It’s the most wonderful time of the year in Connecticut, but Melanie Travis finds surviving this December may take a real Christmas miracle when a yuletide murderer comes to town . . .

As Melanie attempts to deck the halls in a house overrun by pampered Poodles, her event planner friend, Claire, is busy playing Santa for the wealthiest clientele on Connecticut’s Gold Coast. A personal shopper gig in the affluent town of New Canaan seems like business as usual. Except Claire’s stylish stint comes at a higher price than she bargains for when she stumbles over her newest customer’s dead body. Named a prime suspect for murder, she begs for Melanie’s help, then vanishes like cookies and milk on Christmas Eve . . .

Determined to track down Claire, Melanie and her nosy Aunt Peg dash into a dizzying investigation. But with a grinchy New Canaan detective on their case and disturbing clues piling up like presents beneath the tree, the crime-solving duo must hurry to rein in a sinister Kris Kringle before they’re the next ones on someone’s deadly wish list . . .Melanie Travis #25 ( )

3.5 stars--rating shown may vary depending on whether the site allows half star ratings.

This is the first book in this series that I've read. It was a gift from the Kensington Cozies Club. I enjoyed learning more about the dog show world--though I still have lots of questions on that--questions I might not have if I'd read earlier books in the series. Mostly those questions revolve around the term "champion" for dogs.

I enjoyed reading a book about dog lovers. My family owned a poodle when I was younger (not a show dog though), so I especially enjoyed reading about those. A childhood friend's family had an apricot colored poodle. (That said, I'm not sure the dog on the cover is a poodle--perhaps it is supposed to represent the schnoodles or doodles that the victim was breeding.)

The Travis family seems very loving and involved with each other and with their dogs.

I agree that the purchase of a pet needs to be a considered decision and not an impulse. I'm not sure if the Pup Cafe is a good idea in that regard. I do agree it might be a good venue IF the intention had been what was originally stated--to find rescue and shelter dogs good homes. But I didn't like that dogs were being bred specifically to have the puppies sent to the cafe. I agree with Melanie that prospective families should be checked or at least counseled on what their pet ownership will entail prior to being allowed to buy a dog.

I suspected who the killer was partway through the book. (I suspect the author meant for that to happen since I am not usually able to figure out "whodunit".) There were mitigating circumstances, but I'm not sure those excuse murder. ( )

Melanie, her family, and Aunt Peg are heading to New York City, where Peg is going to host a seminar on raising and caring for show dogs. Unfortunately, Victor Durbin, who hates Peg and blames her for getting him kicked out of the Paugussett Poodle Club for his unsavory practices with his dogs, has started his own Empire Poodle Club, and has slated his judging to be opposite Peg's seminar, hoping to lure away her guests to watch his judging. But his plans go awry when Peg's seminar is filled, and Melanie, who has slipped away to watch the judging, is confused when she notices that the judge seems 'off' a bit and seemingly giving awards to dogs who aren't, in Melanie's opinion, deserving of the ribbons.

Later on, Victor accosts Aunt Peg and demands that she has a drink with him, even though she asks him to let her go. Eventually Melanie, who can't take it anymore, forces Victor to release her aunt and they go on their way. But the next morning before they are to head to the show, Peg calls Melanieand tells her that Victor has been murdered. When Peg discovers that she's a suspect in the murder, she asks Melanie to sniff around and see if she can figure out who had a motive to kill him. But Melanie doesn't know what she's in for -- it seems everyone hated Victor and had a reason to kill him, including his own godmother...

This is the 25th book in the series, so it's been long-running. While I must admit that there were some earlier books that just couldn't hold my attention (mainly because most of the story was about dog shows and very little about finding a murderer), I am glad to say that this is not the case here. While we learn quite a bit about the show itself, the tale is still focused on the murder.

While Melanie is trying to discover who might be the killer, she learns much about Victor's life, and what she does is distasteful to her and everyone around her. His practices as far as dog breeding were compromising, as well as his relationships with women. Therefore, Melanie has her work cut out for her in trying to find the killer.

Meanwhile, she's still attending the Westminster with her family and watching Aunt Peg as she judges there for the first time. She's also dealing with the upcoming wedding of her friends Crawford and Terry, who are dog handlers, and the fact that Crawford is holding a grudge against Melanie for something she did in an earlier book, which is causing stress in their relationship. But still, this has to be put on the back burner in favor of finding the killer.

But when she asks questions, she might be hitting the wrong notes with some people, and she's trying not to burn her own bridges in the process. When Melanie does finally figure it all out, it's shortly after we've figured it out ourselves, which is not a problem; and finding the murderer's motive is very sad indeed. All in all, a good book that can be read in one evening and I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended. ( )

Game of Dog Bones by Laurien Berenson is the 25th A Melanie Travis Mystery. I have enjoyed following Melanie Travis as she has solved mysteries since A Pedigree to Die For. Melanie has a happy home life with her husband, Sam and her two children, Davey and Kevin. Their household also has five poodles and one mixed breed who wreaks more havoc than all the poodles combined. I just love Faith, Melanie’s favorite poodle. It is delightful the way Melanie talks to Faith and how the poodle responds. This series contains great characters from Melanie down to little Kevin. I like that the characters continue to develop as the series progresses. Melanie received some advice from her sister-in-law, Bertie and I hope she acts upon it. In Melanie’s household, things are never dull which provides readers with laugh-out-louds moments. We get to visit the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in Game of Dog Bones. I had no clue so much went into dogs shows. All the work that goes into preparing a poodle for the ring is fascinating. Laurien Berenson explains the judging in an easy to understand manner which I appreciate. Laurien Berenson has a lovely writing style that makes each book a joy to read. Her books have a smooth flow, good dialogue, relatable and well-rounded characters, and descriptive sentences that makes the reader feel they are right there in the book. The mystery was thought it with a just the right number of suspects and misdirection. The clues were present, but not obvious. The way the crime was carried out was clever. I liked the reveal which included some unexpected action. Crawford and Terry get married on Valentine’s Day. Terry (who is sporting purple hair) is planning the nuptials. I was surprised that Crawford left it up to the flamboyant Terry. I love how the book ended. Game of Dog Bones can be read as a standalone for those new to A Melanie Travis Mystery series. I am looking forward to reading Howloween when it comes out. Game of Dogs Bones is an entertaining cozy mystery with precious poodles, a wonderful wedding, dog club drama, a vile victim, a clever crime, and an autocratic aunt. ( )