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.