The Long Paw of the Law

Written by Diane Kelly

Narrated by Coleen Marlo

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 . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Oct 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781541445529

Diane Kelly

Diane Kelly is a former state assistant attorney general and tax advisor who spent much of her career fighting, or inadvertently working for, white-collar criminals. She is also a proud graduate of the Citizens Police Academy of Mansfield, Texas. Diane combines her fascination with crime and her love of animals in her stories, which include the Paw Enforcement series, the House-Flipper Mysteries, and the Mountain Lodge Mysteries. Diane now lives in North Carolina, where she spends her days catering to her demanding cats or walking her dogs in the region’s beautiful woods.

Reviews for The Long Paw of the Law

[murderbydeath · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This one is going to be short. The book is too long. Too much stuffing. If we shaved away all the targets that qualify as 'author's research she must share so her accountant knows those deductions are legit', and then shaved away the overly long descriptive narrative about the places she goes and the scenery, and - I'm sorry - perhaps pared way back on Bridgit the K9's chapters (which to be fair are already short), this book would have some highly entertaining, unusual investigations for the reader to enjoy. I even didn't mind the back and forth between the good guys and the bad guys. The scenes in the compound made me edgy and tense, left with that icky feeling I've also always had since learning about religious cults. This ramped up tension was then offset by the lighter side as Megan proceeded apace with the missing mother and the garage door burglary cases. So, it was just an ok read, because it was way too overstuffed; done a disservice by a well meaning, but lax editor, but under all that maximum verbosity, there's a good couple of stories in there with strong females characters, strong family values, and of course, the kick ass dog. I know this author can write much tighter stories; I've read them, so I'll keep an open mind about trying the next one.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Long Paw of the Law by Diane Kelly is seventh novel in A Paw Enforcement series. I found The Long Paw of the Law to be well-written and it zipped along at a lively pace (not as fast as Brigit can eat a treat but close). Megan Luz is a developed character who loves her job and her partner, Brigit. I enjoy the humor interjected into the story and the chapter’s told from Brigit’s point-of-view. Brigit’s commentary always makes me laugh. She has a new piggy toy that oinks that she loves to devour and squeak repeatedly. The mysteries are complex with various twists and turns to surprise readers. There is a dramatic takedown where you know Brigit is hoping the guilty party will run so she can give chase. I like that both mysteries wrapped up at the end with all the details provided for readers. The relationship between Brigit and Megan is delightful. Megan may be in charge, but Brigit has ways of getting back at her when she feels it is needed. My only complaint is the foul language and the intimate references. I like to read cozy mysteries because they do not contain either of those components traditionally. The Long Paw of the Law can be read as a standalone, but I feel it is beneficial to read the series in order. It allows you to watch Megan mature as the series progresses and I believe each book is better than the previous. I am looking forward to the next A Paw Enforcement novel which is Paw of the Jungle. The Long Paw of the Law has a bouncing baby, a devoted K9 companion, a hunky boyfriend, an evil cult leader, a garage bandit, and one tenacious patrol officer.

[bgknighton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Megan and Brigit are beginning to come into their own as cops. The bad guy this time is the cult leader of a small secretive sect.