Author: Laurien Berenson
Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496718389
Kensington Publishing
304 Pages
$22.99; $12.99 Amazon
June 29, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
With a new litter of standard poodles on the way and her sons enrolled at the Graceland School's summer camp, it's shaping up to be a vibrant July in Greenwich, Connecticut for dog show champ and amateur sleuth Melanie Travis. But Melanie's busy life shows no sighs of slowing down for the dog days of summer -- especially when the arrival of three rambunctious Dalmatian puppies sets of a series of mysterious events...
While usually protective, Melanie feels comfortable sending her sons to the Graceland School's summer camp for two reasons: The institution is well-regarded and proprietor Emily Grace is a trusted friend. But Emily has been acting strange since three rambunctious Dalmatian puppies suddenly appeared on her doorstep. The unusual arrival marks the first of several mysterious happenings at camp, each more intense than the last. Emily's rough streak takes a frightening turn with a discovery in the nearby woods -- the body of her estranged ex-husband.
As suspicions rush in, proving that Emily didn't murder her biggest mistake will be about as easy as raising prize-winning show dogs. Realizing that she's the only one who can prove her friend's innocence and keep the Graceland School from shutting down, Melanie dives into an investigation on the victim's whereabouts leading up to his demise. With a few spotting clues and Aunt Peg's growing curiosity about the Dalmatian pups' origins, Melanie must name the culprit before good intentions come back to bite!
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Emily Grace runs one of the best preschools in Connecticut, and Melanie Travis has sent both of her sons there. Now younger son Kevin is going to camp, and older son Davey will be one of the counselors. It's perfect for Melanie, who can use the free time...but she doesn't expect that when she sees Emily, the woman will look ragged, due to the three Dalmatian puppies her ex-husband gave her. Nor the 'accidents' that are befalling the school, or the discovery of Emily's ex-husband's body, found behind the school in the woods.
With Emily the chief suspect in his murder, she asks Melanie to investigate. But Melanie doesn't get much closer to finding a killer when she questions people; at least not until she realizes there's someone else who's really running the show...
In this latest installment in the Melanie Travis mysteries, there's plenty of intrigue and suspects, and I have to say that I enjoyed this one more than many of the last that I've read. I know that Melanie and her aunt show dogs, and I love all animals, and have owned a pedigree Cocker Spaniel myself. I know what hard work they are, and how much it takes to keep them up to snuff. My darling Moppet (my nickname for her) was a joy. But it's also nice not to have too much of the showing in every single book; it takes away from the mystery.
That's not a problem in this one. Yes, there are definitely the showings and descriptions, but there is also a good mystery hidden behind it. There are red herrings running through the prose; and people who keep popping up as suspects more than once. It's something you can really get into and read in one session (which I did).
We also have Peg being Peg, but we are shown a bit of a softer side to her (that I didn't know existed at all!), and this makes her a bit more human (even though we know we're low on the totem pole for her); and I enjoyed reading that. She takes a big interest in the Dalmatian puppies and takes charge of something else -- that woman's energy is boundless...
When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed it comes as a big surprise, which is exactly how it should be. I really enjoyed this book immensely, and cannot wait until the next in the series appears. Highly recommended.
More on Laurien Berenson's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/laurien-berenson/
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