Paw of the Jungle

Diane Kelly

Nov 2019 · A Paw Enforcement Novel Book 8 · Sold by St. Martin's Paperbacks

About this ebook

Police officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner in crime, Brigit, are on all fours as they try to solve their latest Lone Star mystery.

AT THE ZOO
The weather is beautiful, work is slow, and her canine colleague could use a walk. What better day for Megan to take Brigit to the Fort Worth Zoo, where they can let loose and witness the law and order of nature unfold? But what begins as a fun field trip turns serious when a pair of rare hyacinth macaws named Fabiana and Fernando goes missing. Is the new custodian, a gentle soul who happens to be an ex-convict, to blame? Or is something far more sinister afoot?

AND ON THE HUNT
The birds are worth thousands of dollars, and the list of people on the premises who might have stolen them is long. Soon other animals start disappearing. . .and Megan and Brigit have their hands and paws full of suspects. But when a rare black rhino is taken from the zoo, presumably for its black-market-friendly horn, time is of the essence. Can Megan and Brigit find out who’s behind the mystery—before they too become prey?

“Funny and acerbic... perfect for lovers of Janet Evanovich.” —Librarian and Reviewer

Ratings and reviews

Paw of the Jungle by Diane Kelly is the 8th A Paw Enforcement series. Each book in the series can be read on its own, but I recommend reading each book in this entertaining series. Megan and Brigit have two new cases to solve in Fort Worth, Texas. Someone is making off with animals from the local zoo. They need to stop this thief once they figure out how they are getting into the habitats. A woman reports her ring stolen and it is just the beginning of a spree. Plus, there is a new paramedic at the station house who takes a shine to Sean. Megan Lutz is a strong female character who loves her work plus her partner, Brigit. Megan is an intelligent woman with good instincts who can twirl her baton with ease. Megan has an excellent work ethic and I like that she can be snarky especially with that horrible Derek Mackay (he deserved to be tasered in his private parts). She will make an excellent detective one day and gets to practice thanks to Detective Bustamente. Megan is dating Seth, a firefighter who works with Blast, a dog trained to detect explosives. Brigit happens to be very fond of Blast. I adore Brigit and love the chapters from her point-of-view. They are hilarious. It makes me wonder what my dogs think about me. The story is told (as usual) from Megan, Brigit and the poacher’s point-of-views. The zoo mystery is one that plays out while the missing jewelry is a whodunit that readers can solve. I found both mysteries to be fun to read about it and they were clever. It was interesting to learn about poaching, inexpensive zoos, and ranches where you can hunt exotic animals (just terrible). There is a parolee in the story and there are details on training programs available to prisoners and recidivism rates. I find that details like these add realism to the story. A Paw Enforcement series pushes past the bounds of a traditional cozy mystery as there is some foul language and adult humor. The story takes readers from just before Christmas to Valentine’s Day. I liked getting to spend time with Megan and her family during the holidays. The ending Paw of the Jungle was unexpected and has me looking forward to reading the next installment in A Paw Enforcement series. Paw of the Jungle is a diverting cozy mystery with a perilous poacher, delectable doggie delights, a ring riddle, malodorous manure, an enticing EMT, and Christmas cheer.

I love this fabulous series; each novel is better than the last! I have enjoyed watching Megan grow into a responsible police officer and close to her partner, K-9 Sergeant Brigit. There is much LOL humor, especially the bad guy’s last attempt at being a bad guy. The mysteries are definitely challenging, and this time is no different. Megan wants to become a detective but has to spend at least four years as a beat cop before applying. Giving traffic tickets isn’t her favorite thing to do, but that, and working with a couple seasoned detectives, is maturing her with regards to her behavior and honing her instincts to find and put together clues she observes. Brigit is happy about several things, including getting treats and being allowed to chase the bad guys and catch them. She rarely chews up Megan’s shoes now, but duct tape is holding together her duty shoes until she gets another pair. Brigit also adores Blast, the bomb-sniffing dog that is the partner of Megan’s boyfriend, Seth, a firefighter and bomb expert. Megan is sent out to see two different women who have lost their rings, including expensive wedding sets. One claimed to have not left her home all day, and another was playing tennis after getting a manicure. There was no proof that workers around them were guilty, so all she could do was take a report and check the nearby pawn shops. Megan and Brigit regularly walk through the zoo on their beat, so they are familiar with the layout and animals. They are at the zoo when two beautiful macaws go missing, and a custodian she recently met there was discharged when it was thought he either accidentally let them out of their enclosure or stole them. Not long afterward, a colobus monkey disappeared and was thought to be stolen – and the custodian no longer was there. It is then that Megan contacts one of the detectives she is learning from, Hector, as it sounds like someone is stealing from the zoo. If they can determine why and how, there is hope to find the whodunit. I enjoyed this novel so much! It is like visiting old friends to see Megan, Brigit, Seth, Megan’s family and her roommate, Frankie. I like that Megan found critical clues that help her solve the crimes; the time she has spent being taught by detectives has been well-spent. Yes, she is great at putting things together herself, but has matured in many ways from the times she has been allowed to work with them. Brigit also sniffs out some good information that helps put the pieces together. This armchair sleuth enjoyed following Megan on her adventures this time! There are surprises throughout, as well as the author’s trademark humor. As more zoo animals disappear, Brigit’s nose and the investigating skills of Megan and Hector put them hot on the trail of the less-than-bright thief. I highly recommend this mystery, and series, to those who appreciate well-written and LOL cozies, poignant moments between the bad guy and his adoring seven-year-old daughter, cops and K-9 partners, and romance. From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this from the publisher through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

This is a fun and entertaining read that has Megan and k-9 Bridget on the hunt for poachers that repeatedly steal beloved animals from the zoo. As community outrage and pressure to find the poachers mounts, Megan and Bridget work long hours trying to solve the crimes. Add in an the additional puzzling disappearance of expensive rings just in time for Christmas and Megan and Bridget are working overtime to serve the community. This book has all the humor you would expect in one of the author's books, along with commentary from k-9 Bridget....if only Megan could understand what Bridget is trying to tell her. I'm giving this four stars because, while it is an enjoyable book, at times it seemed to lag. However, even with this, it is well worth putting on your TBR list. The author is on my must read authors' list.

About the author

Diane Kelly is a former state assistant attorney general and tax adviser who spent much of her career fighting, or inadvertently working for, white-collar criminals. She is also a proud graduate of the Mansfield, Texas Citizens Police Academy. The first book in Diane's IRS Special Agent Tara Holloway series, Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure, received a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. Book #2, Death, Taxes, and a Skinny No-Whip Latte, won a Reviewers Choice award. Diane has combined her fascination with law enforcement and her love of animals in her K-9 cop Paw Enforcement series.