This was my first book for Christmas in July and it was a quick, fun and enjoyable story. Protagonist Melanie Travis is divorced from Bob, but they are still friendly. Her brother Frank is partners with Bob, although Frank doesn't always consult him before making decisions. When Frank sees a Christmas tree farm up for auction, he doesn't think, he doesn't ask anyone, he bids on it and wins. While they are all there checking it out, they stumble upon a dead body. Mel begins to nose around when the man's sponsor swears he has stopped drinking and they are determined to prove he was murdered.

I have not read all of these books, in fact I have only read three or four of them. The mystery deals with Pete, a homeless man and his alcoholism that has driven almost all of his friends and family away. The plot leads us back in time to see how his life progressed until he was found dead. Melanie’s compassion shines as she tries to find answers and justice for a man she never met. She is a caring and considerate character, who everyone likes and is willing to talk to. She has a lot going on in her life between her family, her dogs, her job and now investigating this mystery. I can't believe how organized she is. I really liked Aunt Peg, a take charge older character, whose sassy nature adds some humor to the story. When they find a tiny Maltese hidden under the dead body, it is Aunt Peg takes him under her wing. The mystery was not easy to solve and when I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. I enjoyed the humor in the plot, but she also handles serious issues well. Laurien Berenson wraps up all the details in this story with a bright Christmas bow.

I love this cozy mystery series by Laurien Berenson! I enjoyed this newest novel set during the holiday season. If it wasn’t Christmas related, I would have saved it for later so I wasn’t caught up with the series. Now I have to wait patiently for the next novel in the series. This is number 21 in Laurien’s Melanie Travis mystery series. Melanie’s brother has gotten himself into trouble again. He bid and won at an auction a Christmas tree property without investigating into it or consulting with anyone. Now with Christmas weeks away, everyone has to help him get the property up and running so they can sell some trees. And to make matters worse, they find a man’s dead body on the property the first time they go to look it over! Melanie and Aunt Peg are soon deep into the investigation of the man’s death. This novel is full of interesting family relationships, humor, and dogs.

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A Christmas tree farm is the location for crime
- and poodles!

If you love dogs and mysteries, you should take the time to read Laurien Berenson’s novels.  She does a wonderful job portraying the unique personalities of dogs, in particular standard poodles.  Wagging Through the Snow is a light mystery that s perfect for an evening relaxing with a cup of cocoa.  The mystery isn't much of a puzzle, but that doesn't mean it isn't easy to enjoy.  Melanie Travis and her family are fun to observe and easy to like.  But if you are looking for a serious hard bitten mystery this will not be your cup of tea.  This is simply a light holiday cozy.

When Melanie’s brother buys a dilapidated Christmas tree farm, it comes with an unexpected addition - a dead body accompanied by a small Maltese.  At first it looks like the homeless man died accidentally while drunk.  But a friend of his is adamant that he stopped drinking several months before.  As Melanie and her Aunt Peg have  plenty of experience investigating murders, it is no surprise that Melanie begins poking around, looking into the man’s past.  His alcoholism left a trail of destruction in its path, and no one seems particularly unhappy that Pete is dead - but was something in his past enough to cause him to be murdered?

Wagging Through the Snow is an enjoyable mystery, perfect for de-stressing after a long day.  If you are looking for a nice, family friendly holiday mystery, it’s a great choice.

4 / 5

I received a copy of Wagging Through the Snow from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

This was a great Christmas Cozy Mystery. All I can say is- I didn't see it coming! I enjoyed this book a lot. It is highly entertaining and a fast read. I look forward to more from this author. Recipes included. This book left me feeling all the Christmas cheer.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Despite a decided lack of felines, I truly enjoyed this book. I loved the poodle pack and the adorable little Maltese. The little dog was discovered by the corpse of his human who was found frozen to death in the Christmas Tree farm Melanie’s brother has just purchased.
Initially it is thought the dead man died because he was drunk. Not a far-fetched idea but it turns out far from the truth.
Pete, the dead guy, was an alcoholic and a despicable character but had been sober and was trying to reconnect with the people he had wronged in his drunken stupor.
The police are not too concerned either way looking at Pete as human flotsam and not worth much effort. That gives Melanie a reason to try to find out what happened. She is very good at it although she is not confrontational like come cozy heroines. And when she gets into the inevitable face off with the murderer, it seems natural and not at all forced.
She has a delightful blended family and there is a gentle humour to the characters and the story, It was an enjoyable read either at the holiday season or any time.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.

When Melanie’s brother and ex-husband buy a Christmas tree lot, soon the whole family is drawn into sprucing up the neglected business. During a walk through the property, they discover the body of Pete, a local homeless man known to have had an addiction to alcohol. Keeping vigil is his beloved little Maltese dog, shivering in the cold near the branch that struck down Pete.

While the death is initially ruled an accident, Melanie is soon pulling at the threads of Pete’s past when his sponsor informs her the dead man had quit drinking and was attempting to put his life back together. Melanie figures out who he was and then tracks down his former family and friends in an effort to discover who might have wanted Pete gone for good.

Ms. Berenson never disappoints with her Melanie Travis series, once again providing readers with a generous serving of clues, dogs and family interaction.

Easy read with a little humor a little spirit and lots of dogs.
The best part of this one is the relationships between all the characters

Wagging Through the Snow by Laurien Berenson is A Melanie Travis Canine Mystery novella (twenty-first book in the series). Melanie Travis is enjoying a quiet Saturday when her brother, Frank visits. It turns out that he made an impulsive purchase of Haney’s Holiday Home (a Christmas tree lot) in Wilton, Connecticut without the knowledge of his business partner, Bob (Melanie’s ex-husband). The family troops out to examine the property and finds the buildings are dilapidated. Everyone will need to work quickly to get it up and running for the Christmas season. Davey and Kevin come running inside. They heard a strange whimpering noise in among the trees. The noise is coming from a cute little Maltese hidden under a dead body. The victim is a local homeless man named Pete who had trouble with alcohol. It looks like Pete was killed by a falling tree limb but appearances can be deceiving. Melanie with Aunt Peg’s assistance (of course) sets out to discover more about Pete and who could have wished him harm. Can Melanie wrap up this case before Santa comes sliding down the chimney or will she find herself stuffed in a body bag?

Wagging Through the Snow is well-written, engaging and has a good pace (which makes for an easy to read story). I like the characters and most especially the lively dogs. There is just the right amount and type of humor in this delightful tale. There were some definite laugh out loud moments. My rating for Wagging Through the Snow is 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). It is short, but packed full of action. The mystery was compelling and the elements are revealed as the story progresses. One clue gave away the identity of the killer to me. I think many readers will be surprised when the culprit is revealed. I was glad that the story was not rushed (it happens frequently in short stories). The ending was heartwarming. Wagging Through the Snow is my favorite A Melanie Travis Canine Mystery. This delightful cozy has engaging characters, good mystery, adorable dogs, humor, family, friends, and the spirit of Christmas.

A delightful return to the world of Standard Poodles, Aunt Peg, Melanie and crew. I have read the entire series and this is by far on of my favorites. This is the perfect mystery holiday read. It has a great cast of suspects, and well crafted clues to keep every reader guessing. I loved the addition of a family Christmas Tree farm that was fun to read about . This is the perfect holiday read for all cozy mystery lovers. The poodles are front and center and even a new canine addition for the indomitable Aunt Peg . I love how Melanie finds clues to the murder and creates a backlog of suspects as she pursues yet another murder case with the help and support of her family. This is a fun read, very well crafted . Looking forward to the next in series.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Very enjoyable cozy mystery. The scene is an old Christmas Tree farm with a homeless man dead in the snow. The local sleuth is on the case when the cops just shrug it off as another drunk passing out in the cold. Between the dogs & Aunt Peg, they add humor & dimension to the story. I really enjoyed the interactions of the characters.

An interesting glance at homelessness and a charming array of dogs. Well told story of sleuthing that kept me guessing. A delightful series.

Publisher's Description:

“If you like dogs, you’ll love Laurien Berenson’s Melanie Travis mysteries!” —Joanne Fluke, New York Times bestselling author

Melanie Travis needs a little peace from her busy life this Christmas. But the usual holiday hubbub is a joy compared to the killer surprise she finds tucked underneath the tree . . .
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 alive, it’ll take some sprucing up—and a small miracle or two—before the neglected place is in shape for December.
Unfortunately, the impromptu business venture goes cold when the group discovers a purebred Maltese whimpering in the snow-covered grove—right beside a dead body. Pete, a squatter who camped out on the land, apparently met his end after a fallen fir tree branch knocked him on the head. But as Melanie and Aunt Peg investigate Pete’s history and the terrible habit that cost him everything, it’s clear his death was no accident. Now, Melanie must run through a flurry of likely suspects and muzzle a dogged murderer in time—or she’ll be next on someone’s deadly list.

My Thoughts:
I happily read this intriguingly comical mystery. It has been years since I read A "Pedigree to Die For" and the others of the first five novels in this series. I was showing dogs at the time and poodles was my breed of choice. The first book in the series"A Pedigree to Die For"with poodles on the cover and a murder and a dog show as the backdrop made this book and the subsequent titles of interest to me.
Since mysteries are not my genre of choice I had drifted away from this author but was thrilled to see a new one listed on NetGalley.
This book has all of the qualities expected from this reader of books from this author.
There is intrigue, mystery and a bit of humor thrown in for good measure. If your taste in books runs toward a cleanly written and teen friendly mystery you will love this book.
Get ready for the Christmas season with this newest Laurien Berenson, Melanie Travis Mystery. You won't be disappointed.
I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development. The expected inclusion of many happy and healthy characters of the canine variety is as always a bonus in this Christmas Mystery.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this lovely short read, from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

My only complaint about this latest in a long running series (and I've read them all) is that it's too short! Melanie and Aunt Peg find a dead man (Pete) and his (live) Maltese at the Christmas tree farm her brother and ex have just purchased. Geez. As always, Melanie will investigate, Peg will comment, the poodles will poodle, and the kids, relatives, and everyone else will just entertain you. There's nothing too deep about this book and it's not twisty or complex- just right for a quick read when you want something fun. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. If you haven't read Berenson before, this is an easy intro to the series (you'll want to read more of them). If you have read her, this is a pre-holiday treat!

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.75 Hearts So this story is really cute. It is a short read of only about 100 pages so I wouldn’t say it will put you in a holiday mood because about the time you get into it it’s over.

I think one of the problems was I have never read one from this author or series before. I didn’t know this was #21 in the series and I think it would have been a bit better if I knew the characters from before. Now that being said the mystery is good and the story is very well written.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Melanie's brother thinks what better way to get involved with the Christmas joy than to buy an abandoned Christmas tree farm. He would like it to be a family undertaking. Sounds fine until they find something not listed in the sale...a dead body and a dog. Aunt Peg takes the dog and Melanie takes the case, investigating who done it and why. After all, this is her 21st mystery, she's an old hand at this sort of thing. Full of great characters, humor and always a great puzzle to solve, along with wonderful dogs - this is cozy mystery writing at its best.

Every time I think I’ve read the best Melanie Travis Mystery, author Laurien Berenson proves me wrong!

I adore this series. Melanie is a great protagonist, and a lot of fun to read. The supporting characters all add so much to it. And of course, there are dogs! Melanie’s dogs, all five of them, have the greatest personalities. The way Berenson describes them, I get clear pictures in my mind of each and every one of them.

WAGGING THROUGH THE SNOW is another splendid installment in this wonderful series. An exceptional mystery that kept me guessing, and I still got it wrong. Author Berenson really knows how to throw plot curves into a story. By the time of the reveal, I was dizzy for all the twisting and turning!

Along with the mystery element, WAGGING THROUGH THE SNOW has a lot of laugh out loud moments. I had to wipe away tears during one particularly funny scene. I still find myself chuckling when I think back on it.

To be a shorter than normal cozy mystery, Ms. Berenson manages to pack in a lot of mystery, action, and hilarity into WAGGING THROUGH THE SNOW, without the story feeling rushed. She even gets a recipe in there for readers!

It's hard to believe that this is #21 in the Melanie Travis series. All the familiar people and dogs are back in this holiday offering. Melanie's brother buys an abandoned Christmas Tree farm on Thanksgiving weekend and thinks the family will be happy to help sell the trees. When they all go to view the farm they find a body with a small dog hiding underneath. With Aunt Peg taking charge of the dog and Melanie investigating the crime the family prepares for Christmas that is fast approaching. As always the poodles play a big part in the story and dog lovers will fall in love with Faith and the rest of the pack.

I really enjoyed this story. When Melanie Travis ends up helping out with a Christmas tree farm business and then a murder, she struggles to find out the truth. What I liked about this book was the interesting assortment of characters and the lovely world Berenson created. This is a true cozy filled with Christmas merriment, cute dogs and plenty of suspects.