Her brother is missing. And her only chance of finding him lies with a combat dog that has lost his edge.

All Air Force veteran Aspen Courtland wants is her brother back. The US Marine Corps says he’s dead, but Aspen won’t believe it till she sees his body. Her only hope is her brother’s tracking dog, Talon, but a brutal attack has left the dog afraid of his own shadow.The truth is something Military Intelligence Operative Dane Markoski has never faced. But now it’s the only thing that can save him—along with Talon’s help. But working with Talon means teaming up with Aspen as well, and Dane swore he’d never work with a woman.

Eventually they join forces to battle the elements and extremists. But if Talon can’t rise up to his former glory for one last mission, the only outcome for all three will be game over.

Talon is the second book in Ronie Kendig’s A Breed Apart series. You’ll find my review for Trinity (the first novel) here. The third novel, Beowulf…Explosives Detection Dog releases in January 2014.

“Don’t. Trust. Me….Don’t ever trust me.” While Aspen isn’t sure how to take Dane’s warning, the reader isn’t sure who to trust in this story. The twists and turns are everywhere. But this is romantic suspense, so we know she trusts him at some point. Or do we?

Dane is the ultimate bad boy. His tragic and violent past has bled into his present. He’s built a figurative stone wall around himself and suppresses his emotions. At the same time, he’s craves that emotion as well as evidence of God’s presence. It’s why, when he feels threatened or confused, his sanctuary is…a church sanctuary.

Aspen, a dog handler for A Breed Apart, knocks a hole in Dane’s protective wall while they pursue her missing brother…each for a different reason. She wants the truth behind Austin’s presumed death, and Dane wants to know what happened to his protégé. The key to finding Aspen’s brother lies in the abilities of a highly-trained, tracking dog suffering from PTSD. Together, they come face-to-face with evil for a thrilling climax in which Talon plays a key role. 

The cast of characters in this story involves many from the first one, and Ms. Kendig does a great job in ratcheting up the reader’s anticipation over the next romance. 

There was one question about siblings left unanswered. To keep the cat in the bag, I won’t ask it here, but maybe the author will answer it in a future book. Also, a few chapters in the first third of the novel moved a bit slow for me (compared to the rest)—though, definitely not ho-hum. Afterwards, the action flies. So, do yourself a favor and eliminate frustration by allowing yourself plenty time in each sitting to read. Once you open it, you won’t want to shut the book.

In summary, all I have to say is, “Bring on Beowulf!”

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think of it? Of Trinity? Have you ever met/handled a military war dog? A police dog? 

Disclosure of Material Connection: This story came to me free from Barbour Publishing with the hope that I would mention it on this blog. There was no requirement for me to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.