Peg and Rose Deck the Halls - (Senior Sleuths Mystery) by Laurien Berenson (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Sisters-in-law Peg and Rose are preparing for Christmas in Connecticut, with the annual dog-show fundraiser as a highlight. But when the jingle bell tolls for a party guest, a murder investigation breeds trouble in the latest Senior Sleuths Mystery from bestselling author Laurien Berenson.

Peg has always been the alpha dog when it comes to the Cherry Valley Kennel Club's annual Christmas fundraiser--so she isn't thrilled that Jonabell Goff has been chosen to run it this year. Especially since she's had run-ins with the abrasive and rather incompetent board member. Still, she tries to be a pleasant hostess when Jonabell attends her holiday open house. But the two have no chance to work out their differences after Jonabell drops dead . . .

Rose, a former nun with the patience of a saint, may have her squabbles with her grumpy sister-in-law, but she knows Peg is no murderer. Rose is busy trying to provide a festive Christmas for the residents at the women's shelter, but now that Peg is in a vulnerable position too--with the police suspecting her and locals giving her the cold shoulder--she jumps into the investigation. Had the kennel club treasurer been dipping her snout in the funds? What secrets were the victim's friends and family hiding? Or did her domineering personality just drive someone to finally unleash their rage?

It's a good thing Peg and Rose have become amateur sleuths, because this killer needs to be stopped before causing even more mayhem . . .

Review Quotes

Praise for the Senior Sleuths Mysteries by Laurien Berenson

"Taking the sisters-in-laws' complicated relationship to a new level, Berenson combines a thorough tutorial on the care of yearlings with a chilling account of the vice than can infect those who care for them. Berenson at her best." --Kirkus Reviews on Peg and Rose Play the Ponies

"Though Berenson has moved the setting from dog shows to horse stables, series fans will get exactly what they came for: lively banter, a breezy mystery, and plenty of amusing animal antics. This is good fun." --Publishers Weekly on Peg and Rose Play the Ponies

"A well-layered mystery brimming with compassion, as Peg and Rose both use their different strengths to get to the heart of what really happened at Six Oaks Farm. This is also a great book for anyone who wants to learn more about both dog shows and the process of raising and selling thoroughbred horses....Delightfully solid counterprogramming to the sexy summer thrillers that usually dominate the book industry in the hotter months of the year. If you need a break from sizzling beach reads, this heartfelt tale of amateur detectives solving a murder while on a Labor Day weekend road trip is the perfect palate cleanser for your mystery reader's brain." --Criminal Element on Peg and Rose Play the Ponies

"Clever and sharp twists and turns--tracked by two spunky retiree protagonists--will once again charm and delight cozy mystery lovers." --Shelf Awareness on Peg and Rose Stir Up Trouble

"Endearing...Berenson supplements the mystery with several welcome trips to the dog show ring. This will appeal to dog lovers and mystery readers." --Publishers Weekly on Peg and Rose Stir Up Trouble

"Gentle Rose and determined Peg make an appealing pair...Long live the senior sleuths." --Kirkus Reviews on Peg and Rose Stir Up Trouble

"This Golden Girls-style cozy mystery has plenty of humor and style... Perfect for cozy aficionados looking for a new series and some laughs." --Library Journal on Peg and Rose Stir Up Trouble

"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." --Booklist on Peg and Rose Stir Up Trouble

"With Melanie Travis away on vacation, it falls to her feuding aunts to solve a crime . . . If you love dogs and bridge, this character-driven mystery will be especially pleasing." --Kirkus Reviews on Peg and Rose Solve a Murder

"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 starring cases for the sisters-in-law turned sleuths." --Booklist on Peg and Rose Solve a Murder

"Fans of Laurien Berenson's Melanie Travis Canine mysteries will enjoy seeing Peg and Rose, secondary characters in some of her other books, take center stage. Berenson gives Peg and Rose rich backgrounds that bring them to life, and her strong storytelling skills will have you guessing whodunit until the end." --Mystery Scene on Peg and Rose Solve a Murder

"Fans of the Melanie Travis series will be delighted." --Publishers Weekly on Peg and Rose Solve a Murder

"Fans of Laurien Berenson's long-running Melanie Travis Canine Mysteries will be thrilled with Peg and Rose Solve a Murder, the first entry in a new spinoff series featuring Melanie's engaging aunts, Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan . . . [Peg and Rose] stand on their own as capable, witty women who are more than up to the task of crime-solving." --BookPage on Peg and Rose Solve a Murder

"Peg and Rose Solve a Murder really does have the sass of The Golden Girls mixed with the shenanigans of Murder, She Wrote, though with a lot more animal friends than either. I'm greatly looking forward to being charmed by more of Peg and Rose's adventures together as this warm, witty series continues." --Criminal Element on Peg and Rose Solve a Murder

"Author Laurien Berenson writes with a breezy flair that's perfect for this kind of mystery, and that breeze blows in the humor...Mystery mavens who love dogs will particularly love this book, as will readers who enjoy sleuths who are past A Certain Age." -Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Syndicate on Peg and Rose Solve a Murder

"A real hoot!" --Suspense Magazine on Peg and Rose Solve a Murder

"Lots of canine fun...Anyone who loves dogs, especially poodles, dog shows, and silver-haired sleuths, will enjoy this new cozy mystery series by Lauren Berenson." --San Francisco Book Review on Peg and Rose Solve a Murder

"Fans of the long-running Murder, She Wrote television show, featuring the late Angela Lansbury, will welcome Versailles, KY author Laurien Berenson's new Senior Sleuth Mystery book series." --Kentucky Living on Peg and Rose Solve a Murder

About the Author

Laurien Berenson is the bestselling author of the Melanie Travis Canine Mysteries and the Senior Sleuths Mystery Series. An Agatha and Macavity finalist, she's a four-time winner of the Maxwell Award, presented by the Dog Writers Association of America. She and her husband live on a farm in Kentucky surrounded by dogs and horses. Visit her online at LaurienBerenson.com.