This is such a great crime thriller, an exciting page-turner of a book. This is one you won't be able to put down.
I had read the first book in the series but not the second but this didn't hamper my enjoyment of reading another book featuring DS Zoe Mayer and her service dog, Harry.

Once again Zoe is investigation a crime and has her trusty dog by her side. I love that Zoe is a person who doesn't stop until she finds the answers, determined, strong and very capable of getting the job done.

This book has all the twists and turns, excitement and intrigue you want from a good thriller. Well paced, well written and a read full of tension, thrills and so much more.

Thank you NetGalley and Text Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

4.5★s
The Good Dog is the third book in the Detective Zoe Mayer series by best-selling Australian author, Simon Rowell. Macedon Station police respond to reports of two shots fired, and find wealthy local home owner, Piers Johnson dead at the Mount Macedon war memorial cross, with a single gunshot wound. When DS Zoe Mayer, her partner of two weeks, Detective Senior Constable Ben Tarro and, of course, her service dog Harry, arrive on the scene, it’s Harry, finely tuned to distress, who finds the second victim, minutes before he dies.

The man who has bled out from what, at first, appears to be a self-inflicted wound to the neck is Johnson’s long-time friend and lawyer, Antony Peterson, who successfully defended him against fraud charges six months earlier. Beside him, a ghost gun, 3D printed. But before very long, Zoe has dismissed the murder-suicide implication and is looking at the four investors whose hefty losses give them the perfect revenge motive against the investment advisor and his counsel.

Frustratingly, the two business people who sustained the largest losses, owner of a road construction company and an industrial shed maker, have cast-iron alibis. Of the minor investors, the Macedon pub owner’s alibi seems to hold up, while the former police sergeant had committed suicide after Johnson’s acquittal meant his life savings could not be redeemed. All three remaining investors have either a police record, or connections with ex-cons, so aren’t quite in the clear.

But the case seems to be going nowhere. Johnson’s Mount Macedon house is robbed and ransacked, adding to the puzzle. Then Peterson’s teenaged daughter is plucked from the street in broad daylight, and Zoe knows they will have to find her fast: a ransom call indicates it is linked to the fraud, and it’s clear these perpetrators are ruthless, having killed twice already.

Harry is once again a star in this instalment, the title being very apt as he proves himself to have more talents than his accepted role. Rowell gives the reader a twisty plot in which all the regular cast play to their strengths while the new addition begins to find his place. There’s plenty of action and lots of phone tapping, leading up to a dramatic climax (or two) and a reveal that only the most astute reader will see coming. More of this addictive Aussie crime series will be most welcome.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Text Publishing.

The Good Dog is another fabulous whodunnit, featuring two of my favourite characters, DS Zoe Mayer and her service dog, Harry. Rowell doesn't waste any time getting straight to the nitty gritty and I found it to be a page turner throughout. The pace is fast, the suspense non stop, and together with a few twists, this one is a must read! The third in a series, The Good Dog can be read as a stand-alone, though I highly recommend you read The Long Game and Wild Card first because they are also fantastic!

It was great to read another Zoe and Harry story, and I loved that it was set in Macedon and surrounding areas, where I recently visited, so I knew where a lot of the places mentioned in the book were!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for an eARC of The Good Dog. Expected publication date is 30/1/24

Overall a great police book. Loved the characters oof Detective Zoe Mayer and her awesome service dog, Harry. He was my favorite. Zoe is an unstoppable force when conducting an investigation. Strong, and capable . This is prat of a series, but I hadn't read the first two and followed along with no problems.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Good Dog is the third book in Simon Rowell’s procedural series featuring Victorian detective sergeant Zoe Mayer and her faithful service dog Harry and now a new partner. As with the other two books in this series – The Long Game and Wild Card – Rowell delivers a diverting procedural with few bells and whistles.
Good Dog opens with the death of an alleged con man at a tourist spot on the top of Mount Macedon. Piers Johnson had been accused of running a dodgy development scheme and was alleged to have used it to steal millions from two large and two small investors. Despite claiming that he had lost millions himself and being cleared in a court hearing, suspicion immediately falls on the investors. When the daughter of a second victim, Johnson’s lawyer, is kidnapped, the investigation goes into overdrive.
Zoe Mayer continues to be an engaging main character, with a little of her personal life intruding into the work. Dog lovers will be happy at some of the star turns given to Harry – not only a lie detector but also able to sniff out clues when human senses fail.
Overall The Good Dog is down the line, solid procedural crime with a plot is twisted enough to keep readers guessing fiction. It is anchored by an engaging main character in Zoe Mayer not only ably supported by Harry the dog but by a group of highly competent investigators.

This is a very good read featuring Detective Zoe Mayer and Harry the service dog. I think Harry must be my favourite character in crime fiction! The pace is steady as Zoe investigates a double murder, there is plenty of tension and twists along the way. I loved the Australian setting and the descriptions, this is a good addition to the series. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Harry, a golden retriever service dog assigned to DS Zoe Mayer is the Good Dog of the title. And a very good dog he is indeed. He not only helps Zoe cope with her PTSD, alerting her when she’s at risk of an attack, but also helping her find missing or hurt people when they are on the job, as well as being a comforting presence to distraught relatives of victims.

After the death of her previous police partner, Charlie, Zoe has a new partner, Ben Tarro. He doesn’t like dogs and isn’t sure about having Harry tagging along, but when Zoe and Ben are called out to a shooting at Mt Macedon in Victoria, he’s impressed when Harry finds a second victim in the nearby bush. At first the scene looks like a murder suicide but Zoe isn’t convinced. The two victims are Piers Johnson, a man recently on trial for embezzlement of millions of dollars in an investment scam, and his friend and lawyer Antony Peterson. Claiming to also be a victim of the scam, losing ten million himself, Piers was found not guilty. However, some of those who lost large sums of money still believe he set up the whole thing and has the money hidden away somewhere. Zoe and Ben have the difficult job of discovering whether any of them wanted him dead.

This is a very enjoyable police procedural which moves along at a good pace. The widows of the murdered men are still receiving threats and a kidnapping puts the pressure on Ben and Zoe to solve the case quickly. Harry more than proves his worth to Ben and Zoe is starting to warm to Ben a little better now that he’s willing to learn from her. A breakthrough with a good twist leads Zoe and Ben to a very suspenseful and dangerous ending when they identify the killer and their motive behind the murders. Another great addition to an excellent series.

So good to catch up with Simon Rowell’s great detective Zoe Mayer and her service dog Harry. The formidable team is joined by a new partner and together they are off to the Victorian country town of Mt Macedon. There are two bodies at the foot of the well know cross and a lot to untangle. Zoe and her team have not only the murders to solve but also a kidnapping and some DNA related issues. And there is the potential fraudulent embezzlement of many millions just to add to the mix along with a. 3D printer. There is a lot happening to keep the pages turning. I’m sure the good detectives don’t get much sleep, nor does the reader. The Good Dog is a great read, we’re getting to know Zoe and her backstory a little better each time while Harry is busy channeling Lassie to add to the story. Thanks to @netgalley and to Text publishing for the advance copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to my next encounter with Ms Mayer and Harry.

4.5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a really good read with all the twists and turns as to who the suspect was for the murders. Zoe had her work cut out for her to find the killer, plus working with a new partner. Great characters, especially Harry with the way he helped Zoe. The ending surprised me. Would recommend.

Zoe Mayer and her service dog Harry are an unstoppable team in this Australian novel. It is part of a series but I feel like it can stand alone.

Two deaths are how this story brings you in. If you like police procedural type stories, this one will grab you with its organization and real time feel.

What I like about this story is that it is a quick read and it feels like it moves like you are watching a police series on television. Almost like a law and order type story with the time stamps.

It will flow perfectly for someone familiar with or native to Australia. I'm in the US but I got used to the format of speech very quickly and it added to the feel of the story.

The highlight for me was Harry. You can't beat a good investigation that involves a human and canine bond.

An Australian detective story starting with two deaths, apparently a murder suicide pact. DS Zoe Mayer feels something is off, the two dead men have history, one an alleged fraudster, the other his lawyer. That was always going to be dodgy. Bring in wives, a kidnapped daughter and various people who had lost out on the fraud and were not convinced about the innocent verdict and tensions increase. Zoe has a service dog to help both find and support criminals/victims but to support her from a previous traumatic event. He's great. She also has a new partner, young Ben, and they need to work together and develop a partnership. It's a good police procedural with sufficient twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, murder, a great who done it, great police work, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!