When Peg Turnbull had to take a break from her job judging dogs in the local dog show, she was irritated. Not so much for the break, but for the person waiting to talk to her. It was her sister-in-law Rose, someone she’d had a long and contentious relationship with. Peg had been married to Rose’s brother, and the two women had never gotten along well, not since Peg had first met Rose at the convent.
Now Rose was sitting in the small audience section at the dog show, waiting on Peg, while Peg has a busy day of judging that’s only half over. During her short lunch break, Peg goes to find out what Rose wants and is surprised when Rose asks her to be her partner in a local bridge club. Peg hadn’t played bridge in years, but she was curious about why Rose had chosen her. She thought she’d give it a try.
After decades of service as a nun, Rose had left the convent and married. She and her husband had traveled for awhile, helping where they could, and now they’re back in Connecticut, running a home for women who were in transition from dangerous relationships to a better life. But when Rose had been asked to join a bridge club, she wanted to say yes. She just needed to find a partner. She knew that Peg had played back in college, and while they had their problems through the years, Rose thought that maybe it was time to make peace. And maybe this was her opportunity. So she asked her.
Their first afternoon at the bridge club had not gone well. Everyone was friendly, and there were lovely snacks. But Peg was rustier than she thought, and she and Rose just couldn’t seem to get on the same page. Their second attempt was better, and they even managed to win against the first team they were matched against. (It helped that Rose had figured out that they were cheating and came up with a way to thwart them.) But they lost their second match, to longtime friends Stan and Mick.
Before they can try for a third meeting with the bridge club, Stan is shot in his home.
Peg has never been one to let things go, and this situation is no exception. Rose, too, is concerned about the people in the bridge club and wants to know who could have done such a thing. The two women, despite being in their 70s, decide to ask some questions of their fellow competitors. It seems innocent enough, just asking questions of new friends, until someone shoots out the window of Peg’s kitchen. Clearly, someone is not happy about these women investigating the murder. But will that be enough to stop them from finding the truth? Or will they keep putting themselves in the path of danger until it’s too late?
Peg and Rose Solve a Murder is a charming new cozy mystery from Laurien Berenson, who writes the popular Melanie Travis Canine Mysteries. Peg and Rose are both characters who have appeared in the Melanie Travis series, as Peg is Melanie’s aunt, so this book is written into a universe that has already existed for almost 30 novels and is completely at ease with the setting and the characters.
I enjoyed Peg and Rose Solve a Murder not only for the characters but for the friction that always seems to be fizzing between them. They are very different women, with very different backgrounds, and watching them try to work together first as bridge partners and then trying to solve a murder together was lots of fun. The murder mystery was interesting and smartly plotted, but in this book, Peg and Rose are very much the stars. There are poodles, there is cake, there is a little gardening. But mostly, there is Peg and there is Rose, and I think that’s about all you need to create an entertaining story.
Egalleys for Peg and Rose Solve a Murder were provided by Kensington Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.
