This was the perfect fall mystery. Anytime that Melanie has to participate in a school event, you know that something will cause her to go into her mystery solving mode and it will include a dog or two. This one had a few more twists than I was expecting but I really liked them as I tried to solve the mystery.

It was well-written and an easy read. The characters are very 'real' and they do feel like friends.

Melanie and Faith once again stumble upon a dead body. This time it is in a pet store and the owner’s Chow is frantic behind the locked supply room door. She happened to be there on school business and she is convinced to investigate so there is nothing to tarnish the school’s reputation. Other than being a good businessman and a devoted Chow rescuer, the deceased was not a stand up guy. His neighbours both at home and at work had run ins with him. And his ex wife does not have anything good to say about him either. But as Melanie eliminates one suspect after another, she is left with a shocking revelation.

Melanie never blunders into dangerous situations blindly. After all the murders she has solved it is a good thing but I do appreciate that she is a heroine who uses her brain. And when she is in trouble, she knows who to call. It all came together in an interesting story with lots of good doggie bits. Four purrs and two paws up.

Dollycas's Thoughts

It's pumpkin spice season and Melanie Travis has her hands full. In addition to taking care of her family including their Standard Poodles and Bud, and her work as a special needs tutor at Howard Academy she and the headmaster's assistant, Harriet Bloom are in charge of the Thanks for Giving fundraiser. With tokens shaped like pumpkin spice muffins hidden in the stores downtown, each grade will compete against each other as the students take part in a treasure hunt to find and collect them. The tokens can then be turned in for prizes.

The event appears to be going well until one shop owner has a complaint. Harriet decides Melanie must meet with the pet shop owner, Mr. Willet in person to address his concerns. When she arrives at the shop she finds Mr. Willet dead, stabbed in the back and his faithful Chow Chow Cider locked in a storeroom causing quite a ruckus.

So now in addition to everything else on her plate, she finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation. Can she carve out the killer or will she be too late?

_____

Isn't that cover adorable? Chow Chows are so cute and so loyal to their families.

It was great to catch up with Melanie and her family. Melanie and Sam have such a comfortable relationship while raising two awesome sons. Much of their lives revolve around their Standard Poodles or Melanie's Aunt Peg's poodles. Sam just seems to take everything in stride including Melanie getting involved in all these murder investigations. I enjoy how the author shows a strong family unit despite all of the craziness in their lives.

Ms. Berenson plotted out an intriguing mystery with several suspects. The victim clearly cared about Chows but not about most of the people in his life. Melanie knew any connection between the academy and a murder could hurt its reputation so it was important to get to the truth as quickly as possible. She followed where each clue led and she asked the hard questions and wasn't afraid to go back again to ask more. She gets people to tell her things they don't tell detectives. I had the guilty party on the top of my list almost from the start so I was happy to see Melanie and Detective Young concur. What was unexpected was the way the showdown occurred, however, I was delighted by the way it played out.

While autumn is just starting to drop the temperatures and change the color of the leaves here in Wisconsin it was nice to read the author's detailed descriptions of the season. I am more of a summer girl, but I enjoy autumn until it gets too darn chilly. As for pumpkin spice that seems to become the go-to flavor earlier and earlier every year.

I can't believe Pumpkin Spice Puppy is the 30th Melanie Travis Canine Mystery. I continue to look forward to each new installment to see what Melanie, Sam, Davey, Kevin, Aunt Peg, and all their pooches are up to. I know their antics and adventures will keep me entertained from the first page to the last. If you are new to this series, each story can be read totally on its own and these characters are too good to pass by.

This is book 30 in the Melanie Travis Canine series and it's a great read. I have read many but not all the books in this series and if you're a dog lover, especially poodles, you will love them too. It’s autumn in Connecticut and there’s a chill in the air, the fall leaves are a riot of color, and pumpkin spice is the flavor of the season. Melanie Travis is perennially busy, of course—but when the owner of a local pet supply shop is found murdered, sleuthing tops her To Do list . . .
Between taking care of her family and assorted Standard Poodles, Melanie is also working as a special needs tutor for Howard Academy, a private school in Greenwich, where her younger son attends kindergarten. This year, the headmaster has come up with an idea for a school fundraiser. All students will participate in a town-wide treasure hunt, with grades competing against each other. When the local pet store owner is murdered the police aren't sure if it's connected to the school or not.

Pumpkin Spice Puppy is the 30th book in the Melanie Travis cozy mystery series by Laurien Berenson.
I have a bit of a crush on cozy mysteries and they're always a great pallet cleanser in between heavier or more serious books. This is a super fun series, generally quick to read, and it's great fun watching the family and the kids grow and grow up. Of course this book had a murder and of course Melanie helped to solve it. The fall setting and theme was super fun! This book full of tricks was indeed a treat.

Connecticut is the perfect place for Fall. They seem to go all out for it, especially this small town, festively dressed up with falling leaves and grinning pumpkins. One of the shops participating in the fundraiser, the pet shop has the owner filing a complaint and when Melanie goes to talk to him things couldn't get any worse than finding him deceased and his Chow, Cider locked up. One character you don't want to get on the wrong side of is, Aunt Peg. This woman is involved in dog shows but she's no fluff ball. Howard Academy, a private school in Greenwich which is holding the fund raiser is against Melanie, a special needs teacher at the school investigating er should I say doing some snooping in this case to find the suspect. This isn't her first rodeo and she and her standard poodles are on the case once again. A fast-paced fall themed dog filled cozy mystery that was an enjoyable read.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Pumpkin Spice Puppy
A Melanie Travis Canine Mystery
Laurien Berenson
5 Stars

Synopsis:

It’s autumn in Connecticut and there’s a chill in the air, the fall leaves are a riot of color, and pumpkin spice is the flavor of the season. Melanie Travis is perennially busy, of course—but when the owner of a local pet supply shop is found murdered, sleuthing tops her To Do list . . .

Between taking care of her family and assorted Standard Poodles, Melanie is also working as a special needs tutor for Howard Academy, a private school in Greenwich, where her younger son attends kindergarten. This year, the headmaster has come up with an idea for a school fundraiser. All students will participate in a town-wide treasure hunt, with grades competing against each other.

Tokens shaped like pumpkin spice muffins have been hidden in downtown stores. Students will scramble to collect as many as they can in exchange for prizes. At first all goes smoothly, aMnd the uptick in foot traffic to the stores is a win-win. . . . . Until the pet supply shop owner lodges a complaint. When Melanie stops by to smooth things over, she instead finds the man dead, a knife in his back, and his loyal, ever-vigilant Chow Chow locked in the storeroom.

Over the headmaster's objections, Melanie is once again drawn into an investigation. It doesn't take her long to gather a list of suspects, from neighbors balking about the number of rescue Chows the man was fostering in his home, to the landlord who’d filed an eviction notice against him, to the bitter ex-wife who is happy he's gone. With the fundraiser soon drawing to a close and celebrations imminent, Melanie will have to follow every clue—before the biggest prize is staying alive . . .(Amazon)


Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Melanie has a lot on her plate, with her teaching, her family and her dogs. But with all that going on, that does not prevent her from finding another dead body. Now she has to figure out who the culprit is and the why of the murder so she can get back to her other responsibilities.

The writing flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in hare descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The mystery is well plotted and there were enough clues to gather and suspects to consider.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. And if you like dogs that is a plus.

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

Laurien Berenson delivers another delightful installment of her Melanie Travis mystery series. Autumn is in the air and Melanie discovers a dead body. Of course, she must investigate. It was a quick read that was totally enjoyable. This is my favorite cozy mystery series and I look forward to many more to come!

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

Laurien Berenson does it again in Pumpkin Spice Puppy. When Howard Academy has a Fall Fundraiser and one of the stores complains, Melanie Travis and her faithful Poodle companion, Faith, go to investigate; but ultimately find the owner of the pet store dead. Now it's up to her to figure out what happened and why

This book made me hungry. First for pumpkin spice muffins, then later when they started talking about Thanksgiving, it made me hungry for turkey. Good thing there’s a cookie recipe at the end.

I enjoy this series. I like the characters and that we get glimpses into dog show life. The mystery kept me guessing.

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

I enjoyed this book. I love the pacing, It flows nicely. it only took a few hours to finish it. I love the dogs. I love the kids.
#PumpkinSpicePuppy #NetGalley

I love visiting with Melanie and her family; it’s nice that time actually moves in this series, with the kids getting older. The best part of this series is the immersion into her life and her world. Over the years, we’ve also learned so much about dog shows and the people in her community; so much so that when they’re not present or don’t have a prominent part in the book, we miss them. Since this one was so short, there wasn’t much of the dog shows, not much Terry and Crawford, and even Peg wasn’t even really in it (though the scene at the end was fun). The mystery was complete with investigation and several possible suspects but it was so short that there wasn’t much development and I almost feel cheated out of my time in Melanie’s world. It was fun but I want more.

“Pumpkin Spice Puppy”, the thirtieth book in Laurien Berenson’s Melanie Travis Canine Mystery series is a short but enjoyable read. In this book Melanie finds herself involved in yet another murder when she goes to visit a pet supply shop owner who has a complaint about the fundraiser at the school she works at and finds his dead body. This is a nice mystery with many of the familiar elements that make this story so enjoyable - Melanie, her husband Sam, their two children, lots of dogs, a dog show, and of course Aunt Peg who makes brief but memorable appearances in this book. The mystery was well done with just the right amount of suspects – I hoped the killer wasn’t who I thought it was but alas it was. All in all well done by Berenson.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Book #30 in the Melanie Travis series which features the cutest canine covers guaranteed to tempt readers to choose these cozy mysteries out of the multitude of choices. It certainly works on me. It's a good thing Travis follows the pups with some of the best cozies available today.

PUMPKIN SPICE PUPPY is a quick read that features a dog show running concurrent to a fund raiser. When Melanie finds one of the more difficult pet owners dead, she quickly starts investigating. The clues lead her on a path that will surprise the readers.

Laurien Berenson has returned to her long running Melanie Travis mystery series with another holiday novella. As the title implies, this one takes place as Thanksgiving approaches. Melanie has helped spearhead a school "Thanks for Giving" fundraiser that involves the cooperation of local merchants. When she goes to follow up on a complaint of a problem, she discovers a problem of a quite different nature. Of course after once again finding a body, Melanie feels compelled to follow up on this problem and investigate the murder. This quick read has all the elements that make the series so enjoyable. A dog show, a mystery to solve, and interactions with all of the beloved recurring characters. The plot was strait forward and because of the length, there were not a lot of red herrings. But the ending made sense and as aunt Peg says in the end, the clue was there all along. Because I am a fan of the author and have read all 3o of the books in this series, I requested an advanced review copy from the publisher. I am happy to say that I can honestly recommend this book. It was nice to get another taste (pumpkin spice) of Melody Travis. If like many fans, you get a charge from feisty Aunt Peg, you will love the author's recent spinoff Senior Sleuths Mystery series with the odd couple team up of Melanie's Aunts Peg and Rose.

Pumpkin Spice Puppy is the newest installment in Laurien Berenson's Melanie Travis Canine Mystery series. This quick read is fun and satisfying. Reading these books is like catching up with old friends. Autumn is in the air with pumpkin season and all that goes with it. We find Melanie at a dog show with Aunt Peg and the family. Davey is learning the ropes as a handler at this show. When she hears complaints on a business owner who has signed up to help out during the Thanks for Giving event at the school. Mel decides to speak to him but before she can, she finds a murder victim. The plot is intense, the pace is fast, and the mystery is twisted---the perfect autumn read. A bonus recipe is included---pumpkin spice cookies.
Thank you #NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #KensingtonPublishing for sending me an e-arc to read for consideration of review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I am excited to share this book with friends and followers.
#PumpkinSpicePuppy #NetGalley

This authors loves pups as much as I do and I adore her writing. Her books is filled with adorable puppies, red herring, clues, and a mystery that needs to be solved.

The stories are well written, the mysteries well thought out with enough hiring to keep you guessing and going in a few different directions before finally figuring out whodunit. This is truly a gentle cozy, so it’s a great one to share with older family members as well as younger family members who are interested in reading a cozy mystery along with you.

Pumpkin Spice Puppy by Laurien Berenson is a cute cozy mystery. Melanie Travis and her standard poodle sidekick, Faith discover a shopkeeper dead and, naturally, she finds herself drawn into the investigation. Pumpkin Spice Puppy is easy to read with steady pacing. The author captured fall in New England (makes me eager for fall to arrive which will be November in Florida). I was able to identify the killer from the moment of their introduction (I have read a number of mysteries over the years, so it is not often that I am stymied), but I did not know their motive (and I want to know why they did it). There are clues to help readers solve the whodunit (if you pay attention). I like Melanie’s straightforward method of questioning. Melanie and Faith have a great relationship (it’s like they know what each other is thinking). Melanie has a very busy life with her job, husband, the two boys, the dogs, and dog shows. And let us not forget the formidable Aunt Peg. I do not know how she fits in sleuthing. It helps that she has Sam who is an understanding and helpful husband. The story has a good ending. I am looking forward to Melanie’s next sleuthing adventure. Pumpkin Spice Puppy is the thirtieth A Melanie Travis Canine Mystery, but it can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Pumpkin Spice Puppy is a fun fall whodunit with treasure hunt troubles, a Chow called Cider, pumpkin spice cookies, falling leaves, dog show season, and a happily hectic home.

Pumpkin Spice Puppy is book #30 in the Melanie Travis Canine Mystery series by Laurien Berenson.

I didn’t realize this was book 30. There aren’t a lot of characters that made it easy to jump in this late in the series. Melanie, her family, and friends are likable characters. And there were lots of dogs! I liked the realism of having to make arrangements for the little boy and where the dog could and couldn’t go with Melanie. It was an interesting case and I figured it out when Melanie said who it was. I was definitely craving something pumpkin spice by the end. I can’t wait to go back and start working my way through this series.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.