Robert Crais' new novel "Suspect" is all about military dog and it has helped him get over the loss of his pet.

Sixteen years ago, when author Robert Crais' dog died in his arms, he couldn't quite get over the loss even after all these years. "When he passed," says Crais, a lifelong dog lover, "I just couldn't get another dog. It felt disloyal. He was such a part of my life, and we in many ways were that kind of team."

Crais reveals that his new novel "Suspect" which is also about a dog is the most emotional book he has written to day. "Throughout the writing, again and again, during certain scenes, I would be sitting here at my computer blubbering like a baby," Crais, 59, says from his home in Los Angeles. "It was an extremely emotional time for me."

So how did the journey of this book begin?

Crais reveals that two months ago, while he was hiking he decided that it was time again to get a dog in his life. However, he wandered what had taken him so long to make this decision. So he began reading up on the relationship a human and dog could share. This is when he came across material that talked about how military dogs grew bonds with humans and found that these bonds "were closer and tighter than most people could ever realize. I grew fascinated by that bond. It resonated with me. Yoshi was such a part of my life, and we, in many ways, were that kind of team."

This inspired him to write his new novel about Maggie. The author also said that he was extra cautious while writing Maggie's character. "It was super important to me to not make Maggie a cartoon," he says. "I didn't want her to be a Lassie or Rin Tin Tin, one of these showbiz dogs where the dog is actually psychic, the dog has dialogue, the dog thinks like a human being, the dog is just a human being with four legs and a black and tan jacket."

Crais hopes that his new novel is a good enough tribute to all the military dogs and raises public awareness about the challenges many of them face when they return home from war zones.