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 … 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
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Series: A Paw Enforcement Novel – Book 8
Author: Diane Kelly
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Animal/Holiday/Police Procedurals
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Page Count: 365
From St. Martin’s comes the latest and perhaps the best one yet in the “A Paw Enforcement Novel,” a police dog cozy series by Diane Kelly, Paw of the Jungle.
This addition to the award-winning police dog cozy series is wonderfully enjoyable with just a slight hint of sadness. Whenever animals are endangered or abused, it is not pleasant, but when they are stolen from a zoo, and no one knows where they are, it’s even worse. Leave it to Megan and Brigit to stumble upon a theft ring just before the holidays. The victims are innocent animals; the perpetrator is not innocent but not necessarily a bad guy. In the end, he is caught, and the missing animals located; most of them are safe and back where they belong.
Characters in this series are always interesting, very human, and entertaining. Although this is a police dog cozy series, the human side is well represented. The animals involved have fantastic personalities. Brigit and Blast are two of the most adorable dogs ever written, brave, helpful, and they love their human partners and each other.
The writing in Paw of the Jungle is excellent, the plot realistic, and the characters relatable. Thought this is not a hard-boiled police detective or uncompromising police procedural, it is a police dog cozy series that fringes on both. If readers have never read any of the previous books in this series, they may wish to start at the beginning; otherwise, they could get lost trying to figure out the format it is written in and who each character is. Overall, however, this addition to the series will make readers keep turning the page and fill them with a sense of satisfaction and happiness.
Fort Worth Police Officer Megan Luz and her K9 partner, Sergeant Brigit, are back in Diane Kelly’s Paw of the Jungle. As usual, Kelly mixes humor into Megan’s investigative endeavors, and there’s plenty to investigate this time. Dastardly doings at the zoo multiply as rare and valuable animals vanish. Megan and Brigit team up with Detective Bustamente on the zoo caper, a real puzzler. How could anyone steal a rhinoceros?
Meanwhile back at the mall there’s a rash of stolen rings, and at the firehouse there’s a new female EMT who seems awfully interested in Megan’s boyfriend, Seth. Megan has her hands full, and Brigit has a lot of fun, and a steady supply of liver treats. I love this series.
New-to-me author and series. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline. Officer Megan and ger K-9 partner, Officer Brigit, are fabulous. I plan on checking out the other books in this series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.
3.5 stars – Whether chasing shoplifters or investigating missing jewelry, Fort Worth Police Officer Megan Luz and K9 Brigit are on the job. While enjoying their patrol through the zoo, two hyacinth macaws are reported missing. Did they escape or were they stolen? When other animals disappear, she knows that these are organized thefts, but by who? Megan’s boyfriend Seth, a firefighter along with K9 Blast, mentioned a new paramedic at the station, but what he didn’t mention was that the new paramedic, Alex, is a very attractive female. They will be working together, should Megan be worried? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)
Great Cozy Police Dog Mystery
This novel is eight in its series and stands alone very well. I have not read the previous books and was not lost at all. Of course, I love this book so much that I will go back and read the others. This story has lots of animals, two great working dogs, a bit of romance, and an interesting mystery or two. I loved that it was not all about the details of who wore what and who ate what – that is just such a waste of book space! The book is all about a young policewoman and her K-9 partner. She has a good roommate, a loving family and a great boyfriend. I highly recommend this book. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Such a fun and fast paced book to read! It is the 8th one in this series and in this one Megan takes Brigit her police dog for a trip to the local Zoo. But what should have been a nice relaxing time for them both turns into another adventure when a pair of expensive birds go missing. I enjoyed reading this as they discovered who why and what happened. Kept me amused for awhile and made me smile.
Police officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner in crime, Brigit, are back and paws deep in not one but two mysteries. Rings of the well to do are going missing and animals are being stolen from the zoo. This one is going to keep our crime fighters busy through the holidays.
I love this series so much. Megan is so serious and driven and Brigit is so competent and laid back. I love watching this crime fighting team take down the bad guys and keeping Ft. Worth safe. This is a terrific addition to the series.
I have read all of the books in this series. Each story is unique, but the main characters continue throughout. And there’s a surprise at the end of this one that those who’ve read from the beginning will appreciate.
Officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner, Brigit, work to keep Fort Worth, TX safe.
Brigit and her sensitive nose keep the action moving. Megan keeps moving too — by invitation of a detective, she assists working a series of zoo thefts. But a police officer’s life isn’t simple, either professionally or personally.
Ms. Kelly has written a fast-paced, light mystery with a touch of romance — perfect for a weekend read.
This was the first book I read in this series and I hope to read many more. This was such a fun cozy mystery. I loved Meghan and her K-9 partner Brigit. I actually felt sorry for the criminal in this book. He got in way over his head. I enjoyed how the story went from Meghan to Brigit to the criminal. This was well done. I received a copy of this book from Minotaur for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Well this one (Book 8) was as fun as Book 7 which I also read. This makes at least three books in the series that I have read and enjoyed. This one has a somewhat different theme, but Megan still loves Seth and most of the time I think Seth loves Megan but…I did still have to wonder sometimes. I think Megan wondered now and then too. As far as Brigit and Blast…well dogs are loyal right? Nothing is as fun as having two canine cop handlers and two k-9’s. (kind of a mouthful). How could this not be a cute read.
We still had some input from Brigit now and then which gives a cop story a little lightness and makes the reading flow well. The different theme I mentioned in this storyline involves the zoo as its background. Megan and Bridgit patrol there now and then and they give us a picture of the zoo and its animals. However, neither the female cop nor the female K-9 cop takes it well that an animal is stolen in their territory. It all adds a little different line to the story, but you know…Diane Kelly seems to be very good at that.
I found this book to be boring for the most part. I was really hoping to like this book but I found it overly descriptive and really not interesting. This is more of a police procedural than a cozy mystery book. The dog is also kind of a jerk when she talks so that isn’t fun to read about. I really wish I could like this book more.
*I received a free copy of this book via the NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
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, malodourous manure, an enticing EMT, and Christmas cheer.
I decided awhile back to just give Diane Kelly her own spot on my must read list, regardless of what series she’s writing. Bottom line, if she writes it I will enjoy every word. From her Death and Taxes series to her new House Flipper series – I’m a happy reader. Full of humor and information about very interesting things, she never disappoints me, eight books in this series and each a pleasure to read.
If you are new to this series, not a problem to read this as a stand alone but, if you come to the end of Paw of the Jungle and have enjoyed hanging out with Megan, Brigit, Seth and Blast, set aside some reading time to play catchup. In this entry the animals are disappearing from the Fort Worth zoo and everyone is up in arms, pushing the police to find the criminal ASAP. With mentoring from several detectives, the investigation falls to Megan and Brigit to solve and they are up to the task even though, as crimes go, it takes them from December into February to track down the Poacher. The chapters are written from the point of view of Megan, Brigit and the Poacher but it’s not confusing at all. I have to say that Brigit’s chapters are my favorite. As the case progresses Megan also tries to track down some very expensive missing rings. These are the cases that will, one day, lead Megan to her desired detective’s badge. From traffic enforcement to missing zoo animals, it’s all in a days work for Megan and Brigit. Along the way there is the growing romance with her boyfriend Seth. I’m so ready to read the next book in the series.
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.