The Rescue    by T. Jefferson Parker Order:  USA  Can Forge, 2023 (2023) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson T. Jefferson Parker's thrillers - like A Thousand Steps and L.A. Outlaws - are gritty, complicated and compelling. He delivers the same again in The Rescue, which centers on a dog with quite a history! It opens in Tijuana, where the dog, Joe, is with Roman (a nom de guerre). The pair form a cash and drug detection team working for a cartel. A rival cartel attacks and Roman loses Joe, who is shot, but rescued by a boy. Next, journalist Bettina Blazak finds Joe in a local animal shelter, where his wound is being treated. She adopts Joe, calls him Felix, and takes him back to Laguna Beach, where she works for the Coastal Eddy newspaper. Roman (Dan Strickland) loves Joe and misses both his dog and the money Joe makes him in Mexico. He sees a Coastal Eddy video of Joe and plans to get him back. Bettina digs recklessly into her dog's story, and gradually learns that he had two previous owners and DEA training. She's told that a cartel might want Joe for his skills or might target him. When Joe's taken from her, she works with Strickland to get him back. Events escalate to a dramatic, violent and surprising conclusion - and Joey goes home. It's an extraordinary story, with the parts I enjoyed most from the canine point of view. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews