Gathering Mist finds Deputy Mattie Wray and her K-9 partner, Robo, being called from their beloved Timber Creek, Colorado, less than a week before Mattie's wedding to local vet Cole Walker, no less, and flying out to Seattle, where a movie is being filmed on the Olympic Peninsula. A 9-year-old boy, River Allen, son of movie star Chrystal Winter, has wandered off set and is missing in the wilds of the deeply forested area surrounding the filming set. Along with Mattie comes Sgt. Jim Madsen, Robo's original trainer, and Drake Hill, with Banjo and Fritz, a father/son team of bloodhounds with different skill sets, including human remains detection, in case this missing persons case goes south. Fortunately, Mattie has been training Robo in air scenting, which will come in quite handy with Seattle's ever-present mist and rain, which could easily wash away ground scents.
In addition to contentious Seattle winter weather, there is no shortage of danger in these woods for a young boy. Slippery deadfall, wild animals, and lethal drop-offs abound, so time is of the essence. Plus, he's not the first boy to go missing in those woods and never be recovered. However, as details of River's disappearance come to light, Mattie begins to suspect foul play. At the time he left the trailer, his nanny, Sally Kessler, had been sent on an errand by the boy's mother, and during this time, an odd fire was discovered on the other side of the movie set, causing everyone around to race over to check on the commotion. Additionally, it seems the relationship between exes Chrystal Winter and Roger Allen is anything but amicable. Could one of them be involved?
Before long, Cole flies out to join Mattie as backup, especially when one of the local K-9's appears to have come into contact with poison. While he's not officially law enforcement, she appreciates the support. As the search widens after 2 days of not finding River, the teams work their way into the few private homesteads around the National Park and are met with a mix of reclusive and angry sorts, as well as a friendly blind man named Cecil Moore with a German Shepherd named Oscar. Cecil and Oscar have discovered a doe and her fawn, dead of apparent poisoning, which bears further investigation.
Cecil and one of the other landowners also claim to have heard a scream both recently, and a year or so ago as well, so something is definitely going on in that area. Further, Robo discovers a few clues, including River's key chain, but then a discovery of not one, but two graves leads the local sheriff to call in the big guns to assist. Could River's time be running out, or is it already too late? Before Mattie's wedding bells ring, there will be quite a few shocking discoveries and horrifying showdowns, but at least Cole and Robo are by her side through it all.
Like I said earlier, Gathering Mist is a quick read, but an excellent one. Mizushima is such a descriptive writer I could almost feel the PNW mist on my skin and smell the rich scent of the forest. I love that you not only get a mystery, but also progress in Mattie's personal life. Although it doesn't take center stage, Cole's parents have a lot to say about his upcoming nuptials, especially his prickly mother, Nora, who is patently opposed. If anyone can win her over, it'll be Mattie, though.
If you've already read a book in this series, you've probably already pre-ordered Gathering Mist, but if you haven't yet tried one, check them out. Mizushima does a fantastic job of keeping the reader informed of what a newbie needs to know, so you can jump in anywhere, but honestly, the backstory is incredibly rich and deep (and that's just what I've gleaned from three books!), so do yourself a favor and start from the beginning. Highly recommended fall read.
