This is the first in a new series Sandra and Maya mystery series. Maya is a private investigator and Sandra is the newly elected PTA president. Portland High is the subject of a gossip website and wreaking all sorts of havoc. Sandra and Maya want to find out who is running the dirty laundry website and since Maya’s daughter has asked her to look into she believes she knows who it is. As Sandra and Maya go to confront the person they are found dead. The death is deemed a suicide but they both suspect that is not the case. Sandra and Maya each have a lot of baggage. Sandra’s husband is a senator who is never home and Maya’s husband is in jail. As with many first books a good portion is spent to getting to know the main characters as well as the development of their friendship. This is a good start to a new series and there are surprises along the way. Good first book and will be looking for the next in the series.

Murder at the PTA is the debut of the Maya and Sandra Mystery series set in Portland, Maine and featuring Private Detective Maya Kendrick and Sandra Wallage, wife of Maine's Senator. Sandra has begun her new position as President of the PTA and is rattled when the local social media rag "Dirty Laundry" posts an article claiming her husband is using taxpayer money to pay off a sexual harassment suit.

When the nasty news also reports that one of the high school football players has a drug problem, Maya's teenage daughter Vanessa begs her mother to find out who's behind the blog before it tears apart the community. It doesn't take long for Maya to uncover the identity of the writer but when she heads out to confront the woman she stumbles upon a dead body.

Sandra and Maya had gone to high school together but ran in different circles. Sandra is trying to cope with her husband's infidelities and Maya is trying to come to terms with the fact that her husband (ex Police Captain) is behind bars for corruption. Their children are also dating and the two women soon reconnect and join forces to track down a killer.

The mystery almost seems to take a backseat and instead the book focuses primarily on the individual struggles of the two women. The murder is wrapped up with a surprising twist and a new partnership, allowing for the potential of many new adventures for Maya and Sandra.

I received an advanced copy of Murder at the PTA from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

Maya Kendrick ran a private investigative service with her friend, a pregnant Frances Turner, just barely paying the bills.
Sandra Wallage was president of the PTA and the wife of a senator.
Their paths cross when they come upon the body of the principal's assisant during a PTA meeting.
Maya knows the cause of death was untrue, she had seen the body, but had to let it go without a paying client. Lucky for her, she got one....and the assistance of Sandra in her investigation.
Ms. Hollis writes a tale of intrigue, dark deeds, and people with secrets they don't want shared.
Together Sandra and Maya, whose children happen to be dating, relentlessly look into every suspect in the murder that was declared a suicide.
The book has more than mystery between the pages and a bit of humor as well as a shock in the identity of the killer. Don't miss it!
I requested and enjoyed this ARC from NetGalley and offer my opinion gratis.

Enjoyable Amateur Sleuthing Ensues.....
Things get heated at the PTA, a malicious gossip abounds and a body is discovered. Mother and private investigator Maya teams with PTA president Sandra to crack the crime. Enjoyable amateur sleuthing ensues. A very promising first in series.

Sandra Wallage, the wife of a US Senator from Maine and PTA president, of the local high school, is raising her two teenage boys while her husband is in DC. When the Assistant Principal is found hanging in your office from a suspected suicide, Sandra cross paths with a student from her high school days as they find the body. Sandra and Maya were never friends in high school, but it seems their paths are destined to cross as their teenagers are dating and Sandra wants to help Maya investigate what they believe is a murder and not a suicide the police ruled it to be.

As the case and life bring the two women together again they build a friendship and begin to trust each other as they try to find out what truly happened without becoming the next victims.

A great start to a new series. I’m looking forward to seeing the characters develop and the friendship deepening over the rest of the series.

Wow. Solid first book in a new series and I was hooked from the go! I was a little concerned that a cozy was 50 chapters long, but they just zipped right along. The characters were great, relatable, and the situations were plausible. Also love when everyone has a good head on their shoulders. Can’t wait to read book 2!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Strong characters, good mystery, nice pace. Looking forward to more in this series. I haven't read others by this author - but I know there are other series. I will be checking some of those out!

I am quickly brcoming a Lee Hollis fan. I loved this book. The plot was well written and kept me entertained and on my toes. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I CAN NOT WAIT for another book! I loved Sandra and Maya so much and man did this book take me back to my high school days! I love a nostalgia factor in books. I have to say I was in a slump while reading this so I didn't do much sleuthing myself so I was totally caught off guard by 'who done it'. The author did an amazing job at spreading the suspicion so everyone was a suspect! Super quick and fun read! Exactly what I needed!

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. This is the first book in a new series about a U.S. Senator’s wife, Sandra Wallage, who meets a fellow PTA member, Maya Kendrick. Maya co-owns a private investigations business. Maya’s co-owner is eight months pregnant so Maya’s trying to cover all the work and all the bills. When a local on-line ‘news’ site called ‘Dirty Laundry’ publishes a piece that Sandra’s husband is crooked, she meets Maya and they join forces to find the gossip author. When they, instead, encounter a dead body and a confession, things don’t add up. Joining forces while navigating the murky worlds of parenting and PTAs, they work together to find out whodunit before the killer finds them.
Lee Hollis, a sister and brother writing duo, create an interesting set of characters that work well in this cozy. Sandra brings a unique perspective as a senator’s wife who’s perfected that public spouse persona while suffering from serious stage fright. Raising their two teen-aged sons, mostly single-handedly, she’s a good mix of strength and human frailties. Her relationship with her husband adds additional depth to her character. Maya, a former police officer and single mum after her police officer husband was convicted and sent to prison, provides a nice balance and the necessary perspective of ‘here’s how law enforcement or how criminals do something’ that helps amateur sleuths in cozies. Having a muck-raking news site in the story is also a good touch as its slander is anonymous while still causing havoc. I look forward to the next in this series.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The first in a brand new series featuring Maya, a cop turned private detective and Sandra, a housewife/ senators wife / PTA president. I actually really liked this even if I did find myself doing a page check half way through. Not overly joyed at who the murderer turned out to be (no spoilers here!) but I didn’t see it coming and I like that it wasn’t predictable. It’s amusing in places and well written and I read the whole book in one sitting.
I will be looking out for number 2 in the series.

Murder at the PTA by Lee Hollis is the first in what is sure to be an enjoyable and popular cozy mystery series by the excellent author duo. This series is titled Maya and Sandra Mystery after the namesake of the main character/sleuth duo: Sandra Wallage (mom and senator's spouse) and Maya Kendrick (fellow mom at the local school and Private Investigator Maya Kendrick.

This unlikely duo end up joining forces when they try to solve the mystery of the person behind a gossip website that was the polarizing force for many in the community after they are found murdered. What entails is the quintessential cozy mystery murder/mystery plot. Things are not as they initially seem, twists and turns are dispersed, and the reader is brought along for all the action.

This is an nice introduction into a new series from an author duo that I have been a fan of for many years. This first book irons out the character introductions, the location, and some of the character cast. I most certainly will read the following books that are sure to be a delight.

4/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I really enjoyed this first in a new series by Lee Hollis.
Sandra and Maya are two strong characters, who work very well together.
In this new series, we meet Sandra, the wife of a Maine senator, and Maya, married to a dirty cop serving time.
They may seem like an odd pair, but when the creator of an online gossip blog is found dead, it seems fishy to Sandra.

This book is a great start to a new cozy mystery series.

This was a great first book in a new series!
It’s a Barnes and Noble exclusive so I am glad I picked up a copy when I was in the U.S.
The whodunit had a great twist and I cannot wait to read the next one in the series.