Welcome to the Blog Tour for Tracing a Kidnapper’s Trail by Katy Lee, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Tracing a Kidnapper’s Trail
Series: K-9 Search and Rescue #18
Author: Katy Lee
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: February 24, 2026
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Solving an abduction case

means a relentless K-9 manhunt…

When search and rescue worker Hunter Shelton and his bloodhound Libby are called to a crime scene, he discovers his ex-fiancée murdered and her young daughter missing—and he’s attacked. Soon, he realizes the little girl may have been taken by drug runners, and could possibly be his own child. With no one else to turn to, Hunter teams up with DEA Agent Marlee Price and her narcotics K-9, despite their rocky history. As they face escalating threats and uncover a rising body count, an old enemy from Marlee’s past resurfaces. Will they be able to rescue the child and bring dangerous criminals to justice before time runs out?

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

About the Author

#1 Publishers Weekly, best-selling author Katy Lee writes character-driven romantic suspense that thrills and inspires her readers, keeping them coming back for more. She is a multi-award winner and nominee for the Rita Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award, Holt Medallion, and Selah Award, celebrating excellence in mystery and suspense. Katy lives in Utah’s beautiful, rugged mountains and is also a special education teacher. She runs a literary nonprofit called Story Haven Writers, helping people write their healing stories from trauma. Keep up with Katy and her latest news, including her monthly newsletter, “Novel Ideas” at www.KatyLeebooks.com.

My Thoughts

I always enjoy these romantic suspense novellas from Love Inspired. They’re fun, twisty, adventures that don’t take too long to consume. I loved the setting and, of course, the dogs. I thought it was neat to see the different roles the dogs performed in their different fields. I loved how the writer brought everything together at the climax, and I loved Hunter’s journey to overcome his past. There were a few elements of the story that I felt moved too quickly, but I’m sure that’s due to the brevity of the Love Inspired line.

The story had some good danger scenes, though the takedown of the bad guy seemed a little too easy. I would have like there to be a little more of a struggle. I always squirm a little when small children are in danger, but I appreciated the author kept the little girl “safe” throughout the story, though I felt like the child behaved too mature for her age. I’m not a big fan of stories involving drug operations. It’s just not something I like to think about. I enjoyed the twists, though I admit I saw them coming. These characters definitively took a licking and kept on ticking. Maybe a little more than realistic, but it’s fiction, so let’s leave it at that. One of my favorite elements was Hunter’s recollections about the change Jesus had made in him. Jesus is often left out of Love Inspired novels, and so that was a breath of fresh air.

Overall, this was a nice romantic suspense from a new-to-me author, and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys these types of stories or is looking for something that is an easy, less time-consuming read. Even with the negatives, I believe this story whole-heartedly deserves four stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily left a review of my own thoughts and opinions.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 VISA gift card with a plush Bloodhound and a matching signed bookmark!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight February 24, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 3, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!