You Can't Cheat Death

Magnolia Hill Mystery #1

by Peggy Doviak

With her financial planning business beginning to flourish in Magnolia Hill, Oklahoma, Jillian Bradford is stunned to learn her old high school flame Stan Savage is not only back in town but suddenly cutting into her business with rash promises of investing success. Jillian doesn’t mind a little competition, but she knows Stan doesn’t possess the smarts or the training to handle the precious retirement accounts of her savvy senior friends.

No sooner does Jillian tell Stan to drop dead than her nemesis bites the Oklahoma dust in his Porsche. Having unearthed evidence that Stan had been running a Ponzi scheme, Jillian has a hunch that the lying, cheating thief had plenty of enemies in their small college town. But the police dismiss her theory that Stan’s death was more than an accident.

Solving Stan’s murder is ever-present on Jillian’s mind as she juggles clients while preparing her horse Agatha for the 4th of July parade. Will Jillian find the murderer before she becomes the next victim?

Genres: Mystery

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2024

About the author

When Peggy Doviak’s mother got taken to the cleaners by an unscrupulous stockbroker, Peggy got mad. She was so angry that she changed careers from corporate training to financial planning because she wanted to ensure that what happened to her mother never happened to anyone else.

Now, a best-selling personal finance and cozy mystery author and radio host of “Ask Peggy About Your Finances,” Peggy Doviak is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER practitioner and financial consumer advocate.

When Peggy isn't working writing, she loves to read, travel, and spend time with her 2 cats and 2 horses.

Reviews

[Laurie Conklin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peggy Doviak's debut Cozy Mystery is a delightful story that will keep you guessing until the bitter end! Jillian is a financial planner in her hometown and the last person that she expects competition from is Stan, her high school flame and ex-boyfriend who has returned and is seen by the locals as the Golden Boy and prodigal son. If it isn't bad enough that he is stealing her customers, he is engaging in questionable practices. When he dies in an accident he leaves behind a whole host of questions. Primarily, was his death truly the accident that the police have determined it to be? Jillian shouldn't care, but her sense of right and wrong won't allow her to leave it alone. Come along for a roller coaster ride with this Who Done It and watch the beginning of a new career for Peggy Doviak. Enjoy!

[DeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is Peggy Doviak debut Cozy Mystery. She is better known for her financial books. But I’m telling you this is just a magnificent story and it’s definitely going to keep you reading.
The main character has a beautiful name just so happens to also be my granddaughter’s name so it made it a fun read for me.
Jillian lives in a small town and she’s a financial planner. There happens to be another financial planner in town and it just happens to be her high school boyfriend Stan. After a fatal accident, or was it!?!? Jillian steps in to try to find out what happened to Stan and also to clean up all his financial messes that he made for his clients and clients that he stole from her!
You will have to read this book to find out. Was it an accident or not? ???
This is going to be a great series and I’m starting book number two right now.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great start to a new series and it's from a debut mystery writer! Main character, Jillian Bradford is a financial planner who learns her former high school flame has set himself up as a competitor. Soon after learning he has returned and is poaching some of her clients, he is found dead. Looking into things for the most recent client to leave her, Jillian suspects he is running a Ponzi scheme and is determined to prove this along with the fact that his death was not accidental.
Jillian is a great character, flawed like all of us, but a dedicated professional and loyal friend. She's also a horsewoman who loves animals. The plot has just enough twists to keep a reader guessing. No spoilers, but the method of death is novel and not one regular mystery readers are used to seeing.
Looking forward to book two, it's up soon!

[Emily C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jillian, the financial planning businesswoman, unexpectedly runs into her ex, Stan Savage - a man she knows is running a Ponzi scheme in Magnolia Hill. Their confrontation turns heated as Jillian furious that Stan has been defrauding some of her clients and friends.

Not long after that unpleasant encounter, Stan dies in a car accident. But as Jillian soon learns, plenty of people had reasons to despise him. Now, the "accident" starts to look suspicious. The deeper Jillian digs, the more danger she attracts - someone determines to stop her from uncovering the truth!

YOU CAN'T CHEAT DEATH is my first book by Peggy Doviak, and it definitely won't be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and red herrings woven throughout the mystery - they kept me guessing right up to the final reveal! I am already looking forward to the next instalment.

[Naomi Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, easy mystery to get into, especially with the small-town setting and all the personalities that come with it. It has that kind of story where everything seems calm on the surface, but you can tell there’s more going on underneath.

Jillian was a likable lead practical, observant, and not afraid to question things when something doesn’t feel right. I liked that she wasn’t trying to play detective for the sake of it, but more because things just didn’t add up.

The mystery itself unfolds at a steady pace, with enough suspicion around different characters to keep you guessing without making it overly complicated. The mix of her daily life, work, and everything happening around the town gave the story a nice balance.

[Marie Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Financial Planner/town sleuth Jillian Bradford suspects her Ex boyfriend Stan Savage of running a Ponzi scheme & ripping off many locals of their hard earned money. Shortly afterwards Stan is killed in a car crash,where there’s no evidence of him losing control,or being distracted. This leads Jillian to wonder if this really was an accident,or if one of the many people upset with him might have committed murder 👀 check this book out & find out what became of the 12 million Stan conned out of the townspeople & if it was recovered. Thank you Peggy Doviak for this entertaining book.

[Catrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cozy mystery with a little bit of financial advice. Agatha and her bond with her cat and horse is amazing. Stan comes back to town to stir up trouble and give little competition to Agatha with her financial business. Then Stan has a mystery car accident. Was it accident or on purpose. Need to read this book to see if Agatha finds out if it’s an accident or murder. Enjoy the description of Oklahoma. Looking forward to the next book in this series and many more.

[Allison Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting start to a new series. The MC is a financial planner which is a nice change from all the small business owners that would never actually make a living in their small towns. She has some interesting friends and a potential love interest and she has a horse named Agatha. All good things.

[Marcia Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doviak's first cozy mystery hits all the right notes: A smart, likeable sleuth who is a financial planner. A financial crime that turns into murder. An artsy sidekick, the obligatory cat, and a horse who answers questions--maybe. I look forward to seeing how these characters develop in the upcoming series.

[Jennifer McMurrain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jillian Bradford is my new favorite amateur sleuth. This story blends small‑town charm, financial intrigue, and a delightfully twisty mystery into a page‑turner. The mystery is clever and the cast of seniors, townsfolk, and suspects absolutely shines. If you love smart heroines, small‑town secrets, and mysteries with heart, this book is a must‑read.

[Melody Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book in a new series. I could not put it down.
And a new take on murder, loved it. Lots of twists and turns, keeps you guessing to who the murderer was. Starting book two now.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mystery.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our family loved this book. Great read!