Article and Interview by Elise Cooper
Hanging Falls by Margaret Mizushima is an excellent mystery. But readers get a bonus with this series as they learn about the bond between dog handlers and their canine partners. There is also a subplot that delves into the background story of the main character.
While on a scouting mission to pinpoint trail damage from flooding, Officer Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo, along with game warden Glenna and her dog Moose, find a human body at the edge of a river. With the help of others in the department the body is identified. As another murdered body is found, Mattie realizes she needs the help of her colleagues as well as her boyfriend, the local veterinarian Cole Walker. Soon they become suspicious of an oddly strict religious group, although evidence also points to others in the community.
Along with the murder mystery, there is also a family mystery. Mattie had taken a DNA test and submitted it on an ancestry website. Her sister also registered on the site, linking them. They finally got in touch with each other and Mattie finds that her grandmother is also alive. She is hoping to get answers as to why her parents left her at the age of two.
Besides a riveting mystery, this book allows readers to get to know the characters more. The issue of family pushes Mattie’s backstory closer to the foreground while not losing sight of the main mystery. There is also fascinating information about the training and handling of police dogs, which enhances the story.
Elise Cooper: Why did you have Robo as a German Shepherd?
Margaret Mitzushima: I had friends who had that breed. The canine trainer and officer from Washington state had a German Shepherd named Robo, which is who I based Mattie’s dog on. He saved her life a number of times. Both the fictional Robo and the real life Robo have strong drives and are wonder dogs. They are kind-hearted and can easily socialize with children, but also become fierce when finding a criminal and stolen goods. Robo knows when to become fierce by the equipment vest put on. I always need to find a way to have Robo and Cole, the vet, an intricate part of the plot. Mattie and the police detective Stella are the ones that usually put together the pieces.
EC: Do you have any dogs?
MM: When my children were young, we had bird dogs and cattle dogs. My husband who is a vet had his clinic on our property. We had German Short Haired pointers and Labs.
EC: What about the relationship between Mattie and Cole?
MM: Because of what she went through as a child she is afraid to love someone for fear of losing them. She still has PTSD and is always on high alert. Cole is a great guy who is very much in love with Mattie and understands her. Their relationship will resolve in book eight.
EC: After reading that scene in the book where Robo chases someone, I thought how a dog is better than a bullet?
MM: I have been told by canine officers that a dog is the only lethal weapon that can be called back once sent. They are very valuable. The cost is very expensive, from $15,000 to $20,000 for the first dog. A jurisdiction can also be very selective who they chose as a dog handler. In Killing Trail, the scene about the community raising the money for the dog was actually true.
EC: Did you do any research?
MM: I used to go to police dog trial competitions. A man comes out in a padded bite suit and the police officer must restrain the dog through verbal commands. Those that usually win will sit calmly until their handlers say, ‘take him.’ They then will grab the padded suit and hold on until they are told to let go. After that the dog is calm again. There are dogs with a huge range of skills. It is pretty cool.
EC: What role does the setting play in the plot?
MM: Weather, the terrain, and the elements are like a character. They play interference with Mattie and the rest regarding their duties. In previous books I have written blizzards, rain, and mud slides. In this book there were floods.
EC: You have in the plot religious cults?
MM: The concept of polygamy fascinates me. We had a group here in Colorado that got a lot of attention. The leader is now in prison for marrying a child bride. The other day I watched a documentary about child brides. State laws do not protect these children at all because all it takes is for a parent’s signature to give permission to basically legalize rape.
EC: Can you give a heads up about your next book?
MM: It is titled Darkening Sky and comes out September 7th. Mattie finds out her brother was killed by John Cobb. He was killed in prison. She is trying to figure out why Cobb marked certain spots in a certain area of Colorado. There will also be a current murder. The plot will also have Detective Stella’s backstory, and that Robo will become a father.
EC: THANK YOU!!
