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A review by cj_mo_2222
Bending the Paw by Diane Kelly
5.0
The majority of this book is told from the point of view of Megan Luz, a Fort Worth Police Department officer. There are also some parts told from the point of view of her K-9 partner Brigit, as well as an unknown person simply referred to as “The Slasher.” The first scene with Megan in the book also includes her firefighter boyfriend, Seth, in a sweet, romantic scene. Romance has to be put aside, however, when Megan and Brigit get the call to a horrendous crime scene. A woman comes home to find the kitchen covered in blood. Her husband isn’t home, but there is no body. The detectives on the case need Megan and Brigit’s help to trace whoever was at the scene of this horrible crime.
“Bending the Paw” is the ninth book in this series. I read the book immediately preceding this one, but not the others. I think the book works well as a standalone even if this is your first introduction to the series. The investigation stands on its own and Megan is an easy character to get to know. She is intelligent, dedicated, and ambitious. She wants to move up from officer to detective, but is putting in the hard work to get there. Her chapters give the reader a narrative of the investigation, as well as allowing us to get to know her, her co-workers, and Seth. I enjoy seeing how she and her canine partner work together to discover clues that help in the investigations, both the murder and a fraud case Brigit is assigned to.
If you’ve not read any of the prior books, you may be skeptical seeing there are chapters from Brigit the German Shepherd’s point of view. I am not a fan of whimsical talking animals that are in some cozies, but this is different. Brigit’s chapters are short and funny and describe what she is thinking during the investigation and give additional insight into the crime. Dog lovers will especially appreciate these chapters. Also interspersed throughout the book are short chapters from the point of view of “The Slasher” which give the reader more insight into the crime.
This book could be classified as a cozy mystery since it has both humor and romance mixed in with the murder and fraud cases. However, with all the details about the process of the investigation, I would call it a “light procedural.” There is more depth in the plot and the investigation than is found in many cozies. The humor and lighter moments, such as Brigit’s observations about her part in the investigation and about humans in general, lighten the mood and quicken the pace of the story. The way the story is told intrigued me from the beginning, and I remained invested in finding out more about the crime throughout the book. Clues to the solution are there, but it took awhile for me to begin to figure out the truth of the case. I like how things wrapped up and really enjoyed this book, which I would rate as 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of St. Martin’s Press. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
“Bending the Paw” is the ninth book in this series. I read the book immediately preceding this one, but not the others. I think the book works well as a standalone even if this is your first introduction to the series. The investigation stands on its own and Megan is an easy character to get to know. She is intelligent, dedicated, and ambitious. She wants to move up from officer to detective, but is putting in the hard work to get there. Her chapters give the reader a narrative of the investigation, as well as allowing us to get to know her, her co-workers, and Seth. I enjoy seeing how she and her canine partner work together to discover clues that help in the investigations, both the murder and a fraud case Brigit is assigned to.
If you’ve not read any of the prior books, you may be skeptical seeing there are chapters from Brigit the German Shepherd’s point of view. I am not a fan of whimsical talking animals that are in some cozies, but this is different. Brigit’s chapters are short and funny and describe what she is thinking during the investigation and give additional insight into the crime. Dog lovers will especially appreciate these chapters. Also interspersed throughout the book are short chapters from the point of view of “The Slasher” which give the reader more insight into the crime.
This book could be classified as a cozy mystery since it has both humor and romance mixed in with the murder and fraud cases. However, with all the details about the process of the investigation, I would call it a “light procedural.” There is more depth in the plot and the investigation than is found in many cozies. The humor and lighter moments, such as Brigit’s observations about her part in the investigation and about humans in general, lighten the mood and quicken the pace of the story. The way the story is told intrigued me from the beginning, and I remained invested in finding out more about the crime throughout the book. Clues to the solution are there, but it took awhile for me to begin to figure out the truth of the case. I like how things wrapped up and really enjoyed this book, which I would rate as 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of St. Martin’s Press. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.