I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Hounded to Death
by
Laurien Berenson
cozy mystery in a hardcover edition that was published by Kensington Books on September 1, 2007 and has 256 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Doggie Day Care Murder
Fourteenth in the Melanie Travis cozy mystery series with this story set in the Poconos Mountains for a dog show judging symposium.
My Take
Melanie’s rather self-righteous about Aunt Peg hopping in the hot tub or bed with Richard. What is her problem? Old does not mean dead..!
When they find Charles drowned in the hot tub, why isn’t one of them immediately dialing 911? And, my big question, just how is Charles’ speech on an over-emphasis on appearance related to the animal activist issues of eliminating pets and ending dog shows???
I suppose I can’t expect my queries to be answered by a novel as light and fluffy as Hounded to Death and it was an enjoyable read.
The Story
It’s October and Melanie is four-months pregnant. And Sam has pushed Melanie out the door to take this week-long vacation with Aunt Peg and Bertie.
The excitement is all about Charles Evans’ speech about the Future of Dog Shows. His controversial point is that dog show people are more concerned with breeding dogs to look good in the ring than in how well they function as the breed as they were original developed.
Ooh, and Aunt Peg has an Internet boyfriend! She’s been emailing Richard for months, and now she’ll be meeting him at the symposium. Unfortunately, he takes exception to Aunt Peg’s concern for a stray German shepherd, and when Aunt Peg coerces Melanie into helping her round the stray up, they stumble across Evans’ dead body in a hot tub. Naked!
Naturally, Melanie’s reputation for things going wrong around her and then fixing it is well-known and a number of people put the arm on her to solve his murder. A discovery that becomes more important when Richard’s mother, Florence, gets hit on the head and accuses Aunt Peg of the assault.
The Characters
Melanie Travis is a special needs tutor at a private academy in Greenwich, Connecticut who recently eloped with Sam and is now pregnant. She’s been in the thick of the dog show world for just under five years.
Sam Driver finally talked Melanie into marrying him. He regained the rights to a video game he created in college, made millions from it and now he can pick and choose what he wants to do. Such as, take time off to be with his family.
Aunt Peg is not actually related by blood but through marriage to Melanie. A former breeder and handler, Aunt Peg now judges dog shows. She also sees herself as neutral Switzerland; Mel sees her more as Mossad. Bertie is Melanie’s sister-in-law and a professional dog handler—someone hired to show another person’s dog(s).
Richard Donner is Aunt Peg’s 40+-year-old Internet boyfriend. Who still lives with mom, Florence who is a judge on the dog show circuit who carries her Chihuahua, Buttons, everywhere with her inside her purse. Alana Bennett is a good-time girl who hangs with dog people, a good friend of Bertie’s, and not above slanting everything to make her look good.
Charles Evans and his wife have been in the dog show world for years. They may look nice but they’re really cold sharks underneath with a very unusual accommodation.
The Cover and Title
The cover certainly covered the topic in this story with its hot tub under a night sky and Walter peering inside while Button keeps watch at the steps.
The title is a bit off. Perhaps it refers to what led to Charles’ death??
