The Handler

Maddie Castle, Book 1

De: L.T. Ryan, C.R. Gray

Narrado por: Katie Hagaman

A dead police officer.
A department desperate for answers.
Maddie Castle must take on the role that nearly took her life.
She must once again become The Handler.

New from Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author L.T. Ryan with C.R. Gray!

Wounded in the line of duty, former K9 Handler Maddie Castle finds herself back to square one. The bullet that shredded her leg took the life of her four-legged partner. The pain of recovery goes well beyond the daily physical torment she endures.

Time is the supposed healer of all wounds. In Castle’s case, this hasn’t proven true. In a hail of gunfire, she lost not only her dog, but the one thing she loved above all else…the job.

Castle is back home in the trailer park she vowed never to return to. Taking a job as a private investigator has proven an unrewarding comparative to her former career. Barely making ends meet and hampered by the ever-present pain in her leg, Castle struggles to keep her footing in her new life.

A K9 handler from Castle’s old unit is gunned down. Castle is called in to assess whether the dog can be rehabilitated. The alternative is a consequence Castle can’t live with. Working to save the K9 might just well save Castle from herself.

As the hunt for the killer, Castle receives a call from a desperate mother searching for her missing son. The hunt for the boy leads Castle into the criminal underbelly of Pittsburgh, with powerful players who will stop at nothing stand in her way.

Behind them lies the truth. Getting to it may cost her everything, including her life, as she seeks to expose a dark secret that could bring a city to its knees.

Follow Maddie Castle as she walks the blurred line of right and wrong in a desperate search for justice.

©2023 L.T. Ryan, C.R. Gray (P)2023 Liquid Mind Media

Dog lovers & detective stories

A winner if you enjoy detective stories but if you’re a dog lover, prepare for some weeping moments.

Great story & suspense!

My first book from both authors and it was great! I especially love the relationship between Tempest & Maddie. Look forward to the next book in the series and how Maddie continues to heal from her trauma & maybe open her heart to love again. (Team Bentley)

Looking forward to Book 2 in the series

The narrator made this book enjoyable . The last few chapters seemed to stretch out a little too much as the author tried to tie up all the loose ends, but overall an enjoyable story.

A great story and performance

As murder mysteries go this one kept my interest and got me involved in Maddie's emotional journey. I will be on the lookout for another Maddie story.

Love it

The story was great!!! It was a mix of a lot of my favorite genres.

What a Combo!

A dirty cop, a drug dealer with morals, an addict ex-cop, and one damaged K-9. Wow. This thriller has all the ingredients for a great read and follows through.

Maddie is a fascinating character. She loved being a K-9 cop. It was her calling, her world. Until the night her life changed forever. Now she lives alone in a "tin can" and drives a ratty car, hoping she'll get another PI gig before her rent is due. She's allowed her disability to victimize her, and she loathes herself for it. The person that stares back at her in the mirror these days is not the woman she is. She just doesn't seem to have the right gear to pull herself out of this mire.

Maddie isn't the only character worthy of attention here. Her ex, Ox, is a pretty intense guy with communication issues. Then there's the childhood best friend that just moved in next door to Maddie. Bentley is pretty much the antithesis of Ox. In fact, the only thing they have in common is that they're both adult males, and they both love Maddie. Oh, that drug lord I mentioned-- the one with "morals." Yep. I know. He's a drug dealer leading a shady life, but he has his own moral code that he not only sticks to, he expects those who work for him to abide by it as well. That's different.

It's hard to say whether I was more captivated by the characters or the storyline. Both areas are well done and thought-provoking. The plot is well-paced and balanced with intensity and wit. The K-9, Tempest, displays as much personality and emotion as the other characters and is definitely a force within the cast. She's also aptly named.

This series is, without a doubt, a winner for any fans of crime thrillers, suspense reads, or street justice novels. There are dirty cops, great cops, thugs, and people with their own sense of right and wrong here. One thing is obvious: justice will be served. It just might not be done through the legal system.

It was a pretty good story.

Narrator is okay but she needs a new microphone or recording technique. All of the S’s sounded like ‘Sssss’ and it becomes a bit annoying after a while.

Good book!

I enjoyed this listen and will look forward to enjoying the next book in series.

Looking forward to the next book

This was a really good book and a great plot. I loved how the author throws a twist at the end, mind blowing.

Already downloaded Book 2!!!

Well written. Well narrated. Great characters. Thumbs up!
Can’t wait to dive into the next one