Underdog by Laurie Berenson

Melanie Travis is back, along with her poodle pup, her son, her mother and her boyfriend.  She's now getting ready to show her dog, which is no job for wimps.

Kensington Books sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  It has been published, so check with your local bookstore for a copy.

Melanie has the misfortune of having a mother who is professional breeder of show dogs.  That's who she got her puppy from, and Mom has high expectations of what Melanie and her pup will do at the show. The competition between dog owners is fierce and not all of them are graceful losers.  

When her trainer dies the day after she visited Melanie's home, Melanie refuses to believe it was suicide.  Trying to solve the murder means she has to talk to all the competitors and sort out who may have a reason to kill her.  The more she finds out, the more confusing it gets.  It doesn't take long until the murderer decides to shut her up, too.

This is an enjoyable cozy with a good mystery.  The trail to the murderer is strewn with clues, some of which have nothing to do with the murder.  Sorting the threads to get to the cloth of the mystery takes a bit of doing.  Why not settle into a comfortable chair and see if you can pick out the killer before Melanie does?

Happy reading.