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Trail Gone Dark: K-9 Search & Rescue Mysteries, Book 1
She came to the mountains to escape death. It followed her.
Former Minneapolis paramedic Gemma Hartley thought she'd left tragedy behind when she fled to the remote mountain town of Elk Creek, Colorado. With her search-and-rescue dog Kira by her side, she's built a quiet life finding lost hikers and learning to breathe again.
Then a routine search for a missing woman leads Gemma and Kira to a body and evidence of murder.
The deeper she digs, the darker the secrets become.
Someone in this picture-perfect town has been hiding the truth about what happened twenty-five years ago, when another young woman walked into these mountains and never came back. Now that same darkness is stirring and Gemma may be the only one who can stop it.
With the help of Deputy Marco Reyes and her uncanny bond with Kira, Gemma must navigate a community built on silence, where loyalty runs deep and outsiders aren't welcome. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her investigation becomes.
Some trails lead to answers. Others lead to graves.
Trail Gone Dark is the gripping first novel in the K-9 Search and Rescue Mystery series, perfect for readers who mountain settingsStrong female protagonists with loyal K-9 partnersCold cases and small-town secretsThe mysteries of Nevada Barr and Margaret Mizushima
Start your journey into the mountains today.
Former Minneapolis paramedic Gemma Hartley thought she'd left tragedy behind when she fled to the remote mountain town of Elk Creek, Colorado. With her search-and-rescue dog Kira by her side, she's built a quiet life finding lost hikers and learning to breathe again.
Then a routine search for a missing woman leads Gemma and Kira to a body and evidence of murder.
The deeper she digs, the darker the secrets become.
Someone in this picture-perfect town has been hiding the truth about what happened twenty-five years ago, when another young woman walked into these mountains and never came back. Now that same darkness is stirring and Gemma may be the only one who can stop it.
With the help of Deputy Marco Reyes and her uncanny bond with Kira, Gemma must navigate a community built on silence, where loyalty runs deep and outsiders aren't welcome. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her investigation becomes.
Some trails lead to answers. Others lead to graves.
Trail Gone Dark is the gripping first novel in the K-9 Search and Rescue Mystery series, perfect for readers who mountain settingsStrong female protagonists with loyal K-9 partnersCold cases and small-town secretsThe mysteries of Nevada Barr and Margaret Mizushima
Start your journey into the mountains today.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 9, 2026
63 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 27, 2026
Gemma Hartley moved to the town of Elk Creek, Colorado. She hoped the remote area would help her heal from her past. She has her dog, Kira, with her, and that's a good thing. When a person goes missing, Kira is needed to locate the person. When the body is found, foul play is obvious. The story is a bit long, but the author does a great job with the adventure and the scenery in which the story is located.
January 17, 2026
This is a new-to-me author and I really enjoyed both her writing style and the storyline. The characters, themselves, are rememberable and likeable.
January 19, 2026
Super good book!
I really enjoyed this book. It has great characters with plenty of twists and turns. The plot was well thought out and delivered.
I really enjoyed this book. It has great characters with plenty of twists and turns. The plot was well thought out and delivered.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews