The Bark Before Christmas

In Berenson’s enjoyable 18th Melanie Travis canine mystery (after 2014’s Death of a Dog Whisperer), the headmaster of Howard Academy in Greenwich, Conn., presses Melanie, who has recently resumed her old job as a special-needs tutor at Howard, into serving as the chair of the school’s annual Christmas bazaar fund-raiser. One of the event’s biggest attractions is pet photos with Santa. Unfortunately, Kiltie, the West Highland White Terrier belonging to wealthy, troublesome Hanover parent Sondra McEvoy, goes missing from the crowded show, as does the show’s Santa Claus, a last-minute replacement about whom the headmaster knows little. When Sondra threatens to sue the school for the loss of Kiltie (valued at $100,000), Melanie, aided by her redoubtable aunt Peg Turnbull, must squeeze detection into her busy holiday schedule. The Travis family’s six Standard Poodles, as well as various other breeds, all play major roles in a whodunit sure to please dog-loving cozy readers. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Oct.)