Death of A Dog Whisperer by Laurien Berenson (Spoilers)

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Nestlove888
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Death of A Dog Whisperer by Laurien Berenson (Spoilers)

Post by Nestlove888 »

It was roughly two years ago while recovering from a metatarsal fracture that I was first introduced to Melanie, her son Davey, and her army of coal black standard poodles, and her Aunt Peg. My recovery included crutches, a clunky medical boot, and plenty of long hours spent devouring copious amounts of light reading during which I managed to power my way through the majority of the series.

The story line of “Death of a Dog Whisperer” follows a series of events involving the murder of Nick a so-called “dog whisper”( aka a doggy behavioral and communication specialist) who happens to be a friend of Melanie’s amicable ex-husband Bob. Bob introduces Melanie to his friend Nick in hopes that she will in turn introduce him to her Aunt Peg a formidable dog breeder,owner, and champion judge If Nick is able to win the favor of the imposing Aunt Peg he will inevitably receive a priceless entree into the world of “dog people” and a plethora of prospective customers. Despite Melanie’s dire predictions to the contrary, Nick and Aunt Peg hit it off almost instantly. Unfortunately, disaster strikes when Nick suddenly turns up dead. Melanie is pressured by Aunt Peg and Nick’s’ sister Claire (who also happens to be dating Bob) into looking into the matter. Reluctantly Melanie embarks on a journey to discover the killer.

This book was a brisk read for me. Despite several subplots (including an unrelated and nonessential saga involving a long-lost diamond ring Bob discovers while renovating his bathroom), the plot is easy to follow and mildly engrossing. Melanie seems more contemplative than in earlier books as she continues to settle into life with her new husband Sam, Davey,the legion of poodles, and her young toddler Kevin. I was relieved to see the first instance of an actual marital misunderstanding/spat between Melanie and Sam. Sam has been her flawless sandy-haired knight in shining armor for too long that I was starting to wonder if he was actually a human being. There is no way on earth anybody man, woman, or canine for that matter could be so perfect for as long as he has. Stalwart Aunt Peg is as opinionated as ever as she guilelessly plays the role of the suspect to her benefit while coaxing information from the disagreeable detective O’Malley. The cast support cast of somewhat flat characters that comprise Nicks clientele and relatives serve their purpose to keep the story rolling.The climax is plausible yet somehow seems to work out a bit too easily.

Nevertheless, I have to say I do not regret reading the book. I really enjoyed being able to dig into new adventures with familiar characters and I will definitely be one of the first in line to snag the latest Melanie Travis book as soon as it hits library shelves.
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Julie Ditton
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Post by Julie Ditton »

I have also read the complete series. Like the Janet Evanovich books, this series falls into the light reading format of the same book, different story. Melanie meets someone new, there is a murder, and Melanie solves the mystery quicker then the professionals. When one is in the mood for familiar characters, and an actual "who done it" instead of " what the villains is thinking", Berenson's books for the bill.
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