Often when our favorite writers abandon our favorite characters and start a new series, we often need a period of adjustment. However, we can't deny them the right to expand their horizons, so we must expand ours as well. Robert B. Parker left Spenser and brought us Jesse Stone; Robert Crais moved Elvis Cole to the background to make room for Joe Pike. The list goes on. But we wouldn't have missed meeting those new characters for anything.

Similarly, when Alex Kava developed a new lead character to star in place of Maggie O'Dell, many of us were, at least slightly, anxious. Now that she has written the third book featuring Ryder Creed, we can relax. Not only does Maggie still play an important role in the story, she and Ryder have a chemistry that promises even more “interaction” in the future. Wink. Wink.

"Alex Kava skillfully combines the best elements of good writing through memorable characters and plot lines that converge to make a great read."

It's always a bonus to gain new information while reading fiction for fun. In RECKLESS CREED, the author shares her research of rescue dogs, K-9 military, as well as the effects of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) on soldiers returning from the Middle East. She also raises some thought-provoking ethical questions about the use of dogs and humans in developing anti-virus vaccines and in virus detection. For example, would it be ethical to use a dog to detect a contagious disease, which might infect it? What if it was a dog that was going to be euthanized anyway?

Questions that seem to have easy answers become more difficult in the light of a contagion crisis that threatens the lives of thousands of people, including those seeking to track down the source. Ryder and Maggie, each working on their particular piece of the puzzle with the unique resources available to them, prove that they are equal to the task.

In addition to Ryder and Maggie, there is a cast of characters that are well developed, each adding their own special dimension to the story. Hannah is Ryder's partner in a business that rescues discarded dogs and trains them to become heroes. Hannah also founded a shelter for returning vets suffering from PTSD: “Creed rescues dogs and Hannah rescues souls.” Together they make a formidable team. And there is Jason, who lost his arm in Afghanistan and sometimes thinks he also lost his will to live. Yet his love for dogs and the support of those around him keep his will alive.

Alex Kava skillfully combines the best elements of good writing through memorable characters and plot lines that converge to make a great read. RECKLESS CREED is written in those short chapters that I love/hate because it makes it so hard not to say “just two more pages, then I'm going to sleep.”