I love Lauren Berenson's Melanie Travis stories, with her son Davy, her new Husband Sam, Aunt Peg, Bertie, and the cast of poodles. Davy enters Faith into a contest so that she may win a chance at being the Chow Down spokesdog for the Champion Dog Food Company. Her quiet summer is taken up with hauling Faith to one event after another to find out which of the five finalists will be the winner, take home the prize money and appear on television.The summer shows goes on between Faith's trip into the city for various functions. But after the first meeting, something goes wrong and Melanie finds herself in a stairwell with a dead body and another show dog. Of course Melanie tries to figure out who murdered the dog's owner and find a way for the police not to believe it was suicide. Along with Aunt Peg's, Sam's, and Bertie's help, she begins to look carefully at the other dog owners and their dogs. Amazing facts about each dog and their owners begin to surface. Then little things begin to play out in the Chow Down offices. Each new bit of information has you begin looking for a new murderer and why they would murder. Melanie finally uncovers the truth behind the contest, each person's hidden agenda and last but not least, who the murderer is.Great Read and I recommend this book to anyone that loves cozy mysteries and dogs.I prefer reading from the first book on, but there is enough information that the books could be read in what ever order you please.
Berenson's stories are well-enough crafted. You learn more about the dog-show world than some people might care to know, but she builds suspense well and puts in some interesting characters. Even the dogs seem to have nicely rounded personalities. I was happy to see an actual cat in the story, even if it was just a cameo and named "Beagle." Everything made perfect sense except, except a couple of newlyweds (3 months) trying to have a child. Her first marriage went bad, leaving her with a boy to raise on her own because her husband didn't want the responsibility (which I've gathered from reading another one in this series), why is she in such a hurry to reproduce again? Wouldn't it be nice to have a couple of years together to bond before bringing the stress of a baby into the mix? Her other kid is about 8 so he has a couple more years before he turns into a hormonal disaster, a two-year honeymoon now would have been ideal. And surely her relatives and friends would know better than to pressure her into procreation so soon. That part just didn't make sense. I may or may not read more of these. I've just started on a Jesus-jag and there's a stack of testament history on the floor on my side of the bed, so it's not like I'm lookin' for something to read, but I might need something fluffy for relaxation before I finish that stack. These are okay. In fact, there are a couple on the shelf not 100 yards from where I sit ... Hmmmmmmmm.
Do You like book Chow Down (2006)?
The first one of the series that I ever read. I'm not sure how I managed to miss this series before, but I think it is so much fun! Poodle owner/breeder/handler Melanie Travis is entered in a dog food company's contest by her 8 year old son. Dismayed at the prospect, she nevertheless does her best with her lovely standard poodle, Faith. In spite of a murder, the book provides a humorous (and bitingly accurate, pardon the pun) look at the world of dog owners and competitors. Anyone who is a dog lover will enjoy this series, even if poodles are not your favorite breed.
—Joan
