Acclaim for SILENT CREEDThrill lovers, prepare to be taken on a ride! . . . With twists, turns, and suspense galore, Breaking Creed and Silent Creed are near impossible to put down. Guaranteed to keep you up all night!Modern Dog Exciting . . . . Creed is a multifaceted character whose hidden depths are only barely revealed in this intense thriller, which builds to an explosive conclusion.Publishers Weekly "Producing an engrossing, suspense-filled, completely original mystery entwining dozens of trustworthy and dishonest characters in three separate locations could be messy, but Alex Kava's dexterity as an accomplished thriller writer shines upon the pages of her latest novel... After finishing Kava's latest addictive installment, you'll immediately want to dive into another adventure starring O'Dell, Creed and the dogs."Lincoln Journal Star "If the reader loves mystery and danger with a cast of characters that range from the brave to the beautiful, this is the summer book of all summer books. This may be only the second tale of Ryder Creed, but it is a guarantee readers will be screaming for more. The plotline is all about intrigue and action, and the connection between Ryder and Bolo is one that all true animal lovers will understand. 5 Stars!"Suspense Magazine Combines a riveting mystery, a backstory of military dog handlers, and rescue dogs. . . Silent Creed has an intense storyline along with details about rescue operations, the difficulties faced by returning military personnel, and the importance of dogs in peoples lives. Anyone who loves dogs should read these books.Crimespree MagazinePraise for BREAKING CREED: Breaking Creed simply blew me away, mostly with the introduction of a character who can finally and truly stand toe-to-toe with ODell. Ryder Creedalong with his dogs! is a true inspiration: tough, smart, dynamic. The pairing of Creed and ODell elevates this thriller to the next level. For any dog lover, its a must-read. For any lover of nail-biting suspense, its a book youll not be able to put down. Get it now!James Rollins,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Sixth Extinction [Contains] vivid and engaging detail about how dogs are trained and how they behave on the job. Grace and Creeds other dogs become distinct personalities. . . . [A] highly original novel.Florida Weekly Creed is special, a memorable characterhe trains homeless dogs to sniff out contraband and hunt criminals.When he teams up with Kavas iconic FBI forensics specialist Maggie ODell, youll discover the most exciting crime-solving duo of the year.Gayle Lynds,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Assassins With Creed, his partners and special dogs, the author has given us a cast of new players to meet and get to know. . . . A nail-biting, cant-put-it-down mystery.Omaha World-Herald Breaking Creed has a very fast-paced and thrilling plot with many twists and turns. For any dog lover this is a must-read. [Readers] can also just enjoy the tough, smart, and dynamic characters of this series.CrimespreeFrom the Hardcover edition.About the AuthorAlex Kava is the New York Timesbestselling author of thirteen novels, including Breaking Creed as well as the internationally bestselling mystery series featuring FBI profiler Maggie ODell. Her novels have been published in more than twenty countries around the world. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska, and Pensacola, Florida.Excerpt. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.Chapter 1 Haywood County, North Carolina Daniel Tate clenched his teeth and looked away just as the needle pierced a vein in his arm. Hed spent two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Hed been shot at, dodged IEDs, and escaped a grenade. But needles damn, he hated needles. This will help relax you, Dr. Shaw told him. When she walked in the door Tate had been relieved to see a woman. But she had barely introduced herself before she pulled out a stainless steel tray with vials and surgical utensils and, of course, several syringes. Her black hair was pulled back tight leaving only long bangs that overlapped heavy-framed glasses. She was younger than he expected, with smooth skin that hadnt yet earned wrinkles at the corners of her mouth or eyes. And she was attractive, but instead of looking at her now, Tate let his eyes scan the room. He didnt want to even see the needle, so he stared at the walls. It was a strange room, empty except for the examination table. The drywall looked spongy, like the foam mats youd find at the basketball court tacked up under the basket for overenthusiastic athletes to bounce off of. Only these mats werent tacked onto the walls, they were the walls whitewashed and seamless. The term padded cell came to mind. There wasnt a single thing displayed. Didnt medical exam rooms have diplomas or something on the walls? Not that it mattered. Tates chance of backing out had passed. He knew it as soon as he signed on page seven of that long-ass contract theyd handed him when he first arrived. He didnt even know where this place was. It had been pouring sheets of rain the entire hour and a half from the airport. That was yesterday, or at least he thought it was. His wristwatch and cellphone were two of the personal items he had to surrender. Other than not knowing the time of day, he didnt mind. But Tate didnt understand why he couldnt wear his own shoes or underwear. The blue scrubs were comfortable, but the paper booties drove him crazy. He felt like he was shuffling, the sound reminding him of the old people in the nursing home where his wife worked. After I administer the drug Ill ask you a series of questions, Dr. Shaw said. He glanced at her and held back a grimace. She was loading another syringe. Long, slender fingers with blood-red nail polish. A ring on her thumb that was strange, but young women did that, right? The ring had tiny little diamonds dancing around the band. All Tate could think was that this served him right for not reading all seven pages. Hed only cared about the three thousand dollars he had been promised, and he had double checked that it was in the contract. He hated that his wife worked an extra shift once a week just to make ends meet. Their oldest daughter had started waiting tables at the coffee shop. Even Danny Junior had a paper route. But Tate hadnt been able to get a job. Not true. He hadnt been able to hold a job since hed been back. The doctors called it post-traumatic stress disorder. But all Tate saw when he looked in the mirror was a perfectly healthy man. Never mind that his brain twisted pieces of information, and insomnia kept him pacing the streets of their small town. He needed to start contributing and helping to take care of his family. Even if it meant a few needle pokes. This time it didnt matter where he looked. As soon as the metal slipped into his vein he felt the liquid rush into his body. A heat wave crawled up his arm, over his shoulder, and spread throughout his chest. It took his breath away, and he felt his body shudder. You may experience a tightness in your chest, he heard Dr. Shaw say. Only now it sounded like she was talking to him from the next room. He turned his head to look at her and just that movement made him nauseated. He tried to find her eyes through the blur. The small rose tattoo he had noticed earlier on the side of her neck had grown legs and started to inch along her skin like an insect. Tate blinked hard, trying to focus. Sweat beaded on his forehead and upper lip. Nose bleeds are not uncommon, Dr. Shaw continued in her calm, cool manner. Im going to ask you some questions, Daniel. Tate, he wanted to tell her everyone called him Tate, but he couldnt take his mind off the bug digging into her neck. His heart galloped in his chest and it was difficult to breathe. Daniel, can you count backward from a hundred for me? His mouth had a metallic taste and it took effort to make it move. Teeth and tongue seemed to be in the way of him activating his voice. Daniel, can you count backward from a hundred? she repeated. Suddenly he heard himself say, That would be difficult to do because I dont like rice. Even as he said it he knew it wasnt the correct answer, but already hed forgotten the question. Nothing mattered except the black insect on her neck. Why couldnt she feel it digging under her skin? Dr. Shaw. A voice called from the doorway. Tates entire body jerked before he saw the man. His head was shaved and gleamed almost as bright as his long white coat. Tate had to look away. The brightness hurt his eyes. Just as they were starting to focus, the light sent stars and sparks like electrical surges and he knew he couldnt trust them. Im in the middle of a test, Dr. Shaw told the man. Its gotten worse. Can you please wait a few minutes, Richard? Ive just started. For gods sake, you didnt give him the serum, did you? It takes seventy-two hours to leave the system. And we need to leave now. Calm down, please. Tate couldnt decide if she was talking to him or the man, because she was staring directly at him. Theyre talking about landslides. We really must evacuate. Ive lived through hurricanes, Richard. This is just a rain. But now she left Tate and joined the man at the door. Neither bothered to keep their voices down. In fact, they seemed to forget about Tate. They didnt even notice that he was panting now and wiping erratically at his eyes, sweat pouring down his face. The water is almost over the bridge. Richard sounded panicked. He was loud and gesturing. If we dont leave now, we risk being stranded here. Dr. Shaw was turned away from him and Tate could no longer see the insect on her neck. He began checking his own hands and arms. We cant just leave behind all of our research material. Were safe here, Dr. Shaw was telling the man. This place is built like a fortress. Tate tried to see if there were any bugs on the man. His eyes were finally settling down when he saw a flash of green and black fur behind the doctors. It looked like a small monkey running up the hallway. Well, Im leaving. With or without you. That would be a mistake. Lets talk about this. She glanced over her shoulder, and when she called out to Tate it sounded like a bellow echoing across the small room, Ill be right back, Daniel. Stay right here. She joined the man in the hallway and tried to close the door. When it didnt seem to fit the frame, she opened it wide. See, thats not a good sign, Richard told her. Doors and windows tend to stick right before. Its bad, Im telling you. We must leave. This time she pulled the door with such force it slammed. Tate sat listening to the thump-thump of his heart. It was beating inside his head, and he put his hands over his chest to make sure his heart hadnt moved. He wasnt sure how much time had passed since the doctors had left. It could have been minutes. It could have been an hour. Then a loud crack jolted him off the table. It sounded like an artillery shell. Was that possible? He crawled under the examination table, his body scrambling in twitches and jerks. He listened for more artillery shells. The room started to sway and tilt. Was it the drug? Had it screwed with his equilibrium? His ears popped, and instead of the thumping of his heart, he now heard only a rumble. He felt it, too. A vibration rattled the doctors instruments, shaking them off the tray. The floor tiles lifted and rolled beneath him, and Tate grabbed onto the examination table. Thats when he saw the whitewashed walls crack and buckle. They were actually caving in as if a bulldozer was on the other side shoving them in. Tate felt something coming down from the ceiling. He ducked his head back under the table. He watched, not sure whether to believe his eyes. It was raining dirt and gravel. He could smell the wet earth. The rumble grew to a roar. Forget the bulldozer, a freight train was headed down on top of him. He covered his head with his arms and curled into a tight ball. More crashes. Metal shrieked. Light fixtures exploded. In the darkness Daniel Tate couldnt see. The floor became a rollercoaster. He clawed to hold onto the steel table as the world shattered and roared and collapsed on top of him. Chapter 2 Florida Panhandle Ryder Creed had been up for two hours by the time his hired man climbed out of the doublewide trailer. Truth was, Creed didnt sleep much. Hed awakened in the dark and found himself down in the kennel curled up in the middle of his dogs, his head on the belly of his oldest, Rufus. The kennel was a contemporary warehouse. Creed had a loft apartment above it with all the luxuries and comforts of a retreat. When he designed the place he convinced his business partner, Hannah Washington, that he wanted his living quarters above the kennel so he could keep an eye and ear on the most prized possessions of their business, K9 CrimeScents. Actually Creed just liked being near the dogs. Sometimes in the dead of night when visions and images haunted his sleep, he found comfort being surrounded by them. He and Hannah had rescued each and every dog in one fashion or another. But Creed knew they rescued him in a way he could not explain to anyone. Not even Hannah. Now he watched Jason Seaver wiping the sleep out of his eyes. As he made his way into the kennel, Creed realized how much Jason looked like a young boy. Almost ten years younger than Creed, Jason had seen his world blown up on him before he had reached twenty. The kid was one of Hannahs rescues. She said Jason reminded her of Creed and that was one of the reasons she hired the young man. Tucked under Jasons arm was his sleepy-eyed, black puppy. In less than a month the Labrador pup Jason had named Scout had almost doubled in size. He brought Scout to play with the dogs mom and siblings while Jason worked. This morning he put the puppy down on the ground before he got to the yard. Watch this, he told Creed as he walked three paces back, then kneeled on the ground facing the pup. Come on Scout. Come give me a kiss. The puppy wiggled his entire back end, almost losing balance in his excitement. He bounced toward Jason and without hesitation stood up on his hind legs, reaching for Jasons face and planting a big slobber right on the lips. Thatll come in handy when hes searching for cadavers, Creed said, but he couldnt help smiling. Im thinking chick magnet. Jason picked up Scout, and when he came inside yard the other dogs ran to greet him. They shoved and nudged each other out of the way for Jasons attention. None of them noticed or cared that one of the kids shirt sleeves hung empty below the elbow. When Creed had first met the young veteran he had been belligerent and moody, self-conscious about the amputated arm to the point of daring anyone and everyone to notice it. That the kid was thinking about picking up womeneven with the lousy trick of using his puppyhad to be a good sign. Now if only Creed could make a decent dog handler out of him. Were ready to use the real stuff today, he told Jason and held up a Mason jar with the lid tight over the contents. Whats inside? Some dirt and a piece of a blanket. Both were underneath a dead body. Cool. Howd you get it? Grace and I helped find the guy. Wasnt a homicide so the detectives let me have a few things for training. Andy claims you have a whole stockpile. Andy was one of the first handlers Creed had trained. At the time shed known more about dogs than Creed, having spent years as a veterinary technician. This was a second career for her. He knew better than to ask a womans age, but guessed Andy was somewhere in her forties. Yeah? Well, dont believe everything Andy tells you. Here, take this. And he tossed the Mason jar, realizing too late that maybe Jason couldnt do a one-handed catch. But the kid had no problem. Take it and hide it good. Creed pointed to the trail that led into the forest. Just before you hide it, remove the lid. Theres a cheesecloth stretched across the top. Leave that on. You want me to bury it? Bury it, throw it up in a tree, drop it in the creek, do whatever you want with it. Dont think about it too much. When you finish, come on back. The fifty-acre property was surrounded on three sides by forest. The privacy and seclusion it afforded them was one of the reasons Creed chose this place in the northern part of the Florida Panhandle. It also provided endless training ground. His cell phone started to vibrate as he watched Jason disappear into the woods. He glanced at the screen to see it was Hannah. Less than an hour ago theyd had coffee and Hannahs fresh-baked cinnamon rolls in her kitchen. Already miss me? I ought to feed you sugar more often in the morning, you gonna be this sweet. Then without missing a beat she went on to business. Landslide in North Carolina. Some man from the DoD. We got a request for you specifically. Me or Grace? Over the summer there had been a lot of media attention, most of it centered on Grace, their amazing Jack Russell terrier. The scrappy little dog had won the hearts of the nation when she helped make several drug busts and stopped one human trafficking incident, resulting in the rescue of five children. Actually you. No specific dog. When did the slide happen? Are we talking rescue or recovery? Late last night into this morning. Its still raining and from what I understand, theres still potential for more slides. Possible rescues. Definitely recovery. Ill need to leave right away. What is that? A five-hour drive? Can you come finish with Jason? Already putting on my dungarees. That made Creed smile. Hannah was the only person he knew who referred to blue jeans as dungarees. Shed hate it if he called her a southern belle, though her mannerisms sometimes fit. She would say she was cornbread and black-eyed peas and certainly not a lady who lunched. But no need to drive, she continued. Theyre sending a jet. A Gulfstream 550. Theyre sending what? I know I got it right. I wrote it down. Gulfstream 550. Thats one of the pretty ones, isnt it? Wait a minute. I thought you said the request was from the Department of Defense. Thats right. What interest do they have in a landslide in North Carolina? Creed didnt like the sounds of this. That is not on my list of questions. Maybe they had some training personnel in the area. The gentleman said he knew you. That you two had worked together years ago. I dont know anybody at the DoD. And I havent worked with a military dog in a long time. Creed could hear her flipping pages. She kept impeccable records and always got more information than she actually needed before she confirmed an assignment. Here it is, she finally said. Logan. Lt. Col. Peter Logan. Afghanistan. Creed felt like acid had slid into his stomach. Over seven years ago, and yet just the mention of Peter Logan brought back images and memories he had hoped were long buried. how do books help us Silent Creed (A Ryder Creed Novel)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Great book but...By J. StandreThis was a very well written and interesting book. As always, Alex Kava delivers. I waffled between 3 and 4 Stars, though. I would have given this 5 Stars but for the fact that it was incomplete. There was no resolution to the hearings or to the big bad man or how Ellie fit into it a final resolution. This is half a book.Had the specific bits that were scattered throughout been wrapped up, it would have been a great book. I understand continuations but a single storyline should be wrapped up in the same book - unless you sell it as a serial (which I wouldn't buy until all the pieces were already published). This book was only 336 pages. I assume the next will be of similar length (hopefully longer - and done!) but my preference would have been a complete start to finish book.All that said, this really was a good read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Story ContinuesBy Juliann KingAfter reading the first one, I downloaded the second one immediately for reading. I wanted to find out more about these characters. I love the dogs and their personalities. I also like that the characters have memories that led them to the place they are in the book, but there isn't a lot of sitting on the pity pot and blaming the past. I enjoyed the story. I still don't quite understand why the FBI agent suddenly finds herself being sent into situations that she doesn't know anything about. I don't know about that part. Surely she has to be briefed about why she is being sent somewhere and what her mission is there. I do like Grace and Bolo a lot. And Hannah is a hoot. This is going to be a good series.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Excellent mystery and wonderful dogs.By Mb4paxSilent Creed starts with a rush and ends with bang. I was rushing the entire book going from one crazy event to another while wanting to find a few Washington/military "demi-gods" and show them what I thought of them. Landslides and floods and military secrets abound as Ryder Creed, rescue dog handler extraordinaire, and FBI agent Maggie O'Dell attempt to make sense of it all while attempting to rescue people. Lots of heart palpitations and huge sighs of relief and some gasps made for a great read. I must go find the next book in the series.