I have read most of the Melanie Travis mysteries and they are always a treat. This one is on the short side, but all the elements I love about this series are in the book - lots of dogs, a dog show, scenes of Melanie at work, at home with her husband and kids (and visits from Aunt Peg), and of course an intriguing mystery. This time Melanie discovers the dead body of a pet store owner and starts her own investigation with one of her standard poodles by her side. I was surprised when the identity of the killer was revealed, but like Melanie's Aunt Peg, who always knows best, said - the clues were there. I like the way the story wrapped and enjoyed this quick, fun read.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Kensington Books, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Another great book in a great series; I look forward to see what happens next with Melanie Aunt Peg and all the dogs

I adore this series and have read the entire series.. This is a charming cozy series with lovely characters and always a interesting sleuth. I was not aware this was a short novella but albeit a wonderful addtion to the series. Melanie and her family are endearing to readers and the poodles are part of the charm of the series. I loved this short visit to Melanie and friends. She has a talent for solving murder and is a busy Mom and teacher. This is the 30th in the series and we readers apppreciate the author continuing the series. A series we will be sad to see end.

Thank you to the author, the publlisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

A Thanks for Giving fundraiser for Howard Academy goes awry when a supporting business owner is found dead in his pet store. Who killed him? Was it the angry ex-wife? A disgruntled neighbor? A nearby business owner who was tired of sharing a parking lot? The greedy landlord who was owed back-rent for months? Or was it someone else entirely?

I started reading this book when there were I think 20 books out. Normally, I don't binge read a series because I tend to get a bit tired of them but not Melanie. I read the first book in May of 2017 and by September I was all caught up. Reading them so quickly like that I got completely immersed in the series and it became one of my favorites. Though reading them one at a time like I do now doesn't give me that plunge into their world, I still enjoy each and every book so much. This one was definitely impossible to put down and even though it focused almost entirely on the mystery itself and Aunt Peg played only a small role, it was still a wonderful visit to Stamford, Connecticut.

Anyone who is a fan of cozy mysteries MUST read this series. It is one that cannot be missed.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

What a delightful, fall cozy mystery! I haven't read every book in the Melanie Travis series but this one was so easy to pick up and enjoy. It has adorable puppies, the family dynamic readers know from previous books, and so many autumnal scenes. I loved the setting and descriptions of leaves, crisp fall air, and of course mystery afoot! This short read will make you feel like you're having a perfect fall day.

Oh no- Melanie and Faith the Poodle have found yet another body in this latest and quite short installment in the long running series. Not only that, they've discovered the victim's distraught Chow Cider was there when it happened. Fans know that Melanie, her aunt Peg, and her family will work hard to find out the identity of the villain but what about Cider? No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for fans.

I was hoping this was going to be a full length Melanie Travis mystery but it is another holiday novella. I'm not upset but I do miss the longer books. I also missed Aunt Peg in this one. She adds so much flair to the books.

It's Thanksgiving time and the school Melanie works for, Howard Academy, is having a fundraiser in the form of a treasure hunt. Kids go hunting for tokens at participating local businesses and parents pledge money based on the number of tokens found. There is one business owner who calls the school with a complaint and Melanie is sent on a peacemaking mission to the shopkeeper. She finds more than she bargained for when she discovers him with a knife protruding from his back. Given the bad publicity that could be brought to Howard Academy and it's fundraising, Melanie has to solve the mystery to ward off any association with the school.

I miss the longer mysteries by this author, but after 30 books maybe there is not much left to write about. I adore the quick holiday stories she publishes. I always learn something about a dog breed reading these books. Since the book is so short, there aren't many pages devoted to red herrings and other diversions but I still didn't guess whodunit until close to the big reveal.

I hope for more Melanie Travis mysteries in the future.

My thanks to Kensington Cozies and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy of, Pumpkin Spice Puppy, by Laurien Berenson, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 30 in the Melanie Travis Canine Mystery series. It's pumpkin season, the best smelling season. Melanie does not plan to solve a mystery, but when a shopkeeper is murdered, Melanie has to catch the murderer. Pumpkins, dogs, treasure hunts, crisp autumn weather, nothing could be better, except a murder. I devoured this nice mystery.

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it,

There are certain authors that I have on pre-order, who I know will turn out quality, enjoyable books on a regular basis. Laurien Berenson is one of those authors, and Melanie Travis and Peg are two of my favorite characters.

Pumpkin Spice Puppy is another in a long line of books with dogs as the backdrop. In this case, Melanie discovers that the owner of a pet supplies store has been murdered. And, as in the prior books, Melanie investigates. The puppy, in this case, is a red chow named Cider. Like the other books in the series, it progresses at a good pace, and while knowing the characters is a help, it seems likely that new readers will still be able to follow the story. Like most of Berenson's books, new side characters are introduced, who may reappear later, but the result is also that, while the series has a large cast, it doesn't require too much backstory.

Like all of Berenson's cozy mysteries, while it's an adult label, in many ways the books are more appropriate for advanced younger readers than many YA labeled books, and young people who enjoy dogs would probably enjoy them.

Laurien Berenson’s Pumpkin Spice Puppy is a delightful cozy mystery that blends charm with intrigue. The characters are endearing, the plot is engaging, and the autumn setting adds a cozy touch. (I reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) Perfect for fans of light-hearted mysteries and canine companions!

Melanie Travis and her family are back in Pumpkin Spice Puppy. I was thrilled to see Alice have a bigger role in this book. The story itself was interesting, there was a dog show, and Aunt Peg was there. Why 4 stars? It wasn’t long enough! I miss the full length books!

I always feel a bit like I'm visiting ol' friends when I stop by to catch up with Melanie's hectic life. New readers, never fear, however. Berenson does an excellent job of filling us in on who is who and their connections early on. Even Terry and Crawford make an appearance, long time readers, albeit a brief one. The focus here is on Melanie's quest to find out who killed pet shop owner Gregory Willet and, in the process, save her school from any unnecessary bad publicity due to him being one of the businesses taking part in the prestigious Howard Academy's Thanks For Giving fundraiser. I won't detail that but will note that lots of pumpkin spice is involved. And, hey, we even get a recipe for pumpkin spice cookies at the end, so it's definitely a win-win.

I also won't detail the plot, that's what blurbs are for, but will just say Melanie's reputation for solving mysteries precedes her, as usual. Unfortunately, she's also the one to find the body, so she has a personal stake in the mystery, too. Long time readers will be delighted to know there are lots of dog related sections with Faith usually along for the ride. And, yes, no surprises where Aunt Peg is involved. For those new to the story, you'll quickly grow to know and like the main characters, from the always busy but caring and persevering Melanie (and you'll get a quick backstory on her failed first marriage) to Alice, a friend and helpful neighbor who steps in when Melanie needs help with her children's school schedule, and, the indomitable Aunt Peg. I also liked how the author gave us a sense of who those children were, with Davey once again being the responsible big brother but also trying to please Aunt Peg as her go-to dog show handler, and Kevin and his wild-child of a dog Bud. Sam, as always, is the always calm, cool headed husband whose relationship with Aunt Peg seems to have escaped the stress that Melanie so often feels around her. You may even come away feeling like you know Detective Young a bit better. It's fun to see Melanie's interactions with him and I was definitely glad to see Melanie escape the TSTL (too stupid to live) label. You'll see what I mean when you read it.

Bottom line, while I'm always astonished at how upfront Melanie is with her questioning and isn't really challenged on it, though that perhaps tells us a bit about Melanie's personality, too, when you think about it. She's someone people trust and I admire how seriously she takes her job including the use of Faith to help cross and chasm between the students and herself. We should all be lucky enough to have a Faith in our lives. As for the mystery, the clues are all there, of course, whether we as readers can sort them out before Melanie or not. Okay, true, she's not the world's best snowball fighter, not one you'd choose for your team willingly, but her intentions are always good and she has the perseverance to follow the path of clues no matter where it might lead. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonPress - #KensingtonCozies for allowing me a sneak peek into what's going on in Melanie's world. It's always a pleasure to be surrounded by those beautiful dogs, that's for sure.

recipes, Connecticut, series, novella, poodles, amateur-sleuth, family, family-dynamics, friendship, dog-shows, cozy-mystery, murder, investigation, fundraiser, pet-store, chow-dog, situational-humor, verbal-humor, local-law-enforcement, small-town, small-business*****

Short and twisty.
Melanie goes to the pet store to see the owner about a problem with the school fundraiser but finds the owner stabbed to death and his devoted Chow distressed. Now is the time that she gets the investigation into high gear! Good quick read.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected e-book proof from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley. Thanks!
#MelanieTravisCanineMysteriesBk30 #BookTwitter

Pumpkin Spice Puppy
Laurien Berenson
August 20, 2024

We find ourselves immersed in another dog show with Berenson’s latest Melanie Travis novel. In this competition Davey is handler for Coral, Aunt Peg’s standard poodle. At fifteen, he is learning the ropes but will be up against their friend, Crawford’s champion. While working on getting ready to show, Aunt Peg questions Melanie about the school fundraiser she is chairperson of at Howard Academy. She is a special needs teacher at the school. This year they are having the students earn ‘pumpkin coins’ as they raise money via local sponsors while people shop in their businesses.
It seems to be going well until Mel is asked to deal with the pet store owner who is having problems. After calling with no answer she decides to walk with Faith, her poodle that spends time in the classroom. She is a special dog that students read to during classes. Not thrilled about the visit, she felt at least the walk would be a pleasant time spent in the autumn weather. Of course the dilemma happens when the store is open, the lights on yet no one seems to be in the building.
Pumpkin Spice Puppy will be published by Kensington Publishing on August 20, 2024. I was able to read and review Laurien Berenson’s latest Melanie Travis Canine Mystery via NetGalley. It is book #30 in the series and is true to the family fun and canine suspense. Readers will enjoy this one as she tries to solve the latest homicide. Included are some recipes that fans will enjoy. It is truly delightful and will prove to be an afternoon adventure for readers.

Melanie Travis is a mother, a teacher, and loves dogs -- especially her beloved Standard poodles, which she has 'shown' in the past and encourages her son David to continue. But in her role as teacher at prestigious Howard Academy, she plans to begin her day as a special needs tutor when she is stopped by the headmaster's secretary, Harriet. There's a fundraiser for the academy that local businesses are helping with, and one of the shop's owners has a problem. Mr. Willet, the owner of a local pet supply business, has lodged a complaint, and Harriet has asked Melanie to look into it. Of course, Melanie acquiesces.

When she arrives at the shop, the door is open but no one is around. She sees the office door open ajar and soon wishes she didn't. Mr. Willet has been stabbed in the back. His beloved Chow, Cider, is penned in another room and trying to escape. All Melanie can do is call the police. She thinks that's the end of it. But when Harriet asks her to investigate on the down-low, she can't refuse. The academy's reputation is at stake. So Melanie puts on her sleuthing cap again and hopes for the best...

In this latest installment of the series, it's autumn in Connecticut and the leaves have changed, but not the fact that there's another murder. Melanie trusts her instincts once more to get her the information she needs. But is everyone telling the truth? And if not, who is the person with the best motive to want Mr. Willet dead? And, of course, what about Cider? We all know Melanie is going to be worried for his dog. Not to mention, the dog might be the only person who can identify the killer. Too bad he can't talk.

When Melanie starts asking questions she finds that Willet wasn't endeared by neither his personal nor business neighbors. Certainly not by his philanthropic ex-wife. The only one who seemed to like him was his daughter. But even she could have had a motive. So who did the deed? Sifting through the clues, Melanie feels she's up against a wall of lies and secrets. But someone killed him. She just needs to figure out who.

I will say that I pretty much knew who the murderer was when they entered the book. But only because I tend to read tons of mysteries, so I usually don't have a problem figuring it out. But still, I love to know the motive, and that's never given until toward the end of the book. There's never a limit on what crazy people will do to achieve their ends...if they ever do.

The mystery is another well-written one by Ms. Berenson, and a worthy addition to the series. It made me want to sit with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee (too soon!) and think about cooler days (where I live, there aren't a whole lot of them). You're drawn into the mystery and Melanie's busy life and end up wondering how she does it. Two kids, a job, dogs, an overbearing aunt (that she loves), and sleuthing for a living. Whew!

The clues are there, but you need to look for them. I was so caught up in the tale that I almost missed the final one. But was I supposed to? Hmmm...In the end, it all came together nicely and everything worked out (as it should). I really enjoyed this mystery and look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.

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

Pumpkin Spice Puppy is the latest in a large series of books featuring Melanie and her dog Faith. This time it is the fall leading into Thanksgiving, and plans are afoot for a seasonal scavenger hunt to benefit a school.
Things move right along although there are several complaints about the owner of the local pet shop.
When Melanie goes to speak with him she finds his dead body.

She works to solve the mystery so that the benefit can go on as scheduled.

Berenson writes delightful cozy mysteries and I am always happy to visit Melanie and Faith's world. They mysteries are a light enough read - with just the right amount of scary to keep me going. I devour these books.

Thanks to netgalley for the arc

It's another great pupper detective adventure! It's Fall, and there's this cool festival coming up with a fun scavenger hunt. But then, uh-oh, Melanie finds a business owner dead! So, she starts investigating. These books are super fun and easy to read, especially with my paw-friends in them. "Pumpkin Spice Puppy" is the 30th book in the Melanie Travis series by Laurien Berenson. They're cozy mysteries with lots of twists, turns, perfect for me and my human! In this one, Melanie has to solve the murder of a pet store owner before it causes trouble for her school's fundraiser. If you like cozy mysteries and dogs (woof!), you'll love these books! Plus, there's a Thanksgiving vibe with lots of pumpkin spice and fall stuff going on.

Lauren Berenson's latest novella, "Pumpkin Spice Puppy" is her trademark/signature novel with puppies, mystery and fall vibes.

#PumpkinSpicePuppy #NetGalley has us reuniting with Melanie Travis and her faithful sidekick, standard poodle Faith, in another whirlwind murder investigation.
It's Fall and everyone is gearing up for the festival, which includes a scavenger type event that sounds really fun.
After several complaints about a business owner, Melanie stops by to speak with him, but instead she finds his dead body, and so the investigation begins.
These books are a fun, light read, the dogs definitely add a lot of fun to each story, as well as Melanie's boys. It's always fun to read a book in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Pumpkin Spice Puppy is the 30th book in the Melanie Travis series by Laurien Berenson. All the books are cute, cozy mysteries filled with intrigue, murder, and dogs! Melanie has another murder to investigate; this time the owner of a pet supply store. It is imperative to find answers quickly because the deceased was participating in the fall fundraiser for Howard Academy, Melanie's place of employment. No one wanted the possibility of bad PR toward the school if the fundraiser had anything to do with the victim. I recommend these books for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries and loves dogs!