Easter Bunny Murder

Lucy Stone #19

by Leslie Meier

With a harsh Maine winter finally over, Lucy Stone is excited to cover the annual Easter egg hunt for the Tinker’s Cove Pennysaver . Hosted by elderly socialite Vivian Van Vorst at her oceanfront estate, it’s a swanky event where the eggs are as likely to contain savings bonds as jelly beans. But when Lucy arrives at Pine Point, the gates are locked, and a man dressed as the Easter Bunny emerges only to drop dead moments later . . .
 
Lucy discovers that the victim is Vivian’s grandson, and all is not well at Pine Point. Vivian has been skipping lunch dates, and her charitable donations have abruptly stopped. Is she going senile? Or are her heirs a little too anxious to take over her estate? As Lucy gathers a basketful of suspects, she’ll have to chase the truth down a rabbit hole before a killer with a deadly case of spring fever claims another
victim . . .
 
“A fun and engaging read.”
— The Barnstable Patriot
 
“Delightful . . . Cozy fans will enjoy Lucy’s hunt for the truth.”
— Publishers Weekly
 
“Once again, Meier delivers a top-notch mystery!”
— RT Book Reviews

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

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 2013

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 4 out of 5]

In EASTER BUNNY MURDER, Lucy and her daughter in law Molly are taking her grandson Toby to an Easter Egg hunt at one of the largest estates in Tinker’s Cove, Maine when the giant easter bunny (or the person inside the costume) drops dead at the celebration. As Lucy begins to investigate, she discovers something sinister may be going on with the family who has run the egg hunt for years and provided funds for many of the charities in town. Their matriarch is getting older and Lucy suspects elder abuse. This is one of my favorite series that I always enjoy for the familiar small-town characters and this particular mystery got complicated in some interesting ways.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easter Bunny Murder is one of the latest Lucy Stone Mysteries, an amateur sleuth investigation series set in Maine. I've read all the previous ones and will finish the next ten to get current for the 2023 release early next year. I've also read all ten in-between novellas, and I enjoy the small town shenanigans. The series is good because it ages unlike other ones... in the first book Lucy was pregnant with her youngest daughter; Zoe is now almost 15. In this one, we met a crazy family and covered elder abuse. I enjoyed the storyline but it hopped around a lot, covering almost a year, and it felt very disconnected, not complete. I liked the characters a lot, just wish it was more of a traditional approach. On to the next one.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am so glad this is finally over! I was very excited about reading an Easter-themed book (my very first) right before Easter.... and then... this happened.

Yes, I've noticed cozy mysteries are often "hit or miss" for me but nothing had prepared me for this one: absolutely nothing interested me about Lucy Stone's life, family, job (what is she exactly, a caring grandma or the next Pulitzer winner? She could be both, I agree, but the book switches awkwardly between one and the other, this is unpleasant).

The so-called mystery was awfully boring... and it dragged on... this book's only 236 pages long, but I'd rater read War And Peace twice in a row, than THOSE 236 pages again. And it was diluted too. For example, at some point, Lucy's older daughter appears out of thin air, she has appendicitis, the poor thing... we follow her operation, recovery, etc, and then she goes back to her life in Florida. And that's it. Who cares? What did she bring to the plot? Absolutely nothing! What did she bring to Lucy's character? Oh well, now we know she's anxious when one of her kids ends up in hospital. What a total newsflash!

I don't even know why I finished this book (maybe I wanted to see if it could get any worse) but I'd still like to read an entertaining Easter story. After all, I enjoy very silly Christmas novels.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the Easter Bunny dies, Lucy Stone is on the case.

This clever, fast-paced cozy mystery is packed with twists and suspects. It also delves into elder care problems. The characters are normal, flawed people who are basically good, but struggle like the rest of us. The small town setting is delightful and is vividly described. And there's a nice quantity of humor in this charming story.

A delightful read.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

The annual Easter egg hunt was something all the kids in Tinker's Cove looked forward to, but this particular year, it didn't even look as if one had been planned. Then the man playing the Easter Bunny fell over and died. Rumors were circulating that the town's richest woman Vivian Van Vorst (whose grandson Van had played the Bunny and died) was having money issues, but after managing to get herself hired on as temporary food service help, Lucy didn't think that was quite the case.

This was a very compelling and multi-faced mystery. There were murders, of course, but the issue of elder abuse was also addressed, and I was happy that those guilty of it were taken care of. I always love how Lucy manages to get pretty much everyone talk to her, even the ones that no one else could get to open up. I hadn't seen the killer coming, a total surprise for me due to a great twist. Lucy's personal challenges were trying to get Bill to agree to having wills (due to the first death which was a fairly young man), and her grown daughter in Florida (Elizabeth) had an little scare with appendicitis. But after everything was worked out, things were back to normal at the mansion.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easter Bunny Murder is a great book to read on the Easter Holidays. Local reporter Lucy Stone took her grandson Patrick and daughter in law Molly to the local Easter Egg Hunt. It was meant to be a happy day for all the village children. However, this did not happen the Easter Buddy Van Vorst Duff collapsed and died in front of the children. Lucy Stone did not think anything about it until Van Vorst Duff ex-girlfriend comes into the paper saying it was murder and this started Lucy Stone to investigate the allegations. Intertwine with the investigation of the crime was the community worries over the health and wellbeing of the Van Vorst Duff's grandmother.

The readers of Easter Bunny Murder will enjoy following Lucy Stone investigation into the death of Van Vorst Duff. Also, at times will laugh with the characters and enjoy the conclusion of this book. I like the way Leslie Meier portrayed a small country village community and her characters.

I recommend this book

[Jenn G · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5

I just don't care anymore... Lucy is annoying and I can't stand her. It was my last try with this series.

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another holiday is approaching for Lucy Stone and this time it is Easter. Ever the busy woman, Lucy again has a lot on her plate. For those not familiar with the series, Lucy is married with four children and also has a grandson. She is also a newspaper reporter. More exciting, however, is she is also an amateur sleuth, one who happens upon many a murder scene and with the keen sense to identifying killers, and often at risk to her own life.

Lucy is currently trying to prepare an exceptional Easter meal. She is also working on her garden and is determined to make the holiday a lot of fun for her little grandson. She is also eager to do her annual story on the Easter Egg hunt in town for the Pennysaver, the newspaper she writes for.

Well, upon arriving at a fancy event, grandson in tow, the Easter Bunny suddenly drops dead. Lucy is currently at the estate of one Vivian Van Vorst, and it is her grandson who was dressed up as the Easter Bunny. In typical fashion, Lucy begins to investigate what could have happened.

Lucy quickly discovers that there have been secrets and lies hovering about, and that there may indeed soon be another victim. Meanwhile, Lucy is contending with husband Bill regarding a serious matter, and is concerned for her oldest daughter Elizabeth, as she is away and dealing with a minor health crisis.

This was another engaging read by Leslie Meier and I do look forward to the next book in the series, Christmas Carol Murder.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Leslie Meier Lucy Stone mystery and it won't be my last. Even though I started with book #19 I didn't see it as a problem. Yes I would have known a little more about the characters if I would have read the previous 18 books, but since this is a mystery and the books are focused on the mystery plot it wasn't too much of a problem coming into book #19 and learning the characters on the fly. I felt like Ms. Meier gives good background into each of the main characters so that I never felt lost in Easter Bunny Murder and that it felt like a stand-alone. With that being said, after finishing this one, I want to go forward with the series as new books are released and also read from the beginning of te series as well.

The plot starts as the annual Easter Egg hunt seems to be a no-go and a man dies in front of everyone on the lawn of prestigious Pine Point. Lucy, the main character of this series, is a reporter for the local paper which is just a weekly and she mainly handles features not investigative reporting, but she just can't seem to help herself and she has to get to the bottom of what is going on at the local mansion and what is happening to resident millionaire VV. This starts the book and her sleuthing. With the help of others in the town, Lucy starts to get to the bottom of things. I like this book because she doesn't seem to always be in danger like in some books. This was what I really think of as a cozy mystery. She's solving the crime, but kind of out-of-the-way. But as she gets closer and closer things get more and more interesting.

I was drawn in by Lucy and her friends and the other people that populate the town. I love small town settings, I'm from a small town. I'm familiar with knowing most everyone and having everyone know your business. I like how Lucy is proper and nice and tries to go about solving the murders in a way that doesn't hurt anyone. She's just a nice lady. I also like the slices of her family life that are shown. The mystery was interesting and it kept me guessing. By the end I was able to see the clues that were there, but I missed them when I read, so that was good. Some may find it predictable but I didn't. I found it to be a very enjoyable read.

Over the last year I have started to read more and more cozy mysteries and I am glad I got the chance to try out Leslie Meier. The Lucy Stone series has great promise for me and I look forward to reading more books in the series. Easter Bunny Murder was a strong entry in the series at least for me, but I have nothing so far to judge it against. It was an enjoyable read, fit the full bill of a cozy for me and kept me entertained for hours. I found it hard to put down and it was another book I found easy to read even with life and TV going on around me. I felt like I was right in the middle of the chaos and mystery that surrounded Lucy. I also loved the Easter theme, and Lucy's grandson Patrick, he reminded me of my boys when they were just a little smaller. Kudos to Ms. Meier on a job well done!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good Lucy Stone novel, this time starting off at the annual Easter egg hunt. I like that these books take place in real time where things aren't solved in a matter of days.

[June Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published way back in 2013 but, hey, I'm always up for anything by Leslie Meier.

I actually remember reading the library copy of this way back when but took advantage of finding the audio version to refresh my memory. The only thing I could really remember was the actual murder in the book, maybe because it was someone dressed as the Easter Bunny, but had no memory of whodunit, so it was a fun read nevertheless.

As this is old and countless plot summaries are surely easily available, I'll just note that while the main theme focuses on elder abuse, there is much more to the story. Let's face it, while we'd all love to be rich, money definitely doesn't guarantee a wonderful life. Relatives, both known and unknown, frequently want their supposed share and are often willing to do whatever it takes it takes to hasten along their probably inheritance, including murder. Greed has a funny way of trumping family devotion, not to mention that even the richest and most publicized families have secrets. Secrets some would definitely find worth killing to expose or, in a twisted way, make right.
Thanks to #DreamscapeMedia for making the audio book available to the public. I love being able to listen as I'm driving about doing errands and such.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this series with Book#2 - Tippy-Toe Murders - and was appalled at the child abuse and graphic pedophilia. Another reviewer said to try another, so I did. This is Book#19. Much better, elder abuse, I can handle that!!

It was a good cozy experience- no gore. But……lots of unexplained things that I still can’t figure out, so I had to delete a star.

How was the device that killed the Easter Bunny activated?? What caused the fatal accident that annihilated victim #2? Who ended up with all the millions? Did the old lady get her house back? These crucial points were never clarified, so I was bewildered. So I’ll just guess and make up my own conclusions!!

Book #25 is next - you don’t need to read these in order. I’m just getting the ones my library has.

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I jumped into this book so far into the series I was still able to understand since it does feel like you've missed anything. I see that Lucy tends to stumble into mysteries that happen. She brings her grandson to the annual Easter egg hunt only to end up with the bunny murdered instead. Things lead to another and some keep secrets come to light. This was enjoyable story. I may start from the beginnning not time. LOL

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Any series that has gone nineteen books (and some-odd novellas -- too lazy to look up the exact number while I compose my review) is going to have a few one- or two-star duds. I guess it's clear which direction this review is going to take, huh?

What I liked about Easter Bunny Murder:
A couple of interesting twists - While I did correctly guess whodunnit fairly early on (I mean when the clues are SO OBVIOUS), the twists blindsided the heck out of me as they were revealed.
The ending - I will be honest, this was the saving grace of the book for me. It was a little bit different from the typical resolution. I can appreciate that after reading boatloads of cozy mysteries.

What I didn't care for:
Dangling threads - No mention or resolution to the sentencing in the trial? Or did I somehow miss it? Also, I could ferret out the purpose for including Lucy's trip to Florida and its connection to the overall story, but what about the fisherman who got injured? While I see the tenuous connection to the case, I cannot for the life of find a reason it was necessary for the progress of the story.
The big random squinty side eye moment - Did Lucy seriously stop to pack a swimsuit as she raced out of town to get to a sick child?? I find that hard to believe.
Things got too political - This is one of my biggest pet peeves in books, tv shows, basically anything I pick up for the purposes of entertainment. Especially when only one point of view is represented. Yes, the authors get to have their own points of view, certainly, but I'd just rather not be force fed those points of view, even if I agree sometimes.
For the love of Pete, please use competent editors! - There are no fumbles in baseball! You can muff or bobble, misplay, drop, even fumble around, but there is no actual fumble. That is football. Also, a relapse of appendicitis? After an appendectomy? I can only suspend disbelief so far, even in works of fiction.

The premise of the book felt promising. As much as I don't like when things get politically charged, I don't mind using a social issue as a focal point, and in this case, elder abuse was worked into the plot well enough. Which brings us to the subject of wills for Lucy and Bill. You can reasonably ask the question, after so many brushes with death, how on earth Bill could possibly be resistant to having them drawn up, good grief, dude?! And on that note, I'll be back with more on the Stones after I get to book twenty.

[Moondance · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was not the sort of thing you expected on a beautiful April morning.

Lucy along with her grandson, Patrick and daughter in law, Molly are off to Pine Point for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. Pine Point is owned by Vivian Van Vorst, a wealthy benefactor for the town of Tinker's Cove. Imagine Lucy's surprise when the Easter Bunny dies as they enter the estate. We learn that the bunny is Vivian's grandson and that perhaps family members are being killed because of their inheritances.

This installment of the series was a bit better for me. It handled the topic of elder abuse which is not often talked about. Learning the secrets of the wealthy family was quite sad.

Lucy's oldest daughter, Elizabeth has appendicitis and I wan't quite sure why that tidbit was added to the story. Perhaps to show the difficulties of having adult children that live far away. I really didn't feel that it added to the story.

I did feel that I got to know Lucy and her family a bit better. Patrick is such a cute little boy. I still feel that Lucy meanders through the murders, often without much focus.

I was very glad when the culprit was revealed. I admit I had to go back to see if they were in the first part of the book.

I may consider going back and starting at the beginning. For now I am thankful that this series has enough installments to help me finish a year end challenge.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easter Bunny Murder by Leslie Meier was an OK mystery. I enjoyed it well enough. However, it's premise as set-up in the first chapter wasn't carried through. It would have been nice if the Easter theme could have been maintained. As it was, the story meandered its way to the heat of summer. As for the murder victim, that was introduced in the first chapter but the story digressed well away from the victim. It became more of a sub-plot. We, the reader, weren't even informed that the culprit existed as a person until the funeral of the victim. In a murder mystery I want my culprit to have a cameo appearance right near the beginning so that I know they exist in the story's universe. I want my murder mystery to focus on the solution to the murder. And I like a theme to be evident from beginning, to middle, to end. I wanted the Easter Bunny Murder to be consistent.

[Bridgett · Rating 2 out of 5]

On a scale of 1 to Coco, Easter Bunny Murder receives a 3. It wasn't silly enough to be cozy and it wasn't thrilling enough to be a good mystery. The plot twist was like finding an Easter Egg...in July...because it has started to smell. It was my first experience with the Lucy Stone mysteries and, just like sitting on the lap of a creepy guy in a bunny suit, not one I intend to repeat.

[Rebecca White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the Lucy Stone books I’ve read so far.

They are all a pretty decent mystery, pretty relatable characters, and it helps I love Maine.

This particular one was no exception. Just enough action at the end to keep you on your toes. Easy and entertaining cozy mystery.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unexpected killer. Just okay for this reader.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book Lucy finds herself investigating elder abuse, mainly of her very old millionaire friend. Her family obviously wants her money, and they aren't willing to wait for her to die. They move and start selling her valuable items, cutting staff and expenses and confining her to life in bed in deplorable conditions. In the meantime, someone is also killing off some of the heirs for their own seceret reasons.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute, definitely "cozy" mystery. I enjoyed the variety of characters in the story, from little Patrick (very young child) to VV who is 90 years old and all the in between ages.

There is an annual event that Patrick's grandma takes him to, but when they get there she recognizes that something is different and very wrong. It takes very little time before she learns that the East Bunny, who happens to be VV's grandson, has collapsed. There is speculation whether he died of natural causes or if he was murdered. It became clear before too long and another murder took place that was made to look accidental that Van (aka the Easter Bunny) had been murdered.

VV's "caretakers" are not taking good care of her so suspicions drop on it being them who might be after her money. There are servants, gardeners, cooks, and family who also become suspicious in Lucy's mind. Sometimes these quick, no brainers are just what I need so I really loved it.

[Stasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a fan of tightly written mysteries which stick to the main story line, this is not for you. The book wanders between the mystery, tales of trying to get Lucy's husband to plan for the future, kids still living at home, kid's living away (still trying to figure out what the side trip to Florida did for the plot), and working with the small town paper. I got this as an available audio book from the library and it did stand alone although I do get the feeling that some of the character development and relationships would be better if I had read more of the series. But all in all not a bad book, interesting twist at the end and not in an Agatha Christie way.

[Linda Hultman · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, I'm late to the party, by about 5 years, I know. However, I just read this for fun this Easter. I am going to add a spoiler There is no way a doctor would ask a currently hospitalized patient to "watch" another patient in a hospital, no matter how short staffed the hospital was or how well the doctor knew the patient(s). Plus, I thought it was nutty that Bob, the attorney simply believed Lucy when she said that Izzy killed the others without any evidence for same.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Lucy takes her grandson to the annual Easter egg hunt at VV's fabulous house and grounds, a man dressed as the Easter bunny is killed while distributing the eggs. A few days later, his former girlfriend dies in a terrible road accident. There are accusations that VV, an elderly wealthy woman, is being held prisoner in her house, and Lucy begins to investigate, with near disastrous results. This was a fast and fun read, but the solution didn't seem to make sense.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cozy murder from Leslie’s Meier checked off the list. While these books are kinda corny I must admit I have a soft spot for the Lucy Stone series. They’re not extremely detailed plots with big twists, but they do keep you thinking and speculating throughout the read. After reading a few books from the series, you can’t help but feel attached to the Stone family and the Tinker’s Cove community.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this volume of the Lucy Stone mysteries, Lucy is trying to solve a couple of murders and save an old lady who is being abused by her heirs. At the beginning I wasn't too thrilled with this particular story and thought I was tired of this series, but it improved with the development of the plot, and in the end I ended up downloading the next in the series.

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book in the Lucy Stone mystery series, this story has Lucy finding the murderer of a man who was playing the Easter bunny. The usual multitude of suspects, motives, and extra plots themes make this an interesting read.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic holiday Lucy Stone cozy, which I highly recommend! A+

[Ashley B - Cozy with Pitties · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars for me for this one! I don’t read cozy mystery’s alot but this one was perfect for an Easter weekend! It was a quick read, and I liked all the characters in it Lucy being the main character. She was likeable and very determined to find out what is causing the murders that keep on happening even thought she works just for the local penny saver and was cautious when figuring out to not step on toes of her fellow town people. The murder starts out on Easter morning during the egg hunt when the man inside the Easter suit is murder and his ex wife after that . The author does a good job of keeping us on our toes and thinking we know who did it and why but throws you off with the ending for sure! There is talk of elder abuse in this novel which made me a little uncomfortable because I work in a nursing home and hate to see any elders abused. And the talk about the nurses killing the residents with morphine bothered me. That’s not true at all, morphine is given to palliative patients to help them be comfortable during the passing process not to hurt them. And usually we can’t give it enough for the families to be happy sense they hate seeing their loved ones in that process and want them the most comfortable they can be. So that part bugged me and it was another elderly telling Lucy this so I can see how another resident would think that, but still not how it works lol. This book is quite far down the line in a series but I really didn’t think I was missing anything by reading it as a stand alone! If your looking for a holiday themed cozy mystery murder I recommend this one! ☺️

[Karen Antonaitis]

This is a quick read and easy read. The characters are likable. I did not really predict who ended up murdering all these people so it it'll keep you in suspense. There's lots going on. Gigi seems like a nice old lady. Some of her children and grandchildren are very conniving. Mr. Willis was really nice. I liked him. I thought the cook was kind of amusing and I thought some of the friends of DJ's were very realistic and they were kind of characters. Lucy's family is really sweet. I think her boss is a typical boss. I thought Maxie was a hoot on how she challenged. Vicky, I did not like Vicky and her husband Henry or the lawyer and they got what they deserved if not more. Although it kind of left you hanging out with their sentencing was they never really got back to that. I would have liked to have known what their sentencing was so you were kind of left hanging with that Francis too. It didn't really say what happened what she filed, how things came out towards the end with Juliet. You weren't quite sure what happened with that if she stayed close to her grandma or not. So I couldn't give this a five