May 1, 2023
Berenson’s appealing yet meandering second cozy featuring sexagenarian dog show judge Peg Turnbull and her sister-in-law Rose Donovan (after 2022’s Peg and Rose Solve a Murder) finds Rose meddling in Peg’s private life. She convinces the widowed Peg to sign up for a seniors-focused dating site and, after a few false starts, Peg meets Nolan Abercrombie, a witty, urbane suitor who “looks like George Clooney’s father.” When he expresses an interest in dogs, the usually intractable Peg is enchanted. Her elation is short-lived, though: Nolan is killed in a hit-and-run just a few weeks after they start dating. The police believe it’s an accident, but Peg and Rose suspect foul play. As the bickering best friends dig into Nolan’s background, their list of possible suspects increases, and Peg starts to fear someone from her beloved’s complicated past was out to get him. Peg and Rose’s interplay is more lived in and endearing than it was in their last outing, and Berenson supplements the mystery with several welcome trips to the dog show ring. This will appeal to dog lovers and mystery readers who prefer a pleasant stroll over a race to the finish line. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency.
July 1, 2023
Melanie Travis' redoubtable Aunt Peg gets a well-deserved franchise of her own. After years in the background of her niece's sleuthing adventures, Peg Turnbull landed a starring role in Peg and Rose Solve a Murder (2022). Her success helped her patch up a longtime feud with her sister-in-law, Rose Donovan, and opened the door to a follow-up outing for the two feisty seniors. This time, the trouble begins when Rose convinces Peg to join the Mature Mingle dating site, where after a few false starts she meets Nolan Abercrombie. Strong-minded Peg is initially smitten with the well-spoken and attentive Nolan until Rose points out how superficial his attentions are. So Peg's not unduly distressed to learn that Nolan has been killed in a traffic accident--at least not until her old friend Det. Rodney Sturgill of the Stamford, Connecticut, police department points out that the car that hit Nolan made no attempt to brake to avoid him. Their curiosity piqued, Peg and Rose attend Nolan's funeral, where they meet dozens of women who had had relationships of varying duration and intensity with Peg's late suitor. Gentle Rose and determined Peg make an appealing pair, and the story of the much-mingling Nolan Abercrombie is likely to strike a resonant chord among the target audience. Peg's poodles make a welcome appearance, while kindly Rose takes in a few strays of her own. Long live the senior sleuths.
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June 1, 2023
Berenson's second "Senior Sleuths Mystery" (following Peg and Rose Solve a Murder) features combative sisters-in-law Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan back on the case in quaint Connecticut. Determined to get Peg back on the dating scene, Rose makes her an online Mature Mingle profile. Peg meets Nolan through the dating app; however, before their relationship intensifies, Nolan is killed in a hit-and-run that's deemed a murder. Turns out Nolan was quite the lothario of Mature Mingle and more than one jilted woman would want the con man dead. Peg and Rose set out to investigate by befriending various women from Nolan's past, other business associates, and his estranged son. As they zero in on the killer, Peg and Rose untangle an impressive web of lies, theft, and a few brushes with death themselves. VERDICT This Golden Girls--style cozy mystery has plenty of humor and style. Readers should expect a slow burn, since the narrative action fails to ignite until midway through the story. Perfect for cozy aficionados looking for a new series and some laughs.--Linsey Milillo
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July 14, 2023
Formerly estranged sisters-in-law Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan have reached a tentative d�tente, but they still routinely annoy one another. Peg reluctantly agrees when Rose convinces her to sign up with dating site Mature Mingle, and is flattered when handsome Nolan Abercrombie pursues her. However, some red flags soon appear in the relationship, so Peg isn't devastated when Abercrombie is killed by a hit-and-run driver. At the funeral, she and Rose notice that the mourners are almost all women, and they soon learn Abercrombie made a habit of pursuing wealthy women, convincing them to invest in his business ventures, then dumping them. Abercrombie's murder feels personal for Peg, so she and Rose investigate, interviewing the many suspects, leading to Rose being attacked. The well-drawn bickering senior sleuths, sympathetic secondary characters, the frame of the women's shelter where Rose works, and Peg's dog show world (and love of poodles) all add up to a satisfying cozy.
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