From Publishers Weekly
In this workman-like and winning cozy, the seventh in the series featuring teacher and dog-lover Melanie Travis (Underdog; Hush Puppy; etc.), Berenson takes readers deep into the dog-show subculture. A busy schedule is all that is keeping Melanie and her fianc?, software designer Sam Driver, from setting a wedding date. Happily shepherding her six-year-old to soccer camp and preparing for her poodle's first litter, Melanie is alarmed when Sam's ex-wife, Sheila Vaughn, moves to the area. Vaughn has teamed up with an old college buddy of Sam's to launch a new magazine, Woof!, which promises to inject a little National Enquirer-style gossip into the standard, dull dog-show reporting. The inaugural issue does indeed sully the reputation of one prominent handlerAand more nasty stories are in the pipelineAbut Sheila misses all the excitement because someone strangles her the night before the magazine is due to make its debut at a dog show. The murder not only stirs up the dog pack, it also throws an emotional monkey wrench into Melanie's love life, for she must face the fact that Sam still harbors deep feelings for Sheila. In the course of her sniffing about, Melanie meets a range of personalities on the dog-show circuit, from the breeders to the photographers, but it's the milieu that stands out rather than the scantily drawn characters. There are some tender moments here, however, and the ending is a surprise on more than one front. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Series sleuth Melanie Travis (Hush Puppy), a special ed teacher who masquerades as a poodle breeder, hunts for the murderer of her boyfriend's ex-wife. A dependably well-written work especially appropriate for dog-mystery fans. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
Life's a bitch for Melanie Travis (Hush Puppy, 1999, etc.), schoolteacher and novice trainer of canine champions. Even her Standard Poodle's love life is better than hers. While Faith is happily awaiting her first litter, Melanie's main squeeze, hunky Sam Driver, is mooning over his ex-wife Sheila, who came east with her prize-winning Pugs for six months and stayed on to try to rock Sam's world-not to mention the high-class world of show dogs and their equally inbred owners. As co-publishers of Woof!, Sheila and her pre-Sam boyfriend Brian Endicott want to make a splash exposing shady breeders and sketchy owners. But just as their first issue's coming out, someone halts their press run by wrapping a leash around Sheila's pretty neck and leaving her dead on the floor of her rented North Salem cottage. Knowing that Sam won't be hers again until Sheila's murderer is caught, Melanie begins to sniff out the killer. At Woof!'s editorial office, managing editor Aubrey Jones gives her the cold shoulder, but her assistant, Tim Golonka, tells Melanie whose fur Sheila was about to ruffle: hot-tempered trainer Kenny Boyle and blue-blooded breeder Alida Trent. And sleazy staff photographer Marlon Dickie suggests that as surviving partner, Brian has as good a motive as any outsider. Melanie even gets a tip from Sheila's neighbor Nancy Benning, whose twins overheard a "mean man" yelling at Sheila. The most dramatic remaining question: Will Faith whelp her litter before Melanie brings her seventh case to an equally predictable outcome?Strictly run-of-the-puppy-mill. -- Copyright © 2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Summer means two things to Melanie Travis: a break from her teaching duties at Connecticut￯﾿ﾽs elite Howard Academy and a chance to plan the perfect wedding to her fiancé, Sam. She certainly doesn￯﾿ﾽt need the unwelcome arrival of a dinner invitation ￯﾿ﾽpeace offering￯﾿ﾽ from Sam￯﾿ﾽs ex-wife, Sheila Vaughn. And dinner proves to be only the beginning of her problems. Sheila￯﾿ﾽs new man turns out to be Brian Endicott, an old buddy-turned-enemy of Sam￯﾿ﾽs. To make matters worse, Sheila announces her temporary stay in town is now permanent: she￯﾿ﾽs 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￯﾿ﾽs concerned, the woman should have been on a leash long ago. And it seems she isn￯﾿ﾽt alone in her dislike of Sheila. Some of Woof!￯﾿ﾽs salacious stories threatened to expose the dirty paws of quite a few important exhibitors, and someone on Sheila￯﾿ﾽs staff may have found her high-handed attitude worth silencing. Then there￯﾿ﾽs the question of the life insurance policy Brian took out only days before Sheila￯﾿ﾽs death.

Even more troubling to Melanie is her faltering relationship with Sam, who￯﾿ﾽs hiding secrets—secrets that put him more deeply under Sheila￯﾿ﾽs spell in death than in life. Now, it will take the instincts of a bloodhound to sniff out a killer who￯﾿ﾽs bent on putting an end to Melanie￯﾿ﾽs 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￯﾿ﾽs guaranteed to have mystery lovers sitting up and begging for more of Melanie Travis.

SYNOPSIS

Melanie Travis uses her bloodhound instincts to sniff out a killer after her fiancé's ex-wife is strangled to death with a leather dog leash.

FROM THE CRITICS

Toby Bromberg - Romantic Times

Once again, Laurien Berenson gives us a fascinating tale of dogs and murder. Melanie, her young son Davey, her Aunt Peg, and Sam are all wonderful characters. This is a strong entry in a popular series and the surprising ending will leave fans on tenterhooks.

Publishers Weekly

In this workman-like and winning cozy, the seventh in the series featuring teacher and dog-lover Melanie Travis (Underdog; Hush Puppy; etc.), Berenson takes readers deep into the dog-show subculture. A busy schedule is all that is keeping Melanie and her fianc , software designer Sam Driver, from setting a wedding date. Happily shepherding her six-year-old to soccer camp and preparing for her poodle's first litter, Melanie is alarmed when Sam's ex-wife, Sheila Vaughn, moves to the area. Vaughn has teamed up with an old college buddy of Sam's to launch a new magazine, Woof!, which promises to inject a little National Enquirer-style gossip into the standard, dull dog-show reporting. The inaugural issue does indeed sully the reputation of one prominent handler--and more nasty stories are in the pipeline--but Sheila misses all the excitement because someone strangles her the night before the magazine is due to make its debut at a dog show. The murder not only stirs up the dog pack, it also throws an emotional monkey wrench into Melanie's love life, for she must face the fact that Sam still harbors deep feelings for Sheila. In the course of her sniffing about, Melanie meets a range of personalities on the dog-show circuit, from the breeders to the photographers, but it's the milieu that stands out rather than the scantily drawn characters. There are some tender moments here, however, and the ending is a surprise on more than one front. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Library Journal

Series sleuth Melanie Travis (Hush Puppy), a special ed teacher who masquerades as a poodle breeder, hunts for the murderer of her boyfriend's ex-wife. A dependably well-written work especially appropriate for dog-mystery fans. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

Kirkus Reviews

Life's a bitch for Melanie Travis (Hush Puppy, 1999, etc.), schoolteacher and novice trainer of canine champions. Even her Standard Poodle's love life is better than hers. While Faith is happily awaiting her first litter, Melanie's main squeeze, hunky Sam Driver, is mooning over his ex-wife Sheila, who came east with her prize-winning Pugs for six months and stayed on to try to rock Sam's world-not to mention the high-class world of show dogs and their equally inbred owners. As co-publishers of Woof!, Sheila and her pre-Sam boyfriend Brian Endicott want to make a splash exposing shady breeders and sketchy owners. But just as their first issue's coming out, someone halts their press run by wrapping a leash around Sheila's pretty neck and leaving her dead on the floor of her rented North Salem cottage. Knowing that Sam won't be hers again until Sheila's murderer is caught, Melanie begins to sniff out the killer. At Woof!'s editorial office, managing editor Aubrey Jones gives her the cold shoulder, but her assistant, Tim Golonka, tells Melanie whose fur Sheila was about to ruffle: hot-tempered trainer Kenny Boyle and blue-blooded breeder Alida Trent. And sleazy staff photographer Marlon Dickie suggests that as surviving partner, Brian has as good a motive as any outsider. Melanie even gets a tip from Sheila's neighbor Nancy Benning, whose twins overheard a "mean man" yelling at Sheila. The most dramatic remaining question: Will Faith whelp her litter before Melanie brings her seventh case to an equally predictable outcome?