Aloha to Diane Kelly and THE LONG PAW OF THE LAW (Paw Enforcement Book 7) - ARC Review

Texas police officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner Brigit have come a long way, baby.

A BUNDLE OF JOY. A DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD. . .

One night, while on duty with her four-legged crime-fighting companion, Meg gets an urgent call from her boyfriend Seth, who works for the Fort Worth fire department. A baby girl has turned up at the station with only two clues to her identity: One is a peace-sign symbol stitched into her blanket. The other is a word, written in string: help.

Megan follows every loose thread and, along with Brigit, ends up on a twisted path that leads to the People of Peace compound, the site of a religious sect on the outskirts of the city. Its leader, Father Emmanuel, keeps his followers on a short leash—and his enemies even closer. Could this be the abandoned baby’s original home? And if so, why was she cast out? Now that Megan and Brigit are on the case, the secrets of this reclusive cult are bound to be dug up. . .
Diane Kelly is back with The Long Paw of the Law, the seventh installment in her drool-worthy Paw Enforcement series.

Fort Worth Police K-9 (link)

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. - Buddha

Fort Worth Police Officer Megan Luz and her shelter dog-turned-canine partner, Brigit, returns in the seventh book of  the Paw Enforcement series from St. Martin's Press.  Kelly's unique story telling creates a new sub genre that falls somewhere between cozy mystery and romantic suspense.  Megan tackles "ripped from the headlines" crime while juggling a budding romance with Seth, an explosive expert with the Fort Worth Fire Department.  BTW, Seth's K9 parenter, Blast, is the Beta dog to Brigit's Alpha Dog - who doesn't love it when the tables are turned?

The book blurb is an accurate recap of the action in THE LONG PAW OF THE LAW.  Rather than share how Megan discovers the truth with Divine Intervention, I would like to focus this review on how Kelly has created a "I can't put this down" story.  She rotates the POV in each chapter - Megan's first person POV, Brigit's third person POV (mostly focused on food), and the villain's third person's POV.  This method gave me a wider perspective of the action on the page.  Indeed, I read this book within 48 hours because I wanted to know there was a happy ending.  Just remember, Kelly is a romance author. 

Kelly treated readers to a subplot regarding ongoing petty crime in an affluent neighborhood - kudos to Megan for thinking outside the box to solve it!  Likewise, I learned more about Seth's cranky grandfather, Vietnam Veterans, car shows, and roller derby.  These "extras" further contribute to the "community feeling" that shines through the entire series.  Meg has a talent to solve crime, putting her on track to become a detective. But Kelly's subtle references to American life - fulfilling and challenging - creates a heartwarming read that makes me root for the multicultural characters in her books. 

THE LONG PAW OF THE LAW can be read as a stand alone book.  Yet I recommend reading the series in order to follow how Megan matures as an officer and catches the eye of Seth.  

I received an ARC of THE LONG PAW OF THE LAW from Kelly at the RWA Annual Convention in Denver.  The book is available October 30, 2018 from St. Martin's Press.

Miramont Castle

Manitou Springs Historical Society (link)

I have RWA swag for one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about dogs - do you have a favorite breed? color? name?

While I am a cat servant (as is Megan's roommate, Frankie), I enjoy meeting dogs out and about.  We spotted numerous dogs in Colorado Springs during our preconference sightseeing, including Chuck at the Miramont Castle.  Above is a vintage image of the castle.

2.  Comments are open through Sunday, August 5, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Monday, August 6.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Diane Kelly and PAW AND ORDER - Review and Giveaway

PAW AND ORDER is Book 2 in the K9 series ...

Police officer Megan Luz and her loyal K-9 partner Brigit are back on the beat—and under the gun—when the local rodeo show goes to the dogs…

OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE 

After capturing the notorious Fort Worth "Tunabomber," Megan and Brigit are practically celebrities. Which is why the police chief lassoed them into doing rodeo duty —mostly as a public relations stunt for the department. Megan’s not a fan of calf roping, bull riding, or goat milking contests. But when a thief appears to be working the circuit, her trusty K-9 partner starts sniffing for clues…

INTO THE FIRE HYDRANT

The culprit is "Robin Hood," a young Texas golddigger who steals from the rich to give to the poor—namely, herself. With Brigit hot on the trail, Megan has to juggle her on-again off-again reputation in the FWPD with her on-again off-again relationship with sexy bomb-squader Seth Rutledge. This time, Megan is determined to rope in her suspect and her man…before chaos, and/or her trusted furry partner, is unleashed.

Trusty on Dog Beach
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog. - Dwight Eisenhower

In the case of Brigit, she has both size and fight.  Rescued from a shelter, she appreciates her handler, Officer Megan Luz, and especially loves her shoes.  Brigit finds the rodeo enticing with smelly animals and noisy children dangling corn dogs and pretzels (which she eats when no parent is looking).  The junk food sustains her when she is directed by Megan to chase a suspect - a task she is happy to complete.

Kelly employs an unique method to share the story of Megan, Brigit, and even the suspect, Robin Hood - the chapters alternate with Megan's first person POV, Brigit's third person perspective, and Robin's first person POV.  Kelly's innovative narrative offers a complete picture of how the petty crime at the rodeo spins out of control.  I commend Kelly for diving into Robin's psyche so she is not simply the villain, but a victim too.

Kelly gives us a glimpse of Megan's psyche, too.  Shy from childhood stuttering, Megan found solace in baton twirling - a talent that comes in handy as a police officer.   Kelly probes Megan's feelings for both Seth (the hunky fireman with emotional baggage) and Clint (the cocky officer from the mounted police).   While Kelly keeps it lighthearted and sweet natured, she hints that not everything is black or white, right or wrong.  Brigit sums it up best,  

Brigit was glad she wasn't a human.  Their sexual relationships were far too complex.  When dogs wanted to hump, they humped, pure and simple.  No regrets afterward, no guilt, no tears if he didn't call.  No walk of shame though really, a dog didn't mind any kind of walk, shameful or not.

I read the first book, PAW ENFORCEMENT, giving me the background of the characters in PAW AND ORDER.  Yet Kelly seamlessly reintroduced the characters in PAW AND ORDER so it can be read as a stand alone novel.

Recommended read for fans of canine sleuths, flawed characters, and a compelling story.

I purchased PAW AND ORDER as I enjoyed PAW ENFORCEMENT.

For Linda, I thought of Sandy throughout this book.  I know she would have bonded with Brigit.

A dog enjoys Pearl Harbor at sunset 

I am giving away a book choice from convention stash to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about rodeos.   I've never been to one but I have been to the state fair with smelly animals.

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, January 24, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 25.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Check out my review of PAW ENFORCEMENT, Book 1, at this link.

Aloha to Diane Kelly and PAW ENFORCEMENT - Book Review

I won an autographed copy of PAW ENFORCEMENT from Free Book Friday (link).  This is the first book in a new "cozy mystery" series from Diane Kelly, accountant turned author:

Introducing police officer Megan Luz and her loyal K-9 partner Brigit—two Fort Worth cops who are worth their weight in kibble.

SHE’S ON A SHORT LEASH.

Officer Luz is lucky she still has a job after tasering a male colleague where it counts the most. Sure, he had it coming—which is why the police chief is giving Megan a second chance. The catch? Her new partner can’t carry a gun, can’t drive a cruiser, and can’t recite the Miranda Rights. Because her new partner is a big furry police dog. Sothat’s what the chief meant when he called Megan’s partner a real b*tch…

WILL FATE THROW HER A BONE?

With Brigit out on the beat, Megan is writing up enough tickets to wallpaper the whole station. But when a bomb goes off at the mall’s food court, it’s up to Megan and Brigit to start digging—and sniffing—for clues. With the help of dead-sexy bomb-squad expert Seth Rutledge and his own canine partner named Blast, Megan finds herself in a desperate race to collar a killer. Will justice be served—or will she end up in the doghouse?

"Readers should be prepared for a laugh fest. Diane Kelly is first class."—Night Owl Romance

A dog enjoys the surf at Kailua Beach

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. - Roger Caras

Diane Kelly starts her new series K9 with a bang, or rather, kaboom with a bomber running loose in Fort Worth.  Enter Officer Megan Lux, a new recruit to the Fort Worth Police Department.   After tasering her foul mouthed partner, she is reassigned to work with Sergeant Brigit, an extraordinary rescue dog who outpaces the male dogs on the force.   Reluctant to take on a canine partner, Megan comes to appreciate Brigit's abilities after she discovers the first bomb. 

Kelly employs humor to delve deeper into Megan's psyche. She's the oldest of five children of a "Catholic family living in a Protestant's house".  Megan understands her parents were too overwhelmed with younger children to offer emotional support as she struggled with stuttering.  In turn, this caused Megan to turn to books, museums, NPR, and the Animal Planet (actually, the cable show was Brigit's idea).   Yet Megan is a champion baton twirler from marching band - a talent that enables her to catch criminals with her police baton (as guns scare her).   Kudos to Kelly for creating a multi-layered heroine in both Megan and Brigit.   Kelly hinted that soldier-turned-fireman Seth Rutledge is also multi-layered.   No doubt his emotional baggage will interfere their budding romance in future books in this series.    

The plot unfolds from three perspectives (each POV unfolds in its own chapter) - Megan's first person POV, the Rattler's first person POV, and the third person point of view for what Brigit must be thinking.   I would have preferred if Brigit was able to share from her first dog POV.   Overall, PAW ENFORCEMENT was an engaging read that I could not put down.  

I look forward to the next adventure of Megan and Brigit!

Dogs enjoy the "salt flats" of Pearl Harbor

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  What is your experience with dogs?  We've always cohabited with cats, but I have cared for several dogs when neighbors are away.

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, June 28, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, June 29.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Learn more about Diane and her books at dianekelly.com.

Coming in December ...