The Missing Mayor

Pine Grove Mysteries #1

by Sam Chase (Pseudonym), Daisy Landish

Peter Myers has just returned home to Pine Grove. He’s barely had a chance to settle in when he finds a lady’s bracelet on the edge of his property and decides to investigate. With the help of his new canine friend, Peter unravels a plot the likes of which he hadn’t seen coming.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

45 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2022

About the author

Sam Chase delivers heart-pounding thrillers crafted for quick reads. Whether you're commuting, relaxing, or need a break, these stories will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Reviews

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, fun, and addictive read starring Peter Myers who has returned to Pine Grove, saved and adopted a dog, and unraveled the mystery of the Missing Mayor.

[Red · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not completely terrible and I wouldn't entirely write the entire series off just yet, but it's not good.

For starters, the ostensible villains seem a bit too much for a cozy mystery (yes, too much for a genre that features murders and even serial killers) which leads to a lot of the other issues. The story feels rushed and overly contrived, largely because it has to be in order to deal with a plot as large as this. It's really too big a crime for such a short book which leaves it overly reliant on coincidences to make things work. This is the sort of plot that belongs in a longer, more traditional mystery, which would have the length to give the plot the development it needs and the twists, turns, and action scenes that would allow for a satisfying conclusion, rather than a rushed, lackluster ending that left me wondering, "What the hell was that? That's it?"

There's a lot of room for improvement (aside from the over large, terrible plot, the characters aren't really developed much at all), and this would probably have been better off as #0 or 0.5, a clear prequel, rather than the first full entry. But, I'd be willing to give the next book a try, if it's cheap enough.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missing Mayor is the first book in the Pine Grove Mysteries by Daisy Landish and my introduction to Daisy’s stories. The Missing Mayor is a short read with plenty of mystery to keep the pages turning.

I was pulled in from the first page as I raced to the end trying to figure out what was going on. The mystery kept me glued to the pages as the mystery of the missing mayor unraveled.

Peter Myers has moved back to his hometown of Pine Grove after his children were grown. Peter finds a stray dog whom he names Sam on his property and adopts him.

Peter sees someone on his land looking very suspicious. Peter looks into who these people are and what they may have been doing parked outside his house.

I can’t wait to check out more stories in the Pine Grove Mysteries series.

I recommend The Missing Mayor to anyone who is looking for a short read and likes mystery stories. Grab a copy of The Missing Mayor today and join the mystery!

[Shelly Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first installment of the pine grove mysteries, The Missing Mayor, was very enjoyable and refreshing. The storyline is very intriguing. This is a short read that will give you a nice break during your day. The story flows very well and keeps you turning page after page to see what is coming next, as this author has a great way to keeping your eyes focused onto the book. I do hope you enjoy this book and I recommend this book as a great read and give it 5 stars.
I received this book as a Free ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short first book in series. Good read! FBI detective, visiting his old home farm in a small town is disturbed by a dog barking. He gets up, gets dressed and goes out to see what’s going on. He discovers a homeless dog who needs his help. Taking the dog he names Sam to the towns only vet, he begins learning bits of info leading to his figuring out what been making the dog bark. And the rest is history.

I was given a copy of the book by the author. However I am voluntarily posting an honest review.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good quick read. I love how Peter adopts a stray dog and names him Sam. Sam is my favorite character in this book. Peter returns to his hometown after his children are grown and out on their own. He hasn't been back for many years and seems to want to settle down there. He and Sam go on the search for the Mayor who has disappeared. The story has some twists and turns with an interesting ending.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missing Mayor (Pine Grove Mysteries Book 1), my second enjoyable short (45 pages) read from author Daisy Landish that I finished in under an hour. “I received a free 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 & in this series. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018.

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining little mystery for a nice afternoon read. I enjoyed meeting Peter and thought it was awesome he could adopt that dog he found on his property. And maybe he'll find that Dr. Jessica's single too lol. He sure didn't know moving home would bring him face-to-face with someone from his dad's past, but at least he got to solve a mystery. Fun read and I'll probably eventually borrow the next in series.

[J Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series starter cozy mystery

When Peter moved back to Pine Grove, he remembered the quiet, safe hometown he left years ago. It only took a couple of days to prove him wrong.

This is a good start to the series. My only complaint is that the wrap-up was incredibly short and it felt like there were loose ends. I would have liked to see just a little more at the very end. I received a free copy but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting start to a series. (I guess it is, anyway!) Peter Myers returns to his family home, not having been there for a long time. He wakes early & notices two cars meeting on the edge of his property. He investigates & finds some evidence. He also finds and adopts a dog, Sam. It turns out the local mayor has been kidnapped. Wheels within wheels help him get it all sorted.

[Terri McClean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mystery to start off the series of Pine Grove. A quick read with a bit of a surprise ending. I would of liked to see it fleshed out a bit. This definitely leads into the series and give a bit of background on some of the main characters. You can read it just for itself but then you might find the end a bit rushed.

[Dana Busenbark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a rapid read with only 11 chapters. Who is Peter, and where did we find him at the beginning? The walk down memory lane with Peter was sweet. Who is Marconi? What business is he doing that he takes men with him? What's his profession? When Peter wakes up in the middle of the night, what does he learn? Well, I did not see that twist coming at the end!

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He has come home and he finds a bracelet so he decides to try to find the owner. It is not going to be as easy as he finds himself in a mystery of a missing mayor. Will he find them? Why are they missing? Can he find out? See what mystery he is about to enter

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated four only because it was super super short.
Interesting beginning to the series. The foundation is started and we’ll see how they go. Peter is a complex person, but addin the dog was perfect. I’m interested in what happens in Pinegrove next!

[Sandy T · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story involving a federal agent, a kidnapped mayor, the mob, plus a stray dog! Story moved quickly and I thought it was interesting wth a few twists. I will be reading the next book in the series

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought it was a good start to a new series. The story introduced Peter Myers who had returned to his family home after his parents had passed away. The story was good and I want to read the next book. Recommend reading.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short novella. So much is packed into 47 pages. Background info. Present day problem/kidnapping. Russian and Italian mobs. A sweet dog. Past girlfriends. It is all explained in the last chapter. Unexpected ending.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very strange story for me. I cannot disrespect it, but I doubt I will read any more, past what I have already bought. The plot is convoluted and the premise is finding out what happened to the mayor. The answers are unfortunate.

[Frank Carver · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started well, and seemed to be building into an interesting mystery, then it suddenly wrapped everything up in a few pages with nothing like the same level of detail.

If fleshed out properly this could be a good story, but it's so oddly brief.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who kidnapped Mayor Claire Whitestone and why??? Mobs??? They certainly didn’t expect Peter being there, did they??? I enjoyed this story and recommend the book.

[Bruny Queen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book can’t wait to read more of the series

[Diane Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believable... characters felt real... Great story line.. want more of Peter and Sam.

[Lizabeth Tarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This was fun, short, with totally unexpected twist! Plus I really liked that the main character adopted the stray dog!😉

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting short story. Amazing how one can tell a huge and interesting story in such a short time. Nothing is missing!

[Clemmie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retired

Good mystery story going on.the character seems likeable, I like how the story goes down memory lane for the main character.

[Karin Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where is the Mayor and why??? She wanted the sympathy vote??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended cosy mystery series starter. Great writing style and cosy feel, amateur sleuthing at its finest
I read a free copy of this book and my review is voluntary in my own words

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting, but a bit rushed...

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short mystery.

Peter sees car lights late at night and then finds a bracelet on the ground.

A story of cross and double-cross. Who kidnapped the Mayor and why?

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful story that will have you wanting more. Returning from Pine Grove, Peter uncovers a secret that was unexpected. Easy to love everything about this story and the characters.