I previously enjoyed LONE WOLF, first book in this FBI K-9 series. We meet the same characters again, Meg Jennings and her black Labrador Hawk in particular. Meg is concerned that the kidnapping victim bears a visual similarity to herself, and the next abducted woman is also a close match in appearance. The women share a love of dogs and the evil man seems to strike women dog walkers and researches their families. He leaves taunting messages telling the K-9 team to hurry and rescue the victims, but of course, any harm done to them is his fault, not theirs. With so little to go on, the team has to find the vile criminal somehow.

I am always impressed by the talents of the highly trained search dogs. Their handlers know to trust the dogs; also how to give them the best opportunity to find their quarry. The dogs are carefully fed and rested, praised and treated for any cuts before being asked to work. Another character recurring is the Washington Post journalist Clay McCord, a former war correspondent. Clay and Meg's puzzle-solving sister Cara decide that the coded messages relate to historic Civil War locations. This opens up new avenues of exploration for the crime fighters. But the personal connections to Meg continue.

I enjoyed the decryption of the codes and the tour of historic locations ranging from a prison watermill to a tannery. The Civil War historical connections get too detailed for me to worry about, but of course, American readers would be more interested. I love the descriptions of the natural preserves, including birds of prey. In structure, this adventure is a treasure hunt, with a series of clues and rewards. The criminology profiling and rehashing of past clues for links, does create some repetition. The action sequences are frequent and fast-paced, though, with an ever-narrowing focus on Meg herself. BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE is a carefully and cleverly written thriller by Sara Driscoll, a pen name for a two-woman team. They emphasize teamwork and in their case, it certainly pays off.

Book Summary