Kathleen Donnelly’s work as K-9 handler led to crimefighting series

Kathleen Donnelly is a retired K-9 handler and award-winning author. Her debut novel, “Chasing Justice,” won a Best Book Award from the American Book Fest, a PenCraft Award and was a 2023 Silver Falchion finalist in the Suspense category and Readers’ Choice Award. Her second book, “Hunting The Truth,” was a Colorado Authors League finalist and a Silver Falchion finalist for the Readers’ Choice Award. She lives near the Colorado foothills with her husband and four-legged friends. For more, visit www.kathleendonnelly.com.

---

SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory. What inspired you to write it? Where did the story/theme originate?

Kathleen Donnelly: “Hunting The Truth” is the second book in the National Forest K-9 series. In the first book, “Chasing Justice,” Maya Thompson, a Marine veteran and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer, solves the murder of her best friend. To solve his murder, she must take on the challenge of bonding with a rambunctious young Malinois named Juniper.

One of the subplots introduced in “Chasing Justice” is the cold case of Maya’s mother and her grandmother’s murder. “Hunting The Truth” is about how those two cases are connected and Maya’s quest to solve the murders with her K-9 Juniper. 

As a retired K-9 handler for a private company, I was inspired to write “Hunting The Truth” and the other books in the National Forest K-9 series. The company I co-owned, Sherlock Hounds Detection Canines, was a proactive narcotics dog business for schools. I saw firsthand how dogs can help us solve mysteries on a daily basis with their remarkable noses. I also loved the deep relationship with each dog and I wanted to portray that type of bond in a book. Throughout the books, Maya and Juniper’s partnership continues to develop. I’ve had an incredible time sharing their adventures in a fictional Colorado National Forest. 

SunLit: Place this excerpt in context. How does it fit into the book as a whole? Why did you select it?

Donnelly: I love showing K-9 work in my books and how much they enjoy their jobs. At this point in “Hunting The Truth,” a forest service employee found a disturbing crime scene of a body strung up between two pine trees. Maya, Juniper and the handsome chief deputy sheriff, Josh Colten, are beginning the search for a ruthless killer. Maya is using Juniper to track to see if they can catch the suspect. 

I selected this excerpt because I appreciate the bond Maya and Juniper are continuing to develop. As a K-9 handler, I know it takes a while to get to know a dog and figure out all their quirks. Over the years, I found with each new K-9 partner, it would take a while to click and work well together. You had to become partners and trust each other. This scene was that moment for Maya and Juniper. Maya begins to further trust her own abilities and Juniper responds with a precise track. 

SunLit: Tell us about creating this book. What influences and/or experiences informed the project before you sat down to write? 

Donnelly: I knew when I wrote, “Chasing Justice,” that Maya and her family had a backstory that I wanted to expand on. By the time I started writing “Hunting the Truth,” I realized that backstory would become the main story. There were several experiences that helped to influence this book. One was my love of the rugged Colorado mountains. I always think of the mountains as their own character — they are beautiful and dangerous at the same time. My dad worked for the Forest Service as a researcher so I had some insights from him on things such as designated wilderness areas.

Along with the setting, I’ve had the privilege of knowing several women who served in law enforcement. They often shared their stories of the challenges unique to women who chose law enforcement as a profession. The storyline in “Hunting The Truth” is all my imagination and creation, but I like showing Maya’s skill in her job. I always say my books have “Girl Power.”

SunLit: What did the process of writing this book add to your knowledge and understanding of your craft and/or the subject matter?

Donnelly: “Hunting The Truth” was my second book and the first time I was under a contractual deadline. I’ve heard many authors say, “The first book takes seven to 10 years to write and the second book must be written in six months.” That is very true! Juggling a writing schedule before I retired from Sherlock Hounds Detection Canines was a learning curve for me. The biggest lesson I learned was that I couldn’t give up my writing time. 

I also enjoyed the research for this book. I was able to connect with a U.S. Forest Service officer and K-9 handler and learn more about his job. I interviewed various people who’d had careers in law enforcement. I had to take that research and weave it into the book in a way that didn’t sound like a police or K-9 training manual. I learned how to use my research to add to the authenticity of the story. There were several big learning curves, but I know my writing skills increased. 

SunLit: What were the biggest challenges you faced in writing this book?

Donnelly: I had several challenges. The first one I mentioned above regarding the deadline. The other challenge I had was when I introduced some important plot points in “Chasing Justice” that had to be tied up in “Hunting The Truth.” I didn’t have those plot points figured out. I had to sit down and really brainstorm the story lines so that I answered some questions but at the same time, provided good twists. While this was challenging, it also helped me figure out my process and how I wanted to write and brainstorm future books in the series. 

SunLit: What’s the most important thing — a theme, lesson, emotion or realization — that readers should take from this book? 

Donnelly: I feel that my main character, Maya, learns to further trust herself and her abilities in “Hunting The Truth.” She is a Marine veteran who deals with PTSD from losing her military K-9 in Afghanistan. She blames herself for his death. In the series, Maya’s character arc is learning to manage her PTSD and trust not only herself, but others around her. 

As I developed Maya’s character, I thought about how our hometowns transform and how change is the only certain thing in our lives. Many of the themes in “Hunting The Truth” revolve around moving forward and learning from the past. 

SunLit: In “Hunting The Truth,” Maya must decide who to trust (besides Juniper) — how does her past play into her decisions? 

Donnelly: Maya’s childhood was difficult. She lost her mother at a young age, never knew the identity of her biological father and was raised by her loving grandparents. Through her experiences from a young age into adulthood, Maya has had questions that no one has been able to answer. 

She likes to be independent and tough. Maya has a hard time trusting others. Throughout “Hunting The Truth,” Maya learns that to hunt down the answers to her questions she has about her childhood, she must decide who is telling her the truth about the night her mother died. Her memories of that night are fragmented. She must rely on her skills as a K-9 handler and investigator to determine who wants to help her versus who is willing to kill to keep secrets hidden forever.  

SunLit: Tell us about your next project.

Donnelly: I am very excited that I’ll be continuing the National Forest K-9 series. “Killer Secrets,” the third book in the series was released last spring. In “Killer Secrets,” Maya and Juniper must hunt down a serial killer before they become his next victims. I’m currently working on the next two books after “Killer Secrets” and they will release in 2026.

Along with the National Forest K-9 series, I’ve started a new series with Harlequin’s Romantic Suspense line. I finished the first draft of the first book in July and I look forward to working on the edits. That book and series is yet to be titled, but will be released around September of 2025. 

 A few more quick questions 

SunLit: Which do you enjoy more as you work on a book – writing or editing?

Donnelly: Great question! I love both equally. There’s nothing better than living in a new world when I’m writing, but I enjoy shaping that world by editing. 

SunLit: What’s the first piece of writing – at any age – that you remember being proud of?

Donnelly: I remember in third grade I crafted a story about my chickens. I loved having chickens as characters. Perhaps this was a sign that my future books would always include animals. 

SunLit: What three writers, from any era, would you invite over for a great discussion about literature and writing? 

Donnelly: I think it would be fascinating to sit down with Agatha Christie, Sandra Brown and Janet Evanovich. 

SunLit: Do you have a favorite quote about writing?

Donnelly: Yes! My favorite quote is from Toni Morrison. Can I add her to the list of writers I’d like to sit down and discuss literature and writing? Here’s her quote:

“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”  

SunLit: What does the current collection of books on your home shelves tell visitors about you?

Donnelly: Perhaps my current collection would make someone nervous since they’re all murder, thriller, and romantic suspense books. 

SunLit: Soundtrack or silence? What’s the audio background that helps you write?

Donnelly: I need silence, but I do make a playlist for each book and listen to it when I drive or work out. The playlist helps me think through different scenes. 

SunLit: What music do you listen to for sheer enjoyment?

Donnelly: I like a wide variety. I listen to everything from Celine Dion to Metallica to Neil Diamond and Reba. 

SunLit: What event, and at what age, convinced you that you wanted to be a writer?

Donnelly: I think watching “Murder She Wrote” with my mom convinced me that Jessica Fletcher had a great job and that was what I wanted to do.

SunLit: Greatest writing fear?

Donnelly: That I will be 30,000 words short on a book. 

SunLit: Greatest writing satisfaction?

Donnelly: That’s tough, I’m torn between two big satisfactions. One is hearing from a reader that they enjoyed the book and couldn’t stop turning the pages. The other is finishing a book because that proves to me that not only can I dream of being a writer, but that I am a writer. 

Type of Story: Q&A

An interview to provide a relevant perspective, edited for clarity and not fully fact-checked.