The Handler: A Mystery Thriller (Maddie Castle Thrillers Book 1)

A former K9 handler, Maddie Castle, finds herself back at square one after being wounded in the line of duty. The bullet that shredded her leg also took the life of her four-legged partner, leaving her with the pain of recovery that goes well beyond the daily physical torment she endures. Time, the supposed healer of all wounds, has not proven true in Castle's case, as she lost not only her dog, but the one thing she loved above all else – the job.

Now back home in the trailer park she had vowed never to return to, Castle has taken a job as a private investigator, which has proven to be an unrewarding comparative to her former career. Barely making ends meet and hampered by the ever-present pain in her leg, Castle struggles to keep her footing in her new life.

However, a twist of fate brings Castle back into the game when a K9 handler from her old unit is gunned down. Castle is called in to assess whether the dog can be rehabilitated, and the alternative is a consequence she can't live with. Working to save the K9 might just well save Castle from herself.

As the hunt for the killer continues, Castle receives a call from a desperate mother searching for her missing son. The hunt for the boy leads Castle into the criminal underbelly of Pittsburgh, where powerful players who will stop at nothing stand in her way. Behind them lies the truth, and getting to it may cost her everything, including her life, as she seeks to expose a dark secret that could bring a city to its knees.

Maddie Castle must once again become "The Handler," a role that nearly took her life, in a desperate search for justice. This new crime thriller series from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author L.T. Ryan with C.R. Gray promises to captivate readers as Castle walks the blurred line of right and wrong in her pursuit of the truth.

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