Melanie Travis mysteries

One morning Melanie's uncle, Max, is found dead of a heart attack on the kennel floor; after the funeral, her aunt, Peg asks Melanie to find Beau, the kennel's star stud dog that has been missing since the night Max died.

Welcome to an elite Connecticut kennel club where shocking secrets gnaw at the best of the breed and competition has a sharp and deadly bite. As if raising her son Davey, training her rambunctious Poodle Faith for the show ring, and grooming fellow handler Sam Driver for romance aren't enough, Melanie Travis's entree into the exclusive Belle Haven Kennel Club has been met with a grisly murder. Unfortunately, the only witnesses to the crime were the...

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 neighbors snarling. Worse, wealthy Marcus Rattigan, who's bankrolling...

Summer means two things to Melanie Travis: a break from her teaching duties at Connecticut's elite Howard Academy, and a chance to plan the perfect wedding to her fiancé, Sam. What she doesn't need is an unwelcome arrival of a dinner invitation from Sam's ex-wife Sheila. To make matters worse, Sheila has announced that her temporary stay in town is now permanent -- she's accepted a job as co-publisher of Woof!, a new gossip rag for the dog show world....

In an effort to escape tail-chasing males—namely her ex-husband Bob and boyfriend Sam—Melanie Travis opts to track down the elusive owner of Dox, an adorable Dachshund who's about to be put on the block at a charity auction. But the more Melanie discovers about the pup's background, the messier the case gets. It seems Dox is part of a divorced couple's emotional tug-o-war. As if tiptoeing through the minefield of a broken marriage isn't nerve-wracking...

Melanie Travis must discover who is naughty and nice this holiday season when her son's bus driver, Henry Pruitt, is found dead and her obstinate Aunt Peg will stop at nothing to solve the mystery surrounding his suspicious demise.

A canine competition in New York turns criminal: "Enjoyable...plenty of twists and turns... a tight suspenseful package."—Publishers Weekly

If Melanie Travis was planning on a quiet family summer with her Standard Poodle Faith, son Davey, and new husband Sam, her plans are about to turn upside down. When she receives a letter from the Champions Dog Food Company informing her that Faith has been selected as a...

Pine Ridge Canine Care Center is a place where pampered pooches go to kick back, get primped, and watch a little TV in luxurious individual accommodations. To Melanie Travis, it all seems a bit much-and a most unlikely setting for a murder. But when the day care center's co-owner turns up dead in his office, that's just what she finds.

It's summer in Connecticut, and Melanie's life has become an endless string of dog shows, soccer camp, and the antics of her energetic toddler. She hardly has time to pay much attention to her Aunt Peg's new protégé, Nick Walden, a self-proclaimed "dog whisperer" with an uncanny gift for decoding dog-speak. The well-heeled dog owners of Fairfield County are lapping up his alleged talents, anxious to discover exactly what their pampered pets are...

When her Aunt Peg lands a gig as judge at a Kentucky dog show, Melanie Travis welcomes the opportunity for a road trip. Too bad a killer has planned a deadly detour. Within three days of her arrival, Ellie Gates has been found dead. Though the police and the family believe the death to be an accident, Aunt Peg is sure they are wrong. Melanie discovers that Miss Ellie was a woman of many secrets. And she must quickly determine which one was fatal...

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 caf,̌ 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...

"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...

"As Greenwich, Connecticut, slows down during a bitterly cold February, Melanie and her spunky Aunt Peg head to the city that never sleeps for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. Aunt Peg can't wait to demonstrate her judging chops on national TV, even after being hounded by frustrating mishaps--all seemingly orchestrated by Victor Durbin, an ousted Paugussett Poodle Club member with a bone to pick. But the bright lights...

"While usually protective, Melanie feels comfortable sending her sons to the Graceland School's summer camp for two reasons: The institution is well-regarded and proprietor Emily Grace is a trusted friend. But Emily has been acting strange since three rambunctious Dalmatian puppies suddenly appeared on her doorstep. The unusual arrival marks the first of several mysterious happenings at camp, each more intense than the last. Emily's rough streak takes...

"Melanie Travis is taking a much-needed break from the dog show circuit for a romantic Valentine's trip with her husband Sam, but when someone at their cozy Berkshires inn has an unexpected date with death, Melanie must slip into something sleuthier for the weekend . . . Melanie is delighted at the prospect of three uninterrupted days alone with Sam (and, of course, her prize-winning Standard Poodle, Faith). They're booked at the White Birch Inn,...