The dog days of summer have just begun, and Melanie Travis is looking forward to savoring each lazy afternoon. School's out, her son's at camp, even her rambunctious Standard Poodle is taking a break from the show ring. And where better to enjoy herself than at her Aunt Peg's Fourth of July barbecue attended by members of Connecticut's most elite kennel clubs? It sounds ideal, until an uninvited guest proves that even the laziest dog day of the year can suddenly turn vicious...

Melanie knew someone should have kept Barry Turk on a short leash. The star poodle handler and ladykiller had a habit of chicanery that bred contempt in teh dog show circuit, particularly among its female members. But when Barry is shot dead in his own driveway, even Melanie is stunned at how unsporting the competition can get.

A pack of yelping pups saw it all, but it's the hysterical appeal of Alicia, Barry's latest lover, that convinces Melanie to investigate. Especially when the litter of suspects includes Barry's ruthless young assistant, her hot-tempered boyfriend, a Blue Ribbon judge with a grudge, and even Alicia herself. Each of them has reason to kill. And as it soon appears, reason to kill again...

Now, as Melanie digs for clues deep under Connecticut's well-groomed surface, she finds herself sniffing around in the killer's own backyard, and counts herself lucky to have the animal instincts to keep herself alive.

Melanie Travis #4 ( )

Book 4! This is a poodle mystery series my mom recommended to me after I took up going to dog shows to support a friend. It's a cozy mystery series set against a backdrop of dog shows, and it's everything I wanted in such a series. Sure, by book 4 it's getting a bit ridiculous that this amateur keeps getting surrounded by murders... but on the other hand, I can sort of see how police wouldn't get all the nuance of dog-show-based motives so at least our amateur sleuth has a clear role. It's been a while since I read the previous book, but book 4 had me right back into the swing of things in no time. Very fun!