Bending the Paw (Paw Enforcement #9) by Diane Kelly

Bending the Paw

(Paw Enforcement #9)

by Diane Kelly 

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: October 27th 2020 by St. Martin's Press

Goodreads synopsis: 

Make way for the long paw of the law as police officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner Brigit investigate a baffling new mystery in Bending the Paw, by Diane Kelly.

A MURDER WITHOUT A BODY IS LIKE A DOG WITHOUT A BONE

A bloodbath is a shocking new challenge for Megan and Brigit when Detective Audrey Jackson calls them to the scene of what could only be a brutal murder. But the one thing the nightmarish scene is missing is a victim. The frantic homeowner’s husband is gone, seemingly without a trace—and so is the money he was holding. Has a vicious killer committed what might just be the perfect crime?

Meanwhile, it’s hailing cats and dogs all over Fort Worth, and roofing contractors have descended on the city in droves. With plenty of damage and continuing storms, work delays are building up like so much runoff, but Megan is suspicious that one roofer may be a scam artist. Determined to leash every lawbreaker she and her K-9 partner find, Megan is building a case for prosecution, all while Brigit has her nose to the ground for a murderer…

***

5 stars

This is the ninth book in the Paw Enforcement series by Diane Kelly.

This book was greatly complex and so well written. I loved how this was easy to get into and I didn’t need a ton of backstory to understand all the characters. This is totally in the standalone category even though it is in a series. If you are looking to try out a book in a series, pick this one for sure!

We started off with what seemed to be a crime scene in a woman’s house with three sets of men’s footprints over the house. Megan’s K9 dog Brigit, can tell there is a difference in the blood samples left all over the floor but they don’t realize what this clue means until later. They only know that no one could lose that much blood and live.

We get a perspective of the killer after he leaves the scene of the “maybe” killing and watch him as he lives out the next month during Megan, Brigit and Det. Jackson’s investigations.

There is a secondary story featuring a con man trying to get residents to sign on to his roofing contracting business after a pretty bad hail storm hit the area. Megan does a lot of digging on this mystery and it is so fun to follow.

I loved it so much! Great series worth digging into! I need to read more ASAP!

If you like police procedural/detective fiction, mystery, cozy or thriller, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.