Laurien Berenson has 23 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 2 narrators, with an average listener rating of 5★ across 1 ratings. The most-rated is Once Bitten.
Once Bitten
Summary
With her former fiancé off finding himself, Melanie Travis figures the only ring she'll be seeing in the near future is one where she's showing her prized poodles. But love is still in the air for her brother Frank, who is about to tie the knot with his sweetheart, Bertie Kennedy. With scant knowledge of tulle, favors, or cocktail hors d'oeuvres, Melanie happily leaves the nuptial arrangements to Sara Bentley, a fellow dog handler moonlighting as a wedding coordinator. But when Sara suddenly vanishes, a panicked Bertie gives Melanie a choice: either pinch-hit for Sara - or find out where she is. Opting for the latter, Melanie begins sniffing around into Sara's past - and unearths big trouble when Sara's cottage burns to the ground and a woman's body is found in the rubble. There are plenty of people with grudges against Sara - from Maris Kincaid, a disgruntled dog groomer; to Debra Silver, a competitor whose dog had been poisoned a decade ago; to Josh Bennett, her embittered ex-boyfriend. Even Sara's own family seems oddly unconcerned about her disappearance... but are the blue-blooded Bentleys cold-blooded enough to kill one of their own? Melanie soon realizes that despite the best-laid plans, anything can happen. And when it comes to Sara Bentley, nothing is certain - except that it's up to Melanie to stop a murderer in his - or her - tracks...
©2001 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Live and Let Growl
Summary
For a dog lover like Melanie Travis, the opportunity to attend the Kentuckiana Dog Show Cluster is not to be missed. Fortunately, the timing coincides with her spring break from teaching, so she heads for Central Kentucky with her sister-in-law and Aunt Peg, who's accepted a weeklong judging assignment. Once there, Aunt Peg reconnects with an old friend, Ellie Gates Wanamaker, a former standard poodle exhibitor and a member of a well-heeled Kentucky family. Miss Ellie has been out of the dog show world for more than a decade, but when Melanie invites her to spectate at the Louisville Kennel Club dog show, she's eager to accompany her. Miss Ellie's presence at the expo center, however, provokes mixed reactions from exhibitors she hasn't seen in years, including some outright animosity. The following day Melanie learns that Miss Ellie has suffered a fatal accident while exercising her dogs. Aunt Peg, however, suspects foul play. Wishing to avoid any scandal, Miss Ellie's pedigreed family prefers to let sleeping dogs lie, but as Melanie begins to sniff around, she discovers Miss Ellie had many secrets, both in the dog show world and among her Kentucky kin....
©2016 Laurien Berenson (P)2020 Tantor
A Pedigree to Die For
Summary
Win, place, or die. The apparent heart attack that killed kennel owner Max Turnbull has left seven pups in mourning, and his wife Peg suspecting foul play. But the only evidence is their missing prize pooch - a pedigreed poodle named Beau. Enter Melanie Travis. With her young son happily ensconced in day damp, the 30-something teacher and single mother is talked into investigating her uncle's death - unofficially, of course. Posing as a poodle breeder in search of the perfect stud, Melanie hounds Connecticut's elite canine competitions and finds an ally in fellow breeder Sam Driver. But her affection cools when she's put on the scent of Sam's questionable past...and hot on the trail of a poodle-hating neighbor and one elusive murderer who isn't ready to come to heel. For as Melanie soon discovers, in a championship dog-eat-dog world the instinct for survival, and winning, can prove fatal.
©1995 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Watchdog
Summary
It's autumn in Connecticut. Melanie Travis has just started a new job, and with the added excitement of showing her Standard Poodle, Faith, in the fall shows, the last thing she wants is to become embroiled in yet another of her brother Frank's moneymaking schemes. His current brainstorm - remaking an old store in stylish suburban Fairfield County into a trendy coffee bar - already has the neighbors snarling. Worse, wealthy Marcus Rattigan, who's bankrolling the project, is found murdered on the premises, and the police think Frank did it. Always the family watchdog, and faced with Frank's imminent arrest, Melanie has no choice but to take on the investigation. Drawing on her connections in the dog world, Melanie is soon successfully unmuzzling the dead man's nearest and dearest, including a bitter ex-wife, a spurned mistress, and an ambitious second in command. But Melanie is about to learn that being a watchdog can sometimes be dangerous - especially when every clue she uncovers leads her one step closer to a murderer who is desperate enough to kill again....
©1998 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Hush Puppy
Summary
Melanie Travis loves her teaching job at Connecticut's elite Howard Academy, where plans are underway for a Spring Pageant to honor the school's 50th anniversary. Immersed in the preparations, Melanie is hurrying to retrieve a painting of one of the illustrious co-founders when she comes upon a disturbing scene: Eugene Krebbs, the Academy's elderly caretaker is arguing loudly with a girl half his size. Before Melanie can learn more than the girl's first name - Jane - she disappears. It's clear that Jane isn't a student at Howard Academy, so what is she doing there? Melanie doesn't have a chance to answer that question before more problems arise. Two days later, Krebbs is discovered stabbed to death right on the school grounds. Now Melanie is embroiled in a full-fledged homicide investigation as she tries to find out who's added murder to the school's curriculum. And when Melanie's trail leads her dangerously closer to the truth, she must race against time to track down a cunning killer before she becomes the next victim to be hushed...forever.
©1999 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Underdog
Summary
Welcome to an elite Connecticut kennel club where shocking secrets gnaw at the best of the breed and competition has a sharp - and deadly - bite. As if raising her son Davey, training her rambunctious Poodle Faith for the show ring, and grooming fellow handler Sam Driver for romance aren't enough, Melanie Travis's entre into the exclusive Belle Haven Kennel Club has been met with a grisly murder. Unfortunately, the only witnesses to the crime were the victim's startled pair of Beagles. And they aren't talking - Melanie hadn't intended to do any serious snooping, what with coping with the unexpected arrival of an ex-husband out to get joint custody of the son he's never known. In need of some serious distraction, she's off to sniff out dangerous secrets - only to discover that everyone at Belle Haven has something damning to hide.As the shocking truth slowly comes to light - and her own domestic drama moves center stage - Melanie finds herself eager to put the bite on a dogged killer who's desperate enough to strike again.
©1996 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Dog Eat Dog
Summary
As if raising her son, training her rambunctious poodle for the show ring, and grooming fellow handler, Sam Driver, for romance aren't enough, Melanie Travis's entree into the exclusive Belle Haven Kennel Club has been met with a grisly murder. As Melanie investigates, the truth about forged pedigrees and illegal show practices come to light. And soon, Melanie finds herself moving closer to a dogged killer who's desperate enough to strike again.
©1996 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Ruff Justice
Summary
With the excitement of the spring dog show season sweeping Connecticut, prize-winning Poodle owner Melanie Travis is determined to help her son finally lead his Standard Poodle toward a championship title. But the competition is fierce. Aunt Peg even skips the judging panel to exhibit a pup of her own, standing out from the pack with a handmade leash from elite artist Jasmine Crane. Jasmine's handiwork is to die for - but Aunt Peg didn't expect to find her strangled to death by one of her dazzling custom creations.... When Aunt Peg's longtime dog sitter, a renter on Jasmine's property, vanishes that same day, Melanie suspects a dangerous connection. Her hunch only grows as she discovers sketchy secrets about the late artist. Juggling a teaching job, the show ring, and a daunting suspect list, Melanie finds herself entangled in a mindboggling murder mystery - and hot on the trail of a desperate killer.
©2018 Laurien Berenson (P)2021 Tantor
Hounded to Death
Summary
As the dog days of summer turn to the playful nip of autumn's chill, Melanie Travis is ready for a little relaxation. Her Aunt Peg has the perfect solution - a five-day symposium for dog show judges in Pennsylvania's idyllic Pocono Mountains. While Peg and Melanie's sister-in-law Bertie welcome the opportunity to socialize with the dog world's elite, the very pregnant Melanie embraces the chance to simply unwind. But when renowned judge Charles Evans delivers a keynote address that irritates many of the attendees, the symposium's agenda takes a deadly turn. For later that evening, Charles is found floating face-down in the outdoor hot tub. With few clues to go on, the police are baffled. But Melanie decides to take matters into her own hands, suspecting that a cold-blooded murderer may lurk among her fellow dog-lovers.
©2007 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Hair of the Dog
Summary
The dog days of summer have just begun, and Melanie Travis is looking forward to savoring each lazy afternoon. And where better to enjoy herself than at her Aunt Peg's Fourth of July barbeque? It sounds ideal, until an uninvited guest proves that even the laziest dog day of the year can suddenly turn vicious. Melanie knew someone should have kept Barry Turk on a short leash. The star Poodle handler and lady killer had a habit of chicanery that bred contempt in the dog show circuit. But when Barry is shot dead in his own driveway, even Melanie is stunned at how unsporting the competition can get. Now, as Melanie digs for clues deep under Connecticut's well-groomed surface, she finds herself sniffing around in the killer's own backyard, and counts herself lucky to have the animal instincts to keep herself alive.
©1997 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Chow Down
Summary
If Melanie Travis was planning on a quiet family summer with her Standard Poodle Faith, son Davey, and new husband Sam, her plans are about to turn upside down. An unexpected competition, a trip to New York, and - oh yes, a murder - later, Melanie finds herself in a choke collar of deceit and corruption. When she receives the letter from the Champions Dog Food Company informing her that Faith has been selected as a finalist in the "All Dogs Are Champions" contest, Melanie is mystified - until she discovers it was Davey who entered Faith in the contest. At the reception where they meet the other finalists, Melanie immediately picks up the scent that this pack is a bone's throw away from a major dog fight. And when Larry Kim, one of the finalists, dies in a suspicious fall, something smells rotten to Melanie. With the final decision for a winner drawing near and the competition getting downright ferocious, Melanie and Faith will have to watch their backs - because Melanie's digging may well unearth a barking-mad killer who'll do anything to win.
©2006 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
The Bark Before Christmas
Summary
Melanie Travis has her hands full with her two young sons, a part-time job, and a half dozen poodles to her name. But even with the busy holiday season approaching, she still has time to sniff out a Christmastime killer.... There's nothing lovelier than Christmas in Connecticut, but Melanie can scarcely find a moment to enjoy the festivities. With her youngest son approaching toddlerhood, she's decided to return to her old job at Howard Academy, a posh private school attended by the children of Greenwich's well-heeled gentry. Balancing work, motherhood, and the hectic dog show circuit takes some fancy footwork, especially when the headmaster taps her to be the chairman of the school's Christmas bazaar. The Christmas bazaar is Howard Academy's biggest and most important fundraiser, so Melanie feels the pressure to make it a huge success. She even enlists her long-suffering sister-in-law, Bertie, to help with the Santa Claus and pets photo booth. But everything goes awry when a prize show dog goes missing, and Santa turns up dead. The dog's owner is one of the school's most perfectly pedigreed alums, and she enlists Melanie to help find the purloined pooch. But just as Melanie starts pawing at the truth, she digs up a sleighful of sinister secrets that leaves everyone feeling less than merry....
©2015 Laurien Berenson (P)2015 Audible, Inc.
Unleashed
Summary
Summer means two things to Melanie Travis: a break from her teaching duties at Connecticut's elite Howard Academy and a chance to plan the perfect wedding to her fiancé, Sam. She certainly doesn't need the unwelcome arrival of a dinner invitation "peace offering" from Sam's ex-wife, Sheila Vaughn. And dinner proves to be only the beginning of her problems. Sheila's new man turns out to be Brian Endicott, an old buddy-turned-enemy of Sam's. To make matters worse, Sheila announces her temporary stay in town is now permanent: She's accepted a job as co-publisher of Woof!, a new gossip rag for the dog show world. But before the first issue is even out, a hotter story breaks when Sheila is found dead, strangled with a leather dog leash. As far as Melanie's concerned, the woman should have been on a leash long ago. And it seems she isn't alone in her dislike of Sheila. Some of Woof's salacious stories threatened to expose the dirty paws of quite a few important exhibitors, and someone on Sheila's staff may have found her high-handed attitude worth silencing. Then there's the question of the life insurance policy Brian took out only days before Sheila's death. Even more troubling to Melanie is her faltering relationship with Sam, who's hiding secrets - secrets that put him more deeply under Sheila's spell in death than in life. Now, it will take the instincts of a bloodhound to sniff out a killer who's bent on putting an end to Melanie's amateur sleuthing. With Unleashed, Laurien Berenson has delivered her most engaging, suspenseful novel yet, full of her signature, razor-sharp wit, and fast-paced plotting that's guaranteed to have mystery lovers sitting up and begging for more of Melanie Travis.
©2000 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Wagging Through the Snow
Summary
A holiday murder mystery from the Agatha Award finalist: "Series fans will enjoy spending time with these appealing folks and their dogs." (Publishers Weekly) With a demanding teaching job and five poodles scampering around the house, Melanie Travis barely has energy for the upcoming Christmas rush. But she unwraps an unexpected challenge when her brother and ex-husband make a spontaneous bid on a dilapidated pine-tree farm. Although the 10-acre lot had been a popular seasonal destination while the original owner was still alive, it'll take a small miracle or two before the neglected place is in shape for December. But the 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 fell on his head. But as Melanie and Aunt Peg investigate Pete's complicated history, 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.
©2017 Laurien Berenson (P)2020 Tantor
Jingle Bell Bark
Summary
It's Christmas again, and Melanie Travis barely has time to pencil in some holiday festivities. Especially once she finds herself making a list of murder suspects - and checking it twice... This year, all Melanie wants for Christmas is a dull moment. Between her son Davey, her teaching job, and showing her Standard Poodle puppy, Eve, there just aren't enough hours in the day. But when Davey's usual bus driver, Henry Pruitt, disappears and is replaced by a surly, pierced, twentysomething, Melanie is concerned. The elderly, amiable Henry was a friend to all in the neighborhood, so she decides to check on him.... only to find that he died two days earlier, under suspicious circumstances. As if that weren't bad enough, Henry's two Golden Retrievers are now bereft of both master and home. Melanie can't just abandon them, so she brings them to her Aunt Peg, the most stubborn woman on the planet, who's now determined to find out the truth about Henry's death, no matter what it takes. Soon, the indomitable Aunt Peg has Melanie leashed to another murder investigation. And unless she sniffs out this Scrooge of a killer fast, a lump of coal in her stocking may not be the worst thing Melanie gets this Christmas...
©2005 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Best in Show
Summary
Murder's on the ticket when intrepid poodle breeder Melanie Travis travels to Maryland for a world-famous dog show where the competition isn't the only thing that's cutthroat. There are dog shows. And then there's The Poodle Club of America National Specialty Dog Show. For poodle purists, it's the pinnacle of the season, drawing competitors and spectators from all over the world. Once in Maryland, Melanie is put to work selling raffle tickets by the co-chairs of the raffle committee, Betty Jean and Edith Jean Boone. Sixty-ish steel magnolias from the South, the reclusive sisters make few appearances. But this year, they have a silver Toy puppy that has already caused quite a buzz on the show circuit. Murder's on the ticket when intrepid poodle breeder Melanie Travis travels to Maryland for a world-famous dog show where the competition isn't the only thing that's cutthroat. There are dog shows. And then there's The Poodle Club of America National Specialty Dog Show. For poodle purists, it's the pinnacle of the season, drawing competitors and spectators from all over the world. Once in Maryland, Melanie is put to work selling raffle tickets by the co-chairs of the raffle committee, Betty Jean and Edith Jean Boone. Sixty-ish steel magnolias from the South, the reclusive sisters make few appearances. But this year, they have a silver Toy puppy that has already caused quite a buzz on the show circuit. While the poodles remain well behaved, it's their owners and handlers who start acting up. And when Betty Jean is found dead at the host hotel, murder takes center stage. But this is the PCA - and the show must go on. As Edith Jean staunchly resumes her duties, Melanie starts searching for clues, and comes up with a compelling cast of suspects whose actions prove that, in the dog-eat-dog world of showing, a life can be as easily lost as a blue ribbon. And that unlike cats, dogs - and their owners - have only one to risk….But this is the PCA - and the show must go on. As Edith Jean staunchly resumes her duties, Melanie starts searching for clues, and comes up with a compelling cast of suspects whose actions prove that, in the dog-eat-dog world of showing, a life can be as easily lost as a blue ribbon. And that unlike cats, dogs - and their owners - have only one to risk….
©2003 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Gone with the Woof
Summary
Despite a toddler and a house full of Standard Poodles, Melanie Travis can't pass up an opportunity to help legendary dog breeder Edward March pen his life story. But her enthusiasm flags when the breeder's angry son Andrew demands she stop working on the book. Why becomes imperative once Andrew is killed by a seemingly intentional hit-and-run and Melanie becomes Suspect number one. To get herself out of the dog house, Melanie sniffs out every possible clue, only to run into dead ends as fast as she's running out of time. And the longer the killer stays unleashed, the sooner she may end up in the dog house for good.
©2013 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Raining Cats & Dogs
Summary
Melanie Travis has her hands full these days, what with adding a husband and three more dogs to her already cramped home. The advanced obedience training for her dog Faith is a welcome respite from the stresses of house hunting - until murder forces Melanie to the head of the class. Even amidst the chaos, Melanie somehow manages to eke out a bit of time to get Faith enrolled in "school". The South Avenue Obedience Club looks like fun, even if there are enough sexual and political undercurrents in the group to power a small generator. Melanie is especially eager to bring Faith to the program at the Winston Pumpernill Nursing Home. Club member Paul Lennox initiated the outings to please his Great Aunt Mary, and since many of the other residents are also dog lovers, the trips are now a treasured tradition. Melanie and Faith are warmly welcomed at the home, but their very first visit ends in tragedy when Aunt Mary is found suffocated in her bed. There's no shortage of suspects - from the wealthy victim's ne'er-do-well son to the staff to the secret-laden club members themselves, there's motive and opportunity aplenty. All Melanie has to do is follow the trail - and watch her back.
©2005 Laurien Berenson (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Murder at the Puppy Fest
Summary
Frolicking with dogs is Melanie Travis's idea of heaven. So when she's invited to be a "puppy wrangler" at a benefit for a local dog rescue, the last thing she expects is to be chasing after a tricky killer.... Busy mom and pedigree Standard Poodle owner, Melanie Travis doesn't mind helping out at Puppy Fest, an annual fundraiser to benefit a local dog rescue. Considering the venue - Belle Haven mansion, owned by wealthy philanthropist Leo Brody - it's shaping up to be the can't-miss charity event of the summer. Unfortunately, when Melanie's breeding background lands her in the doghouse with Jane, Leo's snappy daughter who runs the rescue, Melanie finds herself simultaneously managing Puppy Fest and the millionaire's hopelessly fractious family. But once Puppy Fest kicks off, Leo is nowhere to be found - until Melanie discovers his current mistress crouching over his dead body. According to police, the father's severe nut allergy went into overdrive after he accidentally consumed a contaminated cookie. However, Libby, one of Leo's children and a friend of Melanie's Aunt Peg, believes someone deliberately put him down for good....
©2017 Laurien Berenson (P)2021 Tantor
Bite Club
Summary
Thanks to Aunt Peg and her enthusiastic dog show pals, Melanie's aptly named Bite Club reading group has book lovers all over town burying their noses in thrilling murder mysteries. But another pet project surfaces when Melanie reluctantly agrees to train a Bulldog puppy for elusive member Evan Major. Between the unusual bruise on his face and a bizarre run-in with an unknown dog show attendee, introverted Evan's penchant for trouble sends him to an early grave - while landing Melanie in the hot seat for homicide.... To prove her innocence, Melanie digs into the victim's shady past and uncovers a juicy scandal that cost Evan his marriage and, possibly, his life. Melanie realizes that booking the real culprit will require gathering her suspects together at the next Bite Club meeting. What she doesn't know is Aunt Peg has been hiding some explosive secrets of her own - secrets that, once unleashed, could pit Melanie against an unpredictable killer bent on bringing this story to an abrupt end....
©2019 Laurien Berenson (P)2021 Tantor