July 1, 2022
With Melanie Travis away on vacation, it falls to her feuding aunts to solve a crime. Widowed Peg Turnbull is a respected breeder of standard poodles and a well-known judge for many different breeds. When her sister-in-law, Rose Donovan, a former nun married to a former priest, turns up at a show, Peg wonders why, as they have a bad relationship due to the disapproving things Rose said when Peg married her brother. Although Rose prefers cats and finds dog shows boring, she says she wants to get to know Peg better and asks her to be her partner at a bridge club. On their arrival, the pair meet their fellow players: a mixed group of men and women, some married, some not, some much better at bridge than others. Despite their own rusty skills and Peg's observation that at least one of the teams is cheating, the women both enjoy themselves. At their second session, they go down to defeat against the most skilled of the group, Mick Doran and Stan Peters. When Stan is shot to death, the frenemies decide to do a little sleuthing and use the information they've picked up at bridge club to line up some suspects even though a detective Peg has crossed swords with before warns them off. Ignoring him, they question all the bridge players. But when someone shoots at Peg and her three precious poodles, it seems likely that they're closing in on the killer. If you love dogs and bridge, this character-driven mystery will be especially pleasing.
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July 18, 2022
This solid series launch from Berenson, a spin-off from her Melanie Travis canine mysteries, features Melanie’s forthright aunt, Peg Turnbull, a dog show judge in Greenwich, Conn., and Peg’s sister-in-law, Rose Donovan, a former nun who married a former priest. From the moment they first met, the two women disliked each other, their animosity fueled by Rose having never considered Peg to be good enough for her brother. Now, both women are in their 70s, and Peg is widowed. Peg is taken aback when Rose asks Peg to be her partner at a bridge club. “I can’t spend all my time doing good works,” Rose explains, adding, “Besides, bridge isn’t a frivolous game.” Against her better judgement, Peg agrees to take part. Most of their fellow card players are retired and have been teamed together for years. When one of them is murdered, the two ladies decide to investigate. Their sleuthing efforts often take second place to the rapport that builds between the protagonists and the many tips on poodle care and dog training. Fans of the Melanie Travis series will be delighted.
September 15, 2022
Peg Turnbull is surprised when her sister-in-law, Rose Donovan, shows up at the dog show she is judging. The two have never gotten along, but Rose is determined to recruit Peg as her bridge partner. Peg reluctantly agrees, and when one of the bridge group is murdered, the two feel compelled to investigate, against the wishes of the Stamford, Connecticut, police. They know they're getting close when Peg is attacked in her home. With wildly different personalities, Peg and Rose often clash, but by the end, apologies are made and accepted, leading to a tentative friendship. This spin-off from Berenson's Melanie Travis mysteries (Melanie is Peg and Rose's niece) combines well-delineated but very different senior protagonists with details of raising, showing, and judging show dogs, especially poodles, The resolution of the long-standing feud sets the table for future outings for the sisters-in-law turned sleuths.
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