Wagging through the snow /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

"If you like dogs, you'll love Laurien Berenson's Melanie Travis mysteries!" -- Joanne Fluke, New York Times bestselling author

Melanie Travis needs a little peace from her busy life this Christmas. But the usual holiday hubbub is a joy compared to the killer surprise she finds tucked underneath the tree . . .

With a demanding teaching job at Connecticut's elite Howard Academy and five poodles scampering around the house, Melanie barely has energy for the upcoming Christmas rush. But she unwraps an unexpected challenge when her brother and ex-husband, elated by the recent success of their country café, make a spontaneous bid on a dilapidated pine tree farm. Although the ten-acre lot had been a popular seasonal destination while the original owner was still alive, it'll take some sprucing up--and a small miracle or two--before the neglected place is in shape for December.

Unfortunately, the impromptu business venture goes cold when the group discovers a purebred Maltese whimpering in the snow-covered grove--right beside a dead body. Pete, a squatter who camped out on the land, apparently met his end after a fallen fir tree branch knocked him on the head. But as Melanie and Aunt Peg investigate Pete's history and the terrible habit that cost him everything, it's clear his death was no accident. Now, Melanie must run through a flurry of likely suspects and muzzle a dogged murderer in time--or she'll be next on someone's deadly list.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Melanie Travis, a special-needs tutor and mom to two boys and six dogs, is back in her 21st adventure (after Murder at the Puppy Fest). When her brother Frank impulsively buys a Christmas tree farm in Connecticut, Melanie and her family are coaxed into checking it out. The purchase of the dilapidated farm looks even more ill-advised when Melanie encounters a dead body in the woods after following the sounds of a whimpering dog. What first appears to be a drunken fatal accident soon starts to look suspicious, and Melanie is compelled to uncover the truth. VERDICT Dog-loving mystery fans will welcome another Christmas caper featuring Melanie, Aunt Peg, and their poodles. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

At the start of Berenson's agreeable 21st mystery featuring Stamford, Conn., dog lover Melanie Travis (after Murder at the Puppy Fest), Melanie's brother, Frank, asks for her help in refurbishing a dilapidated Christmas tree farm he just bought in nearby Wilton. This isn't the first harebrained thing he's ever done, so assorted family and friends head out to Wilton to check it out. Within minutes of arriving, Melanie's two young sons lead the rest of the group through the woods to a dead man, later identified as Pete Dempsey, a homeless drunk. The police believe an accident befell Pete, but Melanie and her dog-loving aunt, Peg Turnbull, aren't so sure. When Pete's sponsor says that Pete had not been drinking, Melanie and Aunt Peg look to Pete's past for the truth, finding plenty of people with motive to kill. Melanie and Aunt Peg have little reason to get involved in the case, especially once the police know Pete was on the wagon, but series fans will enjoy spending time with these appealing folks and their dogs. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

When dog lover Melanie Travis, a special-needs tutor at a private academy, goes to see the Christmas-tree farm her brother Frank impulsively bought at an auction four weeks before Christmas, she and her Aunt Peg find the body of a homeless man, Pete. The police conclude Pete got drunk and froze to death. However, a friend of Pete's insists Pete hadn't had a drink in months and was trying to make amends for past hurts. Using his class ring, Melanie looks into Pete's past and travels to his hometown where none of his family, former business partners, or friends seem to mourn his death, thanks apparently to the destruction he left behind because of his alcoholism. Well-drawn characters, especially Melanie and her acerbic aunt, contribute to the appeal here, along with the warm, sometimes humorous scenes of family life. Melanie's beloved six dogs are woven throughout the holiday-themed cozy, which will appeal to readers of Susan Conant's Holly Winter mysteries and Barbara Allan's Trash 'n' Treasures series.--O'Brien, Sue Copyright 2017 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

Connecticut dog breeder Melanie Travis (Murder at the Puppy Fest, 2017, etc.) finds a sleighful of trouble when her brother buys an abandoned Christmas tree farm.Haney's Holiday Home used to be one of Wilton's premier attractions. But once owner Abel Haney died, the cozy storefront fell into disrepair. Only the acres of evergreens surrounding the clapboard building remained in pristine condition, and it was these beautiful trees that tempted impulsive Frank Turnbull to bid on the property at auction. Next thing you know, Frank, who already has his hands full running The Bean Counter, the coffee shop he co-owns with Melanie's ex-husband, Bob, is scurrying to get the shop ready for the Christmas season. Melanie, whose five champion standard poodles are between shows, agrees to help. Making it a full-on family affair, her new husband, Sam, and her sons, Davey and Kevin, come along to help with the refurbishment. While Frank, Sam, and Mel clear branches and toss out dusty old ornaments, Davey and Frank go out into the woods and find something a little hard to discard. Nestled in the snow is the body of a vagrant, frozen to death after being knocked out by a blow to the head. Local police, who know the deceased only as Pete, tell Frank that Abel Haney allowed Pete to live in an abandoned shack on the Holiday Home property. Melanie had better find out quickly who Pete was and, more important, how he died, if Frank's going to open his Christmas Tree Farm before the Fourth of July. Melanie's adventure in winter wonderland provides a welcome break from her usual tales, which stick doggedly to show-pooch settings. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

LAURIEN BERENSON is an Agatha and Macavity nominee, winner of the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, and four-time winner of the Maxwell Award, presented by the Dog Writers Association of America. She and her husband live on a farm in Kentucky surrounded by dogs and horses. Readers can visit her website at: www.LaurienBerenson.com.