This was another cozy mystery I really enjoyed. I will be looking for more books by this author. Such a quick and easy read, perfect for the holidays! I would definitely recommend this book.

Melanie Travis and her husband Sam have been given a gift of a romantic weekend from their children and Melanie's aunt. Melanie's brother and his wife are going as well. Once there, everything sounds and looks wonderful. It's a beautiful resort with lots planned. Dogs are welcome to Melanie brings here beloved standard poodle, Faith. The other dogs are staying home. The first night there Melanie notices two hotel employees outside in the cold. It looks like a tryst, but when one of the employees is found dead, Melanie has doubts. The owner of the resort has asked Melanie to investigate because she is not sure the police are up to the job.

Another fun cozy. It makes me want to have a standard poodle! Melanie and her family are great. It is a fun story that moves along quickly and is easy-to-read. Such a nice escape.

This is book 29 in the Melanie Travis series. I have read many of them but not all. You can read this book as a stand alone. Melanie and Sam are spending Valentine's Day at a ski resort. It is a much needed get-away. When a guest is found dead the owner asks her to help investigate. With a full inn, there are plenty of suspects. Of course Faith, her poodle is along and willing to help. The characters and story line are still fresh after 29 books and It's a good cozy for the Valentine's holiday.

Killer Cupid
A Melanie Travis Mystery
Laurien Berenson
5 Stars

Synopsis:

Melanie Travis is taking a much-needed break from the dog show circuit for a romantic Valentine’s trip with her husband Sam, but when someone at their cozy Berkshires inn has an unexpected date with death, Melanie must slip into something sleuthier for the weekend . . .

Melanie is delighted at the prospect of three uninterrupted days alone with Sam (and, of course, her prize-winning Standard Poodle, Faith). They’re booked at the White Birch Inn, a picturesque New England resort nestled at the foot of a snow-covered mountain. The inn has a full slate of couples activities planned for the busy Valentine's weekend—date nights, sleigh rides, tobogganing, ice skating, and pop-up shops in the inn's ballroom —from the bubbly to the bubble bath, the resort is a perfect match for Melanie and Sam’s vacation. But the first night of festivities feature an event that isn’t on the program: murder.

The sheriff quickly launches an investigation, but at the inn keeper’s urging—and because she suddenly finds herself a person of interest in the case—Melanie tries to sneak a little detective work into her romantic getaway. But with the resort nearly sold out for the holiday weekend, there's no shortage of suspects, and Melanie’s secret sleuthing is already attracting the wrong kind of attention. Her Valentine’s trip is heating up faster than the chocolate fondue . . . just not in the way Melanie hoped. But if she doesn’t catch the cold-hearted killer soon, another innocent victim will get the kiss of death . . . (Amazon)


Review:


The characters are well rounded and well developed. Even when Melanie and Sam go on a romantic getaway weekend, she cannot get away from murder. When someone is found killed, and Melanie finds herself a person of interest, she must find the killer to clear herself. And still have that romantic weekend.


The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from page one. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The mystery was well plotted and there was enough action taking place that I was fully engaged right from the start.


I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I cannot wait to see what trouble Melanie gets into next.


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

Kevin, Melanie Travis’ youngest son, has a secret and can barely contain himself despite promising big brother Davie he wouldn’t say anything. Luckily, Aunt Peg arrives, looking very pleased with herself, before the secret can slip out. Kevin and Davie, with Peg’s help, have arranged for a Valentine’s weekend getaway for Melanie and Sam, and Faith, her Standard Poodle. Peg will stay with the kids and dogs since Melanie’s brother and sister-in-law will be going, too. The inn is lush, the atmosphere romantic, and most of all, relaxing.

Belinda, the activities coordinator, is wound a bit tight considering she’s in charge of making sure visitors have a relaxing and enjoyable time. Still, between the chef-prepared meals, first night-date night dinner and a movie, and more, Belinda is far from Melanie’s mind.

Of course, that was before Belinda turned up dead.

When Melanie took Faith for a last outing the night before, she’d seen Belinda with an unknown man. Evelyn, the inn’s owner, asks Melanie to help find out what happened. She’s heard Melanie has been involved in solving crimes several times. Since the Sheriff seems to think the death was accidental, Melanie agrees. After all, once the weekend is over, suspect/guests will return home, nothing will be resolved, and someone could get away with murder.

This is book twenty-nine in the popular series. Melanie and Sam, away from the kids, other dogs, and Aunt Peg, shine in figuring out what happen to Belinda, though not without threats, implied and blatant, from suspects. It was good to see Frank and Bertie (brother and sister-in-law) again. Bertie always adds humor to any situation and interactions between Frank and Melanie add more laughs. Aunt Peg, organized and in charge as she always is, taking care of Kevin, Davie, her own Poodles, Melanie’s Poodles, and Bud the little mixed breed, makes Melanie think Aunt Peg may just be outnumbered for once.

Dogs and mystery, the perfect match, especially for Valentine’s Day.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Thanks to their sons and Aunt Peg's gift Melanie, Sam, and Faith, their Standard Poodle, along with Melanie's brother Frank and his wife Bertie are enjoying a Valentine's Getaway at the White Birch Inn in the Berkshires. The resort has all kinds of events planned for the holiday weekend. Murder though was not on the schedule. Someone went rogue and killed the events coordinator.

The inn is full of suspects and while the local sheriff appears to have the investigation under control the owner of the inn asks Melanie to do a little sleuthing. With Bertie acting as her Watson, Sherlock Melanie starts looking into the crime. But if they're not careful their Valentine's vacay could end very badly.

______

This is the 29th book in the series and it is still going strong. Melanie and Sam deserved a break and some alone time and I loved that Faith was allowed to tag along. She even made a new friend at the inn, a beautiful Samoyed named Sammy, the resident canine at the inn. Frank and Bertie also came along. It was funny though, all the events were set up for couples and sometimes that meant Frank and Sam going to the event, not the couples the inn had in mind, while Melanie, Bertie, and sometimes Faith did their snooping.  They did all go tobogganing together and to the hayride followed by a bonfire. Both sounded like a lot of fun.

The mystery is pretty complicated but Melanie does her thing, ticked off a couple of people but kept digging like a dog after a bone. She finds an important clue that sets up quite a showdown with Melanie and Bertie in a precarious situation driving the suspense level to a nice pitch as everything plays out.

Killer Cupid is a well-plotted humorous Valentine's mystery. Being novella length it was a quick entertaining read that I enjoyed this story very much. I am looking forward to visiting these characters, both human and canine again soon.

Killer Cupid by Laurien Berenson is the latest installment of the Melanie Travis series. Melanie’s kids, with the help of Aunt Peg, decide that Melanie and her husband, Sam, deserve a weekend getaway. They have made reservations at a resort in the Berkshires in Massachusetts for Valentine’s Day weekend. Faith, Melanie’s beloved standard poodle, accompanies them, as well as Melanie’s brother and sister-in-law. The resort has scheduled a variety of activities including an assortment of winter sports, fancy dinners, dances, and romantic hayrides for the holiday weekend. What was not scheduled was the death of the events coordinator, Belinda. Belinda’s death seems suspicious. When the Evelyn, the owner of the inn, asks Melanie to investigate, Melanie does not hesitate.

I thoroughly enjoyed Killer Cupid. It was a bit different from the other books in the series because it didn’t involve dog shows or the antics of Melanie’s dogs. Also, Aunt Peg and Melanie’s sons played very small roles. However, I found it to be a nice change of pace to have the story focus more on Melanie’s husband, Sam, as well as her brother and sister-in-law. The description of the inn and the surroundings were very inviting, transporting me (in my imagination) to a cozy winter retreat where I could curl up next to a warm fire with a cup of hot cocoa. The plot moves along quickly to a satisfying finish. It was a quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Fans of the Melanie Travis mystery series will enjoy Killer Cupid. Even though this book is part of a series, it works as a stand-alone book that readers of cozy mysteries will enjoy. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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The family at the heart of this book is a delightful cast of characters. The cuteness of a little kid and an entire herd of lovable dogs. A teenager who's realistically cheerful and sullen at the same time. A couple who knows each other inside and out. And Aunt Meg, the quirky side character with spunk. "It will be chaos. I like chaos."

Honestly, with this perfect set up, the plot of the mystery barely matters. I can see why this is such an expansive series (though this was my first venture into Berenson's writing).

But there is indeed a mystery! Fans of the cozy mystery genre will love it. Just twisty enough, most people will be kept guessing. Our protagonist mentions she always wanted to be Nancy Drew - and I think that just might be true for all of us who are fans of cozies.

Perfect choice for a Valentine gift to yourself! (And a quick read if you're on a weekend getaway like the story's couple.)

Melanie and Sam are off for a romantic Valentine's trip. However, after a suspicious death occurs at the resort, Melanie can't help but get involved. Although, it was interesting reading about Melanie and Sam as well as her brother and sister-in-law away from home, I did miss the rest of the dogs.

The mystery was well-written and a nice easy read that I stayed up very late to finish. I can't wait for the next one in the series!

Melanie Travis is taking a break from the show dog circuit when her kids set up a getaway weekend for her and her husband on Valentines weekend. They’re booked at the White Birch Inn a New England resort at the foot of a snow-covered mountain. The Inn has a full calendar of events planned for the weekend date nights sleigh rides tobogganing ice skating and pop-up shops in the ballroom with bubbly to bubble bath for guests to buy. But the first night of festivities features an event not on the program murder. The sheriff investigates but at the innkeeper’s urging Melanie tries to sneak a little detective work of her own. Later while having a discussion with the sheriff Melanie finds out that the women died of an overdose of oxytocin and later realizes there is a drug problem on the grounds leading to guests buying drugs off sellers on property. This was a very enjoyable short story. I would recommend to all.

Melanie Travis and her husband, Sam Driver, are surprised by Melanie's Aunt Peg with a Valentine's Day getaway for the two of them. No kids, no dogs -- except, of course, Melanie's beloved Standard Poodle Faith. Along with them for the weekend is Mel's best friend Bertie and her husband Frank, who is Mel's brother. While the first part of the first evening goes smoothly, Mel takes Faith and the inn's dog, Sammy, out for an evening run.

While out there, she sees a couple apparently in a tryst. But when the woman is found dead the next morning, she wonders if it is murder. When the innkeeper asks her to look around and see if she can find any suspects, Mel reluctantly agrees. Unfortunately, the inn is almost full and anyone could be the killer. Mel is convinced it must be an employee, or someone that the dead person knew very well. Whatever she learns, the police chief isn't buying, so Mel is on her own.

In between enjoying what the inn offers for the weekend, and spending time alone with Sam, Mel is asking questions. But is she questioning the wrong people? Before long, she finds that she might be on the right trail...with the killer right behind her...

This is the 29th book in the series, and the first one that I have read that wasn't dog-centric. Not that I mind reading about dogs, or I wouldn't read the series at all. But there are no descriptions of dog shows or grooming practices, etc. It shows what a talented writer Ms. Berenson is; bringing us into the mystery with her, and wanting to know who killed the person and why. I had a hard time putting this one down for a few hours, and when I started again it was as if I never left.

The descriptions of the surrounding areas and the events that Mel and Sam were involved with were quite fun, and the dialogue was done quite well. It was difficult at first to decide who the murderer might be, but as the book progressed, we were given clues, and it was only a matter of time, as with Melanie herself, that we figured it out and all came together. I have to say that I enjoyed this book quite a bit and look forward to the next. Recommended.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

I love this series. In this book we go to a different location than the hometown. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Although this is the latest book in Laurien Berenson's series featuring Melanie Travis, and I have only read two other volumes in the set, I still thoroughly enjoyed Killer Cupid. I had no difficulty finding my feet dropping in so late though no doubt I have missed some terrifically good reads. In this tale, it's February in Connecticut and frayed wife and mum Melanie and husband Sam think they’re going to enjoy a romantic Valentine’s weekend getaway, along with Melanie's brother, Frank and sister-in-law, Bertie, at the White Birch Inn in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusettes, at the expense of Auntie Peg...

A thrilling ride from start to finish I find protagonist Melanie to be a very likeable main character who is devoted to her family and friends. Her family is involved in showing champion Standard Poodles at dog competitions. Though there is no dog show in this tale, the mystery is well crafted and thought out and I loved the subtle clues and I had lots of fun solving this whodunit. It took me a while to work out the motive. All of the action kept the story rapidly moving toward the conclusion. Delightful and entertaining, Killer Cupid 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.

Aunt Peg gifts Melanie and Sam a Valentine's weekend getaway along with Melanie's brother and SIL Peg may be in for a surprise; are two boys and all the dogs more than she can handle?!? As for Melanie and company, it shouldn't come as any surprise that a body is discovered, and the death is suspicious. This may not be quite the romantic weekend Melanie and Sam, Frank and Bertie expected. An interesting twist, fast paced, this story takes place over just a couple of days. I love this cozy mystery series, it's just the break I need from serious reading every once in a while, yet still provides interest and a challenge.

Melanie Travis and husband Sam think they’re set to enjoy a romantic Valentine’s weekend getaway at the White Birch Inn in the Berkshires. All the kids and dogs are taken care of at home, except Faith who goes with them. Melanie is looking forward to three days alone with her beloved, tucked into the picturesque and romantic mountain view lodge.

But they’ve hardly arrived before one of the staff ends up dead and despite an immediate police presence, the inn’s owner approaches Melanie and asks her to find out what happened. Sam, used to how murder and intrigue seem to be attracted to his wife, supports her efforts.

As Melanie starts to ask questions, she draws some unwanted attention…and not of the good kind.

Killer Cupid is pure Melanie Travis mystery, perfect for fans of the series. Melanie is in fine form, searching for answers to a killer’s motives and trying to avert becoming the next victim. Aided in this adventure by her spunky sister-in-law, Melanie forges ahead in her quest to discover who has committed murder in the Berkshires and why…all while on a romantic Valentine weekend getaway.

A Valentine's weekend getaway with a side homicide investigating. Melanie and her husband, along with Melanie's brother and sister-in-law are expecting a nice weekend in the Berkshires but a killer has joined the guest list and, of course, Melanie investigates. There are plenty of suspects at the Inn. At 29 books, she knows what she's doing. It makes for an entertaining read.
As in all of the books in the series family, friends and poodle furbabies are key to the mystery. These are people the reader looks forward to revisiting, catching up on each others lives since the last book. Each mystery will be sure to keep one guessing to the very end and always makes me eager to read the next investigation with Melanie.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to Netgalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Killer Cupid is part of the excellent Melanie Travis mystery series, but this one works especially well as a standalone. Dog lover Melanie, her husband Sam, and her standard poodle Faith, go on a weekend getaway for Valentine's Day. Melanie is excited about this rare time away from the kids and the rest of her fur babies, and dog shows, but she still finds time to gather clues that help solve a murder. The book has a good balance of events at the resort, close moments between Melanie and Sam, and Melanie and her sister-in-law, who is also at the resort with Melanie's brother, investigating the crime.

This book is a little different from most in the series since Melanie and Sam are away from home. You don't have the pleasant chaos of their homelife with their kids and the rest of the dogs. There also isn't any kind of dog show in the book, although references are made to their standard poodles show careers. Although I love those aspects of this series, Killer Cupid is a nice change-of-pace to keep the series fresh and is still fun to read. Fans of the series as well as new readers will enjoy this well-written cozy mystery.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Kensington Books. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

Killer Cupid by Laurien Berenson has Melanie Travis and her husband, Sam along with Faith heading off for a relaxing, romantic trip for Valentine’s Day weekend. Melanie’s brother, Frank and his wife, Bertie are joining them at the White Birch Inn in the Berkshires. The couples are enjoying their mini vacay until the events coordinator ends up dead. The local police are quick to write off the woman’s death as accidental. Melanie has her doubts. When the inn’s owner, Evelyn Barker asks Melanie to investigate, she is happy to oblige. Melanie with assistance from Bertie and Faith sets out to locate the killer. Killer Cupid is the twenty-ninth A Melanie Travis Mystery. It is a novella which can be read in one sitting. I enjoyed reading Killer Cupid. I was eager to see what mischief Melanie got into this time. We get to spend time with Melanie’s brother, Frank and his wife. They go on the trip with Melanie and Sam along with Melanie’s beloved Standard poodle, Fern. Fern’s age is mentioned a few times. I hope the author is not preparing us for her departure. I enjoyed the descriptions of the White Birch Inn and its surroundings. It seemed like the perfect place to spend a romantic weekend. The mystery was intriguing. The events coordinator for the White Birch Inn is found dead by the ice-skating pond. It appears that she died from exposure. I had to wonder how a woman who is used to the frigid winter weather is not aware of the dangers of being outside too long. What was Belinda Rush doing outside late at night? Melanie is naturally curious about the case. When the owner of the inn asks her to investigate, Melanie does not hesitate to say yes. Melanie questions the staff and guests about the victim. I like that Bertie joined Melanie on her sleuthing ventures. Melanie is a bad influence. Faith tagged along on some of the ventures. The sweet poodle is a good judge of character. I enjoyed the suspenseful reveal. Aunt Peg, Davey, and Kevin provide humor especially the rambunctious Kevin. I like that we get to spend more time with Sam in this tale. Killer Cupid is an entertaining cozy mystery, and I am eager for the next A Melanie Travis Mystery. Killer Cupid is a merry mystery with a Valentine vacay, a faithful Faith, a deceased employee, sticky smores, spiked cider, and mistrustful Melanie.

Another wonderful adventure with Melanie and Faith. I love how the author incorporates the poodle into the story without voicing her thoughts (not a fan of "talking" animals) but still conveys what she is feeling The mystery is a little different in this one as they are away for a couples' vacation with Frank and Bertie but it is no less enjoyable. The plot was well-paced and there were plenty of suspects to keep you guessing. I did miss the huge brood of poodles, the requisite dog shows, particularly Terry and Crawford, and even Peg, who has grown on me over the years. All in all, a great addition to the series and I'm really looking forward to the next.