I've enjoyed the Melanie Travis series of dog-related crime stories for years, and now it's a pleasure to read what must be at least the third Christmas instalment. Melanie has two growing sons, a few large Poodles and a happy relationship by this point. So on with book 21, WAGGING THROUGH THE SNOW. Go on, it's not a long book and you deserve a treat.

Set in Stamford, New England, the story gets briskly under way just after Thanksgiving. Meg's scatty younger brother Frank Turnbull arrives to tell her that he bought ten acres of neglected land, as an impulse purchase, which turns out to be a Christmas tree farm. Frank reckons they can call it an investment and the family can all help him harvest the grown trees. Just Frank's luck, though, on their first inspection trip the family discovers a dead man lying in the snowy wood, reeking of gin. A small dog is curled up with him, whining pitifully. There's no indication of foul play, but how did the man come to be here in the first place?

Typically the author Laurien Berenson takes a different approach to a seasonal story, this time reminding us that not all families are happy, and some people who graduate with promising futures fall by the wayside. A wandering man with a drinking problem has a sad past but Melanie and her redoubtable Aunt Peg believe that this unfortunate is just as deserving of respect as anyone. And his little Maltese Terrier needs a good home. There seems no reason to suspect foul play, until a man arrives who claims he was the dead man's supporter in a drink rehab programme. If Pete really had cleaned up his lifestyle, his death now seems suspicious. Melanie just isn't able to let matters rest.

There's not much more to say except that if you already love the series you'll be quite right in thinking you want to grab this book too. At the end is a quick recipe for cinnamon cookies. I really like the Christmas tree farm location and WAGGING THROUGH THE SNOW contains the usual fun and games as well as cute dogs, so it would make a perfect stocking filler. Go fetch!