Product Description

It's Autumn in Connecticut. Melanie Travis has just started a new job, and with the added excitement of showing her Standard Poodle, Faith, in the fall shows, the last thing she wants is to become embroiled in yet another of her brother Frank's moneymaking schemes. His current brainstorm - remaking an old store in stylish suburban Fairfield County into a trendy coffee bar - already has the neighbours snarling. Worse, wealthy Marcus Rattigan, who's bankrolling the project, is found murdered on the premises, and the police think Frank did it. Always the family watchdog, and faced with Frank's imminent arrest, Melanie has no choice but to take on the investigation. Drawing on her connections in the dog world, Melanie is soon successfully unmuzzling the dead man's nearest and dearest, including a bitter ex-wife, a spurned mistress, and an ambitious second in command. But Melanie is about to learn that being a watchdog can sometimes be dangerous - especially when It's autumn in Connecticut. Melanie Travis has just started a new job, and with the added excitement of showing every clue she uncovers leads her one step closer to a murderer who is desperate enough to kill again...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #549448 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Standard Poodle owner and special education teacher Melanie Travis becomes her brother's watchdog in her fourth outing (following Hair of the Dog, 1997). The latest entrepreneurial pipe dream of brother Frank involves a partnership with local developer Marcus Rattigan to convert an old general store into a trendy coffee shop in Stamford, Conn. After Rattigan is killed by a falling skylight at the site and Frank becomes the most likely suspect, Melanie, urged on by her garrulous Aunt Peg, again tries her hand at detecting. She learns of Rattigan's acrimonious divorce, his spurned lover and the concerned citizens who are fighting the opening of a coffee shop in their family oriented neighborhood. Melanie thinks all are more likely suspects than her brother and pursues their involvement with Rattigan. Meanwhile, she shows her poodle, Faith, in the animal's first season in the adult class and learns from Aunt Peg of Rattigan's previous involvement in the dog world. Together with Aunt Peg and the student, Melanie sorts out the suspects and identifies the culprit. Throughout the proceedings, readers are given a backstage look at the world of American Kennel Club-sanctioned dog shows. As is her wont, Berenson's writing is as warm and fuzzy as the dogs, a tact that should satisfy fans but is unlikely to extend her readership beyond them. Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA-Mel Travis knows she has a lot to be thankful for: a new job she really enjoys; her six-year-old son; her potential champion poodle; and her brother, whom she loves. However, Frank always seems to be in some sort of crisis over one of his money-making schemes, and this time it's worse than usual. Now he is also the primary suspect in the murder of Marcus Rattigan, the financial backer for his latest project. After Frank begs her for help, Mel puts her sleuthing talent to work and puts the bite on the distempered murderer. The characters are aptly described and complete with idiosyncrasies. Kate, Mel's teenaged student, comes across strongly with limited but important appearances in the story. Indeed, the solution of the murder has more to do with what she has done or found out than all of Mel's hours of snooping. Connecticut's beautiful autumn environment complements the settings of professional dog shows, private schools, and quiet neighborhoods. This gentle murder mystery, more the solving of a puzzle than a clearing away of blood, will likely appeal to teens who like Susan Conant's mysteries (Doubleday), which also feature dogs.
Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Series sleuth Melanie Travis (A Hair of the Dog, LJ 9/1/97), who enters her standard poodle in dog shows, "rescues" her entrepreneurial brother when police accuse him of murdering his business partner. A heady mix of canine pulchritude and bloody murder.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Getting better with every book
Funny how we don't hear much from Melanie Travis's brother Frank in her previous mystery adventures. We know he exists, and we've seen him a few times during family get-togethers; all the same, I'm sure Melanie prefers not to have him around, for when he is he's either raiding her refrigerator or asking for money. In Watchdog, Frank is asking for much more: he wants his sister to help clear his name when a business associate is murdered.

Frank's latest big venture in a string of failed jobs and prospects is a coffee bar in a nearby Connecticut township. Locals are protesting the business, and one would that was the worst of Frank's worries. Then his financial backer turns up dead on the construction site, and Melanie -- whose hands are full with dog shows, a new job, and a marriage proposal (finally!) from Sam -- must come to the rescue.

Berenson is always a delight to read, with fun characters and lessons in dog grooming. Watchdog is no exception; watch out for this one and for Melanie's future exploits.

Hooray!
What a great book! This is one of the best dog mysteries out there. The characters are incredibly real (I think I saw Melanie and her son in Central Park the other day.... hm...) and the pacing was wonderful. It was a book you couldn't put down. And even though I'm not really into the Sam-Melanie thing, I was excited to see them become a little more committed! My only qualm would be to give Faith a little more of a pronounced personality to really make her come alive. Other than that, I can't stress the greatness of this series!!

Well-written animal mystery with a likeable amateur sleuth
The aunt of Melanie Travis is internationally renowned for her breeding of purebred poodles. When her aunt gives Melanie a poodle to train and show, Melanie's initial reaction was unfavorable. However, she now considers her prize-winning canine Faith to be an intimate part of her family. Melanie feels the rush of displaying her baby at the various competitions.

In the current show, Melanie becomes involved with a homicide investigation because the prime suspect is her immature brother. The crime appears to have its roots in real estate rather than with canine shows. Melanie ends up placing her budding relationship with a fellow dog show participant on the line when she begins sleuthing to prove her sibling's innocence. She quickly realizes that many people had motives to loathe the victim. Still, Melanie knows that she must ferret out the killer's identity or watch her brother take the fall.

WATCHDOG is a first class piece of entertainment that stars a believable and likable amateur sleuth. The weird situations that seem to engulf Melanie adds a touch of realism to the well drawn mystery. The many suspects will receive reader sympathy, leading to the conclusion that even a good person may be pushed over the edge. The glimpse into the dog competition world adds some flavoring to Laurien Berenson's latest animal mystery, which ranks in the top of the sub-genre.

Harriet Klausner