Die Another Dane, by Laurien Berenson

Publication October 28, 2025

It all begins when Melanie's youngest son, Kevin, decides he wants a Great Dane. Never mind that the Travis Family already has a houseful of Standard Poodles. Kevin is feeling quite grown up and seems to want a dog to match his feelings of being grown up. In other words, a large Great Dane. From there on, Melanie finds herself caught up in investigating the murder of the woman they'd just met that introduced Kevin to her Danes. I probably don't have to tell long time readers that Aunt Peg is in the middle of the whole thing, including finding homes for the ten Great Danes Audrey Kane had had. One, Daisy, goes home with Melanie. Again, no surprise, I'm sure. Grin.

While Melanie always seems a bit of a push over where Aunt Peg is involved, she's also dealing with Kevin's unexpected request, oldest son Davey's desire to get his driver's license, and dashing about to ask question after question. Audrey's life was complicated with many secrets, not to mention the cast of suspects isn't eager to be seen that way. We also get to spend some time at dog shows, including learning a bit about the quirks of judging and the more mundane aspect of grooming the dogs for the show ring, much of that info provided by Crawford and/or Terry. Melanie is, as always, likable and trying to tread that fine line between her curiosity and family demands, including husband Sam's worries about her safety. Heck, we even learn a bit about real estate deals in the process. 

Bottom line, an enjoyable, easy read with characters you'll come to like or, for long time fans, have grown to feel like part of your own family. And, of course, there is lots of dog talk. Having my own senior dog now, I definitely related to Melanie's determination to spend time with Faith, her original intro to poodles and the dog show world. Even rowdy Bud, Kevin's non-poodle "mutt" will probably give you a moment of warm fuzzies. Thanks #KensingtonPress for allowing me this early peek and letting me drop into Melanie's world of family and dogs, not to mention the all too frequent murder case. Let's just say, Melanie's reputation as an amateur sleuth definitely precedes her nowadays. 

Barking up the Wrong Tree, Gone to the Dogs #3, by Janice Thompson

 

Publication Jan. 1, 2023               

A missing pet, every pet owner's worst nightmare. Even worse, this one doesn't seem to have wandered off on his own. Remington is a champion agility dog and had just won a trip to nationals when something strange happens. Oh, the family still has a dog, a Sheltie who looks like Remi, but is of an entirely different disposition and health status. A blood test reveals the truth. The dog the family has been so worried about isn't Remington.

I found this an intriguing read for several reasons. First, well, I'm a sucker for anything dog and the cover photo immediately reeled me in. I once owned a Sheltie mix, so was automatically drawn to the story. I have friends who do rescue (my own dog is a rescue) and friends who work at a vet clinic. It was interesting to follow the routine of this fictional clinic, knowing how close to reality it was. It was also nice, quite frankly, to read a mystery that didn't involve a murder. Yes, all mysteries don't require a dead body and this one is proof. 

Aside from the mystery of Remington's well-being and focus on dog rescue, there was ample time for the character stories to be developed, too. Kristin Keller's family was open and loving and, oh, so very Southern in speech and manner. They immediately took to Tyler, too, Kristin's co-worker and romantic interest. Although we never actually meet his family, we learn a great deal about them (and Tyler) through his memories as he shares with Kristin. God also plays a major, visible role in the story but without beating you over the head. Scriptures used are from the New Life Version Bible, I might note, but most used relate to the animal/human bond and simply caring for all.  All God's creatures are important and deserve love, in other words.

Bottom line, if you want to read a sweet, easy-to-read mystery that doesn't involve bloodshed but has its tense moments nevertheless, give this one a read. There are, of course, lots of dogs, even a sad, abandoned corgi, but also romance, food, oh, my, the food, a delicious sounding recipe, and, hey, a country music star. And, of course, if you are a dog lover, so much the better. Thanks #NetGalley and #BarbourPublishing - #BarbourFiction for introducing me to this book. I'll definitely be on the lookout for previous books as well as anything else by the author.