Mystery on Inheritance Ranch: Book Three in the Meg Miller Cozy Mystery Series

by Phyllis H. Moore

Meg Miller is notified of an inheritance. It will rock her world, a world she was perfectly happy to inhabit. The deceased is Meg's maternal uncle, Neal Calihan, a man Meg never knew existed. She hadn't met any of her mother's family. As she will learn, her mother left home when she was seventeen and never returned.
Meg's brother encourages her to visit the property and learn about the family they'd never met. Her best friends, Jean and Tom agree to accompany her on a road trip. The history is rich, the scenery captivating, the caretakers are charming, but there's a mystery.
If Meg investigates she could expose a family secret. But the county sheriff is intent on removing evidence and has a hidden agenda. Does she sell the ranch and enjoy the profits, or will Meg be driven by her sense of justice? Book Three of the Meg Miller Cozy Mystery Series takes Meg out of her element to a coastal ranch and a memorable Thanksgiving with family.

Genres: Mystery

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 2, 2019

About the author

Phyllis H. Moore wants to live life experiences more than once: doing it, writing about it and reading about it. She’s had two careers and two retirements. Both careers gave her inspiration for her novels: The Sabine Series, Sabine, Billy’s Story, Josephine’s Journals and Secrets of Dunn House,

She's written three stand-alone novels: Opal’s Story, Tangled, a Southern Gothic Yarn, The Bright Shawl, Colors of Tender Whispers, The Ember Months, Birdie & Jude, and an anthology of spooky short stories inspired by real places and events, The Bridge on Jackson Road. She has authored one nonfiction book, Retirement, Now What?

Phyllis has been published by Caffeinated Press in the anthology, Brewed Awakenings 2, Fifteen Tales to Jolt Your Mind Awake. She blogs on her web site http://www.phyllishmoore.com. Follow her on Pinterest and Facebook.

Phyllis is a retired social worker and former owner/operator of a small bed and breakfast. She’s lived in the rural areas and cities of south Texas. She currently lives on Galveston Island with her husband, Richard.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery on Inheritance Ranch is the latest book in the Meg Miller cozy mystery series by Phyllis H. Moore. I enjoyed the first two books last year and was looking forward to reading this one. Just when I was looking for a few books to read in January, I saw this was available as an ARC, so I jumped on the opportunity and was thrilled with the story.

Meg inherits a ranch further away in Texas from an uncle she never knew existed. Apparently, her mother kept a lot of secrets about that side of the family. When she travels to the ranch with two good friends, she meets a few people in the town, including the caretakers of her uncle's estate. Apparently, their families grew up together and they loved him a lot. By the time Megs learns all about her family, she finds her mother's journal which explains a deadly secret from years ago. The sad part, many members of her mother's family committed suicide years ago, and now we know the possible reasons why.

Moore's story is strong. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in more depth this time. I also love tales that take place decades earlier, letting us as an audience unravel the truth from a distance. My only concern with the book, and the reason I couldn't push it up to a 5, is that there really isn't any murder in this book. Someone was killed a long time ago, and it connects to a situation now, but it's not traditional in the sense that we play amateur sleuth to find who killed a current victim. We never really get to know the victim from 50+ years ago, so... it felt a little disconnecting to me.

That said, I loved the story and really felt immersed in getting to know all the players. Meg is realistic... sometimes she does something smart, and others she makes mistakes that could hurt her. I think her friendship with Tom is great -- he's a son, nephew, friend, younger brother, etc... and it's clear there is nothing romantic, but we really want them to be close (not romantically) so I root for them. That's why I like this author's books and storytelling skills! Can't wait to read another one.

[Geri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meg Miller never knew her mother’s brother, her Uncle Neal, but regardless he left her his ranch upon his death. Meg enlists her friends Jean and Tom to travel with her to the ranch to check it out. The first night at the ranch Meg sees an apparition near the woods. She realizes that she has a gift and maybe her mother, Catherine, did too and that’s why their lives were the way they were. Meg finds her Catherine’s journal and it explains a lot. Meg and Catherine were never that close and Catherine committed suicide some years earlier so there was no option to patch up the relationship now. Meg always thought of her mother as very strange and selfish. As she reads her mother’s journal she realizes that her mother had witnessed something awful as a young woman. Meg realizes that she has the opportunity to make amends for her family’s part in this horrendous act.
Meg, Jean and Tom enjoy their visit to the ranch. It is a lovely home with many bedrooms and large living spaces. Meg’s Uncle Neal loved to entertain and the ranch home was set up nicely for that function with a wonderful commercial kitchen. Petra and her husband Javier are the caretakers of the ranch. They helped Uncle Neal through the years as he aged and stayed on to help Meg while she was there and trying to figure out whether she was going to keep or sell the ranch.
Meg and Petra become fast friends. They enjoy each other’s company and Petra also has a lot of information on Meg’s family history. Meg’s mother and Petra’s mother were friends as young girls so the wealth of information that Petra can provide is priceless. Meg quickly uncovers a long ago murder and her mother’s journal provides evidence that Catherine actually witnessed the murder.
Ginny, the county sheriff, wanted to be involved with Uncle Neal while he was alive but nothing ever developed. Regardless, Ginny tries to tell Meg that Uncle Neal intended the ranch to go to her. On the contrary, Uncle Neal’s attorney shares that there are a lot of people who owed Neal money and Ginny was one of them. He also discloses that Uncle Neal wanted and expected Ginny to collect on the debts and he is there to help her. Her uncle was also convinced that Meg would figure out some way to make amends to the family of the murder victim.
Before Meg decides what to do with the ranch she arranges to have her daughter, son-in-law, their baby girl and her daughter’s in-laws back down for the Thanksgiving holiday. The entire family has a wonderful time getting together in such a relaxed atmosphere. They all encourage and support Meg as she deliberates with herself about what to do.
The book is very intriguing. From spirit sightings to the wonderful family times the book is heartwarming and real. The characters are very interesting and their interactions make for a fascinating read. Meg struggles with how to make amends to this family who has lost so much. Ginny schemes to get her hands on the ranch. Jean and Tom and the rest of Meg’s family really enjoy their time there. Whatever will Meg do?
This was the third book in the Meg Miller Mystery Series but the first one that I have read. I will be putting this author and series on my ‘to read’ list as I truly enjoyed the writer’s story telling ability.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coastal ranch consisting of thousand of
acres, herd of cattle, a ranch house, guest
house, two barns, stables plus a caretaker’s
house is the inheritance that Meg Miller
receives from an uncle she had no idea had
existed. Meg is a retired librarian who has
downsized to cottage. She lives near her
daughter so she is able to babysit her
granddaughter often.
What would she do with a ranch and who
was her unknown maternal uncle??
Off Meg goes on an adventure to see and
explore her new inheritance with her good
friends, Jean and Tom.
The ranch is huge with two gates plus a
cattle guard at the entrance, a whopping
crane reserve nearby, the ranch house is
huge with a commercial kitchen and many
rooms available. The reader will experience
the resources available on the property from
the deft description provided.
There is even a small cemetery on the ranch.
Meg is looking forward to learning about
her maternal family as a way to better
understanding her mother’s behavior.
Meg also needs to come to grip with her gift
involving the spirit world.
A journal, unpaid IOU’s, deceit, retribution,
a young girl’s remembrance of a horrible
fateful night combine with a successful
fishing trip, wonderful food, a bountiful
Thanksgiving meal at the ranch plus many
well thought out decisions by Meg and her
family will keep the reader spellbound from
the first to the final word.
The book is extremely ably plotted.
The characters are all skillfully written and
they will pull on the reader’s emotions.
This is book # 3 in the Meg Miller Cozy
Mystery Series. I can be read as a stand alone
as the author provides sufficient back history.
I volunteered to read Mystery on Inheritance Ranch.
Thanks to the author via the Cozy Mystery Review
Crew for the opportunity. My opinion is voluntary
and my own.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when the main character of a mystery series is herself the mystery? Well, you get a book like this one! Full of backstory and character developing. Its placement as the third book in the series has cemented my feeling that this series is more about Meg Miller as an active senior and less about the mysteries. I am okay with that. She is an interesting person who is slowly dipping into some psychic abilities. Meg is surrounded by other interesting people and the result is a good afternoon escape read where the mystery sometimes takes a back seat. Though, I will be honest: I would have loved to have found some recipes in the back of this book! A majority of the story takes place at a ranch Meg inherits from her previously-unknown uncle over the course of Thanksgiving week. There is a lot of cooking going on! I tracked down a recipe that sounds like the zucchini soup Tom made, but there were several other dishes I would love to try. So maybe make sure you have a few tasty snacks handy when you read this one. I suggest a chanticleer plate! (It's a joke you'll understand when you read the book.)

Thanks to Cozy Mystery Review Crew for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.

[Roxx Tarantini · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Meg Miller, retired librarian, recently downsized to a cottage,  happy with her simple life, was the owner of thousands of acres, a ranch house, guest  house, caretaker’s house, two barns, stables, and a herd of cattle. There were papers waiting for her signature, a formality, the lawyer had said."

When she arrives at the family inheritance, she is drawn back into memories of dreams and visions and voices that she had experienced since childhood.   Memories exhorting her to find the truth; right a decades old wrong.

This tale fascinated and absorbed me.  As Meg learns about her maternal family and its history, she also learns about and becomes comfortable with her familial gifts.  It's a fascinating journey, that had me captivated.  She's at first reluctant, but after a friend gives her a figurative head shake, she realizes and accepts that this is something she needs to embrace.  Moore has written Meg's coming to terms with her abilities masterfully.

Moore's story takes her readers along many pathways and side roads before reaching destination.  It includes a trip to a better understanding of her own mother by means of a journal.  A letter.  And an unresolved mystery.  The experience was spell-binding; it made the book one that I was loathe to put down.  I highly recommend it!

[Many thanks to the author for the opportunity to read an Advance Reader Copy of this book.   This is my honest review, the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own. ]

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery on Inheritance Ranch by Phyllis H. Moore is the third in her Meg Miller Cozy Mystery Series.

Meg Miller is a retired widow who finds out that she has inherited a ranch from an uncle she had never heard of. Her mother had died many years before but had never talked about her family. Meg, with the encouragement of her daughter and friend, decides to visit the ranch in hopes of finding out more about her mother. While there, she meets the caretakers of the ranch, Petra and Javier, who immediately become friends.

The mystery referred to in the title happened before Meg was born but had never been addressed by the family. Ophelia, a relative of Petra’s, died from what was thought to be an accident and buried before anyone knew she was dead. By reading her mother’s journal, which she found on the ranch, Meg was able to find out what really happened to Ophelia as well as what caused her mother’s estrangement from her family.

I read this book in two days; it was hard to put down! I liked the characters and the setting was easy to picture through the author’s description. Besides the mystery, there is also Meg’s emotional journey into her mother’s history. Meg carried guilt about her resentment of her mother and is able, through the journal, to understand her mother and comes to term with her mother’s suicide.

I have not read any of Ms. Moore’s books, but I intend to. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read!

I received a free copy of this book for my review.

[Vbloemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery on Inheritance Ranch takes the reader on a journey of discovery. Meg Miller finds a branch of her family she knew nothing about. She takes a personal journey through her Mother’s family past. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue as she discovers where she came from and all that went on before her at Inheritance Ranch. She will have some big decisions to make before she decides what to do with her inheritance from an Uncle she knew nothing about. It is a wonderful book and very easily read. It captures the reader’s attention from the beginning and never lets down.

[Edyee Stocks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice enjoyable read, a little slow to start off but I really enjoyed it. I liked the history lesson that was in there. The characters are quaint and fun, the setting is a place I would like to visit. This book draws you back after you put it down.

[Alisha Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery on Inheritance Ranch by Phyllis Moore was a new to me Author and Book. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and storyline of this book. Having never read the other 2 books in the series I was able to catch up and enjoy the characters from the beginning. If you haven’t read this series I believe you will be happy as well.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this in less than 2 days!!

What a great book! Phyllis’s ability to write so that the words flow make it so easy and enjoyable to read her books. I love Meg but my favorite characters were Petra and Javier. Who wouldn’t want friends like those two? The descriptions of the ranch made me feel as though I was one of Meg’s Thanksgiving guests, and I could almost taste the food that was served. There was enough of a mystery to keep you reading so that you could figure it out, but not too deep that you felt overwhelmed losing the objective of the book. This was just such a good, enjoyable read but then I love how Phyllis writes so I’ve enjoyed all the books of hers that I’ve read. I just waited too long to read this one, I should have read it sooner.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book 3 in the Meg Miller Cozy mystery series. We learn so much about Meg and her mother's side of the family along with Meg. She comes to realize her impressions were way off and now knows why. When she is called to a town where an Uncle she didn't know she had left her a rather sizeable Inheritance complete with an opulent large working ranch complete with oil fields and once cattle along with a husband and wife team in charge of the running of the property. Meg with her best friend and Tom, a close friend who is like her adopted son, the son she didn't have, go to the ranch to check out her inheritance. Meg meets Javier and Petra who take care of things at the ranch is a wealth of knowledge about Meg's family on her mother's side and begins to fill in some blanks on her Uncle Neal. When Meg finds her mother's journal about her life as a child on the ranch and why she had to run away from home as soon as she could and disavowed her family. Then we meet the sheriff, Ginny who is kind of shady. And we have Meg learning she has a gift and tries to harness it for good. Meg is a good person and she learns so much from her mother's journal as well as what Petra fills her in with including the murder of PEtra's sister years almost 50 years ago. I loved this book, I learned so much more about Meg and her perssonality and the inner workings of her mind. I also loved Megs daughter Dorie and the baby. It seems Dorie can be the voice of reason at times for her mother and she seems to be so well grounded. And like Meg, I Loved Tom! I can't wait to see what happens next. I received and ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery on Inheritance Ranch is the third installment in the Meg Miller Cozy Mystery Series. In this book, Meg has inherited an isolated coastal ranch in Texas left to her after the death of an uncle she was unaware existed. After arriving at the ranch, Meg begins to learn about ancestors in her maternal family and gets involved in figuring out a bygone mystery that led to detrimental impacts on some people in the rural community. Meg has the ability to see spirits, although she struggles with acceptance of it. She also is torn with what to do about her inheritance, especially after she discovers more family secrets. How will events from the past affect Meg and the inheritance?

Phyllis H. Moore’s well-crafted descriptions of the setting and characters draw readers into this slower-paced tempo mystery. The settings come alive in readers’ minds, and the characters are realistic and relatable. A supportive network of friends and family and visions of deceased individuals are key elements in the storyline. Each chapter ends with an enticing hook that leads into the next. The few minor grammatical errors do not pull me out of the story. Readers do not have to read the previous two books in the series to enjoy this installment. I would have preferred more details about the events included in the story that occurred in previous books. However, my interest in learning more about the lives of these real-life characters and their reactions to circumstances in which they find themselves is the reason I plan to read the first two books. I look forward to any future installments.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg Miller returns in this third installment, which focuses on Meg's own personal journey of understanding of her family and her sensitivity--to those living and past.

Meg has inherited a Texas ranch from an uncle she never knew she had. Meg's mother had died of suicide when she was a young child. Meg and her friends Tom and Jean head down with her to the aptly named Inheritance Ranch to help Meg decide what to do with her unexpected windfall. Quickly, Meg finds that the greatest part of her inheritance is being given her mother's journal and her developing friendship with the caretakers, Petra and Javier. What unfolds gives her a greater understanding of her mother, her accomplishments, and reasons for her deep depression in her last years.

Unlike the the two previous books, this one does not serve well as a stand-alone read. While I was very happy to progress with Meg and her friends in finding out about Meg's family and her inherited sensitivity. The historical context of Meg's mother and her family gives depth to the series as a whole, though this book lacks the psychological slant of the others. As this series is edgier than most cozies, I hope that giving this pause for Meg to learn about herself and her family will lead her on to solving more mysteries with her special insights.

[Kara Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the 3rd in a series; I haven't read the first book, but I have read the second book. This 3rd book was even more enjoyable for me than the last book. I loved the ranch setting--the writing was just fantastic. I enjoyed learning more able the characters and having new ones introduced. Meg was somehow warmer and more likable in this book and I especially loved her relationship with her friends. I learned some new things about Texas and its history, but not in a preachy way--in a very colorful and engrossing way. I'm eager to read more in this series and recommend it and especially this book. (I still want to go back and read the first book.) I was provided an arc of this book, but these opinions are my own.

[JoAnn Chilcote · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the Meg Miller mystery series. Meg inherits a ranch from an uncle she didn’t know she had. The mystery of her family and the history surrounding the ranch come to light in this story. I love the character of Meg and how she starts to devilish her ability to tap into the paranormal. This is a very good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I haven’t read the first 2 books in the series but will go back and read those. This is not only a mystery but has a good background story.

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a wonderful book. It is the third in the Meg Miller series. I hadn't read the first two, but I immediately felt like I knew the characters. Phyllis Moore has created characters who are likeable and fully developed. While some might say it's not a true mystery, the story line pulled me in immediately. I could give you a synopsis of the story, but instead, just read the book. You won't regret it.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Meg, family and friends. An enjoyable read.