When the man she loves is framed for murder, Maya Thompson and her K-9 will follow every trail to track the real killer down.

U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer Maya Thompson and her K-9, Juniper, are both ready for a break. Ever since moving to Colorado, it’s been one investigation after another. Murder, arson, kidnapping…they’ve handled it all. Now that her boyfriend, Undersheriff Josh Colton, is coming home, Maya is looking forward to spending some quality time together.

Until she and Juniper find the body of a woman in a pile of forest debris meant to burn, that is. Then Maya’s just looking forward to having Josh’s help in solving the crime.

But when the victim turns out to be Josh’s volatile ex-fiancée, and all signs point to Josh as the main suspect, Maya and Juniper must dig into Josh’s past to uncover the truth…before the killer, fixated on revenge, finds them.

Titles in the National Forest K-9 series include:  Chasing Justice ~ Hunting the Truth ~ Killer Secrets ~ Buried Lies ~ Deadly Revenge ~

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Buried Lies
Series:  National Forest K-9 #4
Author:  Kathleen Donnelly
Published: January 27, 2026
Publisher:  Harlequin / Carina Press
My Rating:  4 stars

Buried Lies is the fourth title in the National Forest K-9 series, bringing us another exciting chapter in Maya, Juniper, and Josh’s entwined lives.  This is a series that I firmly believe needs to be read in order, if at all possible, as the story and the depth of the relationship between Maya and Josh (as well as Juniper) grew a bit more with each book.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to keep up, and I felt that very strongly, but sometimes life happens… and now I just need to get caught up before the next release, Deadly Revenge.

This time, the focus is on Josh and his history… relationships that will find him framed for murder as he, Maya, and her K-9 companion, Juniper, rush to follow the clues that will lead to the actual killer and keep Josh free.  Anything you really need to know before picking up Buried Lies can be found in the cover description.  However, that doesn’t give you the sense of a frantic rush to find the truth, or of the twisted plot of a very evil person who has set out to ultimately destroy Josh.  I gripped my Kindle tightly as this story played out.  The tension is intense, the story full of beautiful descriptive scenes, and the plot well-thought-out and compelling.  And we’ll also witness Maya and Josh’s relationship deepen and grow stronger as only facing something so horrific can do to a couple.

I enjoyed myself back in this world.  The story is well-written, emotional, full of suspense, red herrings, and surprises along the way.  I’d not hesitate to recommend this story to any reader who loves a good mystery, as they watch a couple face hardship and danger and emerge stronger than ever from the chaos.  If that sounds like your kind of Romantic Suspense, then you’d enjoy Buried Lies by Kathleen Donnelly.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

**If you enjoy this author’s work, please visit our Kathleen Donnelly page for a list of other titles I’ve read and enjoyed, along with a link to her official website.**

This title is available at Amazon