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, malodorous manure, an enticing EMT, and Christmas cheer.

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