Synopses & Reviews
He was born in rural Missouri, and it was immediately clear that he was different from the rest. He caught his first criminal when he was just two years old. By his sixth birthday, he had located burglars, rapists, drug dealers, missing children, and murderers—including Utahs most wanted criminal. Known to friends as JJ, to law enforcement as Michael Serios partner, and by captured criminals as “that damned dog,” Jessie Jr. was an exceptionally talented bloodhound, baying like a sea lion that had swallowed a fog horn. Before JJ, few police departments in the West used bloodhounds, and none in Utah. But just when JJ finally convinced naysayers, he and Officer Serio ran into something worse than resistance: the despair of failure amid high hope. JJ had been tracking Brian David Mitchell, the man who abducted Elizabeth Smart, when he was pulled off the track. Elizabeth later told investigators that on the day she was kidnapped she heard a dog baying in the woods behind her. In almost nine years of service, JJ helped apprehend nearly 300 criminal suspects in the Salt Lake City area. Here is his remarkable story, fleas and all.
Review
"With a whiff of humor, a scent of adventure, and a partnership for the ages,
Bloodhound in Blue shows what a good dog can do when given the chance to follow his instincts—and his nose."
—Jim Gorant, New York Times–bestselling author of The Lost Dogs and Wallace
"What a great combination! Bloodhound in Blue combines the best of animal lore with police procedurals to create a compelling read. Adam David Russ describes JJ so vividly that you'll feel as though you've been by this dog's side, cheering him on as he sniffs his way toward the status of canine legend."
—Brenda Miller, Pushcart Prize–winning author of Blessing of the Animals and Listening against the Stone
Review
A San Francisco Book Review Five-Star Review"Full of adventures and misadventures, achievements and frustrations, Bloodhound in Blue is maturely and carefully written, with wry and unexpected vignettes of humor. Thoroughly researched, purely factual, it is nonetheless moving on several interweaving levels, like the finely told tale it is. ... Russ [has a] finesse in wording. ... We have here a work that treats them [police officers] sympathetically and honestly. ... This story is refreshing, portraying the decent intensity of a good officer. ... You come away from this book with a sense of having been there, of having slobber on your clothes, and the memory of immense silky ears between your fingers."
—San Francisco Book Review
"Compelling and deeply engaging, Bloodhound in Blue is an inspiring lesson in hope and dedication packed with solid depth and bursting with panache around every corner."
—Seattle Kennel Club
"An amazing story."
—KUTV News
"Full of action ... [and] adrenaline-producing stories involving Serio and JJ apprehending criminals ... Bloodhound in Blue is a well-researched book that ... can delight dog-lovers, crime-novel enthusiasts, and everyone in between."
—Deseret News
"Moving."
—Davis Enterprise
"With a whiff of humor, a scent of adventure, and a partnership for the ages, Bloodhound in Blue shows what a good dog can do when given the chance to follow his instincts—and his nose."
—Jim Gorant, New York Times–bestselling author of The Lost Dogs and Wallace
"What a great combination! Bloodhound in Blue combines the best of animal lore with police procedurals to create a compelling read. Adam David Russ describes JJ so vividly that you'll feel as though you've been by this dog's side, cheering him on as he sniffs his way toward the status of canine legend."
—Brenda Miller, Pushcart Prize–winning author of Blessing of the Animals and Listening against the Stone
About the Author
Adam David Russ is assistant editor of the Blue Moon Literary & Art Review. His short stories have appeared in Paradigm, The Battered Suitcase, and the collection All in the Game. They have garnered awards from Writers Digest, The Baltimore Review, and New Millennium Writings and have been performed at Stories on Stage. Click here to view the trailer for Bloodhound in Blue.