A Melanie Travis Mystery

The apparent heart attack that killed kennel owner Max Turnbull has left seven pups in mourning, and his wife Peg suspecting foul play. But the only evidence is their missing prize pooch—a pedigreed poodle named Beau. Enter Melanie Travis. With her young son happily ensconced in day camp, the thirty-something teacher and single mother is talked into investigating her uncle's death—unofficially, of course.

When Melanie Travis's education in breed-handling at Connecticut's classiest obedience school is cut short by sudden death, she smells a murder. So, with her rambunctious poodle puppy, five-year-old son, and sexy fellow breeder Sam Driver in tow, she hits the championship circuit. In this dog-eat-dog world where winning is everything, Melanie discovers that more than one suspect had a bone to pick with the victim, including a kennel owner whose secret recipe for dog biscuits isn't the only thing she's guarding.

Competition at an elite Connecticut kennel club has a sharp and deadly bite in this "masterful" mystery (The Plain Dealer). As if raising her son Davey, training her rambunctious Poodle for the show ring, and grooming fellow handler Sam Driver for romance aren't enough, Melanie Travis's entrée...

Did pawing at too many women get a dog handler shot dead? A twist-filled mystery that "will charm dog fanciers and cozy fans."—Publishers Weekly The dog days of summer have just begun, and Melanie Travis is looking forward to savoring them. And where better to enjoy herself than at her Aunt...

"Fresh, lively writing, a tough mystery, light humor, and insight into the peculiarities of human and canine behavior." —Booklist 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...

There's a corpse on campus in this mystery from an Agatha Award finalist who's "a rare breed of writer" (The Plain Dealer). Melanie Travis loves her teaching job at Connecticut's elite Howard Academy, where plans are underway for a Spring Pageant to honor the school's fiftieth anniversary...

Someone's dishing the dirt on the dog-show world, until she's muzzled for good: "[A] winning cozy . . . the ending is a surprise."—Publishers Weekly 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...

A dog handler disappears in this "entertaining mystery" by the Agatha and Macavity Award finalist (Publishers Weekly). With her former fiancé off finding himself, Melanie Travis figures the only ring she'll be seeing in the near future is one where she's showing her prized poodles. But love is...

A mystery from the Agatha Award finalist: "Melanie's poodles are as lovable and real as the story's human characters." —Publishers Weekly In an effort to escape tail-chasing males—namely her ex-husband and her current boyfriend—Melanie Travis opts to track down the elusive owner of Dox, an...

A sleuth must find a killer amid a plethora of poodles in this "charming" cozy mystery by an Agatha Award finalist (Publishers Weekly). There are dog shows. And then there's The Poodle Club of America National Specialty Dog Show. For poodle purists, it's the pinnacle of the season, drawing...

The Kentuckiana Dog Show Cluster is not to be missed. Ellie Gates Wanamaker, a former standard poodle exhibitor and a member of a well-heeled Kentucky family, has been out of the dog show world for more than a decade, but when Melanie invites her to spectate at the Louisville Kennel Club dog show, she's eager to accompany her. Miss Ellie's presence at the expo center, however, provokes mixed reactions from exhibitors she hasn't seen in years, including some outright animosity. The following day Melanie learns that Miss Ellie has suffered a fatal accident while exercising her dogs. 

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.