Lisa Ks Book Reviews

Thursday, June 22, 2017

MURDER AT THE PUPPY FEST by Laurien Berenson

DEATH OF A BACHELORETTE by Laura Levine

MURDER AT THE PUPPY FEST

Book 20 in the Melanie Travis Canine Mysteries

by Laurien Berenson

Frolicking with dogs is Melanie Travis’s idea of heaven. So when she’s invited to be a “puppy wrangler” at a benefit for a local dog rescue, the last thing she expects is to be chasing after a tricky killer...

As a busy mom and pedigree Poodle owner, Melanie has little time to spare. Still, she doesn’t mind helping out at Puppy Fest, an annual fundraiser to benefit Puppy Posse, a local dog rescue organization. Considering the venue—Belle Haven mansion, owned by wealthy philanthropist Leo Brody—it’s shaping up to be the can’t-miss charity event of the summer. Unfortunately, when Melanie’s breeding background lands her in the doghouse with Jane, Leo’s snappy daughter who runs the rescue, Melanie finds herself simultaneously managing Puppy Fest and the millionaire’s hopelessly fractious family.

But once Puppy Fest kicks off, Leo is nowhere to be found—until Melanie discovers his current mistress crouching over his dead body. According to police, the father of nine’s severe nut allergy went into overdrive after he accidentally consumed a contaminated cookie. However, Libby, one of Leo’s children and a friend of Melanie’s Aunt Peg, believes someone deliberately put him down for good. And now, she’s begging a reluctant Melanie to unearth the secrets hidden by the Brody pack. But the closer Melanie gets to fetching answers, the higher the stakes become—and the more she realizes that she’s chasing a criminal who’s been groomed to win...

MY REVIEW

Dog and mystery lovers can always count on author Laurien Berenson for a great cozy mystery.

MURDER AT THE PUPPY FEST was another enjoyable installment in the Melanie Travis Canine Mysteries. From the opening scene which had me fuming over some good for nothing people, through to the puppy festival, the murder, and the investigation, this was a fast reading story that held my attention until the end.

It’s easy to see how Laurien Berenson is celebrating her twentieth book in this series! When the freshness she brings to each new story like, MURDER AT THE PUPPY FEST, while maintaining the original feel of the series that made it so popular to begin with, I have no doubt I’ll be writing a review for book twenty-five!

You’re going to want to add this book, this series to your TBR.

📗📖📗📖📗

DEATH OF A BACHELORETTE

Book 15 in the Jaine Austen Mysteries

by Laura Levine

Freelance writer Jaine Austen thought working for a knock-off reality show in the tropics would be paradise. But when she and her kitty Prozac find themselves trapped between a dimwitted leading man, catty contestants, and a cold-blooded murderer, the splashy gig becomes one deadly nightmare...

Jaine’s life has been a royal pain since she started penning dialogue for Some Day My Prince Will Come—a cheesy dating show that features bachelorettes competing for the heart of Spencer Dalworth VII, a very distant heir to the British throne. As if fending off golf ball-sized bugs on a sweltering island wasn’t tough enough, Jaine must test her patience against an irritable production crew and fierce contestants who will do anything to get their prince...

But Jaine never expected murder to enter the script. When one of the finalists dies in a freak accident, it’s clear someone wanted the woman out of the race for good—and the police won’t allow a soul off the island until they seize the culprit. Terrified of existing another day without air conditioning and eager to return home, Jaine is throwing herself into the investigation. And she better pounce on clues quickly—or there won’t be any survivors left...

MY REVIEW

While DEATH OF A BACHELORETTE wasn’t my favorite book in this series, I have no doubt diehard fans of author Laura Levine are going to love it.

My favorite part of the entire Jaine Austen Mystery series, is Jaine’s cat, Prozac. And, the airplane scene in this book involving Prozac had me cracking up.

Since I’m not a fan at all of shows like The Bachelorette, scenes dealing with the show Jaine was to write for didn’t really grab me. And, I didn’t find many likeable characters at all in this story.

Two big, huge saving graces of DEATH OF A BACHELORETTE for me both focus around author Lavine’s writing style. 1) As with her other books, this one had a nice flow to it making it easy to go from scene to scene and chapter to chapter. 2) Lavine has an amazing sense of humor that can result in some very LOL moments.

If you’re a fan of this series, you’ll want to get a copy of DEATH OF A BACHELORETTE. If you’re new to the series, I would suggest starting at the beginning with book one, THIS PEN FOR HIRE.