Laurien Berenson Books In Order

Melanie Travis Books In Publication Order

  1. A Pedigree To Die For (1995)
  2. Underdog (1996)
  3. Dog Eat Dog (1996)
  4. Hair of the Dog (1997)
  5. Watchdog (1998)
  6. Hush Puppy (1999)
  7. Unleashed (2000)
  8. Once Bitten (2001)
  9. Hot Dog (2002)
  10. Best in Show (2003)
  11. Jingle Bell Bark (2004)
  12. Raining Cats and Dogs (2005)
  13. Chow Down (2006)
  14. Hounded To Death (2007)
  15. Doggie Day Care Murder (2008)
  16. Gone with the Woof (2013)
  17. Death of a Dog Whisperer (2014)
  18. The Bark Before Christmas (2015)
  19. A Christmas Howl (2015)
  20. Live and Let Growl (2016)
  21. Murder at the Puppy Fest (2017)
  22. Wagging Through the Snow (2017)
  23. Ruff Justice (2018)
  24. Bite Club (2019)
  25. Here Comes Santa Paws (2019)
  26. Game of Dog Bones (2020)
  27. Howloween Murder (2020)
  28. Pup Fiction (2021)
  29. Show Me the Bunny (2022)

Standalone Novels In Publication Order

  1. Between the Covers (As: Laurien Blair) (1984)
  2. Sweet Temptation (As: Laurien Blair) (1984)
  3. That Special Magic (As: Laurien Blair) (1985)
  4. Come as You Are (1985)
  5. Taken by Storm (As: Laurien Blair) (1986)
  6. Double Dare (1986)
  7. Winner Take All (1987)
  8. Lucky In Love (1989)
  9. Talisman (1990)
  10. The Sweetheart Deal (1991)
  11. Night Cries (1992)
  12. Deep Cover (1994)

Short Story Collections In Publication Order

  1. Christmas Dogs (2005)

Melanie Travis Book Covers

Standalone Novels Book Covers

Short Story Collections Book Covers

Laurien Berenson Books Overview

A Pedigree To Die For

This first mystery in a classy new series features Melanie Travis, a 30 something Connecticut teacher and single mom with an unerring nose for detection. When Melanie’s Uncle Max is found dead on the floor of his championship kennel, Melanie investigates. And suddenly she finds herself on a long leash of intrigue and greed.

Dog Eat Dog

Welcome to an elite Connecticut kennel club where shocking secrets gnaw at the best of the breed and competition has a sharp and deadly bite. As if raising her son Davey, training her rambunctious Poodle Faith for the show ring, and grooming fellow handler Sam Driver for romance aren’t enough, Melanie Travis’s entree into the exclusive Belle Haven Kennel Club has been met with a grisly murder. Unfortunately, the only witnesses to the crime were the victim’s startled pair of Beagles. And they aren’t talking Melanie hadn’t intended to do any serious snooping, what with coping with the unexpected arrival of an ex husband out to get joint custody of the son he’s never known. In need of some serious distraction, she’s off to sniff out dangerous secrets, only to discover that everyone at Belle Haven has something damning to hide. As the shocking truth slowly comes to light, and her own domestic drama moves centre stage, Melanie finds herself eager to put the bite on a dogged killer who’s desperate enough to strike again.

Hair of the Dog

The dog days of summer have just begun, and Melanie Travis is looking forward to savoring each lazy afternoon. Even her rambunctious standard poodle is taking a break from the show ring. But Melanie’s quiet summer reverie is shattered when star poodle handler and ladykiller Barry Turk is shot dead in his own driveway. Mystery Guild Selection.

Watchdog

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 neighbours 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, including a bitter ex wife, a spurned mistress, and an ambitious second in command. But Melanie is about to learn that being a Watchdog can sometimes be dangerous especially when It’s autumn in Connecticut. Melanie Travis has just started a new job, and with the added excitement of showing every clue she uncovers leads her one step closer to a murderer who is desperate enough to kill again…

Hot Dog

In an effort to escape her ex husband and boyfriend, Melanie Travis opts to track down the elusive owner of an adorable dachshund puppy that’s about to be put on the block at a charity auction. But the more Melanie discovers about the puppy’s background, the messier the case becomes.

Best in Show

While Melanie is busy showing her Standard Poodle puppy at the Poodle Club of America’s National Speciality Dog show, Betty Jean is found dead at the host hotel. Melanie instinctively starts to investigate, and comes up with a compelling cast of suspects.

Raining Cats and Dogs

It’s an all new case for Melanie: a husband, an eight year old son and, count them, five poodles. Finding a new, bigger house is at the top of her agenda. To add to the mayhem, Melanie has got the task of keeping an eye on her disconcertingly beautiful new neighbour, whose absent husband is nearly as worrisome as her seven wander outdoor cats. Melanie’s poodles are constantly being provoked by the frisky felines. Melanie is not going to let all of the chaos in her life deter her from enrolling her dog Faith in obedience school. The South Avenue Obedience Club to be exact, which seems to be a fun challenge. Melanie is especially eager to bring faith to the group’s program at the Winston Pumpernill Nursing Home. Obedience club member Paul Lennox initiated the outings to please his Great Aunt Mary and the other dog lovers at Winston Pumpernill. All is nice and good at Pumpernill, that is until Aunt Mary is tragically found suffocated during Melanie’s first visit. Melanie’s investigative pedigree quickly comes to light and the club members urge her to track the killer. Suspects, motives and opportunities are plentiful. Melanie simply has to sniff out the culprit and watch her back.

Chow Down

If Melanie Travis was planning on a quiet family summer with her Standard Poodle Faith, son Davey, and new husband Sam, her plans are about to turn upside down. An unexpected competition, a trip to New York, and oh yes, a murder later, Melanie finds herself in a choke collar of deceit and corruption. When she receives the letter from the Champions Dog Food Company informing her that Faith has been selected as a finalist in the ‘All Dogs Are Champions’ contest, Melanie is mystified until she discovers it was Davey who entered Faith in the contest. Since he also signed the entry form that legally prohibits contestants from withdrawing, Melanie and Faith swallow their pride, tweak their top knots, and enter the ring. The winner will be the spokesdog for Chow Down, a new and decidedly not poodlicious dog food the company is launching, and receive a hundred thousand dollar modelling contract. Too bad Melanie and Faith are less than interested in winning this contest. At the reception where they meet the other finalists Ginger, a Brittany owned by perky couple Bill and Allison Redding; MacDuff, a Scottish Terrier belonging to Dorothy Foyle, an older woman; Brando the Boxer, owned by Ben O’Donnell, an out of work actor; and Yoda, a Yorkshire Terrier who belongs to aloof couple Suzanne and Larry Kim Melanie immediately picks up the scent that this pack is a bone’s throw away from a major dog fight. Leaving the reception with Faith, who doesn’t care for elevators, Melanie heads for the fire stairs. Above them a door opens and voices waft down followed by a blood curdling scream as Larry Kim comes tumbling to his death. The police label the fall an accident, but something smells rotten to Melanie, starting with the fact that no one comes forth as the person Larry talked to before he fell. Odder still, Suzanne chooses to keep Yoda in the contest despite Larry’s tragic demise. With the final decision drawing near and the competition getting downright ferocious, Melanie and Faith will have to watch their backs because Melanie’s digging may well unearth a barking mad killer who’ll do anything to win.

Hounded To Death

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 Bertie welcome the opportunity to socialize with the dog world’s elite, the very pregnant Melanie embraces the chance to simply unwind. But when renowned judge Charles Evans delivers a keynote address that irritates many of the attendees, the symposium’s agenda takes a deadly turn. For later that evening, Charles is found floating face down in the outdoor hot tub. With few clues to go on, the police are baffled. But Melanie decides to take matters into her own hands, suspecting that a cold blooded murderer may lurk among her fellow dog lovers…

Doggie Day Care Murder

Melanie Travis thought her sleuthing days were behind her. She has a new baby to take care of not to mention five Standard Poodles and Aunt Peg is getting Davey ready for his debut as a junior showman. These days, the closest Melanie gets to detective work is scoping out the scene at the local doggie day centre for her friend Alice Brickman. As Melanie learns, it’s a dog’s life at the Pine Ridge Canine Care Centre and life is good. The dogs are living large with a team of groomers and handlers at their bark and call. Everyone seems blissfully happy. Everyone canine, that is. For Melanie soon discovers there are some simmering resentments among the Pine Ridge staff and when Steve Pine, the centre’s charming, good looking co owner, is found shot to death on the floor of his office, there’s no shortage of suspects. His sister Candy stands to inherit their lucrative doggie day care operation. His neighbour, Adam Busch, still blames Steve for paving the way for the other businesses that now exist in the once quiet, all residential town. And then there’s Lila Bennington, the disgruntled client who wanted to sue Steve following an embarrassing ‘incident’ involving a Shih Tzu and a Beagle mix. And lastly, the string of female customers Steve bedded and jilted. But which of these, suspects was desperate enough to commit murder?

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