New Year's Eve Murder

Lucy Stone #12

by Leslie Meier

New York Times-Bestselling A mother and daughter visiting from Maine get mixed up in murder at a Manhattan fashion magazine…   After the annual parade of Christmas presents in Tinker's Cove, Maine, has ended, Lucy Stone and her daughter Elizabeth are ready to ring in the new year in style. Elizabeth has won mother/daughter winter makeovers in Manhattan from Jolie magazine! But the all-expenses-paid trip is bound to have some hidden costs—and one of them is murder. After arriving at the magazine’s offices, meeting their fellow makeover candidates, and being treated to a fashion show, Elizabeth is enamored of the extreme outfits and stick-thin models—while Lucy’s having some misgivings. The pampering is nice and the glamour of haute couture is bizarrely fascinating, but bitterness and aggression lurk behind the hipper-than-thou façade. And things turn downright ugly when self-absorbed fashion editor Nadine Nelson falls mysteriously ill and dies. Lucy can tell that backstabbing, rumors, and cliquishness have stirred up some bad blood at Jolie over the years. But this Manhattan murder mystery hits too close to home when Elizabeth gets rushed to the hospital with symptoms disturbingly similar to Nadine’s—and Lucy to dress down a killer before the ball drops in Times Square…   “A down-to-earth sleuth.”—Library Journal   “I like Lucy Stone a lot, and so will readers.”—Carolyn Hart, New York Times-bestselling author of the Death on Demand Mysteries

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Holiday, Christmas, Audiobook

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Leslie Meier lives in Braintree and Harwich (Cape Cod), Massachusetts. She is the creator of 'Lucy Stone', a reporter and amateur sleuth in the fictional seaside village of Tinker's Cove, Maine.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lucy Stone cozy mystery series is one of my favorites and I enjoyed NEW YEAR'S EVE MURDER. Lucy is stressed out over finances after she learns that her daughter Elizabeth is no longer eligible for financial aid at college, and unless she and her husband can come up with ten thousand dollars in just a few weeks, she'll be unable to return to college for the spring semester. Lucy and Elizabeth travel to New York for a magazine contest featuring mothers and daughters doing makeovers, where Lucy is hoping to win the prize money, securing Elizabeth's spot in class for the spring. Of course, murder follows. This one had some interesting and crazy plots! The New York setting was an interesting change and while I missed the Tinker’s Cove characters, a few old friends popped up, which was fun to see.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Year's Eve Murder is the 12th Lucy Stone Mystery written by Leslie Meier, and perhaps my favorite one so far. The setting moves to NYC, which is much more familiar to me, and it was quite complex. I loved seeing Lucy and Elizabeth out of their comfort zones, and there was a great balance to the plot. Tie-ins with real-life situations in NYC and poisons was helpful. Definitely enjoying the series a lot more now that we're mid-stride!

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm generally a fan of the Lucy Stone mysteries; they're very light, easy reads. This particular novel, though, disappointed me. My biggest complaint is that there was so much extraneous stuff going on - the whole mother-daughter makeover was a nice back-drop for a new mystery setting (NYC), but too much time was spent on it. Plus, so many characters were introduced all at once with the multiple mother-daughter teams, the magazine staff, and Lucy's old high school friend -very hard to keep track of who was who. Secondly, the mystery plot was just too far-fetched. Another reviewer hit the nail on the head when she said she felt like she was watching a Scooby Doo re-run instead of reading a good mystery.

This one 'miss' won't deter me from finishing the series as I usually enjoy the Tinker's Cove setting and Lucy's adventures.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy and Elizabeth are chosen to win "all-expense" paid trip to New York City for a fashion make-over along with five (?) other mother-daughter contestants from other parts of the country. One lucky pair will also win a $10,000 grand prize. But behind the glamourous world of the industry lie many ugly secrets.

The book was a fairly quick read. It was a nice relief to move the setting out of Tinker's Cove and to meet new characters, even if only for one book. The mystery itself was just ok but at least Lucy wasn't calling home every 5 minutes to make sure her home was still running without her..

[Lorraine · Rating 1 out of 5]

What??? Lucy (or Leslie) is an equal opportunity offender here, stereotyping not only New Yorkers but people from all over the country. And, seriously, Lucy wears her duck boots to NYC to get a make-over at a fancy magazine? Their money is tight, but her husband buys her an expensive Christmas gift and then Lucy seems to go out of her way to spent unnecessary money in NY. Then, when her daughter gets seriously ill, instead of staying close to her, she goes running off on a totally ridiculous caper with, you guessed it, people from Tinker's Cove.
And, in the end, of course, all problems are solved in the blink of an eye.
Sadly, my take-away from this was - did she ever pick up her dry cleaning??? That drove me nuts.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It was nice see another side of Lucy. Since Lucy and her daughter are on a mother/daughter trip to NYC Lucy seems a little more relaxed. She isn’t stressing about chores or what the other kids are doing. The mystery was a little slower than usual but still entertaining.

[Howard Iske · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read quite a few Lucy Stone mysteries and, honestly, some of them are better than others. I tend to prefer the ones that take place in Tinker’s Cove, but I really liked this book and the setting of New York City. It almost made the story feel like it’s taking place on a bigger scale.

There were quite a few really good moments that kept me engaged in the story. I would say that my only true letdown was the killer reveal at the end. I feel like the story was giving some really good suspects, but who the story settled on in the end was not my favorite. However, it’s still one of my favorite Lucy Stone mysteries.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elizabeth has won a mother/daughter makeover at a New York magazine, so after Christmas she and Lucy go on a road trip. Except, every minute is filled and not the restful, spa filled adventure Lucy had in mind. One of the fashion editors seems to be sick with the flu, until she dies. Then, suddenly Elizabeth becomes very ill and ends up in the ICU. Is it the same illness, and what is it? Lucy not only has to keep checking on her sick daughter, but she needs to track down exactly what happened to Nadine, before it happens to Elizabeth!

[Deanie Nelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reporter Lucy Stone is excited when her daughter Elizabeth wins a contest for mother-daughter makeovers in New York City -- until a staff member from the sponsoring magazine dies, and Lucy's daughter gets sick also -- both victims of anthrax poisoning.

The personal nature of the crime adds another layer to what might have been a typical cozy mystery. Lucy goes mama bear on potential suspects, even undertaking risky actions to find out who put her daughter in the hospital. This is a great turn for the character, and the series, making it a compelling mystery.

[Madison Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been reading this series completely out of order, but this is hands down the best one so far! The plot was interesting, and it was a refreshing change to have Lucy’s oldest daughter and some new side characters take the spotlight. Lucy’s husband, Bill, always insufferable in every book (seriously, how does she tolerate him?), and the usual crew of mean, catty friends were all blissfully absent. Honestly, the lack of terrible people made this book way more enjoyable!

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading the books in order for this series. While this is a good story, I did not enjoy it quite as much as the previous books because of the setting. Lucy Stone and her daughter, Elizabeth, travel to New York City because Elizabeth has won an all expenses paid trip there with her mother for beauty makeovers for both of them. I enjoyed meeting the new characters in New York, but I very much missed the little village of Tinker's Cove, Maine. I missed the usual characters as well as the busyness of Lucy's life as she balances running the home for Lucy's family against her part-time job at the Pennysaver, which is the local newspaper. I will immediately read the next book in the series because I am excited about getting back to Tinker's Cove.

[GҽɱɱαSM · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.9*
Novel·la de misteri cozy ambientat al voltant dd cap d'any. És la meva primera novel·la de la sèrie Lucy Stone i m'ha semblat tan entretinguda i addictiva que espero llegir-ne més.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I prefer the ones where she's traveling. Lucy's always more interesting when she's away from her family. That said, the obvious villains were obvious.

Although this is the fourth book in the series published post 9/11, this book is the first one to mention it, or draw inspiration from it. Of course with a trip to Manhattan it would be hard not to. Lucy and Elizabeth comment on how the rules around flying have changed, including the exclusion of liquids in carry-on luggage. Plus Lucy ruminates over the gaping hole in the skyline where the old World Trade Center buildings were as this is before the new building and memorial was built.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2023/comm...

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange one. Very patchy, disjointed, and outright incoherent. There was not a chance in Lucy Stone solving this mystery. That has happened a few times now. This is also the second time that Lucy has ventured out of her small town to escape her family. I was irked but got over the disappointment quickly. I wish that next time Leslie Meier tries this formula, Lucy's husband or Zoe is with her. This is not the best book to begin reading the series in. The finale is amazingly kitschy. The villains, portrayed as evil, are just mental. It was tricky to pinpoint what this book deserves, but I concur 3/5 is a reflection of what I feel about the book.

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't care for this book. The characters who won makeovers were all stereotypes (the rich ones from Texas, the Midwestern bumkins, the religious freaks). I also HATED how the feminist was immediately described as "militant" even when she was in college and wasn't doing anything particularly extreme. And of course her lesbianism was both assumed and implied. Even the premise of winning a mother-daughter makeover just seemed so old-school. The ending was ridiculous - the feminist using anthrax to poison people who don't do everything they can to protect Mother Earth (or "Terra Mama" as they call it). Honestly?

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been awhile since I have visited Tinker Cove and Lucy Stone and family. I enjoyed my visit but there are parts I wonder about, although it didn't take from my enjoyment. Elizabeth won a trip to New York for Mother/ daughter makeover. While there they encountered Animal Rights members. Elizabeth hands a compact chief editor who laters dies and Elizabeth ends up in the hospital. I see I have a number of visits to Tinker Cove that I need to read.

[Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meier is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. I read this as a seasonal story, since typically her books surround a season, holiday, or special event. Based on that premise, I was surprised at how little the New Year's Eve setting was in the book. It was an interesting read, indicative of our era the last 20 years, just not what I expected.

[Sharen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable, cozy, murder mystery to start the New Year off. This is my 6th holiday themed book by Leslie Meier. Just like the others, it was a quick and easy read. If you want a themed holiday story, whether it's Valentine's Day, Turkey Day or any others, I would easily recommend them. 3.5 stars, round to 4 stars.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion, you can't go wrong with a nice cozy holiday themed Lucy Stone mystery, and Leslie Meier's New Year's Eve Murder does NOT disappoint! A+

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating: 4.5 Stars

It is New Year’s Eve and Lucy Stone is excited to be able to spend it in New York with her oldest daughter Elizabeth. They are part of a team of mothers and daughters after Elizabeth won a winter makeover contest. The grand prize winners will win $10,000. As Lucy and husband Bill have gotten a letter informing them that they will be that much short for Elizabeth’s next year of college, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

Aside from looking forward to spending some one-on-one time with Elizabeth, Lucy hopes to visit with her long-time friend Samantha. However, they have a very full agenda, including fittings, photo shoots and the like.

As all of the pairs are working hard at the activities, suddenly Nadine Nelson, the fashion editor, falls ill and dies. Nadine wasn’t always well-liked, and the rumor mill was very much at work, so foul play is definitely suspected. What’s worse is that Elizabeth falls seriously ill and is hospitalized with very similar symptoms that affected Nadine before her death.

Lucy is an amateur detective, and she jumps right in to track down the killer. Most definitely time is of the essence. As always, this cozy mystery was a quick read it had just enough bite and intrigue to engage me in one sitting. Usually Lucy solves these crimes in her hometown of Tinker’s Cove. She has her work cut out for her in the Big Apple. New Year's Eve Murder was a very enjoyable story and had a delightful conclusion. I have been enjoying these stories and this is book 12 of 26. I look forward to continuing with the series.

These are all delightful reads and I look forward to continuing. I encourage readers of this review to look at my other reviews from this series on this blog. Also, here is a link to her series in order:

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/le....

Please see all of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.com.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas is coming to a close, and Lucy Stone and her eldest daughter Elizabeth are getting ready for a big trip from Tinker's Cove, Maine, to New York City. It seems that they have one a chance to compete in a mother/daughter makeover contest being run by Jolie magazine. Besides being a free trip to the city, winning the contest will also mean some much needed funds to help pay for Elizabeth's next term at college.

There is definitely a lot of excitement in the air. Unfortunately, that is not the only thing in the air. The country is being hit hard by a flu epidemic, which is running through the back of events as Lucy and Elizabeth join four other pairs of mother/daughter teams in the contest. The activities involved help provide some of the most exciting things New York City has to offer as well as no shortage of primping, but they also give the competitors a chance to see all of the in-fighting taking place at the magazine's fashion department, which is overseen by Nadine Nelson. Rumors fly all over the place between the various staffers in the department, which includes two of Nadine's college friends. The rumors are harsh and sting deep, which is why Nadine's death is not a complete surprise to the reader. While, at first, it seems that Nadine has fallen victim to the flu epidemic, it turns out that she was murdered, and the cause cannot help but bring up recent memories of 9/11 (the book was written in 2004).

When the case takes a personal turn when Elizabeth becomes quite ill, as well, Lucy finds herself dusting off her amateur detective shoes in the hopes of figuring out who harmed her daughter. Can she get to the bottom of the case before the situation gets worse? Will she and Elizabeth win the contest so the family can continue to pay Elizabeth's tuition now that her financial aid was cut?

This was a fun addition to the series. It was interesting to see Lucy working out a mystery outside of her small Maine town. It was probably a good idea since like Jessica Fletcher's Cabot Cove, Tinker's Cove was probably going to start suffering from a shortage of residents if the murders continued to only take place there. Lucy does seem to shine in the new location even though she is missing most of her usual friendly "assistants." She does find some help from a former college friend of her own and two younger former-residents of Tinker's Cove.

The new setting also adds a little freshness to a series. Being the 12th book in the series, it was certainly possible for the tales to start feeling a little stale. Sharing the experience of New York City with Lucy and her daughter was also a fun add on. Having recently increased my visits to the city to two or three times a year, it was nice to recognize a lot of the locations being highlighted.

I do think fans will really enjoy this addition to the series.

[Megan Pomeroy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy Stone and her daughter Elizabeth win a makeover in New York City, so this book is not set in Tinker's Cove. But when a murder takes place and Elizabeth gets very ill, it is up to Lucy to figure out why anyone would want to harm employees at a fashion magazine, before she becomes the next victim.

This was a fun quick read, but I miss the Tinker's Cove setting (and why Lucy didn't say she was from NYC when everyone was treating her like a country bumpkin is beyond me). I also found the premise to be a little ambitious and I miss the simplicity of her earlier novels. I enjoyed the book, but I don't think it's one I'll reread.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pleasant cozy mystery in a series that I’m reading. The characters are likable and while I personally don’t like New York City, where this was set, it was entertaining enough. I’ll be happier when the next book is set back in rural Tinker’s Cove, Maine.

[Shelleen Toland · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the annual parade of Christmas presents in Tinker's Cove has ended, Lucy Stone and her daughter Elizabeth are ready to ring in the new year in style. Elizabeth has won mother/daughter winter makeovers in Manhattan from Jolie magazine! But the all-expenses-paid trip is bound to have some hidden costs-and one of them is murder....

As excited as Elizabeth is to hit the Big Apple, Lucy's less thrilled to be heading straight into post-holiday shopping crowds in the middle of a flu epidemic. Then again, she has to admit-if only to herself-that her work-from-home personal style could use a bit of an update. And she is looking forward to visiting an old college friend and culture-vulturing it all over town, from museums to budget art-house flicks. Besides, how often do opportunities for sophisticated mother/daughter bonding on someone else's dime come along, anyway?

After finally arriving at the offices of Jolie, meeting their fellow makeover candidates, and being treated to a fashion show, Elizabeth is enamored of the extreme outfits and stick-thin models-while Lucy's having some misgivings. The pampering is nice (never underestimate the transformative powers of a $500 haircut) and the glitz and glamour of haute couture is bizarrely fascinating, but bitterness and aggression lurk behind the Jolie's hipper-than-thou facade. And things turn downright ugly when self-absorbed fashion editor Nadine Nelson falls mysteriously ill and then dies.

Lucy saw first-hand some of the backstabbing going on at Jolie. And the red-hot rumor mill soon reveals that the cliquish connection among the magazine's cabal of high-style executives-fierce tempered fashionistas Camilla Keith, Elise Frazier, and Nadine herself-has stirred up plenty of bad blood over the years. Numerous staffers, from workaholic assistant Phyllis Finch to oft-maligned photo editor Pablo Prinz, have found themselves at the other end of the trio's sharp claws. To say suspects abound would be an understatement.

But this Manhattan murder mystery hits too close to home when Elizabeth gets rushed to the hospital with symptoms that are disturbingly similar to Nadine's. Now, it's up to Lucy to dress down a killer before the ball drops in Times Square...

I have always liked this series and now starting to read the rest. Again Lucy goes into detective mode to find out who killed Nadine. I had an idea who it was and had a small suspicion f the other person but not the why. I have always enjoyed Lucy Stone and her family and glad to have read this.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book with Lucy and her daughter Elizabeth set in the Big Apple, the opposite of Tinker's Cove. Although Lucy lived in NYC before her marriage, it's a culture shock for her to go there after twenty years. And she gets her eyes opened with the fashion world, where looks are more important than people. Lucy and Elizabeth win a makeover from Jolie magazine and it's a whirlwind of makeup, clothes, hair and shoes. But when the beauty editor is killed by anthrax, it all turns surreal. Elizabeth suddenly gets sick too, and Lucy remembers the compact that her daughter had picked up with powder spilling from it. At the hospital, it's confirmed that Elizabeth also has been infected with anthrax, but to a lesser degree. Who could get it, and where? Lucy begins her investigation.

I enjoyed reading about parts of New York, especially Governor's Island, which I'll have to look up. These books aren't great literature, but they're fun and I learn something, if only geography!

[Kay Hommedieu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first "Lucy Stone" mystery and I liked the character even more than the mystery. The mystery seemed convoluted and far fetched at times. In fact, if I tried another one of her mysteries, I would like to try one where Lucy is a sleuth in her small hometown of Tinker's Cove, Maine. This title was set in New York City where Lucy and her college daughter, Elizabeth had gone for a mother-daughter fashion makeover contest when, not only was one of their hostesses was killed, but her daughter Elizabeth, got sick and had to be hospitalized. Through Lucy's sharp mind and blunt questions she led us on a merry chase from subways to ferry boats to high rise buildings to resolve the case just before the ball dropped at midnight in Times Square. 7/3/2018

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Lucy Stone book I've read and I truly enjoyed it! Leslie Meier's sleuth is very charming, and I love following her though processes as she solves crimes an mysteries. Lucy is also down to earth, and someone I feel that I could be friends with! I especially enjoyed this particular book as at centered around the New York fashion world, and had an interesting story line with several twists that kept me guessing!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was perfect and exactly what I wanted it to be for a light fun New Years holiday read! I love her writing style and fun cheeky holiday themed reads so much! Other reviewers didn't like the fashion contest win parts but I loved it. It was light and fun and cute and a little different then the usual oh no someones dead right away cozy mystery. I enjoyed it and it was exactly what I wanted it to be.

[Cozy Reader Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

"New Year's Eve Murder (Lucy Stone #12)" by Leslie Meier wraps up on New Year's Eve. This one takes place almost entirely in New York City when Elizabeth wins a Mother Daughter make over for her and Lucy. They get stuck in New York when Elizabeth falls ill due to coming in contact with the same thing (wont spoil it) as the murder victim. Lucy sets out to find out who did it. It wraps up with a fairly action packed reveal for a Lucy Stone book.

[Lain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I keep reading the Lucy Stone mysteries, hoping they'll get better. Unfortunately, they seem to have hit a new low. Anthrax? A secret chemical lab on an abandoned island? Evil scientists? I felt like I was watching an episode of "Scooby Doo" instead of reading a quality mystery novel.

I think Lucy needs to take a rest from her sleuthing.