Melanie Travis’s new book club caters to readers craving fiction—with bite! But when a real-life murder case bares its fangs, she’ll need to swap dog-eared novels for a lengthy suspect list . . . Thanks to Aunt Peg and her enthusiastic pedigree dog show pals, Melanie’s aptly named Bite Club reading group has book lovers all over town burying their noses in thrilling murder mysteries. But … mysteries. But another pet project surfaces when Melanie reluctantly agrees to train a Bulldog puppy for elusive member Evan Major. Between the unusual bruise on his face and a bizarre run-in with an unknown dog show attendee, introverted Evan can’t dodge trouble. It even sends him to an early grave—while landing Melanie in the hot seat for homicide . . .
Caught at the wrong place at the wrong time, Melanie delves into the victim’s shady past to prove her innocence. As she uncovers a juicy scandal that cost Evan his marriage and, possibly, his life, Melanie realizes that booking the real culprit comes down to gathering her pack of suspects together at the next Bite Club meeting. What she doesn’t know is Aunt Peg has been hiding some explosive secrets of her own—secrets that, once unleashed, could pit Melanie against an unpredictable killer bent on bringing this story to an abrupt end . . .
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Melanie Travis had the grand idea of starting a book club with a group of his friends who love mysteries and the Bite Club is born. Then her Aunt Peg butts in and invites a bunch of “friends of her own”. A band of dog show buffs that would never say NO to a judge that could hold their dog’s fates in her hands. One of the other members brings a guest but his true reason for attending is revealed as soon as the meeting ends. Evan Major is new in town and has just purchased a bulldog puppy and he asks Melanie to help train the dog. Melanie agrees and soon takes the man under her wing even inviting him to a weekend dog show. She sees a different side of him when he gets into an argument with another man at the dog show.
When Melanie arrives for her second training session with Major and his dog Bully, she finds the pup roaming around outside by himself. After pounding on the man’s door and getting no answer she takes Bully home to her already dog-filled house. When the police come knocking on her door she knows the news won’t be good. Evan Major is dead and one of his neighbors saw Melanie at the house the day before. Yup, she is on the suspect list!
She decides to take a “bite outta crime” to find the killer herself and she uncovers scandal and secrets galore.
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The Travis family including all the canines is my favorite cozy family. With everything, she has going on in her life her starting a book club was really no surprise and neither was Aunt Peg’s takeover. Peg tries Melanie’s patience almost every day of the week. In this story, she also gets on Davey’s nerves as well. Peg is a formidable woman and everyone knows to just back off and let her do her thing. I find the way Laurien Berenson portrays her characters is amazing. True to life and so much fun to follow. She takes time to catch readers up on life with the Travis family before introducing any new characters in a believable way before she dives into the murder mystery part of the story.
This time the body wasn’t found until about 1/3 of the way through the book and that was perfect. We didn’t know everything about Evan Major but we knew enough to care about who killed him because we knew Melanie is no killer. What the author lays out is a pretty complex mystery with several other suspects. I loved the way the book club was utilized with the classic cozy tradition of getting as many suspects in one room as possible in hopes of getting them to out themselves or others they are close too. Wonderful plotting made this story a delight to read.
In addition to getting into the main mystery, Melanie is asked to solve another one for a close friend. Afraid to overstep, she finds herself shy about fulfilling the request. When push comes to shove she makes a very interesting observation that shines the problem in a whole different light.
As always, dogs are featured lovingly from the first page to the last. We get behind the scenes at dog shows and a look at how much grooming goes into keeping Melanie’s adorable poodles in fine form. A special treat is her first poodle, Faith. The dog is empathetic and a perfect pal to have when you are feeling down. She is also an excellent sounding board for Melanie because they have a special understanding. Melanie talks to Faith the same way I do with my dogs. Faith understands Melanie better than Oreo and Nera do me but we get our points across.
That special bulldog on the cover stole my heart. Ms. Berenson uses Evan’s experiences to help people who don’t have or haven’t had dogs understand what commitment is made whether you have a purebred show dog or a rescued mutt you are a vital part of their lives and need to plan accordingly.
Each slice of life we get to explore with Melanie Travis is engaging, completely holds my attention and always makes me a bit sad when I reach the final page.
While this is a long-running series each book is written to stand on its own. Don’t be afraid to take a huge bite out of Bite Club. I can’t promise you won’t want to devour every other Melanie Travis Canine Mystery.
“Bite Club” by Laurien Berenson is the 23rd novel in “A Melanie Travis Mystery” series. This was the first book I have read in the series and it can be read as a standalone, I do recommend you read them in order. The author does provide everything you need to know about Melanie, her family, her dogs, and friends.
Melanie Travis’s new book club caters to readers craving fiction—with bite! But when a real-life murder case bares its fangs, she’ll need to swap dog-eared novels for a lengthy suspect list . . .
Thanks to Aunt Peg and her enthusiastic pedigree dog show pals, Melanie’s aptly named Bite Club reading group has book lovers all over town burying their noses in thrilling murder mysteries. But another pet project surfaces when Melanie reluctantly agrees to train a Bulldog puppy for elusive member Evan Major. Between the unusual bruise on his face and a bizarre run-in with an unknown dog show attendee, introverted Evan can’t dodge trouble. It even sends him to an early grave—while landing Melanie in the hot seat for homicide . . .
Caught at the wrong place at the wrong time, Melanie delves into the victim’s shady past to prove her innocence. As she uncovers a juicy scandal that cost Evan his marriage and, possibly, his life, Melanie realizes that booking the real culprit comes down to gathering her pack of suspects together at the next Bite Club meeting. What she doesn’t know is Aunt Peg has been hiding some explosive secrets of her own—secrets that, once unleashed, could pit Melanie against an unpredictable killer bent on bringing this story to an abrupt end .
Protagonist Melanie, is a strong, educated woman, and the side characters are realistic, like her bossy Aunt Peg and the poodles are a great.
I really enjoyed this book, I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in one sitting. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises. I even learnt something about Dog Shows.
I can’t wait to read the others in the series, highly recommend to all dog lovers and cozy enthusiasts.
I requested and received an Advance Readers Copy from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
Ms. Berenson has hit another cozy mystery out of the ball park. If you love dogs and a good mystery, what can be better than reading Bite Club? Enjoyable to the last page.
I’m a long-time fan of the Melanie Travis mysteries and book #22 is just as awesome a read as the earlier books in this series. I love the cute bulldog puppy on the cover just as I love all the regular poodle characters in the Travis family and those that belong to Aunt Peg.
As this story begins, Melanie has started a book club—Bite Me—which her Aunt Peg basically takes charge of and doubles the number of people attending. An eclectic group gathers together at Aunt Peg’s to eat, gossip, and talk a bit about books. Mel meets Evan Majors, a recent divorcée who asks her to help train his new pup, Bully. Mel is happy to oblige, however, when she finds Bully outside alone, Melanie’s worst fears come true when Evan’s lifeless body is discovered inside his house.
The author showcases a clever mystery which kept my mind searching for clues to the correct villain. By the time I chose a suspect, the story is wrapped up and the author explains all the means, motive, and opportunity in a spectacular ending! I highly recommend BITE ME and the previous books in this series to all dog lovers and cozy mystery fans.
I received an arc via the author, and have provided an honest and unbiased review. Thank you.
Bite Club is a delightful addition to the Melanie Travis Mystery series. From the delightful puppy on the cover to the very last page you will be guessing whodunit. Melanie just can’t help but stick her nose in to figure it out and it looks like she’s got Aunt Peg hooked too. I really enjoyed this story and highly recommend the series.
Bite Club
A Melanie Travis Mystery, Book #22
Laurien Berenson
5 Stars
Synopsis:
Melanie Travis’s new book club caters to readers craving fiction–with bite! But when a real-life murder case bares its fangs, she’ll need to swap dog-eared novels for a lengthy suspect list . . .
Thanks to Aunt Peg and her enthusiastic pedigree dog show pals, Melanie’s aptly named Bite Club reading group has book lovers all over town burying their noses in thrilling murder mysteries. But another pet project surfaces when Melanie reluctantly agrees to train a Bulldog puppy for elusive member Evan Major. Between the unusual bruise on his face and a bizarre run-in with an unknown dog show attendee, introverted Evan can’t dodge trouble. It even sends him to an early grave–while landing Melanie in the hot seat for homicide . . .
Caught at the wrong place at the wrong time, Melanie delves into the victim’s shady past to prove her innocence. As she uncovers a juicy scandal that cost Evan his marriage and, possibly, his life, Melanie realizes that booking the real culprit comes down to gathering her pack of suspects together at the next Bite Club meeting. What she doesn’t know is Aunt Peg has been hiding some explosive secrets of her own–secrets that, once unleashed, could pit Melanie against an unpredictable killer bent on bringing this story to an abrupt end . . . (Goodreads)
Review:
The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The descriptive writing of the author had me feeling like I was in Connecticut, watching all of the action taking place and listening in on conversations. And the descriptions from the dog shows had me feeling like I was right there, watching the behind-the-scenes action. I watch dog show on television whenever they are on, and it was fun to get some insight into their world.
The characters are well rounded and well rounded. Melanie is a funny, caring hardworking mom who has a lot going on in her life. But somehow she is able to juggle everything. I enjoyed getting to spend time with Melanie and her family and friends. I enjoy when the protagonist has a family, to me it makes them see more realistic. Aunt Peg is a real pill, but in her own way, she loves Melanie and her family.
The mystery was well plotted and moved along at a nice pace. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider and it was not easily solved. And there was another mystery to solve involving her friend Terry, which I enjoyed reading about.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. If you enjoy animals in your cozy and you like dog shows, this is definitely for you.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
Bite Club is the twenty-third novel in A Melanie Travis Mystery series. While the book can be read as a standalone, you will be missing out on a great series. The author provides everything a reader needs to know about Melanie, her family, her dogs, and friends. Bite Club is well-written and progresses at a steady trot. Melanie Travis is married to Sam and has two kids: Davey and Kevin. Davey is thirteen and is acting as a handler for Aunt Peg’s latest poodle puppy, Coral. Kevin is an inquisitive and active four year old boy. Aunt Peg (she reminds me of one of my aunts) is an intimidating woman and dog show judge who frequently ropes Melanie into her schemes. When Evan Major is killed and Melanie is at the top of the suspect list, she sets out to learn more about the quiet man. The mystery was well-plotted with unexpected disclosures and a mouth dropping reveal. As an avid cozy mystery reader, I enjoy a complex whodunit. I enjoy the family interactions and how Melanie talks to Faith, her oldest poodle (and looks for a response). I like that it is not a picture perfect family. Melanie’s household is always lively with four people and six dogs. Dinner may not be served on time, groceries run low and there are messes from kids and animals, but the house is filled with love. This is what adds to the appeal of this charming series. The dog show information is told in a way for a layman to understand (which I appreciate). I was unaware of the intricacies of dog shows and all that goes into maintaining a Standard Poodles fur for competition. There is humor sprinkled throughout the story along with the antics of the adorable canines, the kids and Aunt Peg. Bite Club is an engaging cozy mystery with a friendly sleuth, energetic book discussions, loving husband, sweet kids, endearing dogs, one dead guy with an unexpected past, and bossy Aunt Peg.
Entertaining! Melanie has started a mystery book club and one of the new members, Evan, needs her help in training his new bulldog puppy. When she arrives one day, she finds the puppy wandering around outside, but Evan is not answering his door or phone. The next morning, it is discovered that Evan was murdered. Now Melanie is on the case after another club member tells the police she is a suspect. Lots of secrets and interesting doggie fun! Hope to see more adventures with Melanie and her poodles soon!!
Love this series. Have enjoyed watching the characters grow and evolve. Looking forward to the next book.