Join host Terry Shepherd for an engaging conversation with award-winning mystery author Margaret Mizushima. In this episode, they dive deep into Dying Cry, the thrilling 10th installment of the internationally published Timber Creek Canine Mysteries. Margaret shares her creative process, the real-world research behind her authentic K-9 characters, and what is next for Deputy Maddie Walker and her canine partner, Robo.

What You'll Hear in This Episode

The World of Dying Cry: Discover how a snowy family snowshoe outing for newlyweds Maddie and Cole Walker turns deadly. A scream cuts through the canyon, leading Maddie and Robo to witness a shadowy figure vanish beneath a deadly rockslide.
Real-World Inspiration: Margaret explains how her retired veterinarian husband helps her brainstorm plotlines. Together, they developed a storyline centered around a veterinary drug known as "tranq," which is abused by addicts and drug experimenters.
Building Robo: Learn how Margaret's lifelong observation of dogs and her shadowing of a retired K-9 handler helped bring her beloved German shepherd character to life. Robo was purchased by the Timber Creek community to detect drugs and serve as a well-socialized partner in local schools.
Hands-On Research: Hear about Margaret's fascinating trip to a Las Vegas police dog trial to observe K-9 behaviors, such as how officers command their dogs to release a bite sleeve.
Future Projects: Get a sneak peek into her upcoming fall release, Fighting Edge, which tackles the serious issue of teenage labor trafficking. Margaret also shares that she is currently writing book 12, which focuses on vulnerable elderly people.

About the Guest

Margaret Mizushima is a retired speech therapist who grew up on a Colorado cattle ranch. She spent 15 years working toward publication, writing five manuscripts before her debut novel, Killing Trail, was finally picked up by Crooked Lane Books. Today, her work has earned honors from the Colorado Authors League, the Independent Book Publishers Association, and Women Writing the West.

Fans love her series because of the lovable K-9 Robo, the fairly clean language, and her depiction of a supportive, competent police department.

Books Discussed

Book Title | Release Info | Plot HighlightsDying Cry | Book 10, released October 2025 | A deadly rockslide, greed, and the abuse of a veterinary drug called "tranq"
Fighting Edge | Upcoming fall release | Focuses on the domestic and international labor trafficking of vulnerable teenagers
Killing Trail | Book 1, released 2015 | The debut novel that launched the Timber Creek series

Connect with Margaret: Visit her official website at margaretmizushima.com to explore her work.

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