Die Another Dane by Laurien Berenson
A Melanie Travis Canine Mystery #31
4.1⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 0.0/5
Cursing: slight (except bitch for female dog)
Format/Source: ebook ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing
Genres/Tropes: cozy mystery
Audience: YA
Setting: Connecticut
Characters: Melanie, Sam, Kevin, Davey, Peg, Audrey, Lara, Ralph, Crawford, Terry, Tasha, Bill, Miranda
👍 short chapters, Great Dane, cozy mystery, figuring out whodunit, family
👎 eating that much cake and staying fit

Description:
After seeing a Great Dane at a dog show, Melanie’s younger son Kevin has become obsessed with the giant breed. Aunt Peg introduces Melanie and her son to Audrey Kane, a charming older woman who breeds and shows the big dogs.
Aware of Melanie’s talent for sleuthing, Audrey asks for her help in finding a missing brooch. She suspects her stepsister Lara. Melanie makes contact with Lara but gets no answers.
When Audrey is found dead in her home, Aunt Peg enlists the help of the local Great Dane Club to foster Audrey’s 10 dogs, one of whom Melanie takes on. To her surprise, Lara comes to her and asks her to solve her stepsister’s murder. From the president of the Great Dane Club to Audrey’s dependable dog-sitter—and not ruling out Lara herself—Melanie soon has more suspects than Audrey had Great Danes. With Aunt Peg’s assistance, she doggedly pursues the killer.

My Opinion:
Laurien pens a cozy mystery with intriguing characters. I am learning that I really appreciate a well-written cozy mystery and this novel doesn't disappoint. The short chapters made for an easy/quick read. I was definitely surprised by whodunit in the novel. I have always had Great Danes, so I also enjoyed reading about all of them in the story. I appreciated that there was very little cursing to pollute the storyline. I was entertained by this novel and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery story.
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***I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Kevin wants a Great Dane. Melanie is not exactly on board with this idea but honestly, with 6 dogs, what's one more? She's about to find out!

When Kevin sees his first Great Dane it's love at first sight and (of course) Aunt Peg knows a Great Dane breeder who can introduce the boy to the best examples of the breed. But when breeder, Audrey Kane, asks Melanie to find her stolen brooch things take a turn very quickly and within days Melanie is investigating a lot more than some missing jewelry.

I remember when I first started reading this series. My job was really stressful, and needlessly so (the worst kind where it's difficult not because it's actually hard but because other people choose to make it harder than it needs to be). The highlight of my day was pulling out my phone and reading as I walked to the bathroom farthest away from my office, hiding out in a stall for a few minutes reading about Melanie and little Davey and the lovable little Faith until I had to go back to the real world.

Fortunately I don't work at that awful place anymore but I still love reading about Melanie's midadventures. It almost makes me cry to read about Faith's whitening muzzle and her slower pace. I don't know how Berenson will handle this as the series progresses but I hope she finds a way to make Faith live forever because I think I'll mourn her as much as my own beloved dog who was still energetic and sassy when I started this series but is now long since married and moved away (say what you want about denial). That's what makes this one of my favorite series, it's more than a good story, they're almost like family.

If you're a fan of cozies and a fan of dogs this series is one you can't miss and this book was a great addition to the series. Focusing on Great Danes instead of Poodles gave it a fun new twist and Melanie and Aunt Peg were as fun and quirky as ever. Davey is also turning out to be a pretty great young man.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

It all begins when Melanie's youngest son, Kevin, decides he wants a Great Dane. Never mind that the Travis Family already has a houseful of Standard Poodles. Kevin is feeling quite grown up and seems to want a dog to match his feelings of being grown up. In other words, a large Great Dane. From there on, Melanie finds herself caught up in investigating the murder of the woman they'd just met that introduced Kevin to her Danes. I probably don't have to tell long time readers that Aunt Peg is in the middle of the whole thing, including finding homes for the ten Great Danes Audrey Kane had had. One, Daisy, goes home with Melanie. Again, no surprise, I'm sure. Grin.

While Melanie always seems a bit of a push over where Aunt Peg is involved, she's also dealing with Kevin's unexpected request, oldest son Davey's desire to get his driver's license, and dashing about to ask question after question. Audrey's life was complicated with many secrets, not to mention the cast of suspects isn't eager to be seen that way. We also get to spend some time at dog shows, including learning a bit about the quirks of judging and the more mundane aspect of grooming the dogs for the show ring, much of that info provided by Crawford and/or Terry. Melanie is, as always, likable and trying to tread that fine line between her curiosity and family demands, including husband Sam's worries about her safety. Heck, we even learn a bit about real estate deals in the process.

Bottom line, an enjoyable, easy read with characters you'll come to like or, for long time fans, have grown to feel like part of your own family. And, of course, there is lots of dog talk. Having my own senior dog now, I definitely related to Melanie's determination to spend time with Faith, her original intro to poodles and the dog show world. Even rowdy Bud, Kevin's non-poodle "mutt" will probably give you a moment of warm fuzzies. Thanks #KensingtonPress for allowing me this early peek and letting me drop into Melanie's world of family and dogs, not to mention the all too frequent murder case. Let's just say, Melanie's reputation as an amateur sleuth definitely precedes her nowadays.

A cozy mystery with canine charm front and center. Light on grit, heavy on personality, and happy to linger in its own world. It’s predictable in places, but if you’re here for the dogs and the comfort-food pacing, you’ll leave satisfied.

Die Another Dane is a cute, cozy mystery by Laurien Berenson. This is book 31 in her Melanie Travis series. Melanie has a reputation for solving murder mysteries and this book is no exception. If it weren’t for her youngest son wanting a Great Dane, she might not have been in a position to get involved. But she did get involved when a Great Dane breeder was murdered. I enjoy all the dogs in her books, mostly Standard Poodles. Her two boys are fun with their spunky personalities. If you enjoy dogs and mysteries, I recommend this book as well as the entire series.

The latest book in the Melanie Travis series, Die Another Dane, brings another dog into the Travis household – a Great Dane!! A breeder of Great Danes, Audrey Kane, has been found dead in her home. Her ten Great Danes need to be put into foster homes immediately. Much to the delight of her young son, Kevin, Melanie brings one home. And of course, Melanie proceeds to investigate Audrey’s death.

This is another fun whodunit mystery by Laurien Berenson that I enjoyed immensely! The characters are likeable. The plot moves along at a quick pace to a satisfying ending. I thoroughly recommend this series and I always look forward to Berenson’s next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Die Another Dane
Audrey Kane, an enchanting Great Dane breeder, has been found dead in her home after asking Melanie, who has detective skills, to help her find her missing Harlequin brooch. She suspected her stepsister Lara in the theft. Soon, Melanie, breeder of poodles,has more suspects than Audrey had Great Danes. Can Melanie, along with her Aunt Peg and a very determined Great Dane solve this murder mystery?
A very delightful read! 5 stars

I love Melanie Travis mysteries! Read this one in one day. Melanie gets mixed up with a Great Dane breeder (with a little help from aunt Peg and Kevin) and is tasked with finding a murderer. I love seeing Davey and Kev grow up, and thinking everyone should have an aunt Peg. Can’t wait for the next installment!

I have been a fan of this series since I read the very first book.
This book definitely kept me guessing until the end, I was shocked by the reveal.
Melanie finds herself wrapped up in yet another murder investigation, which started by her precocious son Kevin asking for a Great Dane!
As Melanie not only investigates the murder, she finds herself fostering Daisy, a great Dane, as well as dealing with her Aunt Peg, who once again crosses the boundaries with her son Davey.
This is a fantastic summer read and I am always happy to recommend this series to other readers.

Another great book in the series. Would have liked more with Aunt Peg, and quite a few side characters that at times were hard to distinguish, but otherwise enjoyed this one and would highly recommend.