by Sarah Erwin & Sandra Murphy

This week we have 3 more fun cozy mysteries for your end of summer reading-Murder Buys a One-Way Ticket by Laura Levine, A Murder for the Sages by Amy Lillard, and Peg and Rose Play the Ponies by Laurien Berenson. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of all 3 books and links to purchase them from Amazon at the end of each review.

Murder Buys a One-Way Ticket by Laura Levine
Review by Sarah Erwin

While Murder Buys a One-Way Ticket by Laura Levine is reportedly the final installment in the Jaine Austen Mystery series, readers new to the series will be happy to know there are 20 books total to enjoy!

In this hilarious, fast-paced mystery, struggling freelance writer Jaine Austen gets what she hopes is a lucky break––she’s hired to ghostwrite a fitness book for Chip Miller, aka Iron Man, a wealthy gym chain owner. While Jaine might enjoy scoops of ice cream more than working out at the gym, she’s happy to have a project with a pretty hefty paycheck. And to kick off this new writing project, Chip invites Jaine to join his family and associates on an exclusive train ride from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. He even tells Jaine to bring her feisty cat Prozac along!

Once on board, Jaine quickly realizes that Chip is an egotistical tyrant, bullying all those around him, and as a result everyone on board seems to despise Chip. Readers won’t be surprised, then, when Chip is found murdered in his train cabin. Being the one to find Chip dead, Jaine becomes the number one suspect in the eyes of the police, so like any good sleuth, she must work to prove her innocence and find the guilty party.

What follows is 228 pages of pure fun, intermingled with a solid mystery. Asides from Prozac the cat, and Jaine’s entertaining inner monologue kept me chuckling as I turned the pages. Interspersed throughout the story are emails from Jaine’s parents about their life in their retirement community. I laughed out loud while reading those and wished we could have a story featuring her parents and their community because they sound like a hoot.

Readers looking for mysteries with some entertaining and zany antics should pick up this latest entry in the series. It was a wild ride for Jaine, and I loved being a part of it.

You can click here to purchase the book from Amazon.

A Murder for the Sages by Amy Lillard
Review by Sarah Erwin

While A Murder for the Sages is book three in Amy Lillards “Sunflower Cafe Mysteries” it is the first one I read, and I enjoyed it tremendously. It was especially fun to listen to as an audiobook, narrated by Lisa S. Ware.

Sissy Yoder is a secret advice columnist and also works at her Aunt Bethel’s Sunflower Café in Yoder, Kansas, home to such a close-knit, cozy community. The mystery novel opens with everyone in the cafe talking about the unusual death of herb farmer Ginger Reed. Deputy Sheriff Earl Berry has ruled it an accidental death, but customers aren’t sure they buy that–did Ginger really accidentally run herself over with the tractor?

Naomi, a friend and employee of Ginger and Sissy’s cousin, insists Ginger’s death must be murder. She asks for Sissy’s help, and Sissy, along with her loyal Yorkie companion, Duke, is on the case. What Sissy soon discovers is that there is a rather long list of suspects, and she wants to keep digging but Naomi suddenly puts the brakes on the investigation.

I adored the small town setting and wonderful characters. I wanted to travel to Yoder and dine at the Sunflower Cafe. Aside from the murder, it felt like a place where I could forget my worries and simply enjoy the company.

I don’t know how Sissy keeps her advice columnist alter ego Aunt Bess a secret, and I’m glad she shares it with a trusted few here. The Aunt Bess sayings at the start of each chapter are delightful. I especially enjoyed the family dinners and Sissy’s dog Duke. It’s fun to watch Sissy really come into her own and defend her choice to stay in Yoder and live in a chicken coop to her well-meaning but meddlesome mom. I’m cheering for Sissy to write a book. There’s also a charming romantic interest for Sissy that has me eagerly awaiting the next book.

A truly cozy treat for mystery fans!

You can click here to purchase the book from Amazon.

Sarah Erwin started her career as a children’s librarian, later becoming a public library director and now she’s a stay at home mom. While her career might have changed, her love of reading has been a constant since 4th grade and she reads over 200 books a year. Read along with her on her blog Sarah Can’t Stop Reading or on Instagram. Sarah lives in St. Louis, MO with her two kids, her husband and a family dog and cat.

Peg and Rose Play the Ponies by Laurien Berenson
Review by Sandra Murphy

A few years ago, Peg was surprised to inherit a racehorse, a broodmare actually. So far, she’s sold the yearlings and accepted that the farm where the mare lives knows what they’re doing and will get the best price.

This year, she’s judging a dog show nearby and decides to visit the farm since she’s in the area. Of course, she invites (coerces) Rose to go along. It’s quite a treat for Rose to see Peg in a situation where she’s not the know-it-all.

Once a year, a huge auction is held and the logistics are mind boggling as horses are shifted from barn to barn to show ring with arriving horses timed to coincide with departing horses as sales are finalized.

The yearling manager, Jim Grable, might be congenial to clients but to the hired hands, it’s another story. No one complains because word would spread fast—in Jim’s favor. It’s easier to not cause problems.
When Jim is found dead, it’s thought he was kicked by a horse, but a hammer found nearby proves someone finally spoke back to Jim.

One of the trainers is the prime suspect. Peg is sure the woman is innocent. Can she and Rose prove it? With so many people coming and going, it’s a real challenge.

Peg and Rose are learning to get along after many years of estrangement. Peg tends to make all the decisions and expects Rose, a former nun, to go along with the plan. Rose is learning to share her own ideas and challenge Peg’s thinking.

Berenson writes the Melanie Travis mysteries (Peg being Melanie’s Aunt Peg). There are now 29 of those plus three Peg and Rose books. In each, readers will learn a lot but it’s by osmosis rather than by lecture (well, Peg lectures a bit sometimes). The characters are sure to be favorites, the mysteries good to the last word, and there are horses and dogs. What else could you need?

You can click here to purchase this book from Amazon.

To enter to win a copy of all 3 books, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “even more cozies” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 7, 2024. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s the editor for the upcoming Yeet Me in St Louis, an anthology with stories from twelve St. Louis writers. Her own short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Magazine, and anthologies such as The Perp Wore Pumpkin and I (Almost) Died in Your Arms. ‘Lucy’s Tree’, published in The Eyes of Texas, won a Derringer Award from the Short Mystery Fiction Society. She lives in St. Louis with Ozzie the Westie Impersonator and his sidekick in crime, Louie the Cat.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.