Bending The Paw by Diane Kelly is the 9th book in the Paw Enforcement series. Patrol Officer Megan Luz wants to become a detective with the Fort Worth Police Department. Even though she is celebrating her engagement on Valentine’s Day, she is thrilled when she gets a call from detective Audrey Jackson asking if Megan and her K-9 Brigit can assist at a crime scene.

A wife had returned home after dinner with her co-workers to find her kitchen splattered with her husband’s blood, along with three sets of footprints. The grisly scene is dubbed The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. The husband’s car is later found at a park near the Trinity River, but his body isn’t located. Since he is an assistant manager of a local movie theater, it is possible he was targeted since he made deposits at the local bank. As the novel progresses, the case seems to be going cold.

In addition to assisting Detective Jackson, Megan is also dealing with an unscrupulous roofing contractor who was going door-to-door after a major hail storm hit Fort Worth. Was he really a con-artist or an honest guy who can’t get the supplies he needs? Megan is determined to find out.

As in the other books in this series, chapters are told from the point of view of Officer Luz, K-9 Brigit, and “the bad guy”, who in this book is referred to as the slasher. The storyline moves along briskly as we hope that Megan and Brigit help bring in the crooks.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #St. Martin’s Press for my Advanced Reader Copy. 5-Stars. I recommend this series to anyone who loves cozy mysteries. The book will be released on October 27, 2020. Pre-order your copy now!

Check Out my other Diane Kelly Reviews and Author Interview.

---

And now for my Recipes for Readers recommendation:

Reata’s Apple Crisp with Cajeta