Pup Fiction by Laurien Berenson is the 27th A Melanie Travis Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to this engaging cozy mystery series. I could not wait to get my hands on Pup Fiction. I enjoy following the harried Melanie Travis on her adventures. Melanie Travis is a busy wife and mother with a summer free of work. Melanie is hoping for a relaxing summer, but it does not take long to discover that will not be happening. In addition to incidents happening at the school camp, Davey is busy trying to get the final points for Aunt Peg’s Standard Poodle, Coral whom he is handling. He needs two “majors” to finish off Coral’s competition days. I like the characters in this series which include Melanie’s kind husband Sam, Kevin, Davey, Faith (Melanie’s faithful companion), and the formidable Aunt Peg. I wish I had a fifth of Aunt Peg’s energy. The whodunit was crafty and thought out. It was clever how the Dalmatians were interlaced into the mystery. There are several suspects, subtle clues, and misdirection. I had fun solving this whodunit. I loved all the action which kept the story rapidly moving toward the conclusion. The family sections are some of my favorites. This is a character driven story with Melanie’s family at the heart of it. There are great family interactions that include their dogs. Faith is such a sweetheart while Bud is so mischievous. You never know what is going to happen next in their home. I enjoyed reading this entertaining cozy mystery and I cannot wait for the next tale. Pup Fiction is a boisterous cozy mystery with adorable Dalmatians, pushy Aunt Peg, a faithful friend, a close competition, a towering topknot, camp chaos, and one prying parent.

Although Pup Fiction is the 27th book in Laurien Berenson's series featuring Melanie Travis, it was my first. I had no difficulty finding my feet dropping in so late though no doubt I have missed some terrifically good reads. In this tale, frayed wife and mum Melanie is sending her sons off to summer camp, run by her friend, Emily Grace. On the first day of camp, Emily has three Dalmation puppies to look after.

A thrilling ride from start to finish I found protagonist Melanie to be a very likeable main character who is devoted to her family and friends. Her entire family is involved in showing champion Standard Poodles at dog competitions. The mystery was well crafted and thought out and I loved the clever methods used that threaded the Dalmatians into the mystery. There were several suspects, subtle clues, and good misdirection and I had lots of fun solving this whodunit. All of the action kept the story rapidly moving toward the conclusion. Delightful and entertaining, Pup Fiction is a highly recommended, quick, light read for all cozy mystery fans.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Pup fiction is a great cozy mystery. It reads very smooth and is easy for the reader to get wrapped up in the mystery. When things start to go wrong at her kids summer camp Melanie steps in to help her friend Emily solve not only why things keep going wrong, but also the murder of her ex husband. As Melanie starts to dig into the mystery everyone seems to think that the only person who could have murdered Emily's husband is Emily. Does Melanie really know her friend? What is truly going on at the camp?

Title: Pup Fiction
Author: Laurien Berenson
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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 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 spotty clues and Aunt Peg’s growing curiosity about the Dalmatian pups’ origins, Melanie must name the culprit before good intentions come back to bite!

Is it bad if I say the thing I enjoyed the most about this book was the dogs? Because it was. Solid writing and storytelling, but I was never that invested in what was going on—and the stakes really didn’t seem that high. I never felt any tension in the mystery. Also…there were all these red herrings about other characters, but the real culprit(s) weren’t the slightest bit suspicious until about the 85% mark, so the reveal felt a bit forced and out-of-nowhere. Just my two cents, though. This wasn’t a bad read. Just not a good fit for me.

Laurien Berenson is a bestselling author. Pup Fiction is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 6/30.)

Melanie Travis is involved in another investigation when a series of potentially dangerous events occur at the Graceland Summer Camp where her teenage son is a counselor and her younger son is a participant. The woman who owns the camp tries to downplay what’s been going on, but Melanie is concerned for her sons and the other campers. When a body is found in the woods behind the camp, Melanie kicks her sleuthing into high gear to find the truth.

Pup Fiction is the latest in the long-running Melanie Travis series, but it’s completely accessible to new readers. Those who like cozy mysteries, as well as dog lovers, will especially enjoy it. Melanie is a likable main character. She is devoted to her family and friends - both the human and canines. She is good at getting all types of people to open up to her, supplying her with the clues needed to solve the cases she works on. Her Aunt Peg who isn’t as much of a people person lends a hand. Peg can be overbearing, but in this book she uses her outspoken nature to help a friend in need.

In addition to the characters and interesting mystery plots, the dogs and the world of dog shows sets this series apart. Melanie’s son Davey has been showing one of Peg’s standard poodles and the inside look at what goes on behind the scenes at a dog show is fascinating. The case Melanie investigates has plenty of suspects although I was able to correctly guess the solution. That didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book at all. I was eager to keep reading and see if I was really correct. Each time I read the end of one of these books, I start looking forward to the next one. I would rate “Pup Fiction” 4.5 stars.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Kensington Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Pup Fiction by Laurien Berensen is the 27th in the Melanie Travis Mystery series. The setting for this mystery is a preschool summer camp in southwestern CT where Melanie’s older son is a camp counselor and her younger son is a camper. The director Emily, who is a friend of Melanie’s and received the unexpected gift of three Dalmatian puppies from her ex-husband, is experiencing a series of unfortunate “incidents” at her school. The ex-husband is shot to death nearby, just as Melanie is wondering how he came to be in possession of the three purebred and clearly valuable puppies. Aunt Peg plays a pivotal role as Melanie works to solve the murder and uncover the provenance of the puppies.

While dogs and dog shows still featured prominently in this well-plotted mystery, I enjoyed the addition of new settings such as the school and the coffee shop that Melanie’s brother owns. I also love the development of Aunt Peg as a multi-dimensional character and getting to know her separately from her relationship with Melanie. Aunt Peg’s interactions with Emily caused me to think about the persona that we have within our families and how differently we may be perceived by friends and others. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) This mystery held my interest until the final page was turned and I’m already looking forward to the next installment in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.
I appreciate it.
#NetGalley #KensingtonPublishing #LaurienBerenson
Pup Fiction starts with Melanie sending her two sons to summer camp. The school is run by Emily Grace, with whom Melanie is friends. Emily has recently received a mysterious gift of three dalmatian puppies. Other odd things keep happening at camp but when Emily’s ex-husband’s body is found, it all reaches a head.
This book is the definition of a cozy mystery. I’m not usually a big fan of mysteries, but I couldn’t resist the fact that this book features so many dogs. I’m a sucker for animal stories and, apparently, that includes mysteries. I thought I knew what the ending was going to be. I was wrong!! This book is, apparently, one of a long series. Even so, I had no trouble reading this as a standalone. I will look up the others. Thank you to the author for this offering.

Melanie's son Davey is set to be a counselor at the Graceland Day Camp and son Kev is going to be a camper- and they'e all excited. Melanie's friend Emily, who just got three Dalmatian puppies, owns the camp. Then, this being a cozy, there's a problem. The body of Emily's scummy ex-husband is found in the woods and of course she's a suspect. And of course, Melanie is going to find answers! I love this series for Melanie, her poodles, her aunt Peg (love Peg), and the just twisty enough mysteries. This one is no exception. I liked the addition of the puppies and how they figure in the story. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books in the series- this will be fine as a standalone. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's fast, it's fun, it's funny!

Pup Fiction
Lauren Berenson
June 29, 2021


Pup Fiction is Lauren Berenson’s 27th in her Pup series. In Pup Fiction, her protagonist, Melanie Travis takes her summer break. She’s mother of two boys, Davey fourteen and Kevin five years old. In this episode she features her family activities. She is a teacher and all are out of school. Her husband, Sam works out of his home office in Stamford, Connecticut. Davey is starting his first job as a counselor at Graceland Camp. Kevin attends preschool there. This will be his first season as a camper. The Travis family has 6 dogs. Five of the canines are standard poodle show dogs. The sixth is a stray that Kevin decided he couldn’t live without. He named the little guy Bud and he is a mixed blessing and definately not a show dog.
Davey will be showing his Aunt Peg’s latest entry in the Saturday dog show. Coral, the year old poodle is working toward earning her championship merit with Davey’s help.
In this pup mystery, Melanie helps her friend Emily Grace solve problems that continue to occur at camp. To compound her troubles, Grace’s ex-husband is found murdered in the woods behind the campsite. Parents become concerned but Emily continues with the daily schedule after police clearance.
Berenson’s books have the same pattern in each of the stories. They are not boring unless you choose not to read the logistics of the dog show. The plots as in Pup Fiction are fun and curious.
Pup Fiction by Lauren Berenson will be published by Kensington Publishing Corporation on June 29, 2021. I appreciate Kensington allowing me to read and review her latest edition of the Pup series. They are always a light, comfort read. Fans of Berenson will be pleased to read her 27th Poodle mystery. Those of us who are dog owners enjoy being able to identify with the love and trials of pets in the home. If readers have not read Berenson before she is one not to miss.
By all means - Enjoy!

I love Dalmatians so I had to read this book. I’ve only read a few books in the series, mostly the holiday themed ones. I liked that this one takes place at a camp which Is great for summer.

I have loved this series since the very first book. Author Laurien Berenson knowledge of dogs shines through. PUP FICTION is another such example. As for the mystery behind the story, Ms. Berenson treats us to a tail wagging whodunit that had me chewing on the clues and digging for the answers. Another spectacular installment to an already wonderful series. I'm already whining for the next book!

Its summer vacation and Melanie is bringing her boys to camp. She stops in to see the owner and soon realizes not everything is right.

This was such a nail biter of a page turner. A great read. I loved the book. The plot was very well written and I cannot wait for another book. This was from a new to me and great author. I really enjoyed the book. Will definitely recommend this book. Cute storyline.

family, family-dynamics, friendship, dogs, dog-shows, puppies, murder, murder-investigation, sabotage, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, humor, situational-humor, verbal-humor*****

If you love dog shows and breed specific cozies, you'll love this one! This is the latest in a long running series that I like very much. It's been fun to follow the ongoing characters as well as the new ones and the sleuthing is always well done. The publisher's blurb is a good hook and no need for recap or spoilers, so get something to hydrate and enjoy the read. I did!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

In the newest Melanie Travis mystery, life landmarks are about to happen: Aunt Peg's new standard poodle Coral is ready to start gaining her championship points, with Melanie's fifteen year old son Davey handling her, and Davey himself has his first summer job, as a junior counselor at Graceland, a highly-rated daycare and camp owned by Melanie's friend Emily Grace. On the first day of camp, someone lets Emily's charges, a trio of Dalmatian puppies, out of their pen, which both Melanie and Emily assume is an accident—until other "accidents" start happening, like an old truck sent careening down a hill and a fire in a stove. Emily also admits to Melanie she has a not-very-trustworthy ex-husband who dumped the puppies on her; and next thing you know, aforementioned ex-husband turns up dead in the woods behind Emily's camp.

I've been reading these books since the first one, and all the characters are family by now; I'm invested in all their joys and sorrows. As in HOWLOWEEN MURDER, the culprit is easy to figure out once the character appears, although the events leading up to that revelation are sinister and troubling. The main joy in this is visiting old friends and seeing how Davy and Kevin (a camper at Graceland) meet new experiences, and seeing old friends like Aunt Peg, Crawford and Terry, and other of Berenson's regulars. The story of Emily and the Dalmatians is also sweet.

In this volume, Melanie's relationship with Faith changes. Her dog has always been her bulwark, but now Faith "responds" to her comments (at least in Melanie's thoughts). I thought this was a thing every pet owner did, but people seem to be commenting that this is odd.

A busy mom of two boys, one a preschooler and the other a teenager. A house full of gorgeous poodles and one roly poly mutt. Dog shows, day camps, a meddling aunt, and so on, and so on, and so on. What's missing? Murder, of course!

Melanie Travis has found herself in the middle of a lot of weirdness, Dalmatian puppies turning up out of nowhere, freak accidents taking place as the day camp where one of her sons is a camper and the other a counselor, and a rogue ex-husband turning up shot to death in the woods. In the midst of that, Coral needs to finish her championship. Although school's out for the summer and Melanie isn't going to work every day, she still manages to stay very, very busy.

This series is one of my favorites. There aren't many series (especially after this many installments) that I can read one after the other, but this series is binge-worthy. Despite the number of books (this is number 27) it never gets boring. I love Aunt Peg and Davey has turned out to be a really fun character as well. I've also fallen in love with Poodles from reading these books and the loving way Berenson describes their personalities and temperament. This series a must for any TBR pile.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Pup Fiction by Laurien Berenson is a 2021 Kensington publication.


Talk about getting a late start on a series! I picked up Berenson’s twenty-sixth installment in the Melanie Travis series while looking for a Halloween themed cozy mystery last year. It was surprisingly easy to drop into the series, even at such a late date. I liked the book so much, I decided to read the next installment to see if my luck would continue. (There is no way I could read through twenty-five installments to catch up with the series- especially with all the other series I have committed myself to 😁😁)

I love the standard poodles, and the dog shows- plus, this story also features three adorable Dalmatian puppies, adding even more charm to the book.

But, alas, this is not just a story about dogs. It would seem that Melanie’s old friend, Emily, who runs the summer camp her boys are attending, is in a spot of trouble.

First, there are several odd occurrences at the camp, then the body of Emily’s ex-husband is found dead very close to the camp, making her a person of interest in the case. Emily asks Melanie to help her out by doing a little sleuthing on the side. Because she knew Emily for such a long time, and because her son’s safety could be at stake, she agrees, although Emily may not be telling Melanie everything she needs to know.


The mystery is really good- I thought I had it figured out- but I was wrong! LOL! With a good whodunit and all those wonderful furry friends, it looks like I will be continuing on with this series!

4 stars

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.

Another fun book in a great series. Melanie's two sons are attending and working at a school of a friend of hers. When trouble begins and then a dead body is found she steps in to help. Naturally there are a few dog shows with their beloved poodles, but this one has some dalmatian puppies too. Great cozy mystery, and fun to watch the clues come together. Highly recommend this book, series and author.

Pup Fiction
By Laurien Berenson
4 stars
Pup Fiction is the 27th book in the Melanie Travis series. One would think after this many books that Berenson would run out of ideas, but fortunately, that is not the case! This was an engrossing and highly enjoyable book. I did figure out who the killer was quite early on but this is still a very good book.
One bonus of this series is they can easily be read independently of one another. I believe I started at book 12 or 13 and then went back and caught up. I hope that Travis will continue to write this series, in the next book I would love to see more of her brother and sister-in-law.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.