Murder on the Mullet Express

by Gwen Mayo, Sarah E. Glenn

It’s 1926. The West Coast Development Company is staging its biggest land deal in Homosassa, Florida, selling pieces of a planned city to speculators who dream of a tropical paradise. Army nurse Cornelia Pettijohn takes leave to travel to Florida with her ancient uncle, who claims that he wants a warm winter home. When their car breaks down, they take the local train, The Mullet Express, into Homosassa. By the time they arrive, though, a passenger has been poisoned. A second murder victim boards the train later, iced down with the fish. Uncle Percival’s hidden agenda makes him the sheriff’s prime suspect. Cornelia and Teddy Lawless, a twenty-year-old flapper in a body pushing sixty, must chase mobsters and corner suspects to dig her uncle out of the hole he’s dug for himself.

Genres: Mystery

215 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2016

About the author

Gwen Mayo is passionate about blending the colorful history of her native Kentucky with her love for mystery fiction. A graduate in political science from the University of Kentucky, Gwen currently lives and writes in Lexington, but grew up in a large Irish family in the hills of Eastern Kentucky. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Historical Fiction Society, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. Her stories have appeared in anthologies, on online short fiction sites, and in micro-fiction collections. Circle of Dishonor, her first novel, is set during the turbulent political upheaval of post Civil War Kentucky at a time when murder was more common in Kentucky than it was anywhere else in the United States.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received a copy of this upcoming book from Mystery & Horror LLC via NetGalley in exchange for a fair, honest review.**


In 1926, a drive south to Florida with their elderly uncle turns deadly for former war nurses Cornelia and Teddy. Both women learned how to take care of themselves during WWI. Cornelia never travels without a sidearm and Teddy knows showing a bit of leg can get them out of a jam quickly, even if her hair has gone to grey. Travelling to look into buying land from a development company so their uncle can live in the warmer Florida climate, their car breaks down on a lonely stretch of the Dixie Highway, and they end up having to catch the local train, The Mullet Express, to get to their destination. They are barely chugging along again before a fellow passenger is murdered with poison, and a second corpse is discovered stashed in ice with mullet fish.

I enjoyed this book! Gun-toting Cornelia and tippler Teddy are such fun characters. The cantankerous uncle with his love of steam engines and movie cameras is a hoot as well. Surround these plucky folks with land speculators, nefarious dealings and murder and the end result is an engaging, quirky mystery! Murder on the Mullet Express is a fun, quick read with plenty of suspects, twists and turns. It seems like their trip to re-locate their uncle is destined to be one fiasco after another, but the girls take it in stride, as they learned during the war. The backdrop of 1920s Florida gives great color to the story, painting a picture of fast development, desperate land speculators, and all the crime and greed that comes with them.

Murder on the Mullet Express will release January 16th by Mystery and Horror, LLC, an independent publisher.

Gwen Mayo is the author of the Nessa Donnelly Mystery series and several other novels. Sarah E. Glenn has also penned several novels including Strangely Funny and History and Horror, Oh My! Check out their websites at: www.saraheglenn.blogspot.com and http://www.gwenmayo.com

[Crittermom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 1920s were a hot time for developers in the Sunshine State.  The real estate business was booming.  Living in Florida, and being familiar with some of the history led me to jump at the chance to read Murder on the Mullet Express.  I am glad I did.  Not only were the characters delightfully original, with intriguing and well plotted backstories, Gwen Mayo and Sarah Glenn do a fantastic job capturing the feeling of Post WWI prohibition era Florida.  It is such an unusual setting for a historical mystery - very refreshing.

Chauffeuring Uncle Percy is always an adventure, but Cornelia and her friend Teddy don't expect him to look at land not become a suspect in a murder inquiry.  Film camera in tow, the trio have driven to Florida to see the new development at Homosassa Springs.  When Cornelia's car breaks down, they are forced to take the local train, the Mullet Express, for the final leg of the journey.  The trip isn't without excitement as a fight breaks out before departure.  Being a nurse, Cornelia notices one of the men is unwell, but she doesn't expect him to die.  What follows makes for one of the best new historical cozies I've recently read.  I am really hoping that Gwen Mayo and Sarah Glenn write more mysteries featuring Cornelia and Teddy.  

5/5

I received a copy of Murder on the Mullet Express from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

—Crittermom

[Wendy Dingwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I loved the dry humor, which fit the characters perfectly, in this 1920’s foray into Homosassa, Florida by travelers seeking land deals.

Serious-minded, Cornelia Pettijohn, and her close friend, fun-loving Teddy Lawless are former war-time nurses—the perfect companions to accompany Cornelia’s quirky Uncle Percival on his trip to scout out land for a summer home. When a passenger on the train is beaten in a fist-fight, he becomes lethally ill after arriving at his hotel. Turns out, he’d been poisoned, and Uncle Percival becomes the prime suspect in his murder. Cornelia takes the lead discovering the man’s past, learning why everyone from disgruntled business partners to mobsters would have motive to murder him. This exciting and wild adventure, set in scenic old Florida, is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!”

[Gosia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spend a lot of time looking which fish is in the title. I finally found the answer, so it was one riddle less, but still I didn't know who was murdered and who was murderer. First, let's meet the characters:
Percival Pettijohn - travels from Kentucky to New Homosassa, Florida; wants to look at winter home, at least thats official version :P. He takes his camera everywhere, which sometimes gets him in trouble.
Cornelia Pettijohn - Percival's niece, travels with him to New Homosassa, couse she wants to have on eye on Percy
Theodore "Teddy" Lawless - companion of Cornelia (and Percival); she is an ex-army nurse; she loves to dance and can't imagine an evening without a glass of some alcohol (even if next morning she is dying C: )
I can honestly say that while reading "Murder on the Mullet Express" you can feel climate of that time :)
Our characters travel to New Homosassa, Florida, where there is a land sale. They are close to the town when Cornelia's car has an accident. Fortunately Peter Rowley, a land agent, helps them get to Ocala. Next day they travel by Mullet Express to this town, and are wittnesses to the fight of two passangers. Later they learn that both men are part of thier land sale party.
When one of the two men dies, police starts an investigation. They learn that almost everyone had a motive to kill him.
When the evidence points to Percival (at least that part of it that police seems to care about), Cornelia and Teddy have to find the real murderer before he (or she) completely destroy Percy's reputation.
Will they find the guilty and his/her motive? Read the book to find out!

[Ruschelle Dillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re one of three snowbirds migrating to Homosassa Florida in search of some warm weather places to roost, will you choose a place where murder and death are constantly ruffling your feathers?
Murder on the Mullet Express is a mystery that perfectly marries historical fiction, artfully crafted action and humor.
The three participants in this arrangement are the archaic Professor Percival, his not so spring-like chicken niece Cornelia Pettijohn, and her feisty but flask-swigging gal pal Teddy Lawless. Together they take a trip to peruse some balmy property in Homosassa Florida.
But the trip turns out to be marred by fishy transportation (the Mullet Express), exaggeratedly hyped property (the final design was left purely to the imagination), and murder!
It’s an exciting trip, complete with mobsters and gun blazing car chases.
Each turn of the page burrows the reader deeper into the age of modernity; a time when automobiles were coming into their own and towns were springing up across the country. The main characters are carefully constructed to exemplify the 1920’s, as are the supporting cast - from their choice of attire to their period colloquialisms.
The story is well told and leaves the reader wanting to know if the snowbirds will be having any more adventures.
Authors Gwen Mayo and Sarah E. Glenn pay suitable homage to the history of Homosassa Florida. But because of the story’s humorous slant the information never feels stodgy.
Murder on the Mullet Express is enjoyable and easy read, and I highly recommend it. These ladies really know how to make a murder seem fun!

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy mysteries. This has always been my favorite genre no matter what age it is for. In this story we have three really great characters. Two of them are former nurses during World War I. The third character is their elderly uncle Percy. The three of them find themselves on The Mullet Express, when their car breaks down. They are headed to Homosassa Springs. This is a place that is just about an hour and a half north of where I live in Florida. They witness a fight between two men on the train. The problem is that one of them ends up dead shortly after arriving at his hotel. Uncle Percy becomes the prime suspect. Teddy and Cornelia must help find the real killer. After all, Cornelia’s uncle may be a bit crazy, but he is definitely not a murderer. I loved Cornelia because she was a very independent woman for the time. I learned a lot about the time period. I’ve lived in Ocala and I am very familiar with the areas mentioned or alluded to in the book. This is a great mystery with a lot of history and one I would definitely recommend.
I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book free from goodreads for an honest review.

I thought this book was great and I hope this is the beginning of a series. The setting of an undeveloped Florida Gulf coast was great and I have to admit that I read the authors notes before I read the book. I love the fact that the story line is based on a true area and that the Mullet Express did and in a way still does exist, and that some of the characters were also real people.
I would like to be able to continue to follow the Professor and Teddy and Cornelia through many more adventures.

[Paula Corregan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good mystery!

This book had the essential elements of a good mystery: intrigue, twists and turns and a good plot. It also contained some humorous moments thanks to the main characters, especially eccentric Uncle Percival Pettijohn. This was the second Three Snowbirds Mystery I' ve read, and I look forward to reading more. I highly recommend this book to other mystery readers.

[Rosalind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun cozy mystery full of adventure in Florida's early real estate boom. Great characters and action that will leave you wanting more. (Full disclosure: This book has the same publisher as my recent work, but the publisher did not ask me for this review. I've reviewed it independently.)

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

1926 and a group people head off to Homosassa, Florida to acquire land. Just before boarding a train - The Mullet Express - a fight breaks out.Later one of those involved is dead. Cornelia Pettijohn investigates when her uncle becomes a suspect.
Didn't really find the story that interesting, and didn't really much for the characters.
A NetGalley Book

[Star ☔️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Florida cozy mystery. I liked hearing about historic Florida. I found the Professor's antics amusing. Good cozy for those who enjoy historical mysteries.