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Melanie Travis #12
Raining Cats & Dogs
Melanie Travis has her hands full these days, what with adding a husband and three more dogs to her already cramped home. The advanced obedience training for her dog Faith is a welcome respite from the stresses of house hunting--until murder forces Melanie to the head of the class. . .
Even amidst the chaos, Melanie somehow manages to eke out a bit of time to get Faith enrolled in "school." The South Avenue Obedience Club looks like fun, even if there are enough sexual and political undercurrents in the group to power a small generator. Melanie is especially eager to bring Faith to the program at the Winston Pumpernill Nursing Home. Club member Paul Lennox initiated the outings to please his Great Aunt Mary, and since many of the other residents are also dog lovers, the trips are now a treasured tradition.
Melanie and Faith are warmly welcomed at the home, but their very first visit ends in tragedy when Aunt Mary is found suffocated in her bed. There's no shortage of suspects--from the wealthy victim's ne'er-do-well son to the staff to the secret-laden club members themselves, there's motive and opportunity aplenty. All Melanie has to do is follow the trail--and watch her back. . .
Audible Audio
First published January 1, 2005
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About the author
Laurien Berenson
51 books838 followersLaurien Berenson is the award-winning author of the long running Melanie Travis canine mystery series and the new Senior Sleuths series starring Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan as a pair of seventyish sisters-in-law who are learning to put aside old grudges and myriad differences as they work together to solve mysteries. DIE ANOTHER DANE (#31 in the Melanie Travis series) will come out in the fall.
Laurien's work has appeared numerous magazines and the New York Times. She and her husband live on a farm in Kentucky, surrounded by horses and dogs.
Laurien's work has appeared numerous magazines and the New York Times. She and her husband live on a farm in Kentucky, surrounded by horses and dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
May 10, 2020
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book in the series even though it wasn't my favorite. It had dogs, obedience school, and a new neighbor who doesn't seem to have boundaries.
In terms of the obedience school, which was the dog theme instead of dog shows, I felt that it was there to make the mystery happen and not to add to the plot. While I would have loved to read more about obedience school as with the dog show world, the setting was superficial and really only served to provide someone to lead to the mystery. I had expected and wanted more details about the obedience classes themselves.
That said, I really enjoyed the characters and mystery in this book. I thought the mystery was nice and interesting and though it wasn't as serious or gruesome as others, in the series I still enjoyed it. As usual, the gossip is the biggest and most relevant part to the mystery and I was happily surprised by the twist at the end.
The new neighbor was really weird. I don't really understand her point in the story as it didn't relate to the mystery. While I understand it was an interesting bit in the story, I don't think it was strictly necessary, even if it did partially result in a change for the entire family--Bob included.
Last, I enjoyed seeing Faith again! Based on the description, she seems like such a sweet and smart dog, which is partially why I would have wanted more scenes at obedience school so as to be able to see those smarts.
I enjoyed this book in the series even though it wasn't my favorite. It had dogs, obedience school, and a new neighbor who doesn't seem to have boundaries.
In terms of the obedience school, which was the dog theme instead of dog shows, I felt that it was there to make the mystery happen and not to add to the plot. While I would have loved to read more about obedience school as with the dog show world, the setting was superficial and really only served to provide someone to lead to the mystery. I had expected and wanted more details about the obedience classes themselves.
That said, I really enjoyed the characters and mystery in this book. I thought the mystery was nice and interesting and though it wasn't as serious or gruesome as others, in the series I still enjoyed it. As usual, the gossip is the biggest and most relevant part to the mystery and I was happily surprised by the twist at the end.
The new neighbor was really weird. I don't really understand her point in the story as it didn't relate to the mystery. While I understand it was an interesting bit in the story, I don't think it was strictly necessary, even if it did partially result in a change for the entire family--Bob included.
Last, I enjoyed seeing Faith again! Based on the description, she seems like such a sweet and smart dog, which is partially why I would have wanted more scenes at obedience school so as to be able to see those smarts.
September 17, 2009
Raining Cats and Dogs by Laurien Berenson is a murder mystery with some dog and cat stories tossed in which added some humor. The main character has five poodles and a neighbor who has a bunch of cats. Her private life relating to her neighbor was the humorous part of the book. She and her poodle went to a dog obedience class which invited her to join them on their visit to the nursing home. Although they weren't therapy dogs exactly, many of the residents enjoyed seeing the dogs. I was interested in this aspect of the book because it's something I would like to do with Abby some day. The murder was committed while they were at the nursing home and the Poodle owner is the one who just started her own informal investigation and discovered who did it. The highlight of the book for me was the cat lover lady who didn't like dogs but tolerated the poodle during the visits at the nursing home.
I liked it overall, but it was very slow moving. I think anyone who likes light reading and dogs would enjoy this one.
I liked it overall, but it was very slow moving. I think anyone who likes light reading and dogs would enjoy this one.
May 7, 2016
Melanie Travis takes her standard poodle, Faith to obedience school. Through one of the other humans in the class, she learns that the class has been visiting a local nursing home to bring pet therapy to the residents. On her visit Melanie has a wonderful time, determined to return the next week. But as she is leaving the nursing home she learns that one of the residents has been murdered. This sets Melanie on her sleuthing adventure determined to find out what really happened to "Aunt Mary". This is a fast read and enjoyable. Melanie has five standard poodles living in her home and it's a bit crowded. In the middle of solving a murder, Melanie, her new husband and her son are also house-hunting for the perfect house. I liked the explanation of how pet therapy works.
June 23, 2018
Melanie has a houseful of poodles and a kid and a husband, all of them content but cramped. This book looks at obedience classes and when someone dies, as usual Peg, Melanie's aunt, starts investigating and asks Melanie to find answers. Meanwhile a new neighbour makes a habit of letting her cats out, and calling them wearing a skimpy nightie.
The tale is okay but not the most enjoyable of the series, while I think Susan Conant makes more fun of obedience classes, her character Holly Winter bravely trying it with malamutes instead of poodles.
This is an unbiased review.
The tale is okay but not the most enjoyable of the series, while I think Susan Conant makes more fun of obedience classes, her character Holly Winter bravely trying it with malamutes instead of poodles.
This is an unbiased review.
April 11, 2020
This one takes place in the spring. It involves dog training, a retirement home, cats, a house swap, family drama, and theft. The family drama did not involve Melanie and her family, but the house swap did. The family issues were in all but the cats and house swap parts of the story, which were connected to each other. It was interesting to see it all come together. I didn't trust the culprit, but I didn't think that person was guilty. There were no dog shows in this story, which was a bit disappointing.
May 25, 2019
I love this series! Another great installment in Melanie's adventures!
October 13, 2023
Melanie and Sam have married and are living in her house with five standard poodles plus her son and new husband. They start house hunting and Melanie and Faith start obedience classes. While visiting a retirement home one of the residents is murdered. Melanie of course starts asking questions. The book was an easy read.
May 10, 2016
Great light read!
I've read most of Laurien Berenson's books and this one is no disappointment. As always her 'dog lingo' is spot on and therefore doesn't grate on the nerves of those of us In the dog show world (although I think you refer to obedience titles, not degrees). My only criticism, and it is small, is that Faith is just too perfect. She never does anything naughty! And in this book, though she is a conformation trained dog, she seemed to get obedience commands a little too quickly. Yes, yes, I know poodles are very smart, but they do need a little training to understand new concepts! That said, all the books in this series are well written and good cozy mysteries. They are not going to keep you awake nights listening for sounds but when you want a fairly simple, straightforward mystery with likable characters, you can't go wrong here.
I've read most of Laurien Berenson's books and this one is no disappointment. As always her 'dog lingo' is spot on and therefore doesn't grate on the nerves of those of us In the dog show world (although I think you refer to obedience titles, not degrees). My only criticism, and it is small, is that Faith is just too perfect. She never does anything naughty! And in this book, though she is a conformation trained dog, she seemed to get obedience commands a little too quickly. Yes, yes, I know poodles are very smart, but they do need a little training to understand new concepts! That said, all the books in this series are well written and good cozy mysteries. They are not going to keep you awake nights listening for sounds but when you want a fairly simple, straightforward mystery with likable characters, you can't go wrong here.
March 31, 2013
Being an animal lover, I enjoyed this book. However, if you're not crazy about dogs, there were some things I didn't like. The motive for the murder, information you needed to try to solve it, wasn't made known to the reader until near the end. Also, I didn't like the choice of who was murdered. It was kind of sad. And she didn't like cats, which I do. Overall, enjoyable, but not overly so.
October 19, 2010
Enjoyable book. For dog lovers and mystery lovers alike.
June 15, 2023
In this series major things can happen between books that the reader is not privy to! Between #11 and #12 Melanie got married to Sam Driver and he and his three standard poodles move into Melanie's now overcrowded cozy little house with her eight-year-old son Davey and her two standard poodles. It was a spur of the moment elopement to Vermont over spring break, but still... This is a lighthearted cozy mystery about Melanie Travis and her foray into the dog show competition circuit with her standard poodle Faith. The series provides information on dog training and showing plus more. This particular book wasn't much on the mystery side, but it was, none-the-less, an entertaining story.
Faith has retired as a show ring competition champion and Melanie would now like to try obedience trials which is more disciplined and exacting. Amid the chaos of her new life, Melanie decides to enroll Faith in an advanced obedience training class, and Faith will be working toward a degree. The school is called the South Avenue Obedience Club and meets at the New Canaan YMCA where Melanie meets a lot of interesting people, their gossip, and their dogs. At her first class, Melanie learns the club also visits the Winston Pumpernill Nursing Home as an outing each Sunday. They use their dogs as therapy dogs to get in to visit the elderly. It's an informal arrangement and not an official therapy dog program. A member of the club, Paul Lennox, initiated the outings to please his wealthy Great Aunt, Mary Livingston, as well as other residents who love dogs.
The next Sunday, Melanie and the group go to the home, and she is welcomed by the residents and Paul's charming aunt. But as everyone is getting ready to leave, tragedy strikes as Paul discovers his Aunt Mary is dead. Later, it is determined that she was suffocated in her bed. Some of the members of the club have heard that Melanie has been successful at solving other murders and urge her to find Mary's murderer. The only police presence in the book is Detective Edward O'Malley who visits Melanie's home and asks her some simplistic questions about what she observed at the nursing home. Then he leaves never to appear again in the story. Melanie feels obligated to do some sleuthing as the police seem so lame about it. Dear nosy Aunt Peg helps her 0ut in her investigations.
There is, of course, a plethora of suspects including:
- Julie Hyland (Doberman Pincher) - is harboring a couple of secrets.
- Kelly Marx (Akita) - she has a lack of control over her dog named Boss and Mary made out a complaint about the residents' safety around him. That's why Kelly is in the obedience class.
- Stacey Rhoades (Papillon) - isn't serious about learning obedience and talks baby talk to her dog. She also is not who she seems to be.
- Michael Livingston is Mary's son and the black sheep of the family who has just returned home. The family hasn't welcomed him back because they think he's after Mary's money. Is he a villain or a victim?
- Minnie Lloyd (Schnauzer) who was arrested previously for manslaughter for killing her husband. She figures a criminal record will make her seem guilty. Is she?
- Mark Terry (Cairn Terrier) who wants to help Melanie and does some investigating of his own - why?
- Steve Barton is the teacher of the obedience class and had been dating Minnie.
- Paul Lennox (Corgi) - where was he when his aunt was murdered? He was also a member of her family that was protecting Mary and keeping Michael away from her.
- What about Jay - an attendant at the nursing home who procures what residents ask him to?
Subplots include:
- Melanie and Sam are house hunting for the perfect bigger house whenever they have a chance. The solution to this problem is right under their nose and a perfect way to solve the dilemma. It will involve her ex-husband, Bob.
- Melanie is a special needs tutor at Howard Academy in Greenwich. One of her students, an over endowed 12-year-old named Brittany Baxter, says she's been getting extra help from another teacher named Ed Weinstein. Melanie gets suspicious and must clear up what could be a compromising situation before school policy and law dictate that she turns him in.
- A large orange cat frequently sits in Melanie's kitchen window and has her dogs barking ferociously. It turns out that a sexy new neighbor named Amber Fine has moved in next door with her seven cats. Melanie first spots her outside in a negligee and peignoir looking for her cats. Her husband who she claims is in the import/export business has never been seen around. Is there really one?
- Jewelry and other items have been found missing around the nursing home - is it a kleptomaniac or someone who likes to steal things? Is Mary's death a crime of opportunity?
I would advise the reader to read this series in order for character development and story advancement. I wanted to hear more about Bertie and Frank and the new baby. They only got a couple of pages. P.S. I am actually a cat person and wish Melanie could be more tolerant toward that species. A recommended series.
Faith has retired as a show ring competition champion and Melanie would now like to try obedience trials which is more disciplined and exacting. Amid the chaos of her new life, Melanie decides to enroll Faith in an advanced obedience training class, and Faith will be working toward a degree. The school is called the South Avenue Obedience Club and meets at the New Canaan YMCA where Melanie meets a lot of interesting people, their gossip, and their dogs. At her first class, Melanie learns the club also visits the Winston Pumpernill Nursing Home as an outing each Sunday. They use their dogs as therapy dogs to get in to visit the elderly. It's an informal arrangement and not an official therapy dog program. A member of the club, Paul Lennox, initiated the outings to please his wealthy Great Aunt, Mary Livingston, as well as other residents who love dogs.
The next Sunday, Melanie and the group go to the home, and she is welcomed by the residents and Paul's charming aunt. But as everyone is getting ready to leave, tragedy strikes as Paul discovers his Aunt Mary is dead. Later, it is determined that she was suffocated in her bed. Some of the members of the club have heard that Melanie has been successful at solving other murders and urge her to find Mary's murderer. The only police presence in the book is Detective Edward O'Malley who visits Melanie's home and asks her some simplistic questions about what she observed at the nursing home. Then he leaves never to appear again in the story. Melanie feels obligated to do some sleuthing as the police seem so lame about it. Dear nosy Aunt Peg helps her 0ut in her investigations.
There is, of course, a plethora of suspects including:
- Julie Hyland (Doberman Pincher) - is harboring a couple of secrets.
- Kelly Marx (Akita) - she has a lack of control over her dog named Boss and Mary made out a complaint about the residents' safety around him. That's why Kelly is in the obedience class.
- Stacey Rhoades (Papillon) - isn't serious about learning obedience and talks baby talk to her dog. She also is not who she seems to be.
- Michael Livingston is Mary's son and the black sheep of the family who has just returned home. The family hasn't welcomed him back because they think he's after Mary's money. Is he a villain or a victim?
- Minnie Lloyd (Schnauzer) who was arrested previously for manslaughter for killing her husband. She figures a criminal record will make her seem guilty. Is she?
- Mark Terry (Cairn Terrier) who wants to help Melanie and does some investigating of his own - why?
- Steve Barton is the teacher of the obedience class and had been dating Minnie.
- Paul Lennox (Corgi) - where was he when his aunt was murdered? He was also a member of her family that was protecting Mary and keeping Michael away from her.
- What about Jay - an attendant at the nursing home who procures what residents ask him to?
Subplots include:
- Melanie and Sam are house hunting for the perfect bigger house whenever they have a chance. The solution to this problem is right under their nose and a perfect way to solve the dilemma. It will involve her ex-husband, Bob.
- Melanie is a special needs tutor at Howard Academy in Greenwich. One of her students, an over endowed 12-year-old named Brittany Baxter, says she's been getting extra help from another teacher named Ed Weinstein. Melanie gets suspicious and must clear up what could be a compromising situation before school policy and law dictate that she turns him in.
- A large orange cat frequently sits in Melanie's kitchen window and has her dogs barking ferociously. It turns out that a sexy new neighbor named Amber Fine has moved in next door with her seven cats. Melanie first spots her outside in a negligee and peignoir looking for her cats. Her husband who she claims is in the import/export business has never been seen around. Is there really one?
- Jewelry and other items have been found missing around the nursing home - is it a kleptomaniac or someone who likes to steal things? Is Mary's death a crime of opportunity?
I would advise the reader to read this series in order for character development and story advancement. I wanted to hear more about Bertie and Frank and the new baby. They only got a couple of pages. P.S. I am actually a cat person and wish Melanie could be more tolerant toward that species. A recommended series.
January 29, 2023
4.25 stars
I love this series and I love someone who thinks about dogs in the way I do for the most part. I adore poodles too and I love that the dogs aren’t perfectly behaved all the time. They bark at cats or when the doorbell rings. They like to lick faces and get up on furniture. They even chase squirrels. She had their behaviors down pat. She did for the cats too even though the character at least isn’t a cat person.
The main issue I have with her books is there is never a mixed breed in them. In this book she takes one of her dogs to obedience class. Gobs of people take those classes so their dog is week behaved or even to pass the good citizenship certificate test. And there are plenty of them who are not purebreds. In fact, in the two obedience classes I’ve been to there was maybe one purebred. In this book I already have to overlook the fact that show poodles spend hours getting groomed which has to be boring for the dog and their activities restricted. This continues to a point even after they retire. We had a poodle growing up and she had what was called a puppy cut. She was groomed once a month and her was never matted or unruly.
Specific to this book:
The police were nonexistent. They were mentioned in the background but didn’t appear to have spoken with anyone.
Also, mid sixties is not old, too young to be thinking of as “spry” which she stopped just short of saying.
And lastly, the suspects were all people she knew. There was no thought of someone from the nursing home that she’d never met who might have had a grudge. But in a cozy mystery you have to limit suspects so I understand.
I love this series and I love someone who thinks about dogs in the way I do for the most part. I adore poodles too and I love that the dogs aren’t perfectly behaved all the time. They bark at cats or when the doorbell rings. They like to lick faces and get up on furniture. They even chase squirrels. She had their behaviors down pat. She did for the cats too even though the character at least isn’t a cat person.
The main issue I have with her books is there is never a mixed breed in them. In this book she takes one of her dogs to obedience class. Gobs of people take those classes so their dog is week behaved or even to pass the good citizenship certificate test. And there are plenty of them who are not purebreds. In fact, in the two obedience classes I’ve been to there was maybe one purebred. In this book I already have to overlook the fact that show poodles spend hours getting groomed which has to be boring for the dog and their activities restricted. This continues to a point even after they retire. We had a poodle growing up and she had what was called a puppy cut. She was groomed once a month and her was never matted or unruly.
Specific to this book:
The police were nonexistent. They were mentioned in the background but didn’t appear to have spoken with anyone.
Also, mid sixties is not old, too young to be thinking of as “spry” which she stopped just short of saying.
And lastly, the suspects were all people she knew. There was no thought of someone from the nursing home that she’d never met who might have had a grudge. But in a cozy mystery you have to limit suspects so I understand.
April 11, 2021
A fun mystery about a woman, Melanie, who raises standard poodles. She has recently gotten married and is trying to meld her small family, son and 2 dogs, with her husband and his 3 dogs. They are looking for a new house and she has decided to take her one dog to obedience training. While at the class she learns they visit an old folks home once a week with their dogs so she decides to attend. After meeting some of the residents she learns later on that one has died and decides to investigate. She had liked the lady and wants to help find the killer. This leads her to find out all kinds of things about her classmates and some of the residents of the nursing home plus the women's family. Melanie also has a new neighbor who has lots of cats that annoy her and her dogs.
A fun set of characters, not a super deep mystery but very enjoyable.
A fun set of characters, not a super deep mystery but very enjoyable.
October 31, 2021
Melanie Travis solves mysteries with help of her 8 year old son Davey, new husband Sam, Aunt Peg and of course her standard poodles. This time the setting is an assistive living facility where Melanie and her obedience classmates got to do pet therapy.
+ dogs
+ loving newly married couple
+pet therapy- an amazing activity to do with your pets to help other people from visit kids, being a reading partner, visiting folks with dementia, visiting folks with various disabilities, visiting older people who miss having the company of a pet. Our pets were able to help people in so many ways!!
+ older characters who help solve the mystery
263 Her whole being wiggled with the effort and my heart lifted. Being loved by a dog does that for you. It’s an oasis of sanity in a sometimes crazy world.
+ dogs
+ loving newly married couple
+pet therapy- an amazing activity to do with your pets to help other people from visit kids, being a reading partner, visiting folks with dementia, visiting folks with various disabilities, visiting older people who miss having the company of a pet. Our pets were able to help people in so many ways!!
+ older characters who help solve the mystery
263 Her whole being wiggled with the effort and my heart lifted. Being loved by a dog does that for you. It’s an oasis of sanity in a sometimes crazy world.
July 6, 2018
Dogs and a murder mystery! What's not to love! The Melanie Travis Mystery Series is the kind of read I'm looking for when I'm in the mood for cozy!
This time Melanie Travis takes her beloved Standard Poodle, Faith to an advanced obedience group that schedules weekly visits to a local nursing home to provide some "dog therapy" to the elderly residents. On her very first visit, Melanie discovers a resident has been murdered and the sleuthing begins amid a variety of other diversions that only life as a parent, newlywed and homeowner can provide.
It was such a fun mystery, I'll be reaching for another one in the series soon!
This time Melanie Travis takes her beloved Standard Poodle, Faith to an advanced obedience group that schedules weekly visits to a local nursing home to provide some "dog therapy" to the elderly residents. On her very first visit, Melanie discovers a resident has been murdered and the sleuthing begins amid a variety of other diversions that only life as a parent, newlywed and homeowner can provide.
It was such a fun mystery, I'll be reaching for another one in the series soon!
June 18, 2020
On this series I see I came in on #12. I still enjoyed the story. I figured I had missed some things, but it was an easy enjoyable read with a lot of fun twists. I did hate the murder part though. I thought I might like her and was sorry to see her go. Would have been sorry to see any of the residents there go, but in a murder mystery, I guess it's got to be somebody. I enjoyed getting to know Melanie and her family and look forward to the next one I read.
January 7, 2025
All the be books in this series by Laurien Benrenson are excellent and some how I had missed this one over the years. It was a gift to me this year and I was thrilled, again, to get another story and mystery and installment in the life of Melanie Travis. A new beginning for all the people in Melanie's world and an opportunity for her to solve a mystery of another family with disrupted ties. A very enjoyable story and a fun puzzle to solve for the reader.
March 26, 2017
Melanie Travis is adjusting to married life and five standard poodles in a small house when she has the opportunity to bring her dog faith into a nursing home with the other Obedience Club members. But their first visit ends in tragedy when a patient is found suffocated in her bed. Melanie now has a reputation of being a sleuth and the woman's relative asks for her help. I really enjoy the "Melanie Travis" mysteries, especially watching the evolution of the main characters.
October 31, 2018
Good Read for a Dog Lover
I enjoyed this book for the most part. I love mysteries and dogs. If you don't like dogs, you might not be as happy with this book. I really enjoyed that profanity, vulgarity and intimacy were not included in this lighthearted mystery. Thanks much Ms. Berenson👍
I enjoyed this book for the most part. I love mysteries and dogs. If you don't like dogs, you might not be as happy with this book. I really enjoyed that profanity, vulgarity and intimacy were not included in this lighthearted mystery. Thanks much Ms. Berenson👍
June 2, 2021
This was okay, but a bit weaker than some of the others in the series. I liked the obedience school aspect, but it wasn't really utilized well-- it just felt like a way to have new people around Melanie. Mostly I was aggravated that after 11 books of build-up, we didn't even get a wedding. We get book 12 beginning with a "Hey, guys, we eloped," which I think kind of cheats the loyal readers.
January 17, 2022
Love this series
I've read several of the Melanie Travis cozy mysteries over the years, and now I'm finally reading all of them, in sequence. I first got interested in this series because I knew a little bit about breeding and showing dogs, though nothing about poodles. By now (book 12) I feel semi-knowledgeable - and hankering for a poodle of my own!
I've read several of the Melanie Travis cozy mysteries over the years, and now I'm finally reading all of them, in sequence. I first got interested in this series because I knew a little bit about breeding and showing dogs, though nothing about poodles. By now (book 12) I feel semi-knowledgeable - and hankering for a poodle of my own!
September 6, 2023
This book was a mild disappointment. Just felt the writing was off. Felt juvenile for some reason. The obedience exercises described are beginner, not advanced. Still liked it. I know it's an older one, but please don't make the Akita a villain. They are a great dog and not hard to train. Have had three.
June 21, 2017
I liked this installment in this series. Melanie is a good main character. She grows in each installment. Her interactions with the other semi-main characters are good and there is a lot of humor. The mystery in this one was just so-so. The writing flows in a conversational manner.
March 26, 2021
Canine Entertainment
I selected this novel to fulfill a category in my spring reading challenge. I was not disappointed. The mystery is not overly violent, and that part of the action happens off page. The author employs a good vocabulary.
I selected this novel to fulfill a category in my spring reading challenge. I was not disappointed. The mystery is not overly violent, and that part of the action happens off page. The author employs a good vocabulary.
May 31, 2021
Another series that gets better and better with each new book. Cat lover here, but can't imagine Melanie's neighbor that has 7 cats. Just an extra detail in a mystery novel with dogs! No, I did not have the culprit pegged this time!
February 18, 2023
I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was great how Bob and Melanie switched houses. Worked out great for both of them. Wonder if Bob and his new neighbor will become an item. Have to read more in the series to find out.
December 1, 2024
Another delightful adventure with Melanie and crew. Melanie and Sam are finally married!! I'm sorry we didn't get details on the wedding, knowing Melanie I'm sure something out of the ordinary happened.
Can't wait to see what happens next.
Can't wait to see what happens next.
August 9, 2017
Possibly my favorite in the series so far. Somewhat of an Agatha Christie-esque storyline, interesting characters and while we were a bit lacking in motives that only lent to the mystery.
February 3, 2019
Bosco and Mrs Ellis ❤
March 16, 2019
This seemed to meander, however, after completing it, it was clear that this book in the series was to set up some new story lines. Always enjoy the tidbits about dogs and dog training.
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