Trial by Treadmill: An Athletic Cozy Mystery

by Nina Hunt

A Globetrotting Cozy Mystery Series

Grab your passport, lace up your sneakers, and prepare to follow the clues… because in this race around the world, the only thing faster than the suspects is Toby on a snack mission.

When small-town journalist Mia Andrews accepts a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cover international athletic events, she packs her bags, her teenage son Eli, and of course her five-pound Yorkie, Toby. What starts as a dream job quickly turns into a whirlwind of espionage, stolen artifacts, cryptic clues, and international intrigue.

From the cobbled streets of Paris to the sun-drenched temples of Greece, Mia finds herself stumbling into crimes, conspiracies, and cultural chaos at every turn. Good thing she has Eli’s tech skills, Toby’s nose for trouble, and the occasional call to her meddling but lovable Green Acres Grannies back home.

Each book in this witty, globe-hopping cozy mystery series takes you to a new exotic locale, serves up a new crime to solve, and delivers all the charm, humor, and heart you’ve come to expect from Mia and her crew.

Genres: Cozy Mystery

91 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 30, 2025

Reviews

[Jeffrey Aitken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story delivers a lively and inventive twist on the cozy mystery genre.

The plot blends sabotage, small-town secrets, and international intrigue in a way that keeps the reader turning pages.

The murder at Green Acres Fitness Centre draws Mia Andrews and her Yorkie, Toby, into an investigation that expands. From gym equipment tampering to hidden financial corruption and even Olympic conspiracies.

The narrative escalates with confidence, balancing humour and suspense without losing clarity.

The characters are a standout feature. Mia is sharp and determined; her dynamic with her tech-savvy son Eli is both believable and charming.

Toby’s role as a clue-sniffing partner adds warmth and humour.

The “Granny Sleuths” provide comic relief and surprising depth, while suspects like Doug and Trent keep tension simmering.

The writing style is brisk, clear, and often witty. Descriptions set a vivid scene without dragging.

Dialogue flows and builds character voices well.

At times, the pace feels rushed, particularly when shifting from small-town mystery to international stakes, and a tighter edit could heighten impact.

Fans of cozy mysteries with quirky teams, small-town drama, and unexpected global turns will enjoy this fresh and entertaining story.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you begin this short novella, you are hooked! Journalist, Mia Andrews is offered the chance to cover international athletic events. Excited by this opportunity, with her teenage son, Eli and her incredibly smart, Yorkie, Toby they head off for her assignment taking her to places like Greece and Paris! She never expected to be faced with conspiracies, chaos, espionage, cryptic clues and stolen artifacts. What a roller coaster Mia finds herself on. This is a fast paced story line with twists and turns that take you to a cliff hanging ending! What will Mia do? The characters are fantastic. Mia makes a really likeable protagonist and with the technology help of her son and the incredible clue finding Toby you can't wait to read more. Of course, who can forget the fun loving, Grannies who love to be involved in Mia's investigations! I can't wait to see what happens next. I received an ARC of this book, but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[GinaB. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by Nina Hunt & I got 3 others in this series cuz I really liked it! Green Acres Gazette reporter Mia Andrew went to Kaylee’s Green Acres Fitness Center with Toby the Yorkie for a Spin class that ended early when Kaylee’s bike broke. On the way out, Toby alerted at the women’s locker room where Mia found Jenny dead on the floor & called 911. Later she goes to her late grandpa’s study, finds folders with his notes & took them to the Granny Sleuths at Carmen’s. Then she went to Paris with her teen son Eli & Toby. This is the first book I’ve read by this author & I loved it since it had a mom who doesn’t scare easily, Toby, Grannies, humor, lots of twists & turns and it didn’t hurt that churros & tamales were mentioned, LOL! I received a free copy of this fantastic quick read via BookFunnel & am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Margaret Hejmanowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all things Nina Hunt, and this does not disappoint; this is part of The Around the World in Eighty Clues. Mia Andrews is a small town journalist for The Green Acre Gazette; she has a lovable Yorkie named Toby. Her son Eli is a tech genius, and Toby is a great sniffer of clues. Mia stumbles upon a dead body at the gym. Mia is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to cover international athletic events. She travels the world with Eli and Toby. Eli's tech skills and Toby's nose are greatly needed for all the things Mia discovers and stumbles upon!! Love the plot, great setting, and strong intense interesting characters. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Nina Hunt!!!

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trial by Treadmill: An Athletic Cozy Mystery (Around the World with 80 Clues), my eighth enjoyable short (91-page) read from author Nina Hunt. “I received a complementary Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. I look forward to reading more from this author with Torch & Treachery: An Anthletic Cozy Mystery (Around the World with 80 Clues) and Bingo, Buffet & Body Bags: A Green Acre Cozy Mystery (A Green Acres Cozy Mystery) both high on my TBR list. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A good premise for a prequel where the main character (a journalist), her pup (a Yorky pup) and her son (a computer genius) follow clues in town, to Paris and back to solve a multi-generational town mystery. This prequel has them in several locations which seems like too much. I found myself wanting more details and a lot more and better editing. Hopefully the first full/length episode ‘Torch and Treachery’ will address the shortcomings as there really is a lot of potential here.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mia Andrews, her son Eli, and her Yorkie Toby are into the murder solving business with a group of grannies. It starts at the gym and ends in Paris. They solve things by finding hidden documents that show that their small town has been used as a smuggling base for a long time. They end with a cliffhanger for their next adventure.

I received an arc and this is my honest review.

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Nina and it didn’t specify it was the second book in the series so I have a lot of back story that I missed. I enjoyed the characters and stories very much, but one important detail seems to have been left out so therefore I had give it a lower star review. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book provided by booksprout.

[Rachelle Bachiu · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great short story. Enjoyed the interaction between the main character and her Yorkie dog who is actually the one that finds the clues. Will be reading more from this series since it also involves senior sleuth ladies club. What a way to spend your senior days by getting involved in solving mysteries.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story. It drew me in right away and kept me turning the pages to see what happened next. I really liked the characters and enjoyed following along as they searched for clues. I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda Whitenight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mia and her ever faithful pooch Toby are on the case when they find a dead body at the gym. They are then lead on an international search which includes the Olympics. Can they figure out all the twists and turns in time? This is a quick read and easy read

[Ashley Farrar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. Fast paced with twists and turns. And one lovable Yorkie, Toby. I was provided an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Johnna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has potential, but seems to leave out lots of information. Why they decided to look for clues in some places did not make sense.

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

very nice short story. Well-written with interesting characters and situations.

[Jean Rigod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tale was a slightly confusing introduction to a series which leaves the reader to anticipate exciting mysteries.

[Lilly Guirguis · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read by Nina and I loved it!! 😊 I especially loved the granny detectives and Eli and Mia’s mother-son teamwork!

[Emily Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

“Trial by Treadmill” is a very fun, quick read! I enjoyed the characters and Toby is a dog after my own heart! The story was engaging and offered a quick resolution. A great start to a series. I will be reading the rest of the series!

Thank you Voracious Readers Only for the complimentary copy of this book.