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literary__escapism's review against another edition
5.0
x-posted to A Prairie Girl Reads
Stay-at-home mom, Melanie Travis, is enjoying life with her toddler, Kevin, and school age son, Davey. However her nosy Aunt Peg thinks she is getting bored, so she offers up Melanie's services to help dog breeder/judge, Edward March, write his memoirs. Just as Melanie starts to learn that his memoirs is more of a tell-all, his son, Andrew, is killed. With a fragile health, Edward wants to know who killed his son and asks Melanie to investigate.
Gone With the Woof was my first introduction to Melanie Travis, her husband, Sam and her family. Laurien Berenson does a great job at introducing new readers to the series without getting bogged down with a long background story. I was instantly charmed by the easy-going Melanie, and her family of Standard Poodles. While I confess that I am more of a feline fan, how can you not adore Melanie's five Standard Poodles? Their endless energy is infectious and made this story even more charming.
In my cozies, I love reading about memorable, quirky characters. There are two in this book: Melanie's Aunt Peg, who pulls no punches and says it how it is, and Edward March, who doesn't see the problem of writing a tell-all called "Puppy Love" about how he has slept with many females in the dog show business. Between them they show so much political incorrectness and I was smiling along with Melanie, as she tries to get them to concentrate and help her solve the mystery.
Gone With the Woof is like Murder She Wrote meets Best in Show. I was delighted to learn more about dog shows and dog breeders, and with that gorgeous Irish Setter on the cover (and part of the story) I'm sure it's going to be a delight with dog and animal lovers.
If you like gossipy cozy mysteries with a twist, try out Gone With the Woof. You'd be surprised just how interesting a dog show could be, especially when it involves murder!
Stay-at-home mom, Melanie Travis, is enjoying life with her toddler, Kevin, and school age son, Davey. However her nosy Aunt Peg thinks she is getting bored, so she offers up Melanie's services to help dog breeder/judge, Edward March, write his memoirs. Just as Melanie starts to learn that his memoirs is more of a tell-all, his son, Andrew, is killed. With a fragile health, Edward wants to know who killed his son and asks Melanie to investigate.
Gone With the Woof was my first introduction to Melanie Travis, her husband, Sam and her family. Laurien Berenson does a great job at introducing new readers to the series without getting bogged down with a long background story. I was instantly charmed by the easy-going Melanie, and her family of Standard Poodles. While I confess that I am more of a feline fan, how can you not adore Melanie's five Standard Poodles? Their endless energy is infectious and made this story even more charming.
In my cozies, I love reading about memorable, quirky characters. There are two in this book: Melanie's Aunt Peg, who pulls no punches and says it how it is, and Edward March, who doesn't see the problem of writing a tell-all called "Puppy Love" about how he has slept with many females in the dog show business. Between them they show so much political incorrectness and I was smiling along with Melanie, as she tries to get them to concentrate and help her solve the mystery.
Gone With the Woof is like Murder She Wrote meets Best in Show. I was delighted to learn more about dog shows and dog breeders, and with that gorgeous Irish Setter on the cover (and part of the story) I'm sure it's going to be a delight with dog and animal lovers.
If you like gossipy cozy mysteries with a twist, try out Gone With the Woof. You'd be surprised just how interesting a dog show could be, especially when it involves murder!
reginasharinette_71's review against another edition
5.0
Laurien Berenson is back with a bang with a new Melanie Travis mystery and it was great!
The book is set 18 months after the Doggie Daycare Mystery and we find that Melanie has decided to give up sleuthing after the last mystery in which the person killed himself in front of Melanie and is now a stay at home Mom. That is until her strong willed Aunt Peg decides Melanie has become boring and it's up to her end the boredom in Melanie's life by volunteering her to be help write prominent dog show judge Edward March's autobiography. Melanie thinks this will be a book about dogs and his life as a judge and then finds out Edward plans for it to me more about his romantic escapades with various women in the dog show world.
No one is happy about this book especially Edward's son Andrew is every bit as obnoxious as his Father. Andrew is determined that the book not be written and threatens Melanie if she helps his father but Melaine will never know if he will carry out his threats of legal action because Andrew is murdered the victim of a hit and run.
Once again Melanie finds herself where she had not intention of being right in the middle of a mystery!
I highly, highly, highly recommend you run to your nearest bookstore or library and get Gone with the Woof you'll find that Mrs. Berenson has not lost her touch!
The book is set 18 months after the Doggie Daycare Mystery and we find that Melanie has decided to give up sleuthing after the last mystery in which the person killed himself in front of Melanie and is now a stay at home Mom. That is until her strong willed Aunt Peg decides Melanie has become boring and it's up to her end the boredom in Melanie's life by volunteering her to be help write prominent dog show judge Edward March's autobiography. Melanie thinks this will be a book about dogs and his life as a judge and then finds out Edward plans for it to me more about his romantic escapades with various women in the dog show world.
No one is happy about this book especially Edward's son Andrew is every bit as obnoxious as his Father. Andrew is determined that the book not be written and threatens Melanie if she helps his father but Melaine will never know if he will carry out his threats of legal action because Andrew is murdered the victim of a hit and run.
Once again Melanie finds herself where she had not intention of being right in the middle of a mystery!
I highly, highly, highly recommend you run to your nearest bookstore or library and get Gone with the Woof you'll find that Mrs. Berenson has not lost her touch!
sami_lepre's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
impybelle's review against another edition
4.0
Gone With the Woof reminded me of earlier Melanie books. I think it was taking Melanie out of her usual routine and giving her something new to do, even if only for a minute before the mystery kicked in.
You get your dose of dog information, which I rather like, and I also liked the way she reflected on how her life has changed (some things for the better, some things just... changed).
You get your dose of dog information, which I rather like, and I also liked the way she reflected on how her life has changed (some things for the better, some things just... changed).
amylee218's review against another edition
3.0
I love Melanie, but she wasn't thinking to clearly in this one. 16 books in, you would think her survival instincts would kick in a bit quicker. She is smart, accomplished, tenacious, but she just sat there. With a killer. Oh Melanie.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bookcrazylady45's review
4.0
You know how you hate to have a series end, well I am really sorry to come to the end of this one and can't wait for the next two books which will be out by year end. I thoroughly enjoy Melanie Travis and her family and her poodles.
karmakat's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. A perfectly decent cozy mystery. I did figure out the murdered, although I can't really say how other than "strong hunch."
murderbydeath's review
4.0
I've been a fan of this series since the first book came out years ago, and they're books I will occasionally re-read. I was certain the last book, [b:Doggie Day Care Murder|3199593|Doggie Day Care Murder (Melanie Travis Mysteries, #15)|Laurien Berenson|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348444580s/3199593.jpg|3232807], was the last one, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the upcoming release of Gone With the Woof. I made sure to pre-order it and couldn't wait to revisit old friends.
For this long time fan, the story didn't disappoint. Melanie, Sam, Aunt Peg, Bertie - the gang is all here and are as likeable and delightful as ever. Aunt Peg is still bossy, Sam is still easy-going and Mel is still giving as good as she gets.
The plot is one involving the sins of a father and son and I thought it was well done. There was a pivotal moment in the book when I had the 'ah hah!' moment and knew who the killer was - but it happened towards the end of the book and nothing was really lost with the knowing. I found the climax a little bit odd as there was no way the killer wasn't going to be caught so I don't know what motivated that final scene. But I enjoyed it all the same.
I don't know whether to look forward to another book or not? I certainly will be pleased if there is, but with 5 years in between this and the last, and after 16 books, I'm afraid to get my hopes up too high.
For this long time fan, the story didn't disappoint. Melanie, Sam, Aunt Peg, Bertie - the gang is all here and are as likeable and delightful as ever. Aunt Peg is still bossy, Sam is still easy-going and Mel is still giving as good as she gets.
The plot is one involving the sins of a father and son and I thought it was well done. There was a pivotal moment in the book when I had the 'ah hah!' moment and knew who the killer was - but it happened towards the end of the book and nothing was really lost with the knowing. I found the climax a little bit odd as there was no way the killer wasn't going to be caught so I don't know what motivated that final scene. But I enjoyed it all the same.
I don't know whether to look forward to another book or not? I certainly will be pleased if there is, but with 5 years in between this and the last, and after 16 books, I'm afraid to get my hopes up too high.
julieputty's review
3.0
A pleasant read with an incredibly irritating denouement, with Melanie being too stupid to live.
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