Laurien Berenson is the bestselling author of the Melanie Travis canine mystery series. Her books revolve around the world of dog shows, a milieu she knows intimately as her family has been involved in the sport of dogs for three generations. Berenson is a four-time winner of the Maxwell Award for Fiction from the Dog Writers Assoc. of America and a winner of the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. Her novels offer a captivating look into the intricate world of canine competitions, blending suspense with a deep understanding of her subject.
Melanie juggles family life, her job as a special needs tutor, and caring for Standard Poodles while participating in a school fundraiser that turns deadly. When she discovers the pet supply shop owner murdered during a town-wide treasure hunt, she feels compelled to investigate despite the headmaster's objections. As she uncovers a list of suspects, including disgruntled neighbors and a bitter ex-wife, Melanie races against time to solve the mystery before the event concludes and her own life is at stake.
From the moment Peg arrives in Kentucky, dragging level-headed Rose along for the week-long excursion proves a smart move. Because after she brings her canine expertise to prestigious conformation shows, next on the agenda is selling her Thoroughbred broodmare's offspring at a high-stakes yearling sale. And when the ladies arrive to meet the young horse at Six Oaks farm, something seems off about the place-especially Jim Grable, the yearling manager with serious anger issues . . .While Peg feels comfortable again judging pedigree pups over Labor Day Weekend, Rose judges a shocking new turn of events. Jim has been found dead on the farm and a young employee needs help convincing police she didn't kill him. As disjointed clues lead to a list of misdeeds swirling around Six Oaks, everyone connected to Jim agrees on one thing-he had it coming . . .It isn't until Peg guides her colt's journey to the auction ring that she grasps how much Jim had been manipulating the process behind the scenes. Now, unable to rely on her instincts alone, Peg must also trust in Rose's talents to expose the real culprit. But the two need to have each other's backs before tangling with a killer-a deadly criminal set on halting their dog and pony show for good!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year in Connecticut, but Melanie Travis and her brood of Standard poodles finds surviving the holiday season deadlier than expected in these two cozy mystery holiday romps bundled together for your yuletide pleasure . . . The perfect stocking stuffer for mystery lovers and fans of dog mysteries by David Rosenfelt and Spencer Quinn! "The perfect introduction to the delightful Berenson, this volume brings together two previously published novellas—and five standard poodles!—set during Christmas in Connecticut." - firstCLUE WAGGING THROUGH THE SNOW With a demanding teaching job and five poodles scampering around the house, Melanie Travis barely has energy for the upcoming Christmas rush. When an unexpected business venture leads to a dead body, Melanie must run through a flurry of likely suspects and muzzle a dogged murderer in time—or she’ll be next on someone’s deadly list. HERE COMES SANTA PAWS As Melanie attempts to deck the halls in a house overrun by pampered Poodles, her event planner friend, Claire, is busy playing Santa for the wealthiest clientele on Connecticut’s Gold Coast. But when Claire’s stylish stint uncovers a dead body, Melanie and her nosy Aunt Peg dash into a dizzying investigation to rein in a sinister Kris Kringle before they’re the next ones on someone’s deadly wish list . . .
From the award-winning author of the Melanie Travis Canine Mysteries, senior sisters-in-law Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan get along about as well as stray cats and pedigree pooches. But aside from being Melanie Travis’s beloved aunts, outspoken Peg and even-keeled Rose do have something in common—a knack for solving murders . . . When Peg attempts online dating at Rose’s strong urging, the experience plays out like an embarrassing mistake. At least, until she matches with Nolan Abercrombie—intelligent, attractive, and a self-proclaimed dog lover. The two share an instant connection that has Peg cautiously excited to finally bring someone special into her busy world of Standard Poodles and conformation shows. But before Peg can admit that Rose was right, a terrible accident claims Nolan’s life. As details about his background and tragic death come to light, Peg has a serious hunch that someone successfully plotted to kill her first real date in decades . . . With suspects galore and a slew of puzzling clues to peel through, Peg and Rose team up to solve a dangerous mystery unfolding before their eyes. The question is: Can the unlikely duo turn their radically different personalities into an advantage as they scramble to ID the culprit—or will they manage to work against each other and find themselves precisely where a meticulous murderer wants them to be?
Melanie Travis is gifted at raising prize-winning Standard Poodles, not standing in as the Easter Bunny. But when March in Connecticut brings daffodils and dead bodies, she'll need to hop into action -- and fast . . .
When Beatrice Gallagher, the well-respected benefactor of a new women's shelter, is murdered, Melanie Travis discovers that Beatrice wasn't the warm and generous philanthropist she appeared to be and must expose her true nature to identify a vengeful killer
Murder, She Wrote meets The Golden Girls in the award-winning author’s brand-new series! Two cantankerous septuagenarians, opposites in every way, put aside their differences to stop a killer… if they don’t throttle each other first!Rose Donovan looks for the good in everyone. With her sister-in-law, Peg, that sometimes requires a lot of searching. Even a sixty-something former nun like Rose has her limits, and gruff Peg Turnbull sure knows how to push them. But after forty years of bickering, they’re attempting to start over, partnering up to join the local bridge club. Peg and Rose barely have a chance to celebrate their first win before one of the club’s most accomplished players is killed in his home. As the newest members, the sisters-in-law come under scrutiny and decide to start some digging of their own. Bridge is typically seen as a wholesome pastime, yet this group of senior citizens harbors a wealth of vices, including gambling, cheating, and adultery . . . By comparison, Peg and Rose’s fractious relationship is starting to feel almost functional. But as their suspect list narrows, they’re unaware that their logic has a dangerous flaw. And they’ll have to hope that their teamwork holds steady when they’re confronted by a killer who’s through with playing games . . .
Melanie Travis is taking a much-needed break from the dog show circuit for a romantic Valentine’s trip with her husband Sam, but when someone at their cozy Berkshires inn has an unexpected date with death, Melanie must slip into something sleuthier for the weekend . . . Melanie is delighted at the prospect of three uninterrupted days alone with Sam (and, of course, her prize-winning Standard Poodle, Faith). They’re booked at the White Birch Inn, a picturesque New England resort nestled at the foot of a snow-covered mountain. The inn has a full slate of couples activities planned for the busy Valentine's weekend, but the first night of festivities feature an event that isn’t on the program: murder. As a person of interest in the case, Melanie tries to sneak a little detective work into her romantic getaway. But with the resort nearly sold out for the holiday weekend, there's no shortage of suspects, and Melanie’s secret sleuthing is already attracting the wrong kind of attention. Her Valentine’s trip is heating up faster than the chocolate fondue . . . just not in the way Melanie hoped. But if she doesn’t catch the cold-hearted killer soon, another innocent victim will get the kiss of death . . .
As the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, counts down to a spooky celebration on October 31st, a horrifying murder leaves Melanie Travis pawing for clues in a hair-raising game of trick-or-treat . . . With just a few days left before Halloween, everyone at Howard Academy is anticipating the guaranteed sugar high they'll experience from gorging on Harriet Bloom's famous marshmallow puffs. The private school's annual costume party revolves around the headmaster's assistant and her seemingly supernatural batches of gooey goodies. So, it's a shock when Harriet's elderly neighbor is suddenly found dead with the beloved dessert in his hand. In a snap, police start questioning whether Harriet modified her top-secret recipe to include a hefty dose of lethal poison . . .Melanie knows her tenured colleague would never intentionally serve cyanide-laced puffs to a defenseless old man. But as explosive neighborhood gossip reveals a potential culprit, it also brings her closer to sealing her own doom. Because on an evening ruled by masked revelers, bizarre getups, and hidden identities, Halloween might just be the perfect opportunity for a cold-hearted killer to get away with murder once again--this time sending a nosy, unsuspecting sleuth to an early grave!
Melanie Travis and her pedigree poodles are back on the case in Watchdog, the fifth installment in award-winning author Laurien Berenson's delightfully dog-friendly cozy mystery series! It's autumn in Connecticut. Melanie Travis has just started a new job, and with the added excitement of showing her Standard Poodle, Faith, in the fall shows, the last thing she wants is to become embroiled in yet another of her brother Frank's money making schemes. His current brainstorm--remaking an old store in stylish suburban Fairfield County into a trendy coffee bar--already has the neighbors snarling. Worse, wealthy Marcus Rattigan, who's bankrolling the project, is found murdered on the premises, and the police think Frank did it. Always the family watchdog, and faced with Frank's imminent arrest, Melanie has no choice but to take on the investigation. Drawing on her connections in the dog world, Melanie is soon successfully unmuzzling the dead man's nearest and dearest. But Melanie is about to learn that being a watchdog can sometimes be dangerous--especially when every clue she uncovers leads her one step closer to a murderer who is desperate enough to kill again...
