by Sandra Murphy

This week we have reviews of a pair of mysteries that both involve dogs-Die Another Dane By Laurien Berenson and Dying Cry By Margaret Mizushima. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win copies of both books and links to purchase them from Amazon at the end of each review.

Die Another Dane by Laurien Berenson
Review by Sandra Murphy

Melanie Travis has her hands full with two sons, ages 15 and six. Davie, the oldest, likes to ‘encourage’ Kevin in his demands. As if he needed encouragement! Now Kevin’s seen a Great Dane at a dog show and has decided he needs a big dog of his own. It doesn’t matter that there are five standard poodles and one spotted mixed breed (who is Kevin’s dog) living in the house.

Ever so ‘helpful’, Melanie’s Aunt Peg (a force to be reckoned with) introduces Kevin and Melanie to Audrey, who breeds and shows Great Danes. Having heard about Melanie’s ability to find and solve crimes, including murders, Audrey asks for Melanie’s help in recovering a stolen brooch. She’s fairly certain her stepsister took it.

Before Melanie can make any progress in finding the brooch, Audrey is killed. Melanie is more than surprised when Audrey’s stepsister asks for help in finding the killer. With 10 Great Danes to rehome, Melanie of course ends up bringing one home – only to foster! Four people, five poodles, one Great Dane, and a scruffy little dog with attitude in one house, Aunt Peg ‘encouraging and helping,’ – it’s no wonder she’s willing to solve murders!

This is book 30 in the popular series. Melanie faces the challenges of raising a pre-teen and a younger brother, caring for the dogs, an easygoing husband, and dealing with Aunt Peg who some might say is overbearing (she says encouraging) with a calm most people couldn’t manage. The mysteries are always clever, the wit adds to the tone, and all the information about dogs only adds to the story and never gets in the way.

It’s watching the family grow and change, overcome problems great and small, and love one another above all that keeps readers coming back for more.

Aunt Peg, because you know how she gets, has a series of her own – well, shared with her sister-in-law, Rose. Each thinks the other leads a strange life but in the end, they bond over solving murders on their own, sometimes recruiting Melanie, of course. Well worth a read.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

Dying Cry by Margaret Mizushima
Review by Sandra Murphy

Mattie and Cole Walker are now married. His girls are happy about it too, always a plus. For a family outing, they take the girls to a remote canyon to practice snowshoeing when a scream is heard, followed by silence. A deputy, Mattie has to investigate. Cole and the girls go for help while Mattie and Robo, her K-9, investigate.

A shadowy figure is seen near the base of a cliff but disappears before Mattie and Robo can reach the area. Robo’s able to follow the scent of an unknown human and is ahead of Mattie. A rockslide buries the victim before they can reach him. Despite all efforts, the man is dead. And he’s someone Cole knows.

There’s little chance the death was an accident but there’s little proof to point out the killer. Greed is the motive. When danger comes to Mattie, Robo, and Cole’s family, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

To say more would give too much information and spoil the read. Mattie is a nervous new stepmom. She knows the girls love her but that was as a friend, not a live in substitute mother. Angie, the oldest, is nervous and worries after an incident that happened during Mattie’s last big case. Sophie takes things more at face value. Cole has mixed feelings – pride at the work she does and how she does it but worry as well. And Robo? He’s learned to air scent, which means to search for a person without an article of their clothing for their scent. He knows to follow the scent of any human recently in the area. He loves his work. Readers will love learning how it’s done.

This is book 10 in the series and they just get better and better. It’s one of my favorite reads.

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of both books, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “pair of dogs” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 22, 2025. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

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Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s the editor for the upcoming Yeet Me in St Louis, an anthology with stories from twelve St. Louis writers. Her own short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Magazine, and anthologies such as The Perp Wore Pumpkin and I (Almost) Died in Your Arms. ‘Lucy’s Tree’, published in The Eyes of Texas, won a Derringer Award from the Short Mystery Fiction Society. She lives in St. Louis with Ozzie the Westie Impersonator and his sidekick in crime, Louie the Cat.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.