All Summit County Libraries will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 28th and 29th for Thanksgiving. South Branch and North Branch will also be closed Saturday, November 29th, but the Main Library in Frisco will be open 9am-5pm.

Melanie Travis mysteries

Author:
Berenson, Laurien
 
Showing 1 - 30 of 30
Book cover for "A pedigree to die for".
Rate this title:
Star rating for A pedigree to die for
Series Volume:
1.
Average Rating:
3 stars
Description:
Schoolteacher Melanie Travis turns PI to find a prized poodle that went missing after its owner, her uncle, died of an apparent heart attack while working in his kennel.
Book cover for "Underdog".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Underdog
Series Volume:
2.
Description:
A dog handler's death unleashes a mystery: "Laurien Berenson just keeps getting better and better."—Harlan Coben
When Melanie Travis's education in breed-handling at Connecticut's classiest obedience school is cut short by sudden death, she smells a murder. So, with her rambunctious poodle puppy, five-year-old son, and sexy fellow breeder Sam Driver in tow, she hits the championship circuit. In this dog-eat-dog world where winning...
Book cover for "Dog eat dog".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Dog eat dog
Series Volume:
3.
Average Rating:
3.5 stars
Description:
The world of Connecticut's dog shows is rocked by the murder of a dog owner. As she investigates, Melanie Travis discovers financial fraud and cruelty to animals, the probe complicated by the return of her ex-husband, seeking to take their son to Texas.
Book cover for "Hair of the dog".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Hair of the dog
Series Volume:
4.
Description:
Did pawing at too many women get a dog handler shot dead? A twist-filled mystery that "will charm dog fanciers and cozy fans."—Publishers Weekly

The dog days of summer have just begun, and Melanie Travis is looking forward to savoring them. And where better to enjoy herself than at her Aunt Peg's Fourth of July barbecue? It sounds ideal, until an uninvited guest proves that even the laziest dog day of the year can...
Book cover for "Watchdog".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Watchdog
Series Volume:
5.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
"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 moneymaking 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...
Book cover for "Hush puppy".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Hush puppy
Series Volume:
6.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
Melanie Travis loves her teaching job at Howard Academy, where plans are underway for a Spring Pageant to honor the school's 50th anniversary. Immersed in the preparations, Melanie is hurrying to retrieve a painting of one of the illustrious co-founders when she comes upon a disturbing scene: Eugene Krebbs, the Academy's elderly caretaker, is arguing with a girl whose name Melanie learns is Jane. It's clear that Jane isn't a student at Howard, and...
Book cover for "Unleashed".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Unleashed
Series Volume:
7.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
Someone's dishing the dirt on the dog-show world, until she's muzzled for good: "[A] winning cozy...the ending is a surprise."—Publishers Weekly
Summer means two things to Melanie Travis: a break from her teaching duties at Connecticut's elite Howard Academy and a chance to plan the perfect wedding to her fiancé, Sam. She certainly doesn't need the unwelcome arrival of a dinner invitation "peace offering" from Sam's...
Book cover for "Once bitten".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Once bitten
Series Volume:
8.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
Melanie is content to look on as her brother's fiancée throws herself into their nuptial arrangements with the wedding coordinator, but when the coordinator disappears, Melanie's soon-to-be sister-in-law tells her she needs to take over the planning or find the missing coordinator.
Book cover for "Hot dog".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Hot dog
Series Volume:
9.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
A mystery from the Agatha Award finalist: "Melanie's poodles are as lovable and real as the story's human characters."—Publishers Weekly

In an effort to escape tail-chasing males—namely her ex-husband and her current boyfriend—Melanie Travis opts to track down the elusive owner of Dox, an adorable Dachshund who's about to be put on the block at a charity auction. But the more Melanie discovers about...
Book cover for "Best in show".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Best in show
Series Volume:
10.
Description:
A sleuth must find a killer amid a plethora of poodles in this "charming" cozy mystery by an Agatha Award finalist (Publishers Weekly).

There are dog shows. And then there's The Poodle Club of America National Specialty Dog Show. For poodle purists, it's the pinnacle of the season, drawing competitors and spectators from all over the world.

Once in Maryland, Melanie Travis is put to work selling raffle tickets...
Book cover for "Jingle bell bark".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Jingle bell bark
Series Volume:
11.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
It's Christmas again, and Melanie Travis barely has time to pencil in some holiday festivities. Especially once she finds herself making a list of murder suspects--and checking it twice. . .

This year, all Melanie wants for Christmas is a dull moment. Between her son Davey, her teaching job, and showing her Standard Poodle puppy, Eve, there just aren't enough hours in the day. But when Davey's usual bus driver, Henry Pruitt, disappears and...
Book cover for "Raining cats & dogs".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Raining cats & dogs
Series Volume:
12.
Description:
With her trusty poodle at her side, a sleuth tries to bring a killer to heel in this mystery by the Agatha Award finalist.
Melanie Travis has added a husband and three more dogs to her already cramped home. At least she's getting a welcome respite from the stress of house-hunting by taking her dog Faith for advanced training at The South Avenue Obedience Club.

There are enough sexual and political undercurrents in the group...
Book cover for "Chow down".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Chow down
Series Volume:
13.
Average Rating:
3 stars
Description:
Finalists in a contest to become the "spokesdog" for a new dog food, Melanie Travis and her standard poodle Faith watch in horror as the competition turns deadly when the handler of a Yorkshire terrier is murdered.
Book cover for "Hounded to death".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Hounded to death
Series Volume:
14.
Description:
A prominent dog-show judge falls victim to a hot-tub homicide in a mystery "absorbing enough to delight even cat lovers" (Publishers Weekly).

As the dog days of summer turn to the playful nip of autumn's chill, Melanie Travis is ready for a little relaxation. Her Aunt Peg has the perfect solution: a five-day symposium for dog show judges in Pennsylvania's idyllic Pocono Mountains. While Peg and Melanie's sister-in-law...
Book cover for "Doggie day care murder".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Doggie day care murder
Series Volume:
15.
Average Rating:
3 stars
Description:
"A pleasant mystery and a loving tribute to poodles. Fetching in every way."—Booklist
Melanie Travis thought her sleuthing days were behind her. She has a new baby to take care of—not to mention five Standard Poodles. These days, the closest Melanie gets to detective work is scoping out the scene at the local doggie day care center for her friend Alice Brickman.

As Melanie learns, it's a dog's life at the...
Book cover for "Gone with the woof".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Gone with the woof
Series Volume:
16.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
Helping a legendary dog breeder pen his autobiography, Melanie is stunned when the man's son turns up dead and the breeder is the main suspect, and she resolves to investigate the death amidst ex-lovers, hoarding, and dead ends.
Book cover for "Death of a dog whisperer".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Death of a dog whisperer
Series Volume:
17.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
When her aunt's dog-whispering protégé is found dead, Melanie Travis must help sort through the growing list of suspects to find the killer, all while juggling motherhood, marriage, and her six beloved poodles.
Book cover for "The bark before Christmas".
Rate this title:
Star rating for The bark before Christmas
Series Volume:
18.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
Melanie Travis has her hands full with her two young sons, a part-time job, and a half dozen Poodles to her name. But even with the busy holiday season approaching, she still has time to sniff out a Christmastime killer...There's nothing lovelier than Christmas in Connecticut, but Melanie can scarcely find a moment to enjoy the festivities. With her youngest son approaching toddlerhood, she's decided to return to her old job at Howard Academy, a posh...
Book cover for "Live and let growl".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Live and let growl
Series Volume:
19.
Average Rating:
3 stars
Description:
When her Aunt Peg lands a gig as judge at a Kentucky dog show, Melanie Travis welcomes the opportunity for a road trip. Too bad a killer has planned a deadly detour. Within three days of her arrival, Ellie Gates has been found dead. Though the police and the family believe the death to be an accident, Aunt Peg is sure they are wrong. Melanie discovers that Miss Ellie was a woman of many secrets. And she must quickly determine which one was fatal before...
Book cover for "Murder at the puppy fest".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Murder at the puppy fest
Series Volume:
20.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
When the wealthy philanthropist host of an annual fundraiser to benefit a local animal shelter is found dead, Melanie Travis must unearth the true cause of his death.
Book cover for "Wagging through the snow".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Wagging through the snow
Series Volume:
21.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
With a demanding teaching job at Connecticut's elite Howard Academy and five poodles scampering around the house, Melanie barely has energy for the upcoming Christmas rush. But she unwraps an unexpected challenge when her brother and ex-husband, elated by the recent success of their country café, make a spontaneous bid on a dilapidated pine tree farm. Although the ten-acre lot had been a popular seasonal destination while the original owner was still...
Book cover for "Ruff justice".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Ruff justice
Series Volume:
22.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
While preparing for the spring dog show, Melanie must investigate a murder after a talented canine portrait artist turns up dead behind her concession booth and her Aunt Peg's longtime dogsitter also disappears on the same day. It's spring dog show season in Connecticut, and Melanie is determined to help her son lead his Standard Poodle toward a championship title. Aunt Peg even skips the judging panel to exhibit a pup of her own, standing out from...
Book cover for "Bite club".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Bite club
Series Volume:
23.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
"Thanks to Aunt Peg and her enthusiastic pedigree dog show pals, Melanie's aptly named Bite Club reading group has book lovers all over town burying their noses in thrilling murder mysteries. But another pet project surfaces when Melanie reluctantly agrees to train a Bulldog puppy for elusive member Evan Major. Between the unusual bruise on his face and a bizarre run-in with an unknown dog show attendee, introverted Evan can't dodge trouble. It even...
Book cover for "Here comes Santa paws".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Here comes Santa paws
Series Volume:
24.
Description:
It's the most wonderful time of the year in Connecticut, but Melanie Travis finds surviving this December may take a real Christmas miracle when a yuletide murderer comes to town . . . As Melanie attempts to deck the halls in a house overrun by pampered Poodles, her event planner friend, Claire, is busy playing Santa-beard and belly not included-for the wealthiest clientele on Connecticut's Gold Coast. A personal shopper gig in the affluent town...
Book cover for "Game of dog bones".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Game of dog bones
Series Volume:
25.
Average Rating:
4.5 stars
Description:
"As Greenwich, Connecticut, slows down during a bitterly cold February, Melanie and her spunky Aunt Peg head to the city that never sleeps for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. Aunt Peg can't wait to demonstrate her judging chops on national TV, even after being hounded by frustrating mishaps - all seemingly orchestrated by Victor Durbin, an ousted Paugussett Poodle Club member with a bone to pick. But the bright lights...
Book cover for "Howloween murder".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Howloween murder
Series Volume:
26.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
When a tenured colleague is accused of poisoning her famous marshmallow puffs to murder an elderly neighbor, Melanie Travis finds her investigation challenged by the boisterous Halloween festivities at Howard Academy. Greenwich, Connecticut. Just a few days left before Halloween, everyone at Howard Academy is anticipating gorging on Harriet Bloom's famous marshmallow puffs. The private school's annual costume party revolves around the headmaster's...
Book cover for "Pup fiction".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Pup fiction
Series Volume:
27.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
Sending her kids to the Graceland School's summer camp, Melanie discovers that murder is on the schedule when she is thrown into a mystery involving the owner's dead estranged husband and three prize-winning Dalmatians.
Book cover for "Show me the bunny".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Show me the bunny
Series Volume:
28.
Average Rating:
3 stars
Description:
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. 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...
Book cover for "Killer Cupid".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Killer Cupid
Series Volume:
29.
Average Rating:
4 stars
Description:
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...
Book cover for "Pumpkin Spice Puppy".
Rate this title:
Star rating for Pumpkin Spice Puppy
Series Volume:
30.
Description:
"It's autumn in Connecticut and there's a chill in the air, the fall leaves are a riot of color, and pumpkin spice is the flavor of the season. Melanie Travis is perennially busy, of course--but when the owner of a local pet supply shop is found murdered, sleuthing tops her To Do list . . ."--