Laurien Berenson Livres

With a new litter of Standard Poodles on the way, it’s shaping up to be a vibrant July in Greenwich, Connecticut, for Melanie Travis. Too bad there’s a killer in town who would love to drain the life out of her summer… 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. It’s a rough streak that takes a frightening turn with a discovery in the nearby woods—the body of Emily’s estranged ex-husband. Proving that Emily didn’t murder her biggest mistake will be about as easy as raising prize-winning show dogs. But Melanie dives into an investigation on the victim’s whereabouts leading up to his demise. With a few spotty clues and Aunt Peg’s growing curiosity about the Dalmatian pups’ origins, Melanie must name the culprit before good intentions come back to bite!

As the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, counts down to a spooky celebration on October 31st, a horrifying murder leaves Melanie Travis pawing for clues in a hair-raising game of trick-or-treat . . . With just a few days left before Halloween, everyone at Howard Academy is anticipating the guaranteed sugar high they’ll experience from gorging on Harriet Bloom’s famous marshmallow puffs. The school’s annual costume party revolves around the headmaster’s assistant and her seemingly supernatural batches of gooey goodies. So, it's a shock when Harriet’s elderly neighbor is suddenly found dead with the beloved dessert in his hand. Melanie knows her tenured colleague would never intentionally serve cyanide-laced puffs to a defenseless old man. But as explosive neighborhood gossip reveals a potential culprit, it also brings her closer to sealing her own doom. Because on an evening ruled by masked revelers, Halloween might just be the perfect opportunity for a cold-hearted killer to get away with murder once again—this time sending a nosy, unsuspecting sleuth to an early grave!

Standard Poodle owner Melanie Travis is an excellent judge of dogs--and people. But what happens when an unnamed killer emerges at one of the fiercest all-breed competitions ever?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 of the show ring grow dim when Victor is found murdered, and she's the one topping the suspect list...Driven to solve the crime on her aunt's behalf, Melanie fetches hair-raising clues about the victim. His own business partner admits to being delighted by news of his death. As Melanie digs up more chilling evidence, she realizes that exonerating Aunt Peg means confronting a murderer who's in it to win it...

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, a picturesque New England resort nestled at the foot of a snow-covered mountain. The inn has a full slate of couples activities planned for the busy Valentine's weekend, but the first night of festivities feature an event that isn’t on the program: murder. As a person of interest in the case, Melanie tries to sneak a little detective work into her romantic getaway. But with the resort nearly sold out for the holiday weekend, there's no shortage of suspects, and Melanie’s secret sleuthing is already attracting the wrong kind of attention. Her Valentine’s trip is heating up faster than the chocolate fondue . . . just not in the way Melanie hoped. But if she doesn’t catch the cold-hearted killer soon, another innocent victim will get the kiss of death . . .

When Beatrice Gallagher, the well-respected benefactor of a new women's shelter, is murdered, Melanie Travis discovers that Beatrice wasn't the warm and generous philanthropist she appeared to be and must expose her true nature to identify a vengeful killer

From the award-winning author of the Melanie Travis Canine Mysteries, senior sisters-in-law Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan get along about as well as stray cats and pedigree pooches. But aside from being Melanie Travis’s beloved aunts, outspoken Peg and even-keeled Rose do have something in common—a knack for solving murders . . . When Peg attempts online dating at Rose’s strong urging, the experience plays out like an embarrassing mistake. At least, until she matches with Nolan Abercrombie—intelligent, attractive, and a self-proclaimed dog lover. The two share an instant connection that has Peg cautiously excited to finally bring someone special into her busy world of Standard Poodles and conformation shows. But before Peg can admit that Rose was right, a terrible accident claims Nolan’s life. As details about his background and tragic death come to light, Peg has a serious hunch that someone successfully plotted to kill her first real date in decades . . . With suspects galore and a slew of puzzling clues to peel through, Peg and Rose team up to solve a dangerous mystery unfolding before their eyes. The question is: Can the unlikely duo turn their radically different personalities into an advantage as they scramble to ID the culprit—or will they manage to work against each other and find themselves precisely where a meticulous murderer wants them to be?

Murder, She Wrote meets The Golden Girls in the award-winning author’s brand-new series! Two cantankerous septuagenarians, opposites in every way, put aside their differences to stop a killer… if they don’t throttle each other first!Rose Donovan looks for the good in everyone. With her sister-in-law, Peg, that sometimes requires a lot of searching. Even a sixty-something former nun like Rose has her limits, and gruff Peg Turnbull sure knows how to push them. But after forty years of bickering, they’re attempting to start over, partnering up to join the local bridge club. Peg and Rose barely have a chance to celebrate their first win before one of the club’s most accomplished players is killed in his home. As the newest members, the sisters-in-law come under scrutiny and decide to start some digging of their own. Bridge is typically seen as a wholesome pastime, yet this group of senior citizens harbors a wealth of vices, including gambling, cheating, and adultery . . . By comparison, Peg and Rose’s fractious relationship is starting to feel almost functional. But as their suspect list narrows, they’re unaware that their logic has a dangerous flaw. And they’ll have to hope that their teamwork holds steady when they’re confronted by a killer who’s through with playing games . . .

He was in the doghouse! As far as Kelly Ransome was concerned, she and Eric Devane had only one thing in common – a very large, very playful Rottweiler puppy. Kelly had been hired by Eric to train his pooch, but she was beginning to think Eric might need some obedience lessons, too. He wouldn't take no for an answer. Eric was clearly in hot pursuit, but Kelly did her level best to keep the handsome journalist at bay. She'd learned the hard way not to trust his type. And as bitter experience had taught her... once bitten, twice shy!

tři samostatné detektivky z kynologického prostředí a to: Smrtonosný rodokmen, Outsider, rozruch v chovatelském klubu

Devátá kniha série Záhady Melanie Travisové. Tentokrát za Melanií Travisovou neúnavně slídí dva muži - bývalý manžel a současný přítel. Aby jim unikla, raději se dá do pátrání po záhadném původu rozkošného štěněte, malého jezevčíka, který má být prodán v dobročinné dražbě. Čím víc se toho o štěněti dozvídá, tím je případ zapeklitější. Psík se patrně stal předmětem porozvodových tahanic jistého páru. A jako by opatrné našlapování po minovém poli rozpadlého manželství nebylo už tak dost vysilující, musí si Melanie poradit ještě s dalšími slídiči - na paty se jí pověsila televizní reportérka a její kameraman; usoudili totiž, že je Melanie, která má dobrý nos na průšvihy, dovede ke kýženému sólokapru. Ti dva jdou sice Melanii na nervy, doopravdy ji však děsí někdo mnohem tajemnější a zlověstnější. Noci se jí vloupal do domu, okradl ji a unesl štěně, kvůli kterému to všechno začalo. Melanie pokračuje v pátrání ještě zuřivěji a netuší, že při tom půjde o život...

Pátá kniha série Záhady Melanie Travisové. Další detektivka ze série příběhů vražd mezi kynology. V roli amatérské vyšetřovatelky opět vystupuje sympatická Melanie, milovnice psů. Získala nové místo, začíná vyučovat na prestižní soukromé škole. Její bratr Frank rozbíhá provoz stylového espresa. Objev mrtvoly v tomto novém podniku by mohl znamenat dramatickou změnu nejen ve Frankově kariéře, a tak má Melanie těžkou úlohu najít viníka v množství podezřelých. I tentokrát případ vrcholí za štěkotu psích šampionů na kynologické soutěži...

Záhady Melanie Travisové. Klasická detektivka, odehrávající se v netradičním prostředí chovatelů psů, je součástí série detektivních románů americké autorky. Hrdinkou je zde mladá rozvedená matka pětiletého syna, která se díky své svérázné tetě, chovatelce výstavních psů, pohybuje v prostředí kynologických soutěží. Hrdinka disponuje inteligencí, zvídavostí a bystrým úsudkem a v tomto konkrétním příběhu vyřeší složitý případ dvojnásobné vraždy mezi majiteli a cvičiteli psů a ještě se jí podaří najít partnera pro svou originální příbuznou. Kromě příjemného oddechového čtení se případným zájemcům dostane navíc spousty informací o chovu psů a průběhu kynologických výstav.