Smoky Mountain Tracks (Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries, Book 1) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Donna Ball (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2007

North Carolina native Raine Stockton, a dog trainer and the ex-wife of a deputy sheriff, knows the woods of Hanover County as well as anyone. She stopped volunteering for Search and Rescue work after a tragic loss, but now she reluctantly returns to active duty-along with a young and inexperienced Golden Retriever named Cisco-to help find a mother and six-year-old girl who have been kidnapped and taken deep into the wilderness. Suspecting there's more to the case than meets the eye, Raine must struggle to overcome her personal demons, turn her search in new directions-and learn to trust Cisco to lead the way.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An intriguing heroine, a twisty tale, a riveting finale, and a Golden Retriever to die for. (Carolyn Hart) Donna Ball knows dogs, knows the Smoky Mountains and knows how to write a page-turner. I loved it. (Beverly Connor) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 239 pages
• Publisher: Center Point Large Print (July 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585479977
• ISBN-13: 978-1585479979
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,074,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Donna Ball published her first book in 1982. Since that time she has written over eighty works of commercial fiction under pseudonyms that include Rebecca Flanders, Donna Carlisle, Leigh Bristol, Taylor Brady, and Donna Boyd. She is known for her work in women's fiction and suspense, as well as supernatural fantasy and adventure. Her novels have been translated into well over a dozen languages and have been published in virtually every country in the world. She has appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and has been featured in such publications as the Detroit Free Press, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, and even T.V. Guide. She is the holder of the Storytelling World award, 2001, the Georgia Author of the Year Award, 2000, Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards for consecutive years 1991-1996, the Georgia Romance Writer's Maggie Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times, among others.

Donna lives in the Northeast Georgia Mountains in a restored Victorian barn which was the inspiration for A YEAR ON LADYBUG FARM and AT HOME ON LADYBUG FARM. She spends her spare time hiking, painting, and enjoying canine sports with her four dogs-- two golden retrievers, a rough collie, and a border collie.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Golden" Start to a Fabulous New Series!, August 14, 2006

By 

L Smith "acozylover" (Macomb, MI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Smoky Mountain Tracks (Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries, Book 1) (Paperback)

In the 1st book in the Raine Stockton Dog mystery series, we meet "retired" dog-tracker, Raine Stockton and her dog, Cisco. The team has been reluctantly called out to assist in a troubling case of a missing child in the Smoky Mountains of Hanover County, North Carolina. Raine has given up working as a Search and Rescue team after the death of her favorite dog, Cassidy. Cisco is not the dog that Cassidy was, and Raine is embarrassed when he alerts to a find that appears only to be an open can of baked beans. Stumbling back to her vehicle and working Cisco around a bridge that he is petrified of, Raine hurts her "bad" knee while falling next to the dead body of the little girl's kidnapper. Laid up with her injury, Raine is taken off the search team. Determined to help find the missing girl, Raine continues her search and finds peace with the death of her beloved dog, Cassidy, and the knowledge that she has another great dog still willing to go to work helping people.

Every once in awhile, I find a fantastic new series that grabs my attention from the beginning, and seizes my heart along with it. While reading this magnificent book, I felt a wide range of emotions, and was sad when it came to the end. Raine is a strong female character still reeling from the death of her beloved, devoted Golden. She doesn't trust the abilities of Cassidy's grandson, Cisco, but learns over the course of the book that she must let go of her grief and begin to trust her intelligent, sensitive young dog. I laughed at the dog's antics, I cried at the description of Cassidy's death, and went through the ups and downs of this twisting tale right along with this great team. As a dog lover, I am continually amazed at what these wonderful animals can do for us and it was great to see some of them highlighted in this extraordinary new series!

The next book in this series is "Rapid Fire". Enjoy!

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars New Dog Queen, May 12, 2006

By 

Ripleygold - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smoky Mountain Tracks (Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries, Book 1) (Paperback)

As a friend and website host for late Bloodhound Mystery author Virginia Lanier, I've mourned not only my friend but the end of a great dog mystery series. With Smoky Mountain Tracks by Donna Ball, I feel I've found a new and wonderful friend.

Set in the North Carolina mountains, the sense of locale and characters is wonderful, and I hope to see the characters developed more fully in upcoming books. For those of us who love dogs, the details of the training and personalities of the dogs was great to read. While I occasionally "saw things coming," there were enough twists and turns to keep me interested right to the end, and I enjoyed every page.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fabulous mystery, March 8, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Smoky Mountain Tracks (Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries, Book 1) (Paperback)

Hanover County, North Carolina, nestled in the Smoky Mountains, is home to Raine Stockton, the estranged wife of Deputy Sheriff Buck Lawson. She is a dog trainer extraordinaire and used to go on search and rescue missions but since her beloved canine Cassidy died, she hasn't had the heart for it any longer. That is until she receives a frantic phone call at three in the morning from Buck asking her to take her SAR dog Cisco to help in the search for Cindy Winston and her daughter Angel.

When they fail to find them, she starts to return home when Cisco and Raine trip over the murdered body of Luke Pickens, a drug user and alcoholic, who kidnapped the two females but no proof of Cindy or Angel, is nearby. Cindy walks home to her mother's house injured by a bullet Luke put in her with no idea where Angel is. Upset that Cisco failed to find the missing girl, Raine starts asking questions, discovers that the whole episode might have to do with a land deal and continues to use her SAR canine to hunt for clues in Angel's disappearance.

Donna Ball is a famous multi-faceted author who has written compelling novels in the horror, romance, paranormal and women in jeopardy genres. Now she turns her considerable talent to mystery writing and has provides an exciting, original and suspense laden who-done it that will please her myriad of fans who have been waiting too long for her to publish another book. SMOKY MOUNTAIN TRACKS is a simply fabulous mystery starring a likable dedicated heroine; anyone who reads it will eagerly await the next book in the series.

Harriet Klausner