
FYI: This is book #4 in the series.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime Scene Secrets by Maggie K Black and narrated by Sarah Tyndal. Is book 4 in the Mountain County K-9 unit series. Ophelia is CSI, and at her cousins Wedding rehearsal they find a dead body. FBI agent Kyle West and his K-9 show up to help. He is always excited to show up to a scene knowing Ophelia is doing the crime scene because he knows nothing will be missed. From wedding to crime scene,there is mystery, twists and turns and suspense. Not my favorite in the series but the plot was good. I did feel like when the narrator was portraying Kyle she read very robotically which was hard to listen to. Thank you to #NetGalley, #Harlequin audio, and the author for this Arc audio. These opinions are mine.

[Megan Rang · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****I received this audiobook free from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Any book that has a dog on the cover is one I want to read. This book was a nice cozy mystery where a canine detective plays a big part. And in a sweet romance and great advice and you have this book. A lovely read.

[Allyson Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime Scene Secrets is a great addition to the Mountain County K-9 Unit series. What happens when you throw in two people who aren't looking for love, an adorable toddler, some dogs, danger, and intrigue? A great romantic suspense story.
I liked how Kyle respected and knew Ophelia as a Crime Scene Investigator from having worked with her before unlike her great-aunt and her second cousin and how well Kyle and Ophelia worked together as partners. The plot line was good, the mystery kept me engaged as I attempted to figure out who the villian was, and the characters were great. Although there are a few grammatical errors, they didn't deter me from competing the story.

[Jeff Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is the John Doe killed during a wedding rehearsal? Was it the Rocky Mountain Killer - the deceased had a clip with RMK on it - or is it a copy cat killer with the same M.O.? Can FBI agent Kyle West, his K-9 partner, and Crime Scene Investigator Ophelia solve these mysteries so the wedding can happen, but not another murder?

"Crime Scene Secrets" by Maggie K. Black is the fourth installment of Love Inspired Suspense's Mountain Country K-9 Unit series. As typical of this Harlequin imprint, this story has exciting, edge of the seat action and great characters who somehow find out how to fall in love with each other.

Yes, this is the fourth part of a nine part series, with ten different authors. Does it need to be read in order? On one hand, this story does not spoil anything if you haven't read the previous story, nor do you feel lost if you have missed a book. However, I feel it's more enjoyable with this series to read them in order. In other words, while it has it's place in the series, it also works as a stand alone.

For those who haven't read any of the series, besides the main story, the Mountain Country K-9 Unit is searching for the Rocky Mountain Killer, who killed three young men from a rancher's club a decade ago and three more in the present day. This murderer is also suspected of stealing a dog that was going to be trained to be a therapy dog. Plus, the crime tech, hoping to become a foster parent, has that process derailed because of a false accusation.

I recommend this book, the author (I've read several of her books and enjoyed them) and this series.

[Wenona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crime Scene Secrets by Maggie Black is book #4 in the Mountain Country K-9 Unit series. The K-9 unit has been on the hunt of the Rocky Mountain Serial Killer when FBI agent Kyle West is called to a wedding where they believe the killer either struck again or there's a copy cat killer on the loose.

Ophelia Clarke is a CSI officer who is attending her cousin's wedding when the first rounds of shots are fired at the rehearsal dinner. When agent West starts his interviews, he realizes the CSI officer he's worked with online is Ophelia. From that moment on, they are thrown together to stop a wedding massacre from happening and who is the killer?

This read is one that cozy mystery fans will enjoy or Hallmark fans.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ophelia Clarke, a member of the K-9 unit, is supposed to attend her cousin's wedding and at the last minute is told she will be a bridesmaid, not a guest - something she has been avoiding! There is to be a whole weekend of wedding fun and games at the venue and they start off with a bang - in fact gun fire - in the place where the reception is to be held. Ophelia jumps right into her cop mode when the gun shot they heard produces a dead body in the room the reception was to be held. Kyle West arrives, the police assigned to the crime and sparks fly when he finds Ophelia at the crime scene. And things progress from there as expected!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I really enjoy the LIS books. This one was such a good story line and great characters. I like that there is the long story through the series and a good story which gets resolved in the book you are reading. The dogs and handlers become known by us readers and you learn more about them as the team works together through the series. This book could have used a bit more editing with some wrong words and people names in the wrong places but it didn't detract from the story.

[Tami Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of an interconnected multi author romantic suspense series. It can be read as a standalone but recommend reading in order. Each book centers around a different member of a special multi agency K-9 task force.. He's been given time off to spend with his family. She works as a CSI near his home. They've worked the same cases before but never like this. Is this case connected to the serial killer case his team is working or do they have another serial killer in the area? What is the clue that closes the case and opens their hearts?

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent segment of this series!

From the back cover:

"A wedding becomes a crime scene…now a K-9 team seeks a serial killer.

After shots are fired at a rehearsal dinner, FBI agent Kyle West arrives just in time to chase the gunman away. But attacks persist. Could this be the Rocky Mountain Killer—or a deadly copycat? Now Kyle and his K-9 partner must team up with investigator Ophelia Clarke to hunt down the shooter…before this wedding party becomes a mass murder."

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read anything by Maggie K. Black, and after reading Crime Scene Secrets, I want to go back and read all her prior books. 

Crime Scene Secrets takes place in a rural mountain setting where Ophelia Clarke is attending a family wedding. When shots are fired at the rehearsal dinner, Ophelia contacts FBI agent Kyle West. She knows he's close by (a classic scene, I won't spoil it) and he arrives to help her process the scene. But they soon realize that there is a murderer on the loose. 

This story has it all - action, suspense, heart, grit, intrigue, lovable characters, a working dog, and a touch of humor. I love the meddling aunt trying to set up Ophelia. I also listened to this one on audio and I loved the narrator! She made the story come to life. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romantic suspense. 

I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Teresa Pollock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Secrets uncovered

Maggie Black this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down. So many secrets, clues, lies, truths about that caused me to think and work it out....I failed but this book did not. It did not disappoint. Great suspense! Great read. Check it out ya'll. You will enjoy it and all the K-9s

[Phyllis Whitaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great read! You have two very special people not looking for love, focus on their careers, both of whom have a great respect for each other. Throw in an adorable toddler, a very special dog,with a serial killer and it all combines to form a very good story.

[Sheri Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good story. Everything about Ofelia and Kyle meshed nicely. They had great chemistry and alre as sy respected each other's work. I honestly didn't catch on to who the culprit was was taken aback at how quickly Ofelia and Kyle's relationship progressed.

[Patrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ma sì, gli do il punteggio pieno... La storia mi è piaciuta, i due protagonisti sono davvero interessanti e c'è una buona suspense. Spero di rivedere i due protagonisti in qualcuno dei libri successivi (lui quasi sicuramente riapparirà, ma non ho molte speranze per lei, forse nell'epilogo finale).

[Elaine. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the story

[Harlequin Books]

Inspirational Suspense, Wholesome Romance, Animal Fiction, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
Mountain Country K-9 Unit (Book #4)

[Harlequin Books]

Inspirational Suspense, Wholesome Romance, Animal Fiction, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
Mountain Country K-9 Unit (Book #4)

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read. This one had plenty of twists and turns and surprises

[Ethelann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime Scene Secrets is another exciting
book by Maggie Black. It's part of a series but a great stand-alone, too. I read it in 2 days.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery and likable main characters.

[Debra Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Kyle and Ophelia's story

[Ginny Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT BOOK

Very good & suspense at every turn. Who was the killer of the guys. Who was the murder of the girls ?

[Laramee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the K-9 aspect of this inspirational suspense novel. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a wonderful job!

I received an ARC from Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatly enjoyed this read! can't wait to start the next book in the series!!

[Sara MG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime Scene Secrets was full of twists and turns, fun characters, and DOGS! This was a really good instalment of Love Inspired Suspense. I could not put this one down.

[Arlyn Strodtbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting