Not a bad book. Nice story in parts and no so nice in other parts. ( )

3.5 stars
More later. ( )

I have loved every single book I have read by Susan Wilson....but.....the ending....yes, it was "okay" but somehow, I wanted just a little more personal compassion from the main character---Cooper, for this wonderful dog---along the way in the book so that the ending of "misty-eyed" would have happened for the DOG much earlier. Couldn't the dog ultimately love two people?? ( )

Superlative storyteller Susan Wilson tells a compelling, poignant, and ultimately uplifting tale in "The Dog Who Saved Me". While the story does not flinch away from abuse, hardships, and tragedy, it also celebrates survivorship and the triumph of the spirit, both human and animal. At the heart of it all is an extremely well-written, well-paced police story. Cooper Harrison thought he had left his troubled youth behind when he moved from small-town Harmony Farms to become an officer in a Boston K-9 unit. Unable to overcome his grief when beloved canine partner Argos is killed in a bombing incident, Cooper tries to drink away his sorrow and come to grips with the physical limitations of his own injuries. When his marriage and career come to an end, a call from an old friend, now the police chief of Harmony Farms, offers Cooper a chance to start over. He never imagined he would end up as the Animal Control Officer back in his home town, but that's just where he lands. Now he has to face his father, Bull, known as the town drunk, and his older brother, Jimmy, fresh out of prison after serving time on drug charges. Cooper's work as an animal control officer is vastly different from his duties as K-9 unit officer. He's now a lawman, a handyman, a counselor, a psychologist--both for humans and animals, and he's a tracker, a super-sleuth, and much, much more. Along the way he begins a romance with lovely woman, Natalie, who rescues and rehabs horses and has her own set of emotional issues. Linking all of these people together, in ways never anticipated, is a yellow dog. Not just any dog, but a purebred yellow Lab, a victim of abuse, and a survivor of severe hardship. It will take all of Cooper's skill, intelligence, and innate compassion to capture and revitalize this dog, but eventually dog and man will offer to each other the gift of hope. The characters are beautifully-layered and shaded--definitely beyond stereotypes--and you may find yourself rethinking some of your own relationships with others. The storyline is so involving that it will keep you intrigued until the last page is turned, and you will be thinking about all you've read far beyond "The End". With "The Dog Who Saved Me" author Susan Wilson reminds us that while some people are habitually rotten, beneath the crust of the crustiest humans there beats a heart, and above that heart is brain with a surprising variety and depth of thoughts. A highly recommended read from a very gifted author.

Book Copy Gratis Amazon Vine ( )

Cooper Harrison was a member of Boston’s elite K-9 unit, until his canine partner, Argos, was killed in a bomb blast. Now Coop has returned to his small home town of Harmony Farms as the animal control officer (i.e. dog catcher). He suffers from PTSD and mostly keeps to himself. When he spots an obviously wounded and emaciated yellow dog, he decides to try to capture it. He gets help and advice from Max, the local veterinarian, as well as from Natalie, the owner of a horse rescue farm.

Though I am not really an animal lover or a “dog person,” I have read a few of Wilson’s books and found them interesting and engaging. This is somewhat formulaic, but the lead characters are likeable and their back stories interesting enough to hold my attention. Coop’s situation is complicated by a troubled family background; his father is an alcoholic and his older brother a recently released ex-con drug dealer. Wilson uses flashback technique to give the reader insight into Coop’s childhood and the events that led to his Argo’s death. It’s a fast, quick read, that satisfied several challenges. ( )