Publisher's Weekly Review
Dog show enthusiast Melanie Travis, starring in her perky 14th whodunit (after 2006's Chow Down), puts her four-months-pregnant self into the back of a minivan and heads off to a canine judging symposium in the Poconos with her sister-in-law, Bertie, a professional dog handler, and Aunt Peg, a respected judge of poodles. The three expect a relaxing vacation, but a few hours after keynote speaker Charles Evans shocks his audience by announcing that dog shows are unethical, Melanie and Co. discover Evans dead in the hotel hot tub. Was he offed by an angry judge, or did his wife finally decide that his countless affairs were intolerable? Sleuthing isn't the only thing occupying Melanie-she's also busy looking out for her 60-something aunt, who's pursuing romance with a younger man she met over the Internet. Berenson refrains from overloading the mystery with too many dog details, and though a few character development devices never get off the ground, this canine cozy is still absorbing enough to delight even cat lovers. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Canine-loving compatriots take a vacation and solve a murder. Melanie Travis, a relative newcomer to the world of show dogs, is bound for the Poconos to attend a symposium along with her Aunt Peg, famous breeder of Standard Poodles, and her sister-in-law Bertie Kennedy, a professional handler. Each of them is seeking a different kind of fulfillment. Pregnant Melanie looks forward to a weekend of relaxation. Peg reveals that she's been chatting online with Richard Donner, a younger man with whom she may develop a romantic relationship. And beautiful Bertie is yearning for the spa. When respected judge Charles Evans gives a speech questioning the outcome of years of canine genetic manipulation, he instantly makes a host of enemies, among them Richard's overprotective mother Florence, who's smuggled her Chihuahua into the conference. Even Peg, who's discovered a stray German Shepherd lurking in the woods, is dismayed by the speech. While searching for the homeless stray, Peg, Melanie and Bertie discover Charles floating lifeless in the hot tub. Melanie is implored by several parties impressed by her knowledge of all things canine to reprise her sleuthing activities (Chow Down, 2006, etc.). The amateur investigators discover several reasons for someone to want Charles dead, and perhaps them as well. A thin mystery filled with dog lore that canophiles will lap up. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
