This Series Is Off To A Fine Start
Dollycas's Thoughts
Sisters-in-law Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan are complete opposites and have a rocky relationship but Rose decides to take the bull by the horns in hopes they can build a healthier less contentious connection. She asks Peg to join a local bridge club with her and be her partner. Peg has not played bridge in years and she questions Rose's motives but finally agrees to give the group a try. They don't fair too well on their first day which Rose blames Peg for and Peg counters that some of their opponents may have been cheating. Still, they agree to return the following week.
Sadly before they can get a rematch one of the group's players is murdered in his home. All of the members of the tight-knit group are questioned but as the newest members, Rose and Peg are given extra attention. Peg knows the drill, to clear their names they need to do some investigating on their own. An investigation that uncovers their new friends have some skeletons in their closets. Could one of those skeletons have stacked the cards against the newly deceased? Will Peg and Rose solve the murder before the killer turns the tables on them? Can the two septuagenarian new closer relationship trump everything and keep them safe?
We have met and gotten to know well Peg Turnbull in Laurien Berenson's Melanie Travis Mystery Series. She is a treasure, set in her ways and not afraid to give her opinions and tell you what she thinks about almost any subject but her life revolves around her dogs. She is a breeder/owner of several standard poodles and also a judge of many breeds at dog shows near and far. Her usual sleuthing partner is her niece Melanie but Melanie is traveling across the country on a family vacation. So she takes what she has learned from her escapades with Melanie and teams up with Rose to solve the murder. Rose is a former nun who has traveled the world and fell in love with a priest who she married. They have recently returned to town and have opened a woman's shelter. These women couldn't be more different but that starts to change within the pages of this book. The author has these characters take some very interesting steps as they investigate and learn about what really happens in each other's lives.
The murder mystery has several viable suspects and I enjoyed following along with Peg and Rose as they worked through each of them coming up as to why each had a motive to kill. The clues were cleverly dropped to keep the story moving at a nice pace leading up to a great reveal.
With the unique relationship between Rose and Peg, the story contains quite a few humourous moments. I also loved that Peg's dogs were featured and that Peg even took on helping a new little pup. Ms. Berenson knows dogs and she crafts them so that each one has its own distinct personality. It really makes them as true to life as her human characters.
Peg and Rose Solve A Murder was a darling little read and has set this series off to a fine start. I am looking forward to seeing how this series moves forward knowing that Peg is a key character in the author's other series.
