NO MAN'S LAND

When FBI agent Meg Jennings and her K-9, Hawk, explore the ruins of an old hospital, they think they’re just practicing their skills—until the discovery of an elderly woman’s body leads to something more serious and sinister.

Meg and her firefighter friends are enjoying urban exploring, an activity in which people enter and explore old, deserted, and dangerous sites. Meg, as a member of the Human Scent Evidence Team, thinks the outing will hone Hawk’s skills, and Hawk does indeed help find the elderly woman’s body. But when more elderly people are found in other deserted locations, Meg, with the help of her colleagues as well as a reporter, will continue to put herself at risk to uncover the truth. The novel’s premise and cast of characters could have made this a gripping book. But the author (Storm Rising, 2018, etc.) lacks the talent to bring the characters to life. When sharing background information about sites they’re exploring, for example, Driscoll's characters speak in dialogue that sounds more like a brochure (“Bethlehem Steel was once an industry giant...”) than the way people really talk. There are many examples of urban exploration (“urbex") lingo for those who might be interested.

When the only intriguing parts of a novel are the scenes involving a dog’s abilities, it is perhaps time to track down another book.