Barb's Book Reviews: Review of "Murder at the Puppy Fest: A Melanie Travis Cozy Mystery" by Laurien Berenson

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Review of "Murder at the Puppy Fest: A Melanie Travis Cozy Mystery" by Laurien Berenson

In this 20th book in the 'Melanie Travis' series, the amateur sleuth investigates the suspicious death of a millionaire. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

Melanie Travis is a wife, mother, and teacher whose family raises and shows standard poodles.

Melanie, her husband Sam, her sons Davey (12) and Kevin (3), and the family's five beautiful black standard poodles live in a big, sprawling house in Stamford, Connecticut.....where the dogs can run free in the backyard and the folks can fire up the grill to make dinner.

+9

As the book opens, Melanie and her son Davey are driving home with their groceries when they find an abandoned dog on the side of the road. Davey promptly names the spotted mutt 'Bud', and the pup soon becomes a member of the family - romping with the poodles and cuddling with young Kevin at night.

More canine adventures are in store for Melanie since she's been recruited to assist at Puppy Fest (akin to the Puppy Super Bowl), an annual televised event staged by the Puppy Posse Foundation - a dog shelter/dog adoption agency. Puppy Fest is always held at the mansion of Leo Brody, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist.

Brody is well known for his charitable donations AND colorful history: he's been married three times, has nine adult children, and a batch of spoiled teenage grandkids. Most of Brody's family shows up at Puppy Fest: a few to actually help out and most to ingratiate themselves with the head of the family.....who's been making noises about a new will.

Melanie is run ragged at Puppy Fest, because Brody's daughter Jane - who runs the Puppy Posse Foundation - sends her on errand after errand: find Caroline - who has to kiss the puppies for good luck; go the kitchen for bottled water; clean the dogs' exercise pens; carry the pups to the show arena; and so on.

When the games start - and Leo Brody is unexpectedly absent - Melanie is sent to look for the millionaire in his office.

Shockingly, Melanie finds Leo's dead body - with his 'friend' Becca Montague bending over him. The police discover that Leo died of anaphylactic shock after eating cookies containing peanuts, to which he's severely allergic. No one seems to know who brought the cookies or how Leo came to eat them.....as he's VERY CAREFUL about his food.

I understand the concept of cozy mysteries in which the police are incompetent and the amateur sleuth has to solve the crime. This book overdoes it though. It's completely unbelievable that, when a FAMOUS MILLIONAIRE dies from eating mysterious cookies - AND his EpiPen is missing from the desk drawer - the cops brush it off as an accident. REALLY? ARE THESE DETECTIVES BRAIN DEAD?

In any case, Brody's daughter, Libby - with the connivance of Melanie's pushy, overbearing Aunt Peg - gets Melanie to look into Leo's death. Melanie does this by visiting each of Brody's children in turn, and asking a few questions. That's the SUM TOTAL of the amateur detective's investigation. In the end the crime is solved.....but in a very unconvincing manner.

To be fair, this series centers more around dog shows than detective work. So, in the book Melanie's family attends two dog shows, where Davey is trying to accumulate points for his standard poodle Augie - so the dog can get a championship. Thus the reader gets a treatise about dog competitions and a description of Davey grooming Augie for the shows. This is a rather complicated business because standard poodles have elaborate 'hairstyles.' It was fun to read about the dog shows and the entertaining attendees.

The story has a large array of ancillary characters, including the many members of Leo Brody's extended family. The recurring characters are the most fun though. Three-year-old Kevin is adorable and funny.....and Aunt Peg is her usual annoying, A-type personality. Peg, who's a poodle expert and respected dog show judge, wants to send foundling Bud to the Puppy Posse Foundation (gasp!!).

While reading the book I was inspired to 'Google' standard poodles, so I could study how to achieve the 'look' that's appropriate for dog shows. This requires lots of combs, rubber bands, and hairspray!

I liked the side plots in the story, but this is supposed to be a cozy mystery - and it fails on that score. Nevertheless, readers looking for a few hours of light reading might enjoy the book.

Rating: 2.5 stars

4 comments:

JacquiMay 6, 2018 at 12:21 PM
I read one of her books and enjoyed it. Maybe 3/5 or 4/5. Anything about puppies gets my attention.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Barb SafferMay 6, 2018 at 12:49 PM
Kali, I liked the previous one "Live and Let Growl Better." But I'm with you on liking anything with cute puppies or dogs. 😊💚
ReplyDelete
Replies
Carla Loves to ReadMay 6, 2018 at 1:08 PM
I read the first book in this series a few years ago when it was the Library Big Reads selection. I remember thinking the same thing at the time but wanted to give the series another try. I have a couple on my tablet so will have to see. Nice review Barb.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Barb SafferMay 6, 2018 at 9:26 PM
Thank you Carla. I hope the books on your tablet are good ones. 😊💚
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Featured Post

Leading up to and during World War II, some Jewish children in Europe were hidden with Christian families, or in convents, or in monasteries, or in churches, etc., to protect the youngsters from the Nazis. The idea was for Jewish survivors to retrieve the children after the war. Author Jennifer Rosner, who did extensive research on the subject, and interviewed many people, addresses this topic in her fiction book 'Once We Were Home.' I heard Rosner speak about her novel, and she emphasized the difficult situations that sometimes arose from secreting Jewish children (which only saved a tiny percentage of Jewish kids, by the way). Some 'foster parents' came to love the children as their own and vice versa; some church organizations baptized the children and refused to return them; some Jewish kids came to think of themselves as Christian; etc. For the decimated Jewish population, getting these children back after the war was of paramount importance. Jewish survivors would use bribes, payoffs, lawsuits, or even kidnapping to bring the kids home. Some children were reunited with European families, and some were taken to Israel, to live on kibbutzim. Rosner, who has a Ph.D. in philosophy, observes there wasn't always a 'right thing to do,' as shown in this novel. ***** There are several 'displaced' characters in 'Once We Were Home.' Roger: During World War II, Roger is a smart, inquisitive French schoolboy living in the Convent Sainte Marie de Sion. Roger likes to write stories; enjoys sharing jokes and riddles with his best friend Henri; goes to prayer services morning and evening; attends the convent school; and has a favorite teacher, Sister Brigitte, who encourages Roger to ask questions. Roger's sponsor, a woman named Madame Mercier, tells Roger his Jewish parents took the 'wrong road' and arranges for the boy to be baptized. Roger doesn't comprehend what the 'wrong road' is and wonders about his Jewish family. When World War II is over, Roger's aunt wants him back. The church, determined to save Roger's soul, sends him on the run with a monk, who takes Roger over the snowy mountains (on foot) to Spain. Meanwhile, Roger's aunt petitions the church and the courts again and again and again......

Featured Post

Author Colin Cotterill, a London-born Renaissance man who lives in Thailand, writes the award-winning Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery series. This book, a humorous suspense novel about two Bangkok movie buffs, is a nice departure for Cotterill. ***** Thirtysomething Bangkok residents Supot and Ali are friends whose prime interest in life is movies. Supot is a lackadaisical mailman and Ali - who's in the midst of writing a screenplay - owns a video rental shop in Bangkok. In Supot's spare time he 'works' (without pay) at Ali's video shop....if you can call it working. Usually Supot and Ali sit in the back of the shop watching and discussing films, about which they are VERY knowledgeable. The two pals extol the virtue of western cinema and western movie stars, and especially love legendary actresses like Marlene Dietrich. Conversely, Supot and Ali bemoan the lack of great Thai movies. The video shop gets about 3 to 4 customers on an average evening, and one night - when a nervous boy with a penciled on mustache comes in, and in a fake deep voice, says the men at his snooker club want a couple of sex films - Ali and Supot can barely contain their mirth. One day a homeless man called Woot comes by the video store with a box of old cassettes he 'found' (stole). Ali agrees to purchase the haul for a few Baht and he and Supot proceed to enjoy the movies. Then a miracle happens. One of the cassettes, a Thai film called 'Bangkok 2010' - which neither man has ever heard of - is SUPERB. It has a compelling storyline, great acting, high production values, and so on. Moreover Supot falls in love with the beautiful lead actress, whose name is Suriluk....and who plays a character called Suriluk......

Featured Post

Interspersed with discussions about specific plays are miscellaneous chapters, including: Stratford-Upon-Avon; Play; Company; Fireside Ramblings; Rose Theatre; Failure; Rehearsal; Critics; Shakespeare's Language; Audience; Changing Times; Future of Shakespeare; and Advice. In addition the audiobook concludes with a fun 'off the cuff' talk between O'Hea and Dench. Dame Judi Dench chatting with Brendan O'Hea Though I've seen some Shakespeare productions, I'll admit I looked up synopses of the plays being discussed, to familiarize myself with the plots and characters. Thus the book was a twofer for me - Judi Dench's memoir and a bit of a primer on Shakespeare. Prompted by O'Hea, Dench discusses the plays' plots, language, staging, costumes, cast, directors, relevance, mishaps, and more, and Judi is knowledgeable, fun, introspective, philosophical, practical, honest....all kinds of good things. Dench also gives us a glimpse of her personal life, with anecdotes about her parents; her husband Michael (Mikey) Williams, her daughter Finty, and people she's met and worked with during her long career. I'll give examples of the chitchat, to provide a feel for the book. Macbeth Speaking about Lady Macbeth, Dench opines: "Macbeth needs a push, and with the help of the spirits his wife is the one to do it. She is the spur that pricks him on....She's not interested [in being the Queen]....She does it for him....towards what she believes to be his due." Judi Dench (as Lady Macbeth) and Ian McKellan (as Macbeth) in Shakespeare's Macbeth On a light note, thinking about doing the play in Africa, and acting outside in the heat, Judi recalls, "I remember seeing vultures sitting in the trees and I said to the actors, 'For God's sake, twitch when you're dead, they're waiting to eat us."

Featured Post

This story, about vampyrs (aka vampires) vs. humans, has the vibe of a 19th century novel, but is set in modern times. Vampyrs, who have been declared a protected species in the United States, reside in small colonies in remote areas. By now, most vampyrs live on animal blood and don't bother humans. However, IF a vampyr colony proves dangerous to people, a cull may be authorized by the government. This can only happen after the danger is assessed by a detective from the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department (FVAD). In any case, vampyrs have very restricted lives, since they're not permitted to go to regular schools or to get jobs. As one vampire leader observes, "They had so many years to live and yet so little of substance to fill their long lives." Thus vampyrs resent humans and most humans hate and fear vampyrs. ***** As the book opens, Detective Barbara Atkins from the FVAD is on her way to Deadhart, Alaska, a small town close to a vampyr habitat called the Colony. Atkins is being sent to investigate the murder of a 15-year-old human boy named Marcus Anderson, whose blood has been drained and whose ravaged throat is a mess of torn skin and gristle......

Featured Post

Many people think Misty Copeland, who became a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre in 2015, was American's first Black ballerina. This is incorrect. In 1969, African American danseur Arthur Mitchell founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), a company that featured Black ballet dancers. Misty Copeland Arthur Mitchell For many years, it was 'common knowledge' that Black dancers belonged in modern dance, not classical ballet. Mitchell explains, "I said to hell with that; I wasn't raised speaking Swahili or doing native dances. Why not classical ballet?" So Mitchell became a danseur in George Balanchine's New York City Ballet, and later founded DTH. Arthur Mitchell Arthur Mitchell instructing a ballerina Dance Theatre of Harlem DTH's five pioneer ballerinas were well known in their time, but subsequently faded from memory. Author Karen Valby, who's White, thought it was time to restore these women - whom she calls the Swans of Harlem - to their place in history. In an interview, Valby said, "Fundamentally, I consider this book a gift to my [adopted] daughters — young Black girls who are dancers themselves. They deserve to know about the Swans, and to feel surrounded by the power of example. Writing in this case felt like an act of mothering.”.....

Featured Post

Author Marion Gibson, a historian of witchcraft and magic, writes about ancient and modern witches and witch-trials. In this book, Gibson hones in on thirteen trials that span Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Author Marion Gibson In modern times people often associate witches with characters in television shows like Bewitched, Charmed, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Mayfair Witches, etc., where the witches are funny or helpful or heroic....protagonists we root for. Elizabeth Montgomery played witch Samantha Stevens in 'Bewitched' In the real world, however, witches have generally been thought of as evil beings who use magic to do harm. In the Bible, witch stories extend back hundreds of years BCE, but witch hunts really took off during the medieval period, with the study of demonology by Christian clergymen. Christian clerics persecuted witches in the Middle Ages According to Gibson, clerics believed witches were committed to wickedness, and "the imaginative world of the 15th to 18th centuries was crammed with curses and blessings, angels, devils, ghosts, sprits that could invade bodies, fairies, and elves."......

Featured Post

Holly Gibney was introduced to readers in Stephen King's 'Bill Hodges Trilogy' which begins with 'Mr. Mercedes.' In the trilogy, Bill Hodges is a retired police detective who investigates crimes with the help of an amateur team that includes Holly, a shy computer whiz; and Jerome Robinson, a bright young man headed for Harvard. Holly has now come into her own as an investigator, and she and ex-cop Pete Huntley run a private detective agency called 'Finders Keepers.' Holly also gets some part-time assistance from Jerome Robinson, who's now in college; and Jerome's sister Barbara, a student. The book 'Holly' is set in the middle of the Covid pandemic, at a time when most people are vaccinated, wear masks, avoid shaking hands, and so on. Holly is very meticulous about evading infection, and is extremely conscious that her business partner Pete is home with the coronavirus; and her mother, who refused to be vaccinated, died from the disease. Holly is grieving the loss of her mother, and dealing with surprising revelations that followed her mother's death, so she's planning to take a break from work. Then Holly gets a call from a woman called Penny Dahl. Penny says her daughter Bonnie Dahl, an assistant librarian at nearby Bell College, has disappeared. Penny is distraught, and wants to hire Finders Keepers to look for Bonnie.....

Featured Post

In this memoir, Santa Cruz corporate lawyer and cooking enthusiast Leslie Karst writes about the time she prepared dinner for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG). Author Leslie Karst Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg It happened like this: Leslie's father Kenneth Karst, a professor of constitutional law at UCLA, invited his 'warm colleague' Ruth Bader Ginsburg to speak at the law school. Hearing about the invitation, Leslie blurted out, "Ohmygod, if she does say yes, you and Mom should invite her for dinner and I can come down to your house and cook." Ginsburg accepts the invitation and Leslie has nine months to prepare for the big day, scheduled for January, 2005. Karst, who up to now has limited herself to small stylish dinner parties for friends, observes: "This momentous event called for a sophistication and grandeur on a scale I'd never even considered attempting." Serendipitously, Leslie and her partner Robin are going to Paris for a month, where - among other activities - Leslie will seek out the very best recipe ideas for her 'dinner with Ruth.' In Paris, Leslie and Robin sample as many dishes as they can, such as steakfrites (steak and fries); pan-fried duck breast; mussels and oysters; foie gras; goat, cow, and sheep's cheeses; frisée salad with lardons and poached egg; and much more. For dessert the women try a variety of sweets, including crème brûlée; chocolate mousse; tarte tatin, and coupe chantilly. Of course everything is washed down with glasses of delicious French wine....which cost less than Coca-Cola in Paris restaurants......

Featured Post

Patrick Stewart, born in 1940, is an English actor whose career has spanned seven decades in theater, film, television and more. Stewart is perhaps best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies. Stewart grew up in the town of Mirfield, in the north of England. Mirfield was an industrial and agricultural enclave, and most of its residents - including Patrick's family - struggled financially. Stewart's father Alfred was a decorated army officer, and his mother Gladys worked in a textile mill. Mirfield After leaving the military, Alfred Stewart had a hard time adjusting to civilian life, and he drank and beat his wife, behavior that profoundly affected Patrick and his older brother Trevor. Still, young Patrick was a tough lad. Stewart writes, "I was not a softy as a boy. I couldn't afford to be. Where I came from, if you weren't tough on the playground, you became a target for bullying." Young Patrick Stewart (right) with his mother Gladys and brother Trevor Patrick Stewart with his father Alfred and mother Gladys Stewart became interested in acting at a young age. He observes, "It doesn't take a degree in psychology to figure out the appeal of acting to someone who grew up in a household as troubled as mine. The stage would prove to be a safe space, a refuge from real life." Stewart's English teacher, Mr. Cecil Dormand, helped cultivate Patrick's interest in literature, drama, and Shakespeare, and Dormand was the inspiration for Patrick's future career. Patrick Stewart with English teacher Cecil Dormand and Cecil's wife Mary Stewart also credits actress/acting coach Ruth Wynn Owen for assisting his aspirations. As a young man, Stewart 'spoke Yorkshire' and he recalls, "Ruth was insistent that if we were serious about acting, we need to learn....the way that BBC newsreaders spoke"- a way that most people think of as a posh aristocratic accent.......

Featured Post

Barbra Streisand - an American singer, actress, director and producer - is an extraordinary talent and one of the few EGOT winners (Emmy Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). In this memoir, which is almost 1000 pages long, Barbra details her life and career, and she deserves to win a writing award as well. I read the book and listened to the audiobook, excellently narrated by Barbra - which has the added treat of song clips. Barbra has sometimes been mischaracterized as being a difficult diva because she's a perfectionist who wants all the things she's involved with (albums, concerts, television specials, movies, tours, etc.) to be the best they can be. It seems evident this 'misunderstanding' is due to a woman succeeding in a man's world. As Streisand said in a 1992 speech: A man is commanding - a woman is demanding. A man is forceful - a woman is pushy. A man is uncompromising - a woman is a ball-breaker. A man is a perfectionist - a woman's a pain in the ass. He's assertive - she's aggressive. He strategizes - she manipulates. He shows leadership - she's controlling. He's committed - she's obsessed. He's persevering - she's relentless. He sticks to his guns - she's stubborn. If a man wants to get it right, he's looked up to and respected. If a woman wants to get it right, she's difficult and impossible. If he acts, produces, and directs, he's called multitalented. If she does the same thing, she's called vain and egotistical. And so on. Moreover, Barbra names names, calling out the professionals who gave her a hard time because of the 'boys club', and other people - journalists, fellow performers, movie crews, etc. - who maligned her because they wanted publicity, or were jealous or resentful......

Barb's Book Reviews

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Review of "Murder at the Puppy Fest: A Melanie Travis Cozy Mystery" by Laurien Berenson

4 comments:

Blog Archive

Netgalley

Netgalley Challenge

Goodreads

Contact Form

Netgalley

Netgalley

Blog Archive