Jingle Bell Bark: A Melanie Travis Mystery

Ho, hum. Another unmarried female amateur detective with a hobby or job I'm going to hear all about and a kid I can watch grow up because it's a series mystery. Well, it's better than I expected. I came in at number 11 of the series, but it was good enough that I'll hunt down earlier volumes and perhaps read the whole series. It was good enough for two or three more per year, but not good enough to tackle them one right after another. The mystery part was fairly weak, but the characters were interesting. I found myself not wondering "who dunit?" but rather "what will so-and-so do next?" The dog and dog show portion of the story was also interesting. I like dogs but not dog shows and I found the dog show and preparation scenes interesting. When the investigator is a cook, I try some of the recipes, but I can not tell you if the dog tips are good or not. There is a fair amount of humor here; not the laugh out loud kind, but rather the smile or chuckle kind. The humor is about the interactions of the characters and the business or busyness of living. I expect there will be similar smiles in the other books of the series, rather than the same jokes repeated each time.

Single-parent Melanie Travis wants nothing but to spend a simple, traditional, relaxing Christmas with her eight-year-old son, Davey, and her fiance Sam. But preparing for the holidays can be a major pain when you're attempting to keep a Standard Poodle's fur intact for her upcoming show; racing back and forth between the fancy prep school where you work, your sons elementary school, and Christmas play rehearsals. Throw in holding down the fort, and dealing with your over-bearing, yet kind-natured Aunt Peg, and there seems like there's never enough time in the day. But when Davey's bus driver, Henry Pruitt, disappears without notice, and a surly, despondent, pierced teenager arrives in his place, Melanie is overcome with concern for the kindly old man, and decides to check up on him. However, upon arriving on his front stoop, Melanie learns that Henry died two days earlier, and there's an investigation being conducted, because suspicious circumstances surround the untimely death. Melanie instantly knows that she has to get involved, especially when she discovers that Henry's beloved Golden Retrievers have not only lost their owner, but their home, as well. Taking the two friendly fellows to Aunt Peg's for a little R & R, complete with the tale of their sordid predicament, Aunt Peg decides to do the only thing she possibly can...take the dogs in for the holidays and stick her nose where it doesn't belong, enlisting Melanie's help to do some snooping into the suspicious death of Henry. But just as the two amateur sleuths begin to dig up some incriminating info, they realize that they could be next on the lunatics list, and that they're in for quite a slay ride. I have looked over Laurien Berenson's novels for years, but have never actually delved into one. However, when I noticed that she had penned a holiday mystery, complete with two puppies and a Christmas tree on the cover, I found myself unable to resist the purchase. While I do not own a dog of my own, I am a dog lover, and found the information regarding various breeds, and the special care they deserve - as well as Melanie and Aunt Peg's true love for each and every furry friend they meet - to be quite enchanting. The parts regarding dog shows, and the preparations (which there isn't much of) were somewhat tedious, and not as interesting - especially if you're not into dog shows. However, these parts did not overshadow the rest of the story, and lent a hand in building up the character's personalities, and interests. Melanie is a delightful character, whose determination to please everyone surrounding her - be it her son, her fiance, or her pregnant sister-in-law - is admirable, and quite enjoyable to discover more about; but it's her Aunt Peg who steals the show with her nutty as a fruitcake ways, and utterly crazy ideas. A delightful, cozy mystery that will leave you howling for more of Melanie, and her misadventures. Erika Sorocco Freelance Reviewer

Melanie Travis has enough to do over the holiday season without worrying about murder. She has a son to shop for, an expecting sister-in-law, a poodle to prepare for all-important showings, a girlfriend to straighten out on buying a respectable dog, and a relationship to get right. When the favorite schoolbus driver is found dead, all Melanie intends to do is make sure his dogs get a proper home. But getting the dogs the right home gets complicated when the driver's daughters roll into town--intent on putting the dogs up for auction (because one of their parents' was a champion, the daughters assumes that the dogs must be highly valuable). The only way Melanie's Aunt Peg figures to get rid of the daughters is to solve the mystery herself. Of course, Aunt Peg's way of solving mysteries turns out to involve a lot of sending Melanie out to do the work. Author Laurien Berenson does an excellent job combining an interesting character with humor and mystery. Melanie, with her relationship issues, and her obsession with her standard poodles draws the reader in largely because she is a typical suburban mom--caught between a job, her child, and a hobby that demands so much of her time. In Berenson books, the mystery plays second fiddle--it isn't that it isn't being worked on, it's just that the mystery has to come after Melanie takes care of her son and her poodles. In JINGLE BELL BARK, Berenson makes the combination click. I've enjoyed a number of other novels in this series, but BARK seems to put togther the combination of character, humor, and strong writing even better than the earlier novels. Berenson's writing hooks the reader early and keeps us involved with the story. I have no hesitation in recommending JINGLE BELL BARK to anyone looking for a light mystery.

I have read all of the Melanie Travis mysteries, and this is definitely the best one yet! It's written with Ms Berenson's usual humor and knowledge of her subject matter. Those who love showing dogs, especially Poodles, and a good light-hearted mystery will enjoy this book immensely. Can't wait for the next addition to the series.

In Greenwich, Connecticut, Melanie Travis is a special needs tutor at the posh private Howard Academy. She enjoys her work there, but her passion is showing and breeding French Poodles. Her son Davy enthusiastically helps her with the canines when he can. When she takes her son to the school bus, Melanie is surprised that Henry the long time driver has been replaced by Annie. She visits Henry to see if he is okay only to learn that he recently died from a heart attack. Melanie sees Golden Retrievers inside of Henry's home so feeling compassion and not wanting the dogs to mourn alone, she takes them to her Aunt Peg, a professional breeder and canine lover. The two female relatives learn through the grapevine that Henry was poisoned. His two daughters arrive planning to sell their father's animal companions on E-bay. They also refuse to leave town until their father's killer is caught. Peg wants these coldhearted adult children be gone so she investigates the homicide to expedite their departure, not realizing the danger her decision poses to her and her niece. JINGLE BELL BARK is a delightful tale that amateur sleuth fans will enjoy especially the canine caper crowd. Laurien Berenson enables readers to glimpse inside the world of dogs through the loving way aunt and niece nurture their beloved barking family members. The audience, like Peg, will find it impossible to determine who the killer is because suspects abound with motives and opportunities. This leads to a surprising climax as Peg and Melanie try to take a bite out of crime before they are nipped permanently. Harriet Klausner