Melanie Travis #30
Laurien Berenson’s thirtieth addition to the Melanie Travis Mysteries is Pumpkin Spice Puppy. Melanie Travis is enjoying the arrival of the fall season in Connecticut. The private school she teaches at, Howard Academy, is holding a treasure hunt to raise donations and engage the children. Pumpkin spice muffin tokens are hidden all over town, and there are prizes for the kids and their grades. Everyone really seems to be having fun with it. Shop owners loving finding different places to hide them, and kids thrilled at their found treasures. At least that’s how it all seems until local pet store owner calls with a complaint — an unidentified complaint, which Melanie is tasked with following up on. Only to find that Mr. Willet has a bigger issue than her fundraiser, namely the knife sticking out of his back, and his poor Chow Chow, Cider, locked in a storage room, trying to battering ram his way to his owner. Luckily the poor doggy is prevented from further trauma because Melanie knows to warn people to not release or agitate the dog.
Given that she has thirty books worth of mystery solving behind her, everyone not only suspects, but expects, Melanie to investigate – everyone but the officer on scene who seems to be looking at her more as a suspect than hapless bystander. Luckily, Detective Young arrives and does not share the same thought. While Melanie is understandably upset at what she discovered, and tries to put up a weak front that she does not want to investigate, she soon finds herself on the case. She did not know much about Mr. Willet beyond the fact that he owned and ran the pet store. However, she soon discovers that he had a less than sterling reputation, and that more than a few people had motive to put a knife in his back. From angry neighbors to a resentful ex-wife, narrowing down the list will be more difficult than finding people with motives.
Laurien Berenson does an effective job of introducing the characters and settings. First time readers can enjoy Pumpkin Spice Puppy on its own, and long-term readers will delight in this recent addition. There are many aspects of the character’s relationships that will motivate readers to pick up any of the previous twenty-nine books to really understand Melanie’s life. The pumpkin spice badge treasure hunt is a wonderful fundraiser idea, and very realistic in portraying how schools try to rally support and funds from their communities. Pumpkin Spice Puppy comes to a satisfying conclusion and leaves readers with closure, both for the case itself, but also for the poor orphaned Chow Chow. I recommend Pumpkin Spice Puppy for cozy readers who want something light and entertaining that also features a delightful array of dogs. I for one find myself curious about Melanie’s extended family, especially her relationship with her aunt with whom she clearly has a complicated history. I also enjoy a book that has an entire town supporting the wonder that is the pumpkin spice flavor. – Carla Schantz