When her niece disappears, a K-9 officer returns to the home of her own childhood trauma to track down a killer who hunts women like prey—and face the past that continues to haunt her.
Officer Kate Marino has a complicated relationship with her hometown. But there’s one thing that could bring her Her seventeen-year-old niece Alice disappeared two days ago. And she’s not the only woman who’s gone missing.
With police dogs Nero and Bella (now retired) in tow, Kate returns to her childhood home and the ghosts that inhabit it. It’s not just the looming presence of her father, however, that hinders Kate’s investigation. Something even more sinister awaits her there.
Dead bodies confirm the missing women are the work of a serial killer who hunts his prey through the New Hampshire wilderness. With time running out, Kate’s determined to find Alice before she becomes his next victim.
Alongside Deputy Sheriff Roy Hoover, Kate and her loyal dogs scour the area for clues, motive, and the secrets harbored by each victim. Kate ran away from Cooperton once before—but this time, she’ll stay and face its demons…
Mike Omer is the author of the Zoe Bentley Mystery Series, the Abby Mullen Thrillers, and more. In the past, he's been a journalist, a game developer, and the CEO of the company Loadingames. He lives in Ireland, and is married to a woman who diligently forces him to live his dream. He is the father of an angel, a pixie, and a leprechaun.
Mike loves to write about true-to-life people who are perpetrators or victims of crimes. He also likes writing funny stuff. He mixes these two loves quite passionately into his mystery books.
You can contact Mike by sending him an e-mail to mikeomerauthor@gmail.com
Read as an August 2026 First Reads selection. On the surface, this is a fairly formulaic / typical contemporary serial-killer-in-the-woods mystery-thriller, but I was surprised that I found it more gripping than I expected, and I really enjoyed that the two K-9 characters.
Kate Marino is a widowed K-9 handler with the Manchester (NH) police force, struggling to balance raising her 13 year old daughter mostly on her own with her work as a police officer. She works with her own dogs, who she treats like typical pets when they're not working - I'm not sure how realistic this is, but it does make for more enjoyable reading. Any scene with the dogs, in which Omer includes the dogs' antics and (anthropomorphized) facial expressions, is better than any scene without the dogs.
When Kate's cousin's daughter Alice goes missing, Kate returns to her hometown to help with the search, forcing her to confront her own abusive childhood and exposing the misogynistic rot in the small town's culture. After the initial search, with the help of Kate's young K-9-in-training Nero, indicates to police that they are actually dealing with a serial killer rather than a simple case of a girl getting lost in the woods, Kate fights to involve herself more in the investigation and eventually starts doing her own police work. (Note there's quite a bit of "this would never fly in a real police investigation" in here, so some suspension of belief is required - but I personally found it easy to ignore because the story kept moving along, and it's frankly more interesting to follow Kate than it is to follow the other characters who were legitimately involved in the case.)
There are parts of the narrative that are told from the perspective of the killer, where Omer tries to take the reader inside his mind so that we understand his motivations. These are, as one might expect, disturbing - particularly as we watch the killer rewriting events in his head to fit his own deluded convictions and make him a hero to himself. There's also some discussion of Kate's abusive father, and some frustrating encounters between Kate and her father that are intended to show how Kate as an adult is finally learning to break free of the psychological impact of her father's behavior. This may be triggering to readers who have experienced childhood trauma like this... and I didn't get the feeling that Kate's thought process here is necessarily realistic. If anything, the way she deals with it ultimately felt a little too easy, although it did allow the story to keep moving without dwelling on the backstory that is certainly critical but not the main point of the plot.
There are also 3 short chapters told from the perspectives of Nero (the younger K-9 who's still learning his profession) and Bella (who's officially retired due to hip issues in her advanced age, but is very accomplished and certainly more experienced than Nero). While it's cute to "hear" the dogs' thoughts, these are obviously highly anthropomorphized, and imply a level of logical thought that dogs do not have - so if the lack of realism bothers you, it might make more sense to skip those chapters. But if you're a dog lover, those brief chapters will probably be highly enjoyable, and they do provide a welcome break from some dark, tense moments during the climactic moments of the investigation.
Overall, I was surprised I enjoyed this story - possibly thanks to the dogs being real characters, and possibly because the pacing and "clue" reveals were well done. The red herrings felt like plausible misdirections rather than just hiding things from the reader, and although we've been in the killer's mind throughout the book, we aren't given his identity until Kate figures it out from the information she has. I'd read more about Kate, and especially Nero, in another installment from this author.
In The Killer’s Sight by Mike Omer publishes September 1st with Thomas & Mercer and is the first book in a new series featuring K-9 officer, Kate Marino. Mike Omer’s books have sold over 3 million copies, and been translated to over 20 languages but, for some reason, his name has never crossed my radar until now. I was excited to hear that he lives in the parish somewhere (as in Cork) which was an extra bonus.
Kate Marino is centre stage in this really engaging thriller set in New Hampshire in the US. Now a widow, she lives with her daughter, struggling to juggle all the balls on a daily basis. A passionate dog lover, her K9 partners are a very important part of her life, giving her reason to continue in the job that took the life of her husband. Kate had a challenging childhood in Cooperton, as the daughter of an alcoholic, so when the opportunity arose she left her hometown only returning on a rare occasion out of necessity.
When Kate receives a very distressing call that her seventeen-year-old niece Alice is missing, she is left with no alternative but to travel to Cooperton to assist in the search. Initially it is thought that Alice may just be lost or hurt so Kate, with her active K9 companion, Nero, are initiated into the search in the New Hampshire wilderness in the hope that they will pick up her scent. These woods are familiar to Kate. She holds no fear walking through the dark forestry as this place was often a sanctuary for her when escaping the wrath of her physically abusive father. When Nero picks up a scent, the team stumble onto a scene of tragic proportions.
It soon becomes very clear to all that there is a violent presence lurking in the wilderness targeting young women but why? What is their motive?
In the meantime, Kate has to cross paths with her father, a man she had never wanted to see ever again. Not much has changed but this time Kate is stronger, more able for his knockdowns and hurtful comments. She needs to maintain her focus for Alice’s sake and for other young women who could be in the sightline of this smart killer.
As the hunter lines up his prey, Kate instincts kick in and, with her K9 partners by her side, she never lets up in the search. But can she get there in time before the killer turns his stare on Alice?
Kate Marino and her furry companions will be back in the future and I am really looking forward to reading more about this relentless and sharp-witted K9 officer. A book that completely hooks you from the opening chapter, In The Killer’s Sight is an addictive read. With plenty of red-herrings and a feisty lead protagonist, this is a thoroughly enjoyable thriller.
Readers seeking a police procedural involving kidnapping and murder in a rural setting may wish to try “In the Killer’s Sight,” especially if they like stories involving dogs and/or are interested in how K-9 units operate.
Kate Marino is a Manchester, New Hampshire police officer, partnered with Nero, her young German Shepherd who is a talented tracker. Kate is the widow of a slain police officer. She lives with her teenage daughter, Ivy, Nero, and her former K-9 partner, yellow lab Bella, once one of the country’s leading “cadaver dogs,” now retired and semi-lame, but still game to work.
When Kate’s niece, Alice, disappears in the New Hampshire woods, Kate must return to her hometown with both Nero and Bella to help in the search for the teen. That search reveals there’s a serial killer on the loose. Who is it? Is it someone local? Someone everyone knows? And why is he doing it? Those are the questions meant to keep readers turning the pages.
Author Mike Omer has delivered an intelligently written mystery that concentrates not only on the procedures involved in rural searches for missing persons, and in murder cases, but also on Kate’s relationships with her dogs, her daughter, and the hometown and extended family she left behind due to her abusive father. The pacing sometimes seems slow, and the story occasionally gets bogged down in detail. But Omer does manage to inject humor into his narrative, and there are surprises in store.
A k-9 officer insinuates herself into an investigation when her niece goes missing. In doing so she must return to her hometown and confront the bad memories that drove her away. She rekindles family relationships and forms an alliance with a handsome deputy. Still she must confront small town politics ,corruption and the ease with which her childhood abuse was ignored. Even when removed from the case she is relentless making her a target for a devious and deceptive killer.
I loved the dogs. They were interesting and fun. The story starts slowly. It is bogged down by the usual family minutiae including tiresome teenaged angst, etc. The story picks up as the investigation progresses and reaches a satisfying conclusion. Worth a read.
3.5 stars. I received this book through Amazon First Reads. The pace and tension of this novel were excellent, especially towards the end.
Where it loses stars from me is the main character, Kate Marino. I found her uninteresting and difficult to care about. She seemed to switch between angry, exhausted and bland, with not much else in between. I worried more about the two dogs who both had engaging personalities.
And this brings me to the other factor that lost stars. The chapters from the point of view of the dogs were overly cutesy, anthropomorphic, and unnecessary. They added nothing to the story.
I’m not sure I would read another book in this series, especially if I had to buy it.
This was my Amazon First Read pick for the month of August.
I have really adored Mike Omer's writing in the past, but this book missed the mark a little for me compared to his other writing. This one felt a lot slower and a bit more juvenile in writing style, which surprised me a lot. The 3 chapters written from the dogs points of view was also very distracting and took away from the storyline for me. The ending also happened very abruptly which was a bit off-putting. I'll still happily read the next book in the series and hopefully I won't end up feeling the same way the next time around.
I just finished In the Killers Sight by Mike Omer. It’s the first of two books featuring Kate Merino, a police officer who partners with K-9 dogs. In this book, her great niece is missing. She is 16 years old and disappeared two days before. To help with the case, Kate brings her two police dogs and travels to her old home town, where family and bad memories reside. It was a good thriller. Easy read. Very good on a rainy day.
Good pacing and development of thriller aspect. Decent characters; can see how they will grow its this series. Did not like the way certain characters seemed to be written as quirky or assumed to be on the spectrum. Those sections and the character’s dialogue was clunky and often confusing, especially when it came with the dialogue between the two male investigators. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would consider reading the second one.
I read everything I can when Mike Omer writes. I love his books and am never disappointed! This was an interesting read with a serial killer at large. He believes he is helping misguided women. At least in his mind. The police are doing their best to find him but a dog handler with two great dogs is ahead of what he is doing. Some don't want her and she has family interest in this crime. A wonderful read and I hope there is a series.
What police force gives an officer 10 days off for an emergency involving a cousin, twice removed? While she was on the hunt, sure. Intern agency loan. After she'd been removed from the team? No agency I've ever known. And taking her daughter out of school for weeks without a doctor's note? Just try that. Too bad that part was so unbelievable. It was a good story and the writing is great.
I chose this as my Amazon Advanced Read for the month. A solid police drama about a Female main character and her police dogs. The red herrings were also pretty good. I wish there was less of an abrupt ending. The romance felt out of left field for me as well. That connection there felt under developed and I wanted more. I enjoyed the multi POVs - especially from the police dogs.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
What sold me on this book, why I chose it, was the dogs. Although I enjoy a good mystery I'm not a big fan of thrillers. And the person who advised there should be something from the point of view of the dogs was brilliant. At that point it was perfect and I can't envision anything else.
Was been giving the great opportunity to read before it been lunch and what a blast this book is! From the first pages to the last the plot and the suspense keep you on the edge until the end! The author play very well with the characters and the dogs too! Thanks to him for sharing his talent and the see a second book for this series!
A good murder mystery. It kept my attention and I had no idea who the killer was until the author wanted me to, always a good thing. The dogs were a wonderful bonus. I'll definitely pay for the sequel...in 2027!
I liked how the events were clear and lead from one thing to another. The procedures, the workings of law enforcement and how the dogs were incorporated into the story.
Moderate pace. Slow in parts and intense near the end. This is a psychological mystery and I'm not a fan of that genre. This is not a book that you can't put down because you want to know what happens. I read a lot of k-9 books and this is not one of better ones.
When I see this was a choice on Amazon First Reads for August, I jumped at the chance to read it. As usual, Mike Omer doesn’t disappoint. I look forward to seeing what else happens with the K-9 unit.
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time! I am usually a slower reader but not with this book! I cannot think of anyone I would not recommend it to. The animals, family and friendship were amazing! Hope there are more of Kate Marino books.
This was a great story about family and the connection between a police officer and her K-9 partners. Kate’s niece has gone missing and she had been asked to help with her K-9 partner.
Mike Omer brings the characters (even the dogs) to life in the pages of this book. The story is good, I couldn’t put it down… but it’s the characters that make the book. Too bad I have to wait a whole year for book 2!
Fast, easy read with good characters and dialog. A good storyline (although often used for serial criminal storylines) but brought a different, enjoyable difference with the K9 angle. A possible bad ending that turned out good. A good start to a new series. A good read.
I love reading a book, and not knowing the end of the mystery. It is done deftly by Mike Omer. Kate is a brilliant character, and her work with her law enforcement dogs is well written.
There was no gore, and to me that always makes the book so much more enjoyable.
Really 4.5 stars. I wasn’t sure that I liked the main character, Kate, in the beginning. She initially seemed immature and unprofessional. But the story picked up and her character improved into a likable person. Once the story got going I could hardly put the book down.
I enjoyed the parts of the book that involved dogs, especially when they were tracking someone. The author did a good job of keeping the reader guessing about the identity of the kidnapper until the end.
Well written. This definitely reads as a true crime story. Unfortunately these types of crimes have been committed and thankfully, ultimately punished.