Laurien Berenson just released the twenty-ninth cozy in her popular Melanie Travis Canine Mystery Series, Killer Cupid. What a sweet gift it would make for cozy-loving lover or anyone you’d like to comfort this Valentine’s Day! Dog lovers will enjoy seeing Melanie and her champion standard poodle Faith take a break from dog shows to romp in the snow. Fans of Melanie Travis will appreciate watching her and Sam get away from the kids to rekindle their romance.

Melanie and handsome hubby Sam go on a romantic vacation for a Valentine’s Day. They escape t a tony resort in the Berkshires. Fans of Aunt Peg and the boys might be disappointed to see so little of them. However, Sam, Bertie, and Melanie’s goofy brother Frank make it worthwhile. Killer Cupid sweeps you away to a nostalgic resort with snow outside and roaring fires indoors. The couples enjoy a schedule full of old-fashioned activities like tobogganing, roasting marshmallows, and cuddling under lap blankets on a sleigh ride. The only trouble is, someone dies a suspicious death in the snow. Soon Melanie herself is a suspect. Can she solve the case, salvage the weekend, and save her skin?

Even though it’s book 29, newcomers to the series will have no trouble jumping in. Berenson deftly provides backstory when needed, but not much was necessary since this plot is fairly self-contained. Although I’ve read all twenty-eight books, I read Killer Cupid for a book group, and no one felt lost. In fact, they found this novel so enjoyable that several dove into the first book in the series even before book club met!

Besides the masterful style and plotting, what I love most about the series is the credible canine characters. If you love dogs—real dogs—you want to see them behaving like dogs. You want their true personalities and natural behaviors to matter to the story. Berenson makes sure Faith and the other dogs come alive on the page in vivid detail.

In 29 books, I’ve never seen a Berenson dog communicate telepathically, dig up a clue, or give away the guilty with an uncanny growl. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy mysteries in which dogs pull a Timmy’s-in-the-well stunt or talk out loud better than Scooby-Doo. However, these dogs interact with people, other dogs, and places in ways true to canine nature. We don’t have to suspend our knowledge of dogs for the sake of a plot device. That’s why, for us mystery lovers who also love dogs, these books are extra cozy.

Previous installments in the Melanie Travis Canine Mystery Series also teach readers about the world of competitive breed conformation. You not only learn the ropes of showing standard poodles along with Melanie, you meet the types of people who show dogs. You learn to navigate the politics, the intrigue, and the hierarchy. You spend time with Melanie in a house crowded with dogs and little boys. You try to keep up with a toddler at a bustling dog show full of dogs, dog crates, vendor booths, competitors, and judges. Or, as in the case of Killer Cupid, you experience the pleasure of taking a vacation with Faith, a mature, well-trained dog whose needs are easily met and whose companionship is a joy.

I highly recommend Killer Cupid as a gift to any cozy lover or dog lover. It’s a pleasurable stand-alone as well as an excellent introduction to the series.