The Dog Walker, The Prequel

By: D. L. Maddox

Narrated by: Linda Jones

Before the scars. Before the secrets. Before she became the woman who couldn’t look away.

Jane Ashcroft is trying to stay invisible. With a fake name, a clean slate, and nowhere left to run, she takes her first real job in years—walking dogs in Paradise Bluff, an exclusive Arizona community where privacy is prized, and silence is expected.

But her newest client lives behind locked gates and hidden doors. The security cameras are everywhere. And the rules? Strict, strange, and always changing.

Jane tells herself to follow orders and keep her head down. She needs the job. She needs to stay out of trouble. But when she steps inside that house, something shifts. The doors don’t feel just locked—they feel wrong. The people who hired her are hiding something. And Jane can’t help noticing.

Maybe danger has a scent. Maybe Jane's always been able to smell it. And maybe, deep down, she’s not just okay with that—she needs it.

The Dog Walker: The Prequel is the gripping origin story of Jane Ashcroft, a woman with a past she can’t outrun—and a future that begins the moment she stops pretending she doesn’t care.

©2025 TIER Books LLC (P)2026 TIER Books LLC

Loved it!

This is the first book I've listened to by this author and narrator. The story had me wanting to learn more all the way through. The narrator does a great job of bringing the characters to life.

Surprise

Wonderful narrator brought to life story that could’ve been very boring to listen to, but not with her narrating. It did get a little bit difficult to listen to during the mind control segments but exciting and surprising. Definitely a psychological thriller if you like psychological thrillers that don’t have a whole lot of action this book is for you.

Unusual premise

Could have stood some editing. Quite repetitious as author strives to get across how important routine is. But it is a fresh concept.

What Lurks Beneath The Riches

A pulpy psychological thriller that feels unique. I liked this prequel more than the 'second' book but both seem to imply more of a backstory than is told within (so probably a third book is on the way). The premise here is a little far fetched but just enough to be a campy neat enough thriller. The vibe here is a bit more existential, which I appreciated. It feels like an escape storyline with an omniscient all powerful bad guy; with that sort of thing the conclusion is going to be a letdown and it felt a little abrupt here. Overall I enjoyed it as a 'Sunday evening' type of cozy thriller read; not epic but easy and amusing. Having now read both Dog Walker books I don't think the order is important since both seem somewhat standalone (maybe even a little disappointing not to see more continuity); but I don't recommend reading them back to back because they seem similar. Decent time here.