Mattie Cobb is the sleuth in the “Timber Creek K-9” mysteries. One of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions. So, let’s get to know Mattie.

What is your full name?
Mattie Lu Cobb

How old are you?
Thirty-one, although sometimes it feels like I’m much older.

What is your profession?
I’m a Deputy in the Timber Creek County Sheriff’s Department in the small mountain town of Timber Creek, Colorado. I’m also the first K-9 handler in my county, and my partner is a German shepherd named Robo.

Do you have a significant other?
I’m in love with Cole Walker and his kids, though our relationship is brand new and still feels fragile. Because of my rough childhood (and we’ll talk more about that later) I dream of being part of a family someday and pin all my hopes on things working out with Cole.

What is their name and profession?
Cole Walker is the only veterinarian in the Timber Creek community, and until his wife left him and their two daughters, he had focused his life on his work. His ex says she left him because he’s a workaholic, though in reality their issues are much more complicated than that. Being a bit of a workaholic myself, I understand how his work could have once overridden his family life, and I support what he’s doing now to redirect his focus on his kids while running a busy vet practice. Cole is also Robo’s doctor.

Do you have any children?
Not unless you count the kids I watch over in this community. Having a background of childhood abuse, I’ve made it my mission to protect children from harm, and I watch out for them. I also love Cole’s daughters as if they were my own.

Do you have any siblings?
This question makes me sad. I had a brother named William who was killed by a monster who wanted to track down my mother, and then his killer tried to torture the information out of me. Like my brother, I had no idea where my mother was. But after I escaped this madman, Robo and I tracked him down and arrested him, and now he’s serving a life sentence for Willie’s murder in a Colorado state prison.

Are your parents nearby?
This is the core of my sorrow and the reason I lost trust in humanity. When I was two, my mother, brother, and I were abducted. When I was six, our captor tried to kill my mother, and she abandoned us to be raised in foster care. Eventually Willie and I were separated and drifted apart. I stayed in Timber Creek as an adult, hoping to be reunited with them someday. It’s too late to see Willie, but I still have hope that I can find my parents.

Who is your best friend?
Robo is my best friend, and he’s taught me how to trust again. My best human friend is our detective, Stella, who covers a soft heart with a sarcastic wit.

Do you have any pets?
Robo serves as pet, work partner, and best friend. We’re inseparable, and he is my life.

What town do you live in?
Timber Creek, Colorado

Would you say you live in a small town or a big city?
Timber Creek is a small town in the Colorado mountains. We’re surrounded by wilderness area, and the terrain is rough and covered with dark forest, perfect for hiding bodies and covering up crimes. Our community has battled drug trafficking, and merchants and ranchers set up a fund to purchase Robo, who is cross-trained in patrol and narcotics detection. He’s a star in our town, and I’m honored to be his partner.

Type of dwelling and do you own or rent?
I rent a small adobe and stucco house that is probably a hundred years old that sits on the west side of town. Since I have no time for landscaping and its care, the yard is mostly weeds with beds of cacti and succulents, prickly things that suit me.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
I’m not home much, because I’m usually working or visiting Cole and his family. But I’d have to say my favorite spot is the couch in my living room where I’ve been able to have heart to heart talks with my friend Stella.

Favorite meal and dessert?
My foster mom, Mama T, makes my favorite meal—homemade tamales smothered with her green chili. Cole’s resident housekeeper and nanny, Mrs. Gibbs, bakes her signature chocolate cake that’s to die for, and it’s my favorite dessert.

Do you have any hobbies?
Not a hobby exactly. Another friend named Rainbow, the dispatcher at our department, has taught me yoga and yoga breathing, which was recommended by the trauma counselor I started seeing when repressed memories of my childhood abuse began to surface. As with work, I’ve dedicated myself to my yoga practice, and the breathing techniques actually saved my life once.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
I don’t take vacations. But. . .in the book titled Hanging Falls, I connect with a sister through a DNA match, and she lives in California. I hope to visit her there someday.

What music do you listen to?
I like all kinds but typically go about my duties without the distraction of music. Cole and I like to dance to country music—dances like country swing, cowboy waltz, and triple-step.

Do you have a favorite book?
Not now. I used to read more when I was a kid. I loved books that talked about people who overcame obstacles in their lives, like Helen Keller. I dreamed that I would overcome my hardships someday, which is something I’m working on and I know I’ll accomplish. I’m pretty goal driven.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Sitting with Cole and his kids in front of the fire of an evening, watching movies with his two dogs and Robo on their cushions. When Mrs. Gibbs joins us, it feels like we’re a real family, even though we’re not. I hope we will be sometime in the not too distant future.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
*** The German Shepherd That Saved Me ***

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I’m a pro and I work with Sheriff Abraham McCoy, Chief Deputy Ken Brody, Detective Stella LoSasso, the other people in our department, and of course—Robo.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
I start very early in the morning by taking Robo for a run in the foothills around town, because I firmly believe that a good dog is a tired dog. Sometimes I have breakfast with Mama T before checking into work. On a good day, Robo and I spend time doing vehicle sweeps for narcotics or teaching the Just Say No program at the high school. On a bad day, we have a murder case to investigate.

What does a typical day look like when you are on a case?
We’re a small department, and a case calls for us all to work overtime. Running in the morning goes out the window, because Robo and I are typically investigating a crime scene way up in the wilderness area. Sometimes we reach the scene on horseback, in which case Cole and other members of the sheriff’s posse become involved, and sometimes Brody and I search the area on foot. I work late into the night, grab a few hours sleep, and start early in the morning. My partner doesn’t seem to mind the long hours, and I know I don’t. I love my community and want it to become a safe place for families and children. I’m dedicated to making it that way.

Hanging Falls is the sixth book in the “Timber Creek K-9” traditional mystery series, released September 8, 2020.

Murder stalks the rugged Colorado high country–and sends Mattie Cobb on a quest to uncover the darkest secrets from her past.

A deluge has flooded the high ground near Hanging Falls–but heavy rains aren’t the only menace descending on Timber Creek. While on a scouting mission to pinpoint trail damage, officer Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo stumble upon a body floating at the edge of a lake. Robo catches human scent, which leads to an enigmatic forest-dweller who quickly becomes suspect number one.

With help from veterinarian Cole Walker, Mattie identifies the victim, and discovers an odd religious cult whose dress and manners harken back to the 19th century. As the list of suspects grows, an unexpected visit from members of Mattie’s long-lost family sheds new light on her childhood as they help Mattie piece together details of the fateful night when she was abducted at age two.

The tangled threads of the investigation and family dynamics begin to intertwine–but darkness threatens to claim a new victim before Mattie and Robo can track down the killers.

Purchase Link
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About the author
Margaret Mizushima is the author of the award-winning and internationally published Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries. Margaret serves as president for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and was elected the 2019-2020 Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. She lives in Colorado on a small ranch with her veterinarian husband where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals. She can be found on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on her website at margaretmizushima.com.

All comments are welcomed.