Rottweiler Rescue

Diane Brennan Mystery #1

by Ellen O'Connell

No one promised Dianne Brennan that her volunteer work as a foster home for Rottweiler Rescue would be easy. And no one warned her that the job would be murderously hard! Yet murder is what Dianne faces when she takes a dog to his new home, finds the adopter dead, and sees the killer leaving the scene. Worse, although Dianne cannot identify the killer, he begins stalking her with deadly intent. The sheriff's investigators in Douglas County, Colorado, are convinced the killer is a member of the victim's family. Dianne is sure he will be found where the victim worked - in the world of dog shows and dog people. Can she keep herself and her dogs safe long enough to prove she is right? Can Dianne and her Rottweilers collar the killer?

Genres: Mystery, Dogs, Animals, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Cozy

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dianne is a volunteer for a Rottweiler Rescue group. As she is transporting a dog that has been badly abused to his new carer, she runs right into a man in a ski-mask running from the home. Inside she finds the carer lying in a pool of blood. She calls 911 but knowing how police in the area react to dogs like Rottweilers she then gets him the hell out of Dodge.

As you would expect this immediately puts the police offside and when she finds the killer is hunting her they're not all that interested in her suspicions. With only her two Rottys for protection she begins to investigate the crime while the killer is getting increasingly desperate to tie off loose ends.


Everything about this books screams cute, quirky, cozy but it's a long way from any of those. A better description would be gritty, almost hard-boiled. While the premise is purely fiction and a long way from true-crime, the way the story is delivered is quite realistic and edgy. It's a strange book.

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5; 5 stars; A

As a purely 'amateur sleuthing' story with a heavy animal bent I give this book 5 stars. I already know I love this author's western historical fiction so I wanted to see what she could do in a contemporary setting. I was not disappointed. I don't know if a non-doggy person would get the same level of enjoyment but I am definitely a doggy person so I loved it.

I can relate on so many levels to the dog showing, training, and obedience aspects of Rottweiler Rescue. After spending years volunteering doing Puppy kindergarten with a local dog club, then helping out with running their obedience trials I had a lot of opportunity to observe the doggy world from the fringes. I loved doing Puppy Kindergarten the best because I think it did the most good for helping dogs and people find a happy place to co-exist together. I loved all the breeds and every mix I encountered but had a special appreciation for the Rotties that came to class. These sweet natured giants were always great ambassadors for big dogs. Many years ago I had a moment of insanity and decided I wanted to learn about showing for breed. I did my research and bought a Belgian Tervuren puppy with the intention of learning about conformation showing and planned to work with him and earn his Canadian Kennel Club championship. He was a lovely dog and we managed to do that fairly easily. In the following months I met so many nice people, obsessed people, mean people and just downright weird people in the conformation world. Rottweiler Rescue was a step back into that world. Many people thrive in that world but it definitely wasn't for me. I just shudder to think of it and have no intention of ever going back into it as anything but an observer. My dog, Torin, was also grateful to be see the end of cold, noisy, smoky arenas. (Why do so many serious dog people smoke? !)

I don't know enough about the American legal and justice systems to know if it was realistic for Dianne Brennan to spend so much time sleuthing and investigating the murder of Jack Sheffield but it made for a really entertaining mystery. I liked the fact that this book has no swearing and no sex so I could happily recommend it to my adolescent daughter who also loves mystery stories with animals.

[phoebess · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a huge animal lover, I kept putting this book for one reason only—I didn’t want to be disappointed, again, with the way how animals are usually written in books, as decorations, that are reminded only when it suits the story, most likely only once.
Rottweiler Rescue was different. You could feel the love Ellen O'Connell has for this breed in every page of it.
But still, even though I enjoyed the investigation of the crime the heroine witnessed, my head was tired after a while of reading all about dog shows, which is not a topic I found interesting at all and it caused me to wish for more fast-paced story and earlier revelation of the killer.

[juli✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i admit it, i was here for all of the adorable dog content 🥹🥹

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book and mystery. I liked how it starts with the killing right away, without too much drawn out fluff. Then it felt like a slow methodical journey to the conclusion. I liked the way there main character reviewed what was known so far on clues and details of the suspects.

I really liked all the details they give out in the course of the story on rescuing dogs and on showing dogs. The killer is mixed in with the people involved in the dog world.

You can really tell the author likes Rotties with passages like this one:

"When Lannie said the name, the bitch's head came up and I looked again at her pretty face with its dark, almost black, almond-shaped yes. Her perfectly shaped ears cupped her face closely and gave it a distinctly feminine cast in spite of the breadth of skull and shortness of muzzle. Her rich mahogany markings contrasted perfectly with her coat, which shone in the sunlight like polished onyx."

Pretty near the beginning they give you a clue:
"I've been thinking about it all morning. All I can come up with is that it could be someone who has a different breed and is afraid of big dogs or afraid of Rottweilers. You get that, people who love one breed, but they have a problem with another."

I haven't read many mysteries yet, but this one proceeded as I think it should. Looking back maybe I could have figured it out, but I get caught up in the story and forget to stop and think. It was done well and kept me going.

The dogs in the story have a good enough role. Just to list details of how the dog was written into the book; no anthropomorphism, no internal dialogue of what the dogs were thinking, no over the top super dog stuff, just normal stuff dogs do that make for heroic moments.

I give it five stars, but not quite enough feelings that reached into me to want to add it to my list of favorite dog books of all time. The slight criticism is hard for me to express. You see the feeling that went into the excerpt I gave above on the description of a Rottweiler? I felt that same level of passion and emotion wasn't in the book in other ways, for example to show real fear of someone trying to kill you. I get it, the main character is just a analytical even-keeled person and then can bravely trot around looking into suspects while knowing someone is out trying to kill her, but some aspect I can't describe to evoke stronger feelings could have made it even better. The solving the mystery part and the cast of characters was good and overall I thought the book was great though.

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having owned, showed and bred Rotties in the past, I knew I had to read ROTTWEILER RESCUE as soon as I saw the title! Set in Colorado, Dianne Brennan fosters rescue Rottweilers until new owners can be found for them. She also has her own rescued Rottie, Sophie. Arriving at the home of a renowned dog handler, a potential new owner for abused Rottie ‘Robo’ Dianne is threatened by a person leaving the house. Robo comes to her rescue by bearing his teeth and standing between her and the attacker. When Dianne goes inside the house she finds the body and realises the person leaving the house was probably a suspect; a suspect who soon thinks she has seen more than she actually did, and tries to kill her. To keep from being the next victim, and because the police think she is being silly thinking the suspect is after her, she decides she needs to find the murderer first and launches into her own investigation. The investigation takes the reader into the worlds of dog shows, dog rescue and danger. The local police department is certain that the murderer will be a member of the victim’s own family, Dianne is sure that he will be from the world of dogs.

The author provided lots of information about the rescue and foster home program for dogs, and how dog shows work but that information was not shoved down the reader’s throat. I loved the way the Rotties were portrayed, can ‘see’ my old boy Atlas doing the same things that both Robo and Sophie do. The Rottweiler characters portrayed by Robo and Sophie are very real and believable. I do hope this is the first of more ‘doggie’ mysteries starring these loyal and brave Rottweilers.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot, and would definitely recommend it, particularly for fellow dog-lovers. I found the story intriguing and engaging and the characters interesting and well-formed. I also found the writing to be quite good, and just as importantly, the book was well-edited. (Unlike many of the other "Indie" books I've attempted to read recently, which are so poorly edited that I keep wishing for a red pen -- and ended up giving up on because the extraneous words, continuity errors, etc. were too distracting.)

I understand that the author is working on a sequel, and I look forward to reading it as soon as it's available!

[Jane Stewart]

Story sounds fun. I wanted to buy this. But when I saw that it was told in FIRST PERSON, I said no. I'm just not in the mood for a 1st person book.

When I read 1st person, I feel like I have to be polite while I listen to someone talk.

[Szinna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nem túl csavaros krimi, ici-pici romantikával, szédületesen jó stílusban írva. Aki szereti a kutyákat, (és nem a rózsaszínre festett szőrű, gyöngyfűzött szőrű, kiskabátos típust) annak nagy örömet okozhat.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read. The author understands dogs.A credible, engrossing murder mystery.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice animal-lover mystery

[AMythicalBeast · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favourite that I've read thrice in the last two years. This one is slightly esoteric, in that it assumes the interest of the reader in dogs, and the many kinds of people who keep them by their side. It's not preachy, and O'Connell has obviously spent effort in explaining everything in such terms that someone completely unacquainted with dog owners, rescues or AKC championships would still understand the information and appreciation the escalation of the mystery. But this book is especially made for someone like me. Someone who loves mysteries but loves everything about dogs with a passion. O'Connell made me so, so happy with her understated, touching, easy portrayal of human-dog relationships. The way Dianne thinks of her dog, Sophie, is exactly how I think of my own kid. I can tell what he wants by the angle of his head and how hard his tail is wagging. To read a book with dogs in it, and not have them anthropomorphised for the sake of creating a charming plot device is utterly refreshing. They are dogs. And Dianne Brennan is a foster to the many rescues her friend Susan brings to her - a way home for these dogs, until a permanent adopter can be found. One such foster is Robot. A rottie rescue who had been so badly abused he had completely withdrawn into himself. Dianne was driving this difficult foster to the home of an adopter when she witnessed something that thrust her right into the middle of a murder case. Being resourceful and stubborn brings her to the attention of Lieutenant Forrester, a grumpy hard-ass cop, just trying to do his job. In the course of a dog show and thanks to a few loudmouths, what Dianne witnessed gets aired everywhere, and suddenly she finds her life in danger and realizes that if she is to live she needs to find the killer herself. The first half of the book drags a little by the third reading (I was entirely too thrilled with her writing to care the first two times) but the pace picks up in the second half. Whether you want to or not, you learn a lot about the dog show world and human nature in general as Dianne investigates suspects the police overlooks. The dogs are her constant companions. They never become props or devices only to be used to forward the plot. They are a part of her life and it shows by the way her mind monitors their activities even as she interrogates a suspect's wife. I love how well O'Connel shows this bond - and how much more a dog is than a playful companion - without ever assuming human motives for their actions. Best of all, I love Robo. I've rescued and raised a Robo. I'm so glad he found a home.

[Sheila Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up past my bedtime last night to finish this exciting, suspenseful mystery that dog lovers will really enjoy. The story grabs the reader's attention early on, as Dianne Brennan, who fosters rescue Rottweilers, discovers her foster dog's potential adopter viciously murdered in his home when she arrives with his new dog. The fast pace continues throughout this amateur-sleuth whodunit until the thrilling conclusion, with never a dull moment. You might call it a dog-centered action cozy.

There's plenty of dog lore, mostly about Rottweilers, that's so successfully integrated into the story that you find you're learning a great deal about dog rescue and training, without feeling you're on the receiving end of a lecture on the topic. The dogs, who play an important part in the mystery plot, are realistic and believable. The heroine is intelligent, the supporting characters are diverse and intriguing, and the prose is excellent. The author is a Rottie rescuer herself, so she knows her subject well. I recommend this especially to readers who enjoy Susan Conant's dog mysteries.

[K.C. May · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a story about a volunteer for a rottweiler rescue group who discovers that the potential new owner of a dog named Robot has been murdered. Because the dog steps in the victim's blood, the main character, Dianne Brennan, fears that he'll be blamed for the poor man's death, and so she leaves the scene to hide the dog away before calling 9-1-1. The police exhibit the sort of breed prejudice that rottweiler owners often encounter, and Dianne is under suspicion for the crime. It's up to her to investigate leads within the show dog world that the police don't seem to consider, placing Dianne in greater and greater danger. Forget that Ms. O'Connell is an Indie author -- Rottweiler Rescue is a Good Read from start to finish. If you love mysteries and dogs, put this on your to-read list.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun mystery story. It featured a heroine who can't resist trying to solve the murder of a man she knows only slightly. That's kind of typical of many of the books I read. But this one also had a large dose of dogs, particularly rottweilers.

I love books that incorporate dogs into the story. This book talks about the dog show world, and also a rescue organization for rotweillers. I loved the descriptions of the dogs. It made me miss my rottweiler, who died 5 years ago. Such a sweet dog.

This was a good, solid mystery. The murderer made sense, but was not too easy to figure out. The writing was lively, and the story moved along quickly. This would be a good choice for fans of cozy mysteries and stories featuring dogs.

[W. Monisa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I was once on a Rottweiler email list with the author and have been wanting to read the book since she wrote it. Unfortunately it was not available in a format I could download at the time. It was worth the wait. I devoured this book in no time. I loved the dogs, mainly because they reminded so much of Rottie rescues that I've dealt with in my own life (the one currently staring and me, begging to be fed, could be the incarnation of Millie). I have to confess though, I did have to peek at the end to make sure that the dogs lived. I did try very hard not to look at the killer's identity, when I did peek though. :)

[Rosemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of this well-written and paced cozy obviously knows dogs, and respects them enough to treat them realistically. Her rescued rotties, while central to the plot, do not read minds, talk, or narrate the story.

I had given up reading rescue animal stories because they so often fall into either terminal cuteness or shrill preachiness. This book did neither; but presented a solid mystery wrapped around a feisty narrator and her dogs in a believable rescue environment.

[Zero · Rating 4 out of 5]

January 2024
November 2025

This is an interesting murder mystery. I like Ellen O'Connell's writing and I really like some of her other books. It was fun to read something by her that was different from what she usually writes (historical western romance).

I liked the information about rottweilers, dog shows, and dog training methods. The characters (including the dogs) were likeable and the investigation held my attention well.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book! The author did a great job of telling the story and developing each of the characters. I greatly appreciated that the book was a mystery that was solved withut any sexual content.

What a fun and wonderful tribute to rottie rescuers. I was truly sorry that the book ended and hope there are more to come.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery and a Love Story to Dogs

Ellen O'Connell has written a wonderful love story to dogs. It happens also to be more than a cozy mystery. Dog lovers, I recommend it for while you are entertained, you'll be reminded of why you love dogs and you may learn a thing or two, as well.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love dogs, you'll enjoy this book. It's a well written mystery introducing a new series set in Colorado with a Rottie loving sleuth. It's a quick and easy read and hard to put down. My only complaint is this book was written ten years ago and so far no more books in the series. It was a really great debut.

[Elaine Dowling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, fun read, not a great book. It lacked the detail to really give the book substance, and a good editor would have been a significant asset. Regardless, it made for a pleasant Friday evening.

[Sandy J · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book, hopefully the first in a series. The author obviously has dogs, probably Rotties, and she "gets" it right. A fairly good story line also. Pretty much a light read - I'm wishing for a meatier second book.

[Girlbartending · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow start. Goes thru a list of different suspects with interviews. Once the Plot got moving, about three quarters of the way thru the book, it was a lot of fun. Love the dogs!! Overall an easy cozy mystery.

[Sharon Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable cozy with a plot revolving around dog shows and dog show people. As a former Rottweiler owner and dog show enthusiast, I was particularly pleased that the background was so accurately done.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The hook at the beginning was absolutely excellent, and I've long thought that dog rescue was a perfect topic to combine with cozy mysteries. Unfortunately...I don't really like cozy mysteries. Perhaps if I liked the genre, this would have been five stars?

[Jenna Scribbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great cozy mystery! I really hope Ms. O'Connell writes more and more of this series.

More please!

[Jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read for mystery and dog fans

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. It was written well enough, and the narrator\main character was good and not two-dimensional. Certainly an interesting mystery for dog lovers.

[Lori Whitwam · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long-time rescue volunteer and advocate, it was impossible for me NOT to love this mystery, as long as the author got it "right." and O'Connell nailed it.