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Rating: 
Summary: The Best One Yet
Review: I thought this Melanie Travis story was the best one yet. Berenson keeps getting better and better. It's hard to review this and not give away the things that are revealed in this edition--Sam's past, to be exact. There was less "dog show" in this book, but the detailed account of the birth of Faith's puppies was wonderful and satisfied the dog lover in me. You suspect that Melanie and Sam's relationship is coming to a climax, but I'll have to admit that the ending surprised me. I was prepared for a predictable ending. It was very touching and thoughtful--leaving me eager for the next in the series. Ms. Berenson, please don't wait too long.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Enjoyable
Review: Laurien Berenson has done it again by delivering us this absolutely delightful book. This fast paced and suspensful novel is full of twists and turns that will keep everyone guessing. Her down-to-earth writing style will also make you feel right at home. This is the seventh installment in the series,and her writing just keeps getting better and better. This book is a real winner and you won't regret reading it. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Good mystery-fun reading
Review: Melanie Druss teaches at the elite Howard Academy in Connecticut, but her soul lies with showing and breeding her standard French Poodle Faith. Her fiancé Sam, also a breeder and shower, loves Melanie's son Davey as if he is his own child. The only problem interfering with their idyll existence is Sam's ex-wife Sheila Vaughn who just moved in the area and is someone that Melanie did not previously knew existed. To prove to herself that she is not jealous, Melanie accepts an invitation accompanied by Sam for dinner at Sheila's house. However, Melanie is unprepared to Sam's jealous reaction to Melanie's houseguest Brian Endicott, her former lover and his former best friend.Before Melanie can voice her concerns about Sam's former wife, Shelia is killed. Sam seems to withdraw from everyone, but asks Melanie to investigate since she has had success in solving homicides in the past. Melanie worries about Sam's appeal for her assistance because he always hated her involvement due to the danger to her. Deciding to make inquiries as a means to reach Sam, Melanie begins sleuthing, only to find someone will kill to keep the truth undiscovered. Melanie shows she is a complete human being as she feels some guilt over Shelia's death yet also some relief that her rival (real or imaginative) is no longer a contender. To relieve her shame and to attain a more favorable position with Sam, Melanie to investigate the murder. Though readers know the perpetrator early on in UNLEASHED, Laurien Berenson's amateur sleuth tale works because of Melanie's human actions and reactions. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: It's a dog eat dog kinda world
Review: Melanie Travis is back in another mystery. It's the dog days of summer, and our teacher/sleuth, Melanie, finds herself along with her beau, Sam, in the middle of a violent shake up among the dog breeders and showers created by the premiere of a new kind of dog magazine. If the first copy proves anything, it's that the underbelly of the dog show world isn't very pretty. Sam's ex-wife, Shelia, a pug owner, has invited Melanie and Sam to dinner to announce her partnership in a new dog magazine called Woof! It's going to expose the dirt on the dog breeders and shows. Sam, being a breeder show-person himself has a problem with the magazine, and seeing Shelia back with their old friend Brian, who is owner of the new magazine and a Saint Bernard. While Sam is dealing with Shelia and Brian being back together, Melanie is dealing with Sam's feelings for his ex-wife, driving the soccer car pool for her son, and taking care of her pregnant standard poodle. It's a busy life for these characters and a busy mystery. The following Saturday is a show, and Sam's poodle puppy is showing. While at the show, they receive terrible news of a murder. Sam takes the murder pretty hard and flies off to Illinois to deal with the victim's family. While he is away, Melanie plays intrepid girl sleuth and rounds up a list of suspects for his return. Just when she thinks she figured it out, another murder takes place and leaves her scratching her head. I have two pure breed dogs, but I know nothing about shows or breeding. And to prove it, I never registered our dogs, the Lhasa carries a poodle cut, and the miniature schnauzer has floppy ears. They were hand-me-downs from families who didn't want them. So, in reading this mystery, I've learned a lot from the drove of dog show information blended into the mystery. It was interesting without being distracting. The mystery itself was pretty good, and although I did have it solved right away, I still enjoyed reading the storyline and enjoyed watching the lead protagonist's personal life take on some changes. Speaking of the of the protagonist, the lead characters of Melanie, Sam, Aunt Peg, and Davy are likable; their relationships are realistic without being silly or over sweet. The sub-characters aren't left out of the action either. Each has an essential part in the mystery, whether it's to add more suspicion or to become a suspect. I sincerely think Laurien Berenson's fans will enjoy the undemanding epic called Unleashed in the Melanie series. If you enjoy barking up this type of mystery tree, then you may also enjoy some similar canine mysteries by Susan Conant, Melissa Cleary, Carol Lea Benjamin, and Leslie O'Kane.
Rating:
Summary: Another Success for Laurien Berenson
Review: Once again, Ms. Berenson delivers a delightful read. Not only are these great mysteries...but informative books as well. This series is a MUST for any canine-sport enthusiast. UNLEASHED kept me awake with a desire to "finish" it. How the book ends leaves all fans yearning for the next installment. I learn more and more about the world of canine conformation with each and every book. This series is great for all ages as well!
Rating:
Summary: Another dog-eat-dog mystery
Review: Pop quiz time, everyone: what is more stressful than the prospect of having dinner with your fiance's ex-wife? Ask Melanie Travis, and she'll tell you the answer would be solving the woman's murder. In this latest installment of the Melanie Travis mysteries, Laurien Berenson unleashes another engrossing story; this time the victim is the co-publisher of a new dog show gossip rag (the kind everybody in the community reads but won't admit to doing so). Melanie's involvement in solving the crime is requested by an unusual source, too -- her fiance Sam, whose opposition to this hobby has been more than vocal in past novels. That his ex-wife's death drives a wedge between the couple is an understatement, but Melanie can only hope the killer does not separate them permanently. Depending on how attached you are to these characters, you may or may not like the ending of this one, however. I won't give it away, but I will say I was bummed at the outcome (not the mystery, but the personal subplot, you'll know when you get there). Since it will be a while until the next installment in this series, we'll have to wait and see if Melanie will be changing her last name.
Rating:
Summary: As usual, Melanie Travis rules
Review: This novels continues Melanie's adventures in the dog show world. Her poodle is pregnant, her fiance's ex-wife seems to be here to stay, and worse yet, Sheila is starting a Enquirer style magazine about the dog world with Sam's least favourite ex-friend. Too many exes and they soon get exed out. Sam wants Melanie to find out who did it. There are alot of twists and turns, but with the help of Aunt Peg and little from Sam, the mystery is solved. This novel is very entertaining and a really quick read.
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