Officer Lillis and K-9 Ozzy appear as characters in new crime novel

NEWPORT — A few familiar faces appear as characters in a crime novel set in Newport that was recently published.

Officer Joshua Lillis and K-9 Ozzy made their debut as characters in “The Obsession,” written by Carol Kravetz.

Kravetz is an internationally published author, and her latest novel was published earlier this spring.

The novel is the fourth installment in Kravetz’s Bathville Books series.

As she was researching K-9 tracking for her book, Kravetz contacted Lillis to learn more.

He taught Kravetz all about the process of tracking with the help of a police dog, and the work he and K-9 Ozzy are trained to do to locate victims and suspects.

“This was a unique, fun opportunity to explain what K-9 Ozzy and I do when we work together, and to help Carol realistically portray what K-9 tracking actually looks like in her novel,” Officer Lillis said.

In addition to including Lillis and K-9 Ozzy as characters, the novel is set in the Newport, area.

“When I started communicating with Officer Lillis, outlining what I needed, he responded promptly with photos of Ozzy and advising he would love to help,” Kravetz said.

Kravetz says he answered a lot of questions and explained patiently and willingly the intricacies involved with tracking a victim or suspect, right down to getting a scent, locating the person, and how Ozzy will work tirelessly until told to stand down.

“He taught me a lot by showing me how important a K-9 team is and I can’t thank him enough for taking the time to help me bring that part of my story alive,” Kravetz said.

“Hopefully, when people read the book, they’ll understand a little more about K-9 tracking, all while enjoying the narrative Carol created,” Lillis added.