This book was not what I thought it would be like. Its a cozy mystery about a dog show judge and an ex- nun who decide to join a bridge card group. I’m not into either of these pastimes but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy this mystery. In fact as I read it I grew to love it more and more. I’m not familiar with the author but I will be ready to read book two when it is released in the future. I thought the book was very well written and I grew to love Peg and Rose. I loved the compassion and adoration that Peg lavished on her dogs and how she took in an abused dog and lovingly cared for it until it learned to trust her. I loved that Rose and her husband opened a home for abused women. I thought it was wonderful how two older women who were sister-in-laws and had never been able to stand each other or get along for years were able to forgive each other and work together to solve a crime. This book started out slowly and worked its way into an edge of seat nail biter. It was entertaining and unpredictable. The story seemed to flow smoothly and I thought it was an easy to read book. This book had everything I like to see in a cozy mystery.

When Peg Turnbull and her Sister-in-Law Rose Donovan join a bridge club they learn there’s more going on than playing cards. Two weeks after they join the club a long time member is found dead. Since he was shot police rule it as murder. Peg and Rose both have had some experience in sleuthing murder cases with Melonie their niece. They decide to investigate and dig up clues and motives even though Detective Rodney Sturgill warns them not to get involved. They can’t help but get involved because after all the police need all the help they can get. They didn’t see it coming when the real killer pays them a visit and it’s the last person they would have suspected!

I recommend this book to readers of cozy mystery and fans of the author. This is the first book of the Peg and Rose series. This book is scheduled to be released on 8/30/22.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are my own.

#PegandRoseSolveaMurder#NetGalley

Peg and Rose Solve a Murder by Laurien Berenson has been described as Murder, She Wrote meets The Golden Girls, and that's a pretty spot-on description! A spin-off of Berenson's popular Melanie Travis Mysteries, this is a fun read!

Peg and Rose are sister-in-laws who have not gotten along well in the past, with some regret about that. Peg, a show-dog breeder, and judge, and Rose, a former nun, are opposites who will have to put 40 years of differences aside to uncover a killer. Rose asks Peg to be her partner in a Bridge group. Sounds innocent enough, but a whole lot of shady stuff is going on with this Bridge group, including murder.

The dynamic between Peg and Rose did remind me a bit of The Golden Girls. Peg is a bit brash and Rose a bit naive, but both are opinionated and engage in verbal sparring with each other. The relationship and banter between Peg and Rose were the stars of this show. Even though the mystery is solid and well-plotted, and the book moved at a good pace, I'd say this is more character-driven than plot-driven. Seeing the relationship between Peg and Rose evolve alongside a murder investigation was entertaining. These two ladies are a hoot, and now that we know what a good crime-fighting team they make, I'll gladly read more of their shenanigans! And, all the dogs in the book were a big plus for this dog-lover!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review this ARC. I enjoyed it!

Peg and Rose Solve a Murder is the first in a new series which is a spin-off from the author’s Melanie Travis mysteries. Peg Turnbull is Melanie’s aunt and is an experienced dog breeder, dog handler, and dog show judge. She is smart and never hesitates to share her opinion which in Peg’s mind is always right. Rose Donovan is a former nun now married to a former priest who together run a women's shelter. Rose is the sister of Peg’s deceased husband and the two sisters-in-law have never gotten along. The book alternates between Peg and Rose’s point-of-view. Rose’s chapters allow us to get to know Rose’s husband Peter, too. Peter and Rose are a great couple and I really like that when Peter disagrees with his wife, he can make suggestions in a kind, loving way that are constructive instead of argumentative.

Peg is surprised when Rose asks her to join a bridge club with her and feeling lonely with Melanie and her family out of town, Peg is even more surprised to find herself agreeing. Peg and Rose are just getting used to playing together and are getting to know their fellow club members. When one of the members of the club is murdered in his own home, Peg and Rose decide to question the other club members to see how much information they can obtain. Peg and Rose are very different types of people but that makes them a good investigative team. They’re able to decide who will talk to different witnesses based on who will be able to get the most information out of that specific person. Through working on the investigation together, the women are able to find a way to get past their differences. Even when she’s at her most interfering and frustrating, Peg is an entertaining character. This book, more than the Melanie Travis series, shows a more vulnerable and likable side of Peg and I like that she brings out a more fun side of Rose as well.

As expected, there was plenty of insider information about dog shows and especially poodles. I enjoyed seeing Peg help a frightened rescue poodle that she comes across during the investigation. As much as I love all the information about dogs, I think some of the details about playing bridge were unnecessary. However, that is easily overlooked because the book is so good. I really hope this is only the beginning of a long partnership between Peg and Rose because this book was fantastic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an advance copy of this ebook. The ebook was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

I love Laurien Berenson's Melanie Travis series so I was excited to try this one. I think my main issue is that I've never been a fan of Peg; she's overbearing, harsh, and overall just unlikeable. What saves her is her love of dogs and wanting to make sure they are well treated. Credit Laurien Berenson for making an unlikeable character readable. Rose is the complete opposite and comes off as a pushover but then learns a lot from Peg (hopefully not too much as the series continues). This is a well-crafted mystery and while I figured out who the murderer was earlier on, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

A wonderful spin off series start! Peg, aunt and dog show judge, and Rose, a former nun are sisters in law who have never really liked each other- they're just too different. Or are they? Now they're both in their 70s and things have mellowed enough that they are bridge partners. Someone is cheating and then someone is murdered! They have to find out who did it. despite the warning from Detective Sturgill that they shouldn't meddle. This is delightful in ways beyond the mystery which is fairly standard cozy stuff. It's nice to have two 70 something protagonists and I really enjoy Peg and the poodles. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Looking forward to the next one!

Peg Turnbull loves to judge dog shows because it involves her favorite things: telling people what to do, airing her own opinions and of course dogs. Besides the dog shows, things have been a bit slow for her because her niece Melonie and family are away on a road trip. That leaves one person in town. Her sister in law Rose Donovan.
Rose is a former nun, who left the order to marry a former priest. When she was younger and full of herself, she judged Peg harshly and said quite a few hurtful things. Since then the two women have barely spoken to each other. Rose has an idea to keep the two ladies busy, she just needs peg's cooperation.
The idea is to join a Bridge club. Neither has played in a while, but Rose insists it's a great way to meet new people and keep their brains sharp. There are a lot of details for the Bridge game. Unless you have played an understand Bridge, I thought this part of the book was a bit tedious. I don't play and it went right over my head
There's been a shooting of one of the Bridge club members. Peg and Rose, air their differences, make peace and decide to try to solve the murder. The more they talk to the club members, the more it seems like something out of an old soap opera. Secrets, affairs, betrayals. Which was the one that broke the camel's back?
This story had many great features, getting to know a bit more about Peg and Rose, their own self-realizations and of course dog shows.
The culprit was a huge surprise.
Overall a fun read.

This is an excellent book with a murder mystery that seems unsolvable. Peg and Rose are hot on the trail of the perpetrator.
Rose Donovan looks for the good in everyone. With her sister-in-law, Peg, that sometimes requires a lot of searching. Even a sixty-something former nun like Rose has her limits, and gruff Peg Turnbull sure knows how to push them. But after forty years of bickering, they’re attempting to start over, partnering up to join the local bridge club.
Peg and Rose barely have a chance to celebrate their first win before one of the club’s most accomplished players is killed in his home. As the newest members, the sisters-in-law come under scrutiny and decide to start some digging of their own. Bridge is typically seen as a wholesome pastime, yet this group of senior citizens harbors a wealth of vices, including gambling, cheating, and adultery . . .
By comparison, Peg and Rose’s fractious relationship is starting to feel almost functional. But as their suspect list narrows, they’re unaware that their logic has a dangerous flaw. And they’ll have to hope that their teamwork holds steady when they’re confronted by a killer who’s through with playing games .
This book byLaurien Berenson is very .enjoyable.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily. .

Peg and Rose Solve a Mystery by Laurien Berenson is the first book in the Senior Sleuths Mystery series. This book has an interesting storyline but I felt it was a little slow going. I prefer a fast-paced mystery. I did enjoy the scenes with Peg interacting with her poodles and how Peg and Rose managed to repair their broken relationship. I've never played Bridge so I did not connect with those parts of the story. The dog shows and interactions with the characters and their pets was enjoyable.

This was a cute, cozy mystery…with dogs! A fun read! I really liked the emerging friendship between Peg and Rose.

It wasn't until I was partway through this book that I realized it was actually a spin-off of a much beloved long-running cozy mystery series--one I obviously haven't read. What drew me into this book was the adorable, modern cover and the promise of two old lady heroines working together to fight crime. Centered around long-feuding sisters-in-law, Peg and Rose, who reluctantly join a bridge club together to try and work out their differences, I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It doesn't try and reinvent the wheel, but doesn't feel stale either, and I liked seeing the two women's relationship develop. The mystery was creative, and I figured it out when I had all the pieces, but not too early. This one should be a hit for cozy mystery lovers!

Thanks to Kensington Books for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 8/10

I love the cozy mystery genre - especially if it involves old ladies from the Miss Marple variety. This was a sweet book and also gave a lot of information on dog shows. Read this and then watch - Best in Show. I would read this series just for Rose! ex-nun married to a priest - wonderful. Love the book.

Murder, She Wrote meets The Odd Couple in award-winning author Laurien Berenson’s brand-new series spun off from her much-loved Melanie Travis Canine Mysteries and featuring Melanie’s elderly aunts—cantankerous Peg and soft-spoken Rose—who’ll put aside their differences to stop a killer… if they don’t throttle each other first!
This is a fun cozy although it's a bit more elevated than your average cozy. The characters here are a hoot! And the mystery aspect is actually quite suspenseful. I really hope we get read these two again in the near future. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Peg and Rose Solve a Murder-Summary
From the publisher:
In the world of award-winning author Laurien Berenson's Melanie Travis Canine Mysteries, Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan, Melanie's chalk-and-cheese aunts, are especially beloved by readers. Now feisty Peg and sweet-natured Rose are putting their distinct differences to good use and joining forces as senior sleuths in a witty, warmhearted new mystery series . . .
Rose Donovan looks for the good in everyone. With her sister-in-law, Peg, that sometimes requires a lot of searching. Even a sixty-something former nun like Rose has her limits, and gruff Peg Turnbull sure knows how to push them. But after forty years of bickering, they're attempting to start over, partnering up to join the local bridge club.
Peg and Rose barely have a chance to celebrate their first win before one of the club's most accomplished players is killed in his home. As the newest members, the sisters-in-law come under scrutiny and decide to start some digging of their own. Bridge is typically seen as a wholesome pastime, yet this group of senior citizens harbors a wealth of vices, including gambling, cheating, and adultery . . .
By comparison, Peg and Rose's fractious relationship is starting to feel almost functional. But as their suspect list narrows, they're unaware that their logic has a dangerous flaw. And they'll have to hope that their teamwork holds steady when they're confronted by a killer who's through with playing games . . .

My Thoughts on Peg and Rose Solve a Murder
It took me awhile to get interested in the story. This book is more character driven than plot driven, so the pace is a bit slower. The plus side is the slower pace allowed me to get to know these two sisters-in-law and their strained relationship. The pace also allows the relationship to begin to change and develop as the two women find themselves investigating a murder.
Things I didn’t like. The story is slow to reach the murder. I don’t have a problem with a murder happening later in a book if the story holds my interest, and I had a bit of a problem staying interested in the story. There is also a lot of story space given to Peg Turnbull and her three Standard Poodles. On one hand, it slowed the story down, but on the other hand, the reader understands that since the death of her husband Max the dogs are her world, maybe a little too much. So that is an angle worth exploring in another book. Another issue I had is I don’t play bridge, so the bridge terms used throughout the book confused me, throwing me out of the story at times and it kept me at a distance.
So my feelings on this book are mixed. I liked reading about Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan, but the pace was slower than I like in a cozy. I became impatient for the murder to happen. The motive for the murder wasn’t difficult to figure out, which narrowed down the suspect pool fairly quickly. But the evolving relationship between Peg and Rose is an interesting one, and their personalities do come through on the page.
Peg and Rose Solve a Murder didn’t engage my imagination or my interest as much as I wanted it to. Will I read any more books in this series? I honestly don’t know.

Thanks to #Netgalley for providing a copy of #PegandRoseSolveaMurder

Sisters-in-law, Peg Turnball and Rose Donovan have never been friends. When former nun, Rose, approaches Peg to ask her to be her bridge partner in a local group, Peg hesitantly agrees. (You may know Aunt Peg from the Melanie Travis Mystery series by this Author). At the first week’s meeting, Peg detects cheating and gambling going on in the bridge club. Then, one of the members is murdered.

Peg and Rose decide to partner up as amateur sleuths and question all the bridge group members about their relationships with the victim. Detective Sturgill advises them to mind their own business which they ignore. It takes some time, during which the ice starts to thaw between Peg and Rose and they both decide they might like to be friends.

Author Berenson is a natural storyteller and keeps this plot moving steadily forward with multiple red herrings that lead from one possible suspect to another. Both Peg and Rose are capable women in their own rights; stubborn and sarcastic, yet loyal. When the puzzle pieces all finally fit together, the murder mystery is solved. I thoroughly enjoyed the human characters, the pet characters, humor, setting, and plot. Great ending! I look forward to reading future stories in this series.

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. All opinions are my own.

I've always enjoyed peg, marnie, faith and the kids but peg and rose held their own in this investor. Normally adversaries, they join to solve a difficult case out of boredom for peg because her ' family ' is on a road trip.
Enjoy
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

While I am familiar with the authors beloved Canine Mysteries, I have not yet read anything by this author. This is a 1st read for this author for me as welll as a 1st in a brand new series. I think it's a win- win.The two protagonists, Peg and Rose are featured in this spin off from the Canine series.The back story on them was just right explaining their past history of friendship..or perhaps better named non- friendship.

Although there is animosity between Peg and Rose,Rose wants to end any past disagreement and asks Peg to partner with her at a Community Center Bridge Club. When a Bridge Club member is murdered Peg and Rose team up to do som of their own investigating.
Things I love about this book:.
* the 2 main characters are seniors.
*the mystery was solid with lots of twists and the killer was not who I had thought it was.
*the location as I am Connecticut, born and bred.
*I loved seeing Peg and Rose's relationship bloom into true friendship.
*I enjoyed Peg's techniques on socializing a rescued toy poodle.
*I really enjoyed this book and hope the series continues. Oh, and I have a favorite quote : " I always think better with my hands on a dog"
Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Book and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book which publishesvon 8/30/22

I absolutely love The Melanie Travis Mysteries and Aunt Peg is my favorite character from that series by Laurien Berenson, who has written a book separate from the series: Peg and Rose solve a mystery. Rose is Peg's sister in law and she and Peg do not get along.
Despite that Rose tells Peg she signed her up as her partner for a bridge group.
Peg agrees. Not long after someone in the bridge group is murdered Peg and Rose decide to investigate why.
Melanie Travis who Peg usually investigates murders with her Aunt Peg is on vacation. Murder, mystery oh and of course Standard Poodles.
If love The Melanie Travis series and Standard Poodles you'll love Peg and Rose solve a murder. I hope there will be nooks in this series it's delightful and fun.

Peg and Rose Solve a Murder, Laurien Berenson, Kensington (Publish Date 8/30/22)
This book is the first book in the new cozy mystery series involving older sisters-in-law Peg and Rose. After decades of bad blood between the women stemming from past hurtful statements and actions, the women try to reconcile by forming a bridge team in their local Greenwich, CT community. Peg is in early 70s works as a dog handler and dog show judge while Rose is an ex-nun who now runs a women's' shelter with her ex-priest husband.

After a member of their new bridge club is murdered, Peg and Rose join forces to solve the mystery much to the chagrin of the local police detective. While this book is the first in the series, it is adjacent to the Melanie Travis canine mystery books. While there are references to Melanie and a recent mystery involving Rose that she solved, Melanie does not appear on the page. This book can be read as a stand-alone book without reading the Melanie Travis mysteries, which is what I did.

I give this book 4.5 stars for delightful and funny new cozy mystery with a pair of senior sleuths. I am definitely picking up the next book in the series.

Thank you Net Galley and Kensington books for the free book in exchange for an honest review. I have posted to Goodreads now and will post to Amazon on or shortly after the publication date.

I have been a fan of Laurien Berenson's Melanie Travis mysteries since finding them in the local library a few decades ago, and I have digital copies on my Kindle for re-reading and pre-order each new one. This companion book takes on two of Melanie's aunts, both of whom have, in the main series, drawn her into projects that turned into solving mysteries. Peg and Rose are both stubborn, convinced they're right, and rather demanding. Both loved Max, Peg's husband and Rose's brother, who's death was the starting incident for the very first book of the series. And neither like each other all that much.

Perhaps it is the latter which made this book feel slow than the Melanie Travis one. A lot of the first quarter of the book was spent on explaining this history, which, as a reader of the main series, I knew, but by being 3rd person vs the first person narration, felt a little more drawn out, Having said that, once the plot points were established, it moved quickly and the sisters in law made a successful team.

The other difference from the main series is that Melanie is usually an observer in a world not her own, As a result, I, as the reader,have learned about dog shows, about obedience training, about pet therapy, about dog conferences, about doggie daycare, and a lot of other facts as Melanie has. In this case, while the Bridge club served as a framing event, it was just something to introduce the characters. Peg and Rose didn't really learn anything about Bridge, and therefore I didn't, either.

Having said all that, this is a worthy spin off of an excellent series. I will add this book to the collection as it comes out. I also think it would be a worthy stand alone, which might be appealing to readers a but nervous about jumping into a long-runner.

I am an educator and clicked that I wouldn't be recommending this one to my students. I wish to make it clear that this has more to do, simply, with middle school aged kids not necessarily finding discussions of bridge and why two sisters-in law might struggle in their relationship less interesting. Content wise, like many cosy mysteries, this would be appropriate for teen readers who enjoy mysteries, just maybe not popular enough to spend a school library's budget on.

It is a rare book that makes me laugh out loud during the first paragraph, but Laurien Berenson did just that with "Judging dogs involved three of her favorite things: telling people what to do; airing her own opinions; and of course, interacting with the dogs themselves." I knew at that moment that Peg Turnbull and I were going to be fast friends.
Peg and Rose Solve a Murder is a spin off of the Melanie Travis series are readers of that series will be familiar with the main characters Peg and Rose. This was a new author for me, and I am looking forward to reading her other books. The dialogue between Peg and Rose reminds me of the Golden Girls: witty, sarcastic, and gentle when needed. Throughout the course of the book we get to see their relationship go from grudging sisters in law to friends while they work to solve the murder of one of the members of their bridge group.
I really enjoyed this book and found it sweet, snarky, and humorous simultaneously. Thank you Net Galley for this advanced copy - I am looking forward to reading the series.