Cold Case Peril

Dakota K-9 Unit #4

by Maggie K. Black

An unsolved crime. A K-9 team on the case. Unexpected danger is closing in fast...


When someone tries to run dog trainer Micah Landon off the road, Officer Lucy Lopez and her K-9 partner, Piper, show up just in time to make a rescue. Someone wants Micah dead — but why? Is this connected to Lucy’s weapons smuggling case, in which she’s investigating Micah’s younger half brother? Or was Micah attacked because he started looking into the cold case murder of his stepmother? As threats against Micah escalate and secrets are revealed, it’s clear someone will stop at nothing to keep an unsolved murder buried. Can they uncover the truth before it costs them their lives?



Mills & Boon Love Inspired Suspense — Courage. Danger. Faith.

Genres: Suspense, Romance, Christian Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Audiobook, Animals

368 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2025

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]

The book was real good til the end. To not tell how the offender was caught was horrible.

[DevotedToHope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, faith-filled … another powerful suspense from Maggie K. Black! Full review will be posted soon, God willing. :)Something about Cold Case Peril pulled me in right away — but what made me stay? It wasn’t just the danger or the mystery. It was the still, steady undercurrent of redemption running through every scene.

Micah Landon trains dogs, sure — but that’s not his deepest work. He’s rebuilding something in his soul. A man who’s known brokenness, yet still chooses gentleness. Lucy Lopez, strong in uniform, fierce in her love for her daughter, carries the kind of strength that doesn’t shout — it stays. And when their paths collide, it’s not flashy. It’s faith-filled.

They aren’t a picture-perfect pair. They’re a picture of grace in motion — two people shaped by loss, standing in the rubble, still choosing what’s right. Still choosing to trust.

This story made me think about the lies we bury, the truths we run from, and the God who lovingly uncovers it all in His perfect time. There’s real suspense here, yes — but also real surrender. Real hope. Because sometimes healing doesn’t begin until the pain resurfaces… and sometimes the most dangerous roads lead us back to the heart of God.

And the dogs? Oh, the dogs. I didn’t just smile — I felt something holy in their presence. Loyal. Watchful. Comforting. They weren’t background noise — they were living metaphors for how God walks beside us: protective, constant, good.

Narrator Patrick Zeller brought it all to life in such a grounded, honest way. I didn’t feel like a listener—I felt like a companion on the journey. Through every breath of fear and flicker of trust, I kept remembering: God doesn’t just rescue. He stays. He embraces. He protects.

I received a digital audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review in any way or for any reason. My honest and unbiased opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on the writing style, the pacing, and the story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Romantic Suspense, and this is the fourth book in the Dakota K-9 Unit series. I have read some of the other books in this series before picking up this book. I read this book by listening to the audiobook for this book, and I have to say I really did not like the narrator. It did not stop me from finishing the book because I really enjoyed the story and the characters in this book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

[Allyson Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an exciting story filled with suspense, danger, and explosives as someone is targeting Micah, a dog trainer. Lucy, a K-9 officer, helps Micah, whose younger brother may be involved in the gun smuggling that Lucy and the task force team is investigating. This story also includes a hit and run cold case, a child with an anxiety disorder, and lots of dogs. I'm looking forward to the next installment in this story.

[Ethelann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold Case Peril is another exciting book in the K-9 series. K-9 officer Lucy Lopez is trying to find out more about the smuggling of weapons. And dog trainer Micah Landon is being targeted, but also is helping her because his younger brother may be involved. With targets on their backs will they get any closer to finding the top man in the smuggling organization?

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Micah Landon and Lucy Lopez's story.

[Megan Rang · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

With an unsolved crime leading to new crimes. Threats, fires and more. Micha runs a therapy dog training program but someone wants to send him a message. This book is action packed abd really engaging!!

[Sheri Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very uplifting story. I'd definitely like to follow these characters along to see their journey together. Hopefully, we'll peek in on them in future books in the series.

[Michelle Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved listening to this book. wonderful narration. would definitely recommend for lovers of dogs.

I received a free copy of this audiobook via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cold Case Peril by Maggie K. Black, narrated by Patrick Zeller is #4 in her Dakotah K-9 unit series. This is a clean, contemporary, Christian, mystery, suspense romance. Great audible book, liked the narrator. Enjoy, dog trainer Micah and Lucy Lopez and her K-9 Piper in their quest to find the gun smugglers. Snuggle up and enjoy. Releases July 1, 2025. Thank you to #NetGalley and #Harlequin Audio for this arc.

[Laramee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this inspired suspense with a K-9! A fast paced story that will keep you hooked! I enjoyed the narrator in the audio.

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

[Kay Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

COLD CASE PERIL by Maggie K. Black is the fabulous story of Micah Landon, therapy and service dog trainer, and Officer Lucy Lupez and Piper, her K-9.

Since Nick, his half-brother, witnessed his mom murdered, Micah, being quite a bit older, has felt the need to repeatedly save Nick from himself. Now years later, he’s trying to find out who killed his step-mother in hopes it will help Nick change the direction of his life and find his way back to his faith. He’s offered him his home and a job helping him with a shift at Mercy Tails. Leaving Micah with more time for training and taking his team of dogs around to where they are needed.

Lucy is a single mom to 4-year-old Annalisa, who has a generalized anxiety disorder. They met Micah when they adopted Fluffy, a Yorkshire Terrier, from him. Lucy had been immediately drawn to him, but her past history shows she’s bad at relationships. She’s vowed to stay single and to dedicate her life to her daughter and her job. Thanks to the help from her mom, she’s been successful at both.

When an attempt to harm Micah has Lucy not only witnessing it, but as an law officer managed to scare off the attempt, it seems to have put herself directly in the crosshairs of this same person. Micah, Lucy and all the joint task forces start working together to figure out who is this person, why they want the two of them dead, and find them before they succeed in their agenda.

When it appears that Nick is involved with a weapons smuggling organization, will Micah be able to save him this time? Are the weapons smuggling and the attempts on Micah and Lucy’s lives connected? Who is this person that is knowledgeable in bomb making and remote detonation? Will they be lucky enough that no one will get hurt in these explosions? Why does the perpetrator always have an old song, by a local group playing when most criminals want to be unnoticed? Can Micah keep both his dogs and Lucy safe? Despite both of them being opposed to a romantic relationship at this time, will cupid’s arrows hit a bullseye on the both of them?

COLD CASE PERIL will grab your attention from the first page and have you quickly turning pages trying to figure out who, what and why as your heart begins to hope that Micah and Lucy’s stubbornness will lose out to true love. Maggie K. Black gives us a story of compassion, dedication to job and family, comradery, suspense, danger, romance and wraps it in a thread of faith. COLD CASE PERIL is positively FIVE STAR reading! I highly recommend it to everyone. While it’s the 4th book in the Dakota K-9 Unit series, it can most definitely be read as a standalone book.

I receive an ARC of this book with no requirement or expectations of a review. All opinions are completely my own.
#ColdCasePeril #DakotaK9Unit #MaggieKBlack #LoveInspiredSuspense #InspirationalRomance #christianfiction #romanticsuspense

[Yvonne Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook is a clean, Christian, contemporary suspense romance that will hold the listeners attention from beginning to end.
The story centers around dog trainer Micah Landon and single mom and K-9 officer Lucy Lopez . These two meet by chance when Lucy witnesses a truck running Micah off the road. When a second attempt to Micah’s life happens, it’s obvious someone wants him dead.
Meanwhile, the task force investigation illegal trafficking of weapons, have their eyes on Micah’s younger half brother. Are these incidents connected, or is something or someone else the cause. If so, why?
Their time together, has Micah developing feelings for Lucy. But though Lucy too is having feelings for Micah, her past experiences with men and love have left Lucy skittish of ever having a relationship.
In the end, will the task force and Micah and Lucy solve the “why and who” is wanting to kill Micah? And, will they realize they are meant to be together?
If you are new to the series, even though this audiobook is the fourth in the series, and some characters from previous stories make an appearance, rest assure it’s a stand alone.
Lastly, Patrick Zeller does a very good job with the narration as he brings the story to life.
I was entrusted a copy of this audiobook by Netgalley and Harlequin Audio.
The opinions expressed are solely my own.

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woot! Puppies galore! Not only do we have an incredible K-9 centerstage, we also have an eclectic mix of therapy/guide dogs in various stages of training courtesy of our dog trainer hero. Absolute bookish heaven for this dog loving reader.

The tense opening scene starts off a sequence of nail-biting events that leave Micah stymied and Lucy suspicious. Are they case related or something more personal? Love the balance between suspense and slow-burn romance along with a healthy dose of canine shenanigans thrown in.

Once again the Dakota K-9 team pool their resources to sort through fact from fiction. Lucy’s in the lead as she develops a special rapport with Micah but the team always has her back. This is the fourth book in this multi-authored continuity series but reads well as a standalone. The over-arcing suspense plot is beginning to take shape and I’m excited to see where new leads take the team but I also enjoyed getting full resolution to the suspense unique to this book as well as a delightful happily ever after.

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of ‘Cold Case Peril’ narrated by Patrick Zeller. So happy to see more of the Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense lines available in audio format.

My thanks to Harlequin Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

https://kavsbestreads.ca/2025/06/17/c...

[Debra Gaynor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cold Case PERIL
Dakota K-9 Unit
Maggie K. Black
Micah Landon is a dog trainer; he is also a man putting his life back together. He is investigating his stepmother’s murder which is a cold case.
Officer Lucy Lopez is a single mother, and a K-9 officer. Currently she is working on a weapons smuggling case involving Micah’s half-brother. Her experiences with men in the past have been disappointing.
Piper is a K-9 officer.
Someone wants Micah dead. Lucy and Micah meet when she witnesses someone trying to run him off the road. They have an instant attraction, but both are very cautious. A second attempt on his life proves someone wants him dead. The Dakota K-9 Unit always work together; in this case Lucy takes the lead in this case.
This book is written with Christian values. None of the characters are perfect but neither are the readers. This book provides a demonstration of Grace. Both have suffered loss and pain, but both choose to trust God.
This is the fourth book in the Dakota K-9 Unit series. I am a dog lover, and this book appealed to me because of the delightful dogs as well as the well written plot. The plot begins with action and continues throughout the book. This is a great read; I will be looking for more books by author Maggie K. Black.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Jeff Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why is a driver with blaring rock music trying to force dog trainer Micah Landon off the road Was this due to him looking into who killed his mother a decade earlier by a hit and run driver? Or could it be connected to a guns case officer Lucy Lopez and her K-9 partner Piper are looking/sniffing into?

Maggie K. Black's "Cold Case Peril" is the fourth novel of the Dakota K-9 Unit series. As you would expect if you read any of the books in this collection or previous series by this imprint, you have exciting action and characters you care about. For example, there is the interaction between Micah and his half-brother dealing with the loss of their mother.

Is this a series that you need to read in order? I would highly recommend it. Yes, it is written where you can enjoy the story without being lost or spoiling a previous story. However, this series is one where you'd enjoy it more reading the books in order.

By the way, in spite of the main male character having a name that sounds like a popular actor, there are no references to Little Joe. Sorry.

I recommend both this book and the full series (this is book 4 of 9).

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy and her K-9 partner Piper are sucked into a case where she is just in time to rescue Micah a dog trainer. Lucy has to wonder if he is part of her gun case or maybe someone he knows that might have said to much or maybe it is just something Micah is looking into and nothing to do with Lucy and her case at all.
I have loved all of these Dakota K-9 audiobooks. The narrator Patrick Zeller brought this story to life, he was so good. These books are wonderful and it shows the author knows about K-9’s and how they work. In some of these books (not meaning this one but some from the K-9 books) there are some things that are off with working K9’s but I believe it was done on purpose and it doesn’t take away from the story. This audiobook and series is wonderful I hope others like it as much as I do.

This review audio was provided by netgalley

[Elaine Applebury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 4th book in the Dakota K-9 Unit continuity series about trying to find the weapon smugglers in both North and South Dakota. These stories are about the special task force trying to find out who killed their fellow officer, Kenyon Graves.

Maggie Black has a well written, full of suspense and action story that grabs you in the first few pages and doesn’t let you go! There is not only the K-9 trained dog in the story, but also therapy dogs as well.

The story opens with dog trainer Micah Landon trying to avoid being run off the road. Officer Lucy Lopez and her K-9 Partner, Piper, arrive on the scene to help Micah. While she is investigating Micah’s brother, Nick, as a suspect in the weapon smuggling case, it seems Micah could be the target. Is it because he is looking into the 10 yr old hit-and-run case that killed his stepmother?

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent story. Lucy Lopez and her K-9 Piper are part of the task force looking into gun smuggling in the Dakotas. Lucy has a little girl who needed a support animal, which brought Lucy into contact with Micah Landon. Micah has a dog training business.
Lucy and Micah become the center of a vortex that includes being run off the road, explosions and whether family might be involved in gun smuggling.
The suspense and action are there all the way. The romance feels like a natural progression even with both Lucy and Micah resisting for various reasons.
The audiobook narrator, Patrick Zeller, does an outstanding job.
I really enjoyed listening to this book. Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity to read this book.

[Stephanie Herron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy and her K-9 Piper are part of a task force looking into gun smuggling. They happen to be around and see when Micah and his therapy dogs are run off the road. They originally met when he helped place a dog with her young daughter. The task force has been looking for more information on leads that involve Micah's brother. The more time they spend together, the more incidents and danger surround them leading to a safe house for her family. There are secrets that come out and truths that have to be faced for peace and happiness to be found. Action, adventure and romance are found in this story. It may be part of a series but can be easily read as a stand alone. And you can never go wrong reading a book that has dogs in it.

[Tami Willard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of an interconnected series written by multiple authors. Can be read as a standalone however parts of the story line continues throughout the series. Best if read in order.
Lots of special K-9's with personality
A precious preschooler overcoming her fear
A Marine determined to help as many dogs with the right person while keeping his family safe
An unsub who will stop at nothing to get what they want
A single mother trying to balance her work responsibility and being there for her daughter.

[Wenona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cold Case Peril by Maggie K. Black is what I call a cozy mystery - like a Hallmark Mystery type of read.

Micah Landon is a dog trainer for service animals when he is run off the road and at every turn, it seems like someone wants him dead. Officer Lucy Lopez and her K-9 partner, Piper, are there after the first attack and then she is being targeted.

Can the case Lucy's team has been working on - is it connected to who is after Micah? Follow their story through all the twists and turns.

[Denise Schenk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Micah Landon, a local dog trainer, was run off the road, with Officer Lucy Lopez and her K-9 partner, Piper, as witnesses. Someone is targeting Micah, while Lucy is part of a task force investigating weapon smugglers. Micah's younger brother is a suspect in the smuggling operation, and Micah knows he needs to assist law enforcement. Meanwhile, Micah's investigation into the cold case of his stepmother's death is causing turmoil in the community.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this cute little book from Walmart. I like the mention of God and how both MCs pray. There is also a child with anxiety and real emotions that both MCs struggle with. It wasn’t a corny happily ever after so that is what kept me reading.

[Rylee Wine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Cold Case Peril! It grabbed my attention right away and kept me turning the pages. I loved how it had mystery, faith, and a little romance all mixed together in a clean, uplifting way. The characters were great, and the story had a few twists that surprised me.

[Harlequin Books]

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

[Harlequin Books]

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

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read

[Eliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about finding someone again and the consequences of leading someone you just met on.

[Annette Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a very good read! I enjoyed the characters and their interactions.