Ruff Justice by Tara Choate
A Canine Accounting Caper
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Irene Lisner was not expecting a request to mediate her sister’s marriage. Or to drop her own list of cases to help a coworker. Or a new dog to come into her life. Or a date. A talented principal and a rigid business manager have squared off over accusations of false enrollment, improper purchasing, and state curriculum violations. As Irene investigates the charges, she finds hidden agendas and ulterior motives that make her wonder if she can restore justice to the hardworking school. And, of course, Irene’s irrepressible best friend has something to say on everything, especially the new dog.

There are many different ways to learn the same lesson.

My review of the first book in this series, Paw Prints in the Ledger, mentioned a few pacing problems I noticed with the storyline. While of course I can’t say for sure whether or not Ms. Choate took that into account while writing the sequel, I was quite pleased with the pacing this time around. Irene steadily discovered new clues about what was truly going on, and there was never a good stopping point when I needed to take a break from reading. That reluctant feeling of tearing my eyes away from the page is something I love to experience as it means that there will be even more wonderful passages to read once I can return to the plot!

It would have been helpful to have a little more time dedicated to developing the mystery elements of this tale, especially when it came to the conclusion. I was a bit surprised by how quickly things were wrapped up given how complicated they seemed earlier on and how many of the early clues either didn’t pan out or could be interpreted in more than one way. This was the only thing holding me back from selecting a full five-star rating.

The subplots were well written and added depth to Irene’s character and life. One of my personal favorites involved a romantic arc that I thought blended in beautifully with the protagonist’s already busy life. It was something I’d love to see more of if or when this series continues as it did such a nice job of showcasing the softer side of a character who must always remain professional and practical at work.

Ruff Justice was thought provoking.