Happy Book Release Day! Dial Meow for Murder by Bethany Blake, Turkey Trot Murder by Leslie Meier, A Simple Wish by Charlotte Hubbard, Yuletide Homicide by Jennifer David Hesse, Wagging Through the Snow by Laurien Berenson, A Hive of Homicides by Meera Lester, The Persian Always Meows Twice by Eileen Watkins, Home All Along by Beth Wiseman, This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber, Purring Around the Christmas Tree by Liz Mugavero, Death by Eggnog by Alex Erickson, Dead and Ganache by Colette London, Sleep Like a Baby by Charlaine Harris, and Holiday Murder by Leslie Meier are books that are being released today.
Wagging Through the Snow by Laurien Berenson is A Melanie Travis novella (technically it is the twenty-first book
in the series). Melanie Travis is
enjoying a quiet Saturday when her brother, Frank visits. It turns out that he made an impulsive
purchase of Haney’s Holiday Home (a Christmas tree lot) in Wilton, Connecticut
without the knowledge of his business partner, Bob (Melanie’s ex-husband). The family troops out to examine the property
and finds the buildings are dilapidated.
Everyone will need to work quickly to get it up and running for the
Christmas season. Davey and Kevin come
running inside. They heard a strange whimpering
noise in among the trees. The noise is
coming from a cute little Maltese hidden under a dead body. The victim is a local homeless man named Pete
who had trouble with alcohol. It looks
like Pete was killed by a falling tree limb but appearances can be
deceiving. Melanie with Aunt Peg’s
assistance (of course) sets out to discover more about Pete and who could have
wished him harm. Can Melanie wrap up
this case before Santa comes sliding down the chimney or will she find herself
stuffed in a body bag?
Wagging Through the Snow is
well-written, engaging and has a good pace (which makes for an easy to read
story). I like the characters and most
especially the lively dogs. There is
just the right amount and type of humor in this delightful tale. There were some definite laugh out loud
moments. My rating for Wagging Through the Snow is 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it).
It is short, but packed full of action.
The mystery was compelling and the elements are revealed as the story
progresses. One clue gave away the
identity of the killer to me. I think
many readers will be surprised when the culprit is revealed. I was glad that the story was not rushed (it
happens frequently in short stories). The
ending was heartwarming. Wagging Through the Snow is my favorite A Melanie Travis Mystery. This delightful cozy has engaging characters,
good mystery, adorable dogs, humor, family, friends, and the spirit of
Christmas.
I appreciate you visiting today and reading my review. I will be sharing my thoughts on These Healing Hills by Ann H. Gabhart on Wednesday. May you have a jovial day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
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