Hush Puppy: A Melanie Travis Mystery (Melanie Travis Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Laurien Berenson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Amateur sleuth and single mother Melanie Travis (Watchdog, etc.) and her show poodle, Faith, return in a mundane canine cozy centered around the prestigious Howard Academy in Greenwich, Conn., where Melanie is a full-time tutor. School caretaker Eugene Krebbs, an unsavory school fixture, is found dead in his tool shed, stabbed with a pitchfork. Now, along with juggling Faith's dog shows and dealing with the unexpected arrival in town of her fianc?'s ex-wife, Melanie finds herself drawn into the investigation. As part of the school's pageant committee, she is charged with searching through the Howard family papers in the school basement, where she discovers a painting and a 60-year-old diary that may hold the clues to Krebbs's death. Berenson's tale, particularly the Howard family history, starts out with potential but degenerates into a muddle of predictable characters, such as hunky boyfriend Sam, adorable son Davey and a precocious waif called Jane who knows too much for her own good. A fiery close call for Melanie leads to a disappointingly tidy wrap-up in Aunt Peg's kitchen, as the police, having been beaten to the punch by Melanie, eat cookies. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Hush Puppy ($20.00; Oct.; 304 pp.; 1-57566469-0) It's back to school for Melanie Travis and her Standard Poodle Faith, as Melanie (Watchdog, 1998, etc.) signs on as Howard Academy's new drama coach just in time to rub cantankerous caretaker Eugene Krebbs the wrong way before he's rubbed out for real. She then goes to the head of the classway ahead of a mysterious young Jane Doe and Melanie's unhappy sweetie Sam Driverwhen she and her Aunt Peg nail his killer. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575666006
• ISBN-13: 978-1575666006
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #785,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Her Best Yet!, January 14, 2000

By 

Gerry Wilson (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hush Puppy: A Melanie Travis Mystery (Hardcover)

I have read all of Ms. Berenson's books and they are all great fun, but "Hush Puppy" is her best effort yet. I love each and every one of the characters, and have enjoyed seeing her style evolve and develop. She has become a master at plotting and character development and doesn't cheat the reader by withholding information or parts of the solution.

If you love dogs, you'll love this. If you love a good mystery, you'll love this one.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Berenson/Travis Team...another winner, October 19, 1999

By 

[e-mail] - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hush Puppy: A Melanie Travis Mystery (Hardcover)

The nice things about Berenson's "Melanie Travis Mystery Series" is that no reader is left out. You can start with any of the books and fall right in.

I set a record with the reading of HUSH PUPPY...never left my den and even missed dinner!

Berenson leaves you wanting more...the next installment should bring even more fun.

Berenson weaves modern relationship trials and tribulations into this story...making it a realistic read. The single-mom school teacher, Melanie, is such a "deep" character. No KNIGHTS on horseback to save this damsel...she does it all on her own.

Now...when is the next installment????!!!!

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good read in a fine series, September 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Hush Puppy: A Melanie Travis Mystery (Hardcover)

Melanie Travis feels everything is perfect. Her six-year old son Davey is a normal, precocious lad. Her pet poodle Faith is on the verge of winning a dog show championship. She loves her husband-to-be Sam Dreyer, who seems to cherish every moment with her. Melanie even enjoys her job as a tutor at the prestigious Howard Academy.

Life spins a bit downward when Sam's ex-wife appears at the dog show. Melanie is a bit concerned and irritated because she never knew Sam was previously married and the former Ms. Dreyer wants him back. At the school, a child who is not a student seems to appear and disappear until finally the unknown child finds the murdered corpse of the custodian. Melanie vows not to become involved in this murder investigation, but fate decrees otherwise. Someone sets fire to a room where Melanie and Faith are looking at some papers in an attempt to kill her. Melanie feels a link between the murder and the arson exists and she plans to identify it and subsequently the killer before a second attempt on her life occurs.

Beneath the facade of an elite school resides a boiling pot filled with drug deals, blackmail, and murder that rivals anything the other less elite schools have to offer. That concept serves as the focus of HUSH PUPPY. Melanie's relationships with her lover, her son, and her dog add a humanistic feel to the who-done-it. Laurien Berenson has written an amateur sleuth tale that is a delightful addition to a fine animal mystery series.

Harriet Klausner