Bite Club is a delightful addition to the Melanie Travis Mystery series. From the delightful puppy on the cover to the very last page you will be guessing whodunit. Melanie just can’t help but stick her nose in to figure it out and it looks like she’s got Aunt Peg hooked too. I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend the series.

Melanie Travis is a dog-lover and welcomes a few friends to participate in a book club she names the "Bite Club." Melanie's opinionated, bossy Aunt Peg invites herself and several others to join and soon takes over leadership of the club. Melanie is annoyed, but is too busy taking care of her family, helping a friend with relationship problems, and assisting an acquaintance from the book club to train his new puppy to do anything about it. When arriving at Evan’s home to give a dog-training lesson, she is dismayed to see the puppy running around his house all by himself with no sign of Evan. Melanie soon learns Evan has been murdered and a nosy neighbor offers Melanie up to the police as the prime suspect. Now it’s up to Melanie, with plenty of help from Aunt Peg, to find the real killer.

Even though this is the twenty-second book in this series, the author does a great job keeping things fresh for returning readers, but still accessible to those new to the series. The series has become a favorite of mine for intriguing mysteries, a likable amateur sleuth, and interesting insider information about the world of dog shows. This book features a seemingly shy, mild-mannered victim who is hiding a shady past. The more Melanie looks into Evan’s background, the more suspects she adds to her investigation. While questioning witnesses and possible suspects, Melanie also helps her friends Terry and Crawford with a possible snag in their relationship. Even though I figured out the truth before Melanie, I enjoyed this subplot. It doesn’t tie into the murder, but is related to the dog show world which is always a highlight of this series.

The side character who plays the biggest part in the book is Melanie’s Aunt Peg. Peg means well, but can be hard to take at times. She irritates me through much of the book, especially when she criticizes Melanie’s thirteen-year-old son who is showing one of Peg’s dogs. However, Aunt Peg makes up for it by the end when she uses information Melanie obtained about the murder to plan a gathering of all the suspects to nab the murderer. I like when Peg is cooperative because at those times, she and Melanie make a formidable team. The ending was dramatic and satisfying with questions answered by the end. Like Melanie and Peg’s champion poodles, “Bite Club” is a winner.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Melanie didn't kill Evan, a member of her new book club and the owner of the bulldog puppy she agreed to train. Neither did Aunt Peg so the two of them team up, as usual, to find out what really happened. This is a great series in so many ways but chiefly because of the characters which include, btw, Melanie's Poodles! Aunt Peg can be a real pain but she's got a huge heart. The Poodles- what can you say? Melanie- well Melanie has a great tone of voice and she loves her family, who are often a hoot. This may be the 22nd in the series but it still feels fresh. And, I think it could be read as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Berenson's fans are in for a good time and everyone for a good read.

Bite Club
A Melanie Travis Mystery, Book #22
Laurien Berenson
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Melanie Travis's new book club caters to readers craving fiction--with bite! But when a real-life murder case bares its fangs, she'll need to swap dog-eared novels for a lengthy suspect list . . .

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 sends him to an early grave--while landing Melanie in the hot seat for homicide . . .

Caught at the wrong place at the wrong time, Melanie delves into the victim's shady past to prove her innocence. As she uncovers a juicy scandal that cost Evan his marriage and, possibly, his life, Melanie realizes that booking the real culprit comes down to gathering her pack of suspects together at the next Bite Club meeting. What she doesn't know is Aunt Peg has been hiding some explosive secrets of her own--secrets that, once unleashed, could pit Melanie against an unpredictable killer bent on bringing this story to an abrupt end . . . (Goodreads)



Review:

The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The descriptive writing of the author had me feeling like I was in Connecticut, watching all of the action taking place and listening in on conversations. And the descriptions from the dog shows had me feeling like I was right there, watching the behind-the-scenes action. I watch dog show on television whenever they are on, and it was fun to get some insight into their world.

The characters are well rounded and well rounded. Melanie is a funny, caring hardworking mom who has a lot going on in her life. But somehow she is able to juggle everything. I enjoyed getting to spend time with Melanie and her family and friends. I enjoy when the protagonist has a family, to me it makes them see more realistic. Aunt Peg is a real pill, but in her own way, she loves Melanie and her family.

The mystery was well plotted and moved along at a nice pace. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider and it was not easily solved. And there was another mystery to solve involving her friend Terry, which I enjoyed reading about.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. If you enjoy animals in your cozy and you like dog shows, this is definitely for you.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

I've read this series from the beginning, and there are some times when I love Aunt Peg and some times when I want to swat her. The latter is my reaction in this book, where Aunt Peg bodily takes over the small mystery-novel reading group that our protagonist Melanie Travis, special needs teacher, mom, and poodle handler, has formed and invites a half dozen more people to participate, all dog show people, of course. One of the guests asks to bring along her new neighbor, Evan Major, who seems to not have any friends. Soon after Melanie decides to visit Evan, looks in the window, and sees him lying injured or dead in his home. The police are called, but the neighborhood busybody tells the detectives that Melanie went inside the house, and now she's a suspect in his murder.

In an unusual subplot, Melanie's dog=show friend Terry Denunzio suspects his older partner Crawford may be becoming attached to a younger man who has been assisting them at the shows. As Melanie owes him a favor, Terry asks if Melanie can scope out what's going on with the younger guy and Crawford. I usually like Terry, but this was very unfair of him.

Despite the behaviors of Aunt Peg and Terry, I enjoyed this installment as always. The mystery was convoluted enough, and we got to revisit some old friends like Alice Brickman, and also got to see Melanie's teen son Davey mature more in his dog-show efforts. Melanie's husband Sam as usual is good as gold and endlessly patient; I hope sometime Berenson is going to let us see him get frustrated and lose his temper, but this is not the installment. I twigged to the possible murderer the moment Melanie interviewed that person, but it was late enough in the book for that not to matter. Enjoyable as always!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have read every one of the books in this series and each one is better than the last. I love Melanie and her crazy family of dogs (& people too!). Berenson's books are extremely enjoyable from the first page until the last. One thing you must know if you've not read any of these books is that Melanie gets involved in a murder every single time but she also always gets her man or woman! This book is a quick, enjoyable read for everyone. Enjoy! 📚

Bite Club is the 23rd in the series and can be read as a standalone. Fabulous characters and a wonderful storyline. I have a new favorite author to add to my list.

What does dog shows, poodles, a baby bull dog, and a book club have in common.... Bite Club,. the 23rd book in the Melanie Travis Mystery series. Melanie has chosen a group of her friends to join into a book club called Bite Club since it involves reading of books with a bite. However it is apparent her Aunt Peg has different ideas for the style of the club. When one member of the club is found dead and later discovered to have a shady past, it will be Melanie and her Aunt Peg to assist the police in finding the guilty party. Is that person a member of the Bite Club?

Bite Club is the twenty-third (according to the author’s website) book in Laurien Berenson’s Melanie Travis Mystery series. Each book in this series can easily be read as a standalone because the author provides great background information, making the character’s relationships easy to understand. The storyline is well plotted and flows at a steady pace. This is a clean, fun, and quick read. I recommend this series to readers who love well-crafted cozy mysteries.

Melanie Travis lives in Stamford, Connecticut with her husband, Sam, and two sons, thirteen-year-old Davey and four-year-old Kevin, five Standard Poodles, and a mutt they found on the side of the road. Melanie is a special needs tutor at Howard Academy, Sam is a software developer who works from home, and dog shows are a way of life for Melanie and her family. Melanie started a small book club, named Bite Club because the group consists of dog lovers, and they decided to read mystery novels with a “bite.” When Aunt Peg found out about the book club, she took it over and doubled the number of participants. Alice Brickman, Melanie’s friend and former neighbor, brought her new neighbor, Evan Major, to the first book club meeting, and at the end of the third meeting, he asked Melanie to help train Bully, his new Bulldog puppy. Their first session went well, but when she arrived for their second session, she found Bully loose near the street. When Evan didn’t answer the door, she looked in his back yard and peeked into his windows, but didn’t find him, so she took Bully to her home. One of Evan’s neighbors discovers his body in his kitchen and points her finger at Melanie because she saw her snooping around his house, and drive away with Bully in her car the day before. In the course of trying to figure out who killed Evan, Melanie learns some surprising things about him and some of their friends. Aunt Peg tells Melanie she has a plan to ferret out the killer, but once it’s set into motion, Melanie fears it’s going to backfire. Meanwhile, Melanie helps Terry Denunzio, her best friend, figure out what’s going on with his life partner, Crawford Langley, and a man who’s visiting him.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Ms. Berenson has written another great book in this series. This is a series that I've read from book 1 and it did not disappoint.

The Melanie Travis Canine Mystery series is in my option the very best mystery depicting the world of AKC dog events. I'm a very avid exhibitor in AKC dog trials / shows and what I've experience is accurately portrayed in the book. Plus, the mysteries are top-notch with just enough twists and turns..

As always, Aunt Peg is just a bit bossy but Melanie can usually handle her!

The characters are very easy for me to relate to and I always love visiting with them. I'm already looking forward to the next one in the series!

Bite Club
Lauren Berenson
June 25, 2019

This is #22 for Lauren Berenson in her Poodle mystery series. Her doggie mysteries are fun, cozy mysteries involving Melanie Travis and her family. In Bite Club her sons Davey and Kevin are now older and more involved in the care of the family’s 6 dogs. Melanie decides that it would be a terrific idea to start a book club with friends. Of course Aunt Peg gets involved wanting to include some of the cohorts from dog shows. By the time the 3rd club meeting is held the members have grown. A newcomer, Evan Major arrives as the guest of Melanie’s best friend, Alice Brickman. He is late, looks disheveled, and injured but claims he was in a minor car accident. Folks at the meeting are concerned but glad the meeting will continue. Evan is prone to problems. Melanie is helping him to train his new Bulldog puppy as he is completely inept at doing so. She arrives at his home only to find Bully out running loose with no sign of Evan. After looking around his yard and peeking in windows, she found all quiet.
The next day she is visited by a police detective wanting to know the details of her visit to Evan Major’s home. Evan was found murdered shortly after her visit to his home.
Chaos erupts with Melanie needing to help prove her innocence along with Evan’s family members arriving, adding to the mayhem.
I have read most of the Berenson books in the series so I am familiar with the characters and the dogs. It is a fun series to read. She does provide info regarding showing poodles at dog shows as she does in each plot along with family history. Because of that, Bite Club can be read without following the series. If you are a fan of dog mysteries, Berenson’s books are a hit. I have always enjoyed them. Bite Club by Lauren Berenson is published by Kensington Publishing with release date set on June 25, 2019.

I have been a fan of this series for a long time, so getting a chance to spend time with Melanie, Sam, Davey, Kevin, Aunt Peg and the Poodles is a pure pleasure. Melanie has started a mystery book club called the Bite Club with a few of her good friends, and her friend Alice brings a new neighbor, Evan, to join them. Evan has a new puppy and asks Melanie to help him train the dog. When Melanie gets to Evan's house for her second session she finds Bully, the dog, running along the street, with Evan no where to be found. She takes Bully home and the next day is visited by the local police who tell her Evan has been killed and she was seen "skulking around" his house at the time of his death. Being classified as a suspect brings out Melanie's inquisitive nature and she, with the urging of Aunt Peg, is once again involved in a murder investigation. This is a delightful cozy mystery with a great cast of characters, a briskly moving plot, and lots of information about the care and training of dogs. I highly recommend it.

Melanie is trying to have a book club, when her bossy Aunt Peg steps in and takes over. When a member gets murdered, and Melanie gets the finger pointed at her it forces her to get busy trying to solve the mystery. I liked this one a lot, as I have previous ones in the series. And yes, the poodles are back, as well as a cute as a bug bulldog puppy. I enjoyed this one, although found the murder and the killer slightly lacking at the end, but still I and found it hard to put down. Highly recommend this book and series.

Laurien Berenson . Bite Club
The lovely cover and description drew me to this book.
Loved this book not realising it was book 22 , as I have never read any of the other books it didn’t put me off ,also a new author for me.
Melanie has a lot of patience with all the dogs to look after with two children and hubby .
Enjoyed all the description about dogs shows it doesn’t sound easy .(especially putting up with auntie).
The mystery and characters were very engaging, enjoyed the plot .a few red herrings into the twist.
Never guessed who the killer was until the end revile.
Thanks to Kensington books and Nettgalley for advance copy for a honest review.

Fun fun fun! I love the way the characters play off each other to solve murders accidentally. Although I don't care about dog shows, the author makes all the 'India's info interesting and informative without being boring. I wish I had a Faith. I hope she lives a very long time