Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
If you like dogs, you ll love Laurien Berenson s Melanie Travis mysteries Joanne Fluke, New York Times bestselling author
Melanie Travis needs a little peace from her busy life this Christmas. But the usual holiday hubbub is a joy compared to the killer surprise she finds tucked underneath the tree . . .
With a demanding teaching job at Connecticut s elite Howard Academy and five poodles scampering around the house, Melanie barely has energy for the upcoming Christmas rush. But she unwraps an unexpected challenge when her brother and ex-husband, elated by the recent success of their country cafe, make a spontaneous bid on a dilapidated pine tree farm. Although the ten-acre lot had been a popular seasonal destination while the original owner was still alive, it ll take some sprucing up and a small miracle or two before the neglected place is in shape for December.
Unfortunately, the impromptu business venture goes cold when the group discovers a purebred Maltese whimpering in the snow-covered grove right beside a dead body. Pete, a squatter who camped out on the land, apparently met his end after a fallen fir tree branch knocked him on the head. But as Melanie and Aunt Peg investigate Pete s history and the terrible habit that cost him everything, it s clear his death was no accident. Now, Melanie must run through a flurry of likely suspects and muzzle a dogged murderer in time or she ll be next on someone s deadly list."