No Going Back

Starred review from April 26, 2010
This stellar first in a new series from British author Stacey (Cut Throat) introduces Daniel Whelan, a 28-year-old former police officer, and his retired police dog, Taz. Daniel has left his wife and his eight-year-old son, Drew, to begin a new life in Devon, working as a delivery man for a farm supply company. When two sisters, 15-year-old Katya and 12-year-old Elena Reynolds, go missing on Dartmoor, Daniel can’t refuse joining in the hunt. A glove of Elena’s provides a scent for Taz, a German shepherd, to follow. That the girls’ father, judging from his accent, might be Eastern European provides a possible clue to their fate. Meanwhile, Daniel must deal with the effect his separation has had on Drew as well as the consequences of his dismissal from the police force. Vivid descriptions of Devon complement a compelling mystery, which builds to a dramatic conclusion. Even nondog lovers will eagerly await the next installment featuring Taz and his handler.

May 1, 2010
An ex-cop and his canine companion find adventure chasing criminals across the wilds of Dartmoor.

Lorry driver Daniel Whelan earned his 15 minutes of fame when his German Shepherd Taz, a retired police dog, tracked down a profoundly deaf toddler who had wandered away from her grandparents' farm in Launceton. The Western Post's article about the rescue brings a call from John Reynolds, who claims that his daughters Katya and Elena ran out onto the moor after a family squabble. Despite misgivings compounded by"Reynolds's" foreign accent and his refusal to call Bristol Search and Rescue, Daniel manages to find Elena. Katya eludes him, but then turns up at Quarry Farm Racing Stables, owned by Daniel's girlfriend Tamzin Ellis, despite her father's assurance that the missing teen had returned home. Now Daniel—who once worked for the Bristol police but who left under unpleasant circumstances he reveals drop by drop, like water torture—is really suspicious. Before he can confront Katya, she bolts, but he catches up with her at Hilary McEwan's pony-trekking center at Goat's Tor. What Katya reveals convinces Daniel that something is very wrong with that household of young women Reynolds, actually a Romanian named Patrescu, runs at the edge of Dartmoor. Can he unearth Patrescu's secret while fighting his ex-wife Amanda for custody of their son?

In spite of its male lead, this series opener from Stacey (Six to One Against, 2006, etc.) reads like Nancy Drew, with probes into what the creepy foreigners could possibly be up to vying for space with personal domestic drama.

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 1, 2010
A woman dying of an overdose that is definitely not accidental, missing girls, corrupt police, and sex slaves are all part of this fast-paced series debut introducing former disgraced police officer Daniel Whelan and his retired police dog, Taz. Daniel, now driving a truck delivering feed to local farms, is called out after hours with Taz to look for two young girls who have run away. The youngest girl is found, but the other remains missing. Only afterward does Daniel question whether the two men who reported the girls missing are relatives or criminals. His police instinct demands that he investigate further. VERDICT This mystery is not as violent or dark as it might sound. Stacey, whose other crime novels revolve around horse racing la Dick Francis ("Cut Throat"), does a good job developing characters who grab your attention. Recommended for fans of serious British mysteries, especially those who read S.J. Bolton or Ann Cleeves.Susan Hayes, Chattahoochee Valley Libs., Columbus, GA

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2010
Mystery author Staceys new series features 28-year-old ex-cop Daniel Whelan and his retired police dog, Taz. After Taz finds a lost child and is featured on the front page, Daniel gets a call asking for help in locating a missing teenager and her sister. He is able to locate the younger girl, but the terror on her face and the strangeness of her father and uncle make him suspicious. Putting his job as a lorry driver on the line, Daniel, with Tazs help, begins to investigate, unable to resist the lure of an unsolved crime. Daniels own secret past makes it next to impossible for him to cooperate with the local police, and things get even more complicated when Daniel learns that the local police may be corrupt. In this tense and fast-moving story, Daniel is assisted by his sympathetic boss and two local horse trainers after the older girl shows up looking for work as a stable hand. With lots of potential as a series, this is recommended for most crime collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)