Easter Bonnet Murder

Lucy Stone #28

by Leslie Meier

Part-time reporter Lucy Stone isn't about to put all her eggs in one basket during a frantic Easter in Tinker's Cove--especially when it comes to cracking a deadly mystery . . .

Known for its cheerful staff and elaborate annual Easter Bonnet Contest, the Heritage House senior center regularly attracts new residents and positive press. But once the town's retired librarian, Miss Julia Tilley, checks in to recover from an illness, Lucy sees a side of the facility that isn't quite so perfect and pristine. And the place may soon be making headlines for different reasons following an unexplained disappearance . . .

Lucy can't fathom how Agnes Neal could go missing from assisted living over a silly Easter bonnet contest, or why few seem concerned as signs point to foul play. A retired journalist with an independent mind, Agnes had an eye for details and little interest in conforming to catty cliques or rules set by her caretakers--traits that threatened some and angered others . . .

While police stall the investigation without answers, Lucy realizes backstabbing has no age limit when alarming parallels bloom between her daughter's college frenemies and social circles at Heritage House. Gathering clues as flimsy as a half-eaten milk chocolate bunny, Lucy must discover what happened to Agnes--before her own story becomes another springtime tragedy left unsolved.

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

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 25, 2022

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

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this 28th book in the 'Lucy Stone' series, the journalist/amateur sleuth searches for a missing woman. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

*****

Lucy Stone, who lives in Tinker's Cove, Maine, is a wife, mother, and reporter for the local Courier newspaper.



Lucy and her husband Bill have four grown children, three of whom live in Greece, France, and Alaska respectively.



The Stones' youngest daughter Zoe, who still lives at home, is about to graduate college and move to Portland, Maine for a job. Lucy is concerned about her child, and gets drawn into Zoe's hunt for affordable housing.



Lucy has other things on her mind as well. Her centenarian friend - retired librarian Julia Ward Howe Tilley - has been hospitalized with pneumonia and JUST recovered enough to be sent to Heritage House for rehab.





Heritage House is an elder care facility with three levels of support: minimum - for healthy people who come and go as they please; moderate - for residents who need some assistance; and skilled nursing - for patients who require careful monitoring. Miss Tilley is in skilled nursing, where she's overseen by staff and gets physical therapy.



Lucy is familiar with Heritage House because she's covered stories there, like last year's Easter Bonnet Contest, which was won by Agnes Neal.



Agnes is an independent woman who lives at Heritage House for the perks, such as meals, activities, and room cleaning. One morning Agnes leaves to go bird watching and doesn't return in a timely manner.

Agnes' daughter Geri becomes concerned, but doesn't get much traction from the Heritage House staff or the police, who suggest Agnes went to visit a friend. So Geri calls Lucy, who agrees to search for the missing woman.



After a day passes the cops get involved, but Agnes seems to have vanished. By now Lucy has become suspicious of Heritage House, where no one appears very concerned about Agnes' disappearance.



Moreover, the facility has a kind of high school atmosphere, with the elderly women forming snobby cliques and competing for the attention of the (very few) men.



In any case, Lucy asks Miss Tilley to secretly look out for anything 'off' at Heritage House, and Miss Tilley agrees in return for two bottles of sherry. 🙂



The book revolves around what happened to Agnes, but also covers Lucy's other activities. These include: accompanying her daughter Zoe to look for an apartment in Portland, and writing newspaper articles about this year's Easter Bonnet Contest, a bear family going dumpster diving at a gas station, and Maine's alewives migration. Lucy also investigates financial shenanigans at Heritage House.



The mysteries are eventually solved in a dramatic fashion, with Lucy and Miss Tilley in the middle of the action.

I enjoyed the book but feel more chapters should have been devoted to the mystery and less to Lucy's miscellaneous endeavors. Still, this is an entertaining cozy, recommended to fans of the series.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Karen White, who does an excellent job voicing the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, Leslie Meyer, and Dreamscape Media for a copy of the book.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In EASTER BONNET MURDER, the 28th cozy mystery in the Lucy Stone series, Lucy investigates the Heritage House, an assisted living facility that one of her longtime friends Miss Julia Tilley is being transferred to. One of its residents, Agnes, has gone missing and foul play or elder neglect is suspected. The book also focuses on Zoey, Bill and Lucy’s youngest daughter, who is trying to get her first apartment on her own and struggling with finances. I am a big fan of this series and love the characters the author has created in Tinker’s Cove, Maine. The mystery in the assisted living facility wound up going in some interesting directions I didn’t see coming. I especially enjoyed the scenes with the Easter bonnets. That was really fun.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today I am current on the latest Lucy Stone Mystery, Easter Bonnet Murder, written by Leslie Meier. I began the series only because it had a novella in a collection with another author I liked, since they all penned tales set in Maine, a state of which I am quite fond. In 4 months, I've read over 35 books by the author (some were novellas above and beyond the core 28 in the series). Several were hits; a few were misses. The early ones were not so good in terms of political views and commentary. It got much better, but then the stories turned too flaky. This was a really strong one with minimal political commentary and a complex story that came together in the final pages. Glad to end on a high note... not that the series is ending, but because I won't have one to read for several months since the next is a 2023 release or perhaps a lite in-between novella much later this year. A break will be nice, but I look forward to returning to them soon.

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy Stone, the main reporter in Tinker's Cove, is concerned for her friend Miss Tilley when she has to move into retirement home Heritage House after an illness. But that concern only grows when an intrepid resident, Agnes, goes missing from the place.

I did not realize when I requested this audiobook ARC that it was the twenty-eighth book in the series! Had I not known, I wouldn't have guessed it, for the writing is not tired at all as you sometimes get with long book series, and it holds up quite well as a standalone.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Lucy is a likable lead with a nose for news, and her job gives her quite a few excuses to get involved in the mystery! The characters were all quite vivid, even the minor ones, and I enjoyed how much personality was infused in the story. The final showdown was a lot of fun, and I liked how the author paid careful attention to all the elderly characters who are after all important to the story.

However, I did have some issues with the story. The narrative takes a while to pull itself together, with the mystery not advancing too much until past the halfway mark. I am also unsure if I liked the long side-plot about Zoe's apartment hunting, especially as the mystery was handled in a fairly light-hearted manner. The solution to the mystery, however, is quite dark, and I don't know that the tone was thoroughly balanced throughout.

I listened to this as an audiobook which was narrated by Karen White. I thought she did a good job, especially with bringing out the moments of humor in the story. However, I thought some of her character voices got rather similar, making it tough on occasion to identify the speaker.

Overall, a fun cozy mystery. I'm curious to see where Lucy's adventures began!

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Laura Snider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not know that this was a series when I requested it from the publisher through NetGalley. I found out it was the twenty eighth book in the series once I was approved and put it on my "currently reading" list on Goodreads. So, I was a little hesitant to start because I was obviously missing a whole lot of backstory (27 books of backstory), but I was pleasantly surprised. It took me a few chapters to sort out the characters, but I caught on quickly and didn't feel like I was lost without reading the other 28 first. I'm sure my experience would have been richer had I followed the series by order, but alas, that was not how it worked out.

This book was an easy, smooth read. The dialogue could be a little obvious and unnecessary at times, but it flowed well. The characters all had depth, which was refreshing. Even the supporting characters that took a backseat in the story had complexities that made them interesting. I also enjoyed the nursing home setting. I've never read a cozy mystery based in a nursing home, so I found that to be unique. I also liked the spunkiness of the nursing home residents.

The only drawbacks in the book involved structure. I felt like there were points with the main character bounced around for seemingly no reason (like going to the art gallery). I kept wondering if that was just a frolic outside of the story, or if it was truly there for a reason. It ended up being important to the story - which allowed me to forgive many of my issues with its existence - but I felt like the author could have been more subtle and creative. Making the photographer a more important character would have likely solved this for me, but he really doesn't show up more than a few times.

Other than that one issue, which wasn't all that big of an issue because it ended up coming full circle anyway, I really enjoyed this book. It is your typical cozy mystery, so don't go into it expecting a lot of heavy tension and stress, but there's a bunny on the cover, so...yeah...if you expected something more murder-ey, you're looking in all the wrong places.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy hurries to the hospital when she hears that Miss Tilley is gravely ill. Lucy and Rachel, Miss Tilley’s caretaker, enter Miss Tilley’s room to find that her fever has broken and she is back to her normal cantankerous self. After the hospital, Miss Tilley is sent to Heritage House, an assisted living facility for seniors, to recover. When a resident of Heritage House goes missing, the patient’s daughter asks Lucy to help locate her mother. She says that there are rumors that something is amiss at Heritage House. Can Lucy find the missing senior and uncover what is happening at Heritage House? Easter Bonnet Murder by Leslie Meier is the 28th A Lucy Stone Mystery. I believe Easter Bonnet Murder can be read as a standalone. I do, though, recommend reading A Lucy Stone Mysteries from the beginning. It will allow you to get to know Lucy and the rest of the gang (their personalities and backgrounds plus you get to know the town). It is amazing the changes that have taken place since Mistletoe Murder. The story is well-written with developed characters who live in a charming Maine town. It is always a joy to visit Tinker’s Cove, Maine. The mystery was different. A woman is missing from Heritage House, but she is an senior who likes to be active. You do not know if there is a crime for a long time (is the woman just missing or has she been murdered). There are plenty of suspects with various motives. There is little evidence or clues to help Lucy. There is so much going on at Heritage House (the cliques, the intense Easter bonnet competition, all the activities, and potential crimes) that it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. As we near the end, it soon becomes clear who is responsible for the terrible deed. This is the type of story where you need to suspend your disbelief and just go with the flow (leave reality behind). Lucy’s youngest daughter, Zoe will be graduating from college soon and is looking for a job. Zoe comes across more as an immature teenager than someone who is twenty-one. Zoe is focused on herself and there is some drama. I think it will be a good thing for Lucy and Bill to have an empty nest. A romantic getaway is what this couple needs (hint to author). Miss Tilley is such a vibrant character. If she were a little younger (she is around 100), I would love to see her have her own series. She provides humor that lightens up the story. We get to see what life is like inside an assisted living facility. The façade and décor may be lovely, but there is more than meets the eye at this facility. I do not want to spoil Easter Bonnet Murder for you. Let me just say that this is one busy book. I enjoyed reading Easter Bonnet Murder and I look forward to Lucy’s next adventure. Easter Bonnet Murder is an eventful cozy mystery with an Easter bonnet battle, a stubborn and rebellious senior, a missing mother, an independent daughter, a colorful receptionist, and a prying reporter.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so apropos to my situation - the theme was what to do with old people who need assistance!!

Hurricane Helene took its toll on me!! No power for 4 days is tough when you have COPD. Try Florida at 90+ without air conditioning. My son took a red eye from Denver, via NY to help me get through it.

So, the gist of my story is that he hired a senior helper 2 days a week to do whatever I need doing. She’ll even pick up my library holds!! All this made me feel like I was one of the characters in the book. I hope my caregiver is as nice as Rachel is!!

Oh getting old, but it beats the alternative!!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Lucy Stone story. There’s so much going on in Lucy’s life that I don’t know how she has time to sleep. Each story is well researched and has so much information that you can’t help but learn something new. Amidst all the small hometown charm is always a little darkness that Lucy helps to untangle. This one was a little slow to start but once it got going, I didn’t want to put it down.

The audiobook narration was well done, with distinct voices for each character.


I received a copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[The Cozy Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the “A Lucy Stone Mystery” series for a long time. The characters are usually warm, kind, and filled with the spice of life. The setting is always picture-perfect and detailed enough to make readers want to visit. However, I had issues with Easter Bonnet Murder. The idea of retired people enjoying their days hiking, bird watching, doing creative things is inspiring. Add in a holiday, Easter, and what could go wrong, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and pretty dresses are still looked forward to, even at any age? However, as readers interact with the characters, they soon realize that a beloved returning character is in trouble. The main character, Lucy, is investigating a missing person who is eventually located dead.

Suspects in this story are plentiful, and most seem to have good, or at least relatively normal motives. However, given the Easter theme, the contentious bonnet contest, and possible corporate fraud, the motive may not be all that important; anyone could have a reason for the victim to go missing or be murdered. Evidence is sparse, and during a great deal of the book, no one even knows that there is a victim; even Lucy isn’t certain.

A retirement community filled with cliques, intense competition, and a few too many possibilities for other crimes makes for a nice story, but this is also the problem. There is just too much of it all. Figuring out who the killer is and what is happening at the senior center is like banging your head against a brick wall, not in a fun way. If it were just not being able to pick out the killer, I would admit defeat and be happy that the author was able to stump me. But in this case, it was more a fact that none of it made sense. Towards the end of the book, readers will realize that the killer can only be one person and that several people knew all along and said nothing. This may give the readers resolution, but it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Easter bonnets are created, the contest won, and the crime solved, but the questions don’t necessarily end with the last page. For instance, how could any of it have happened without someone at some time having checked the backgrounds of all the suspects, or in the case of this murder, why aren’t the police doing anything at all?

For me, there was just a little too much going on that was not plausible, and the motive of the actual killer was not very realistic. The clues, what there were of them, really didn’t seem to tie into the murder and the red herrings were practically nonexistent. I enjoy Leslie Meier’s writing and always have, but I am beginning to think that it’s time for this series to end or somehow evolve into something more memorable. I did not like Zoe, Lucy’s youngest daughter in this story, and she has been getting worse with each book; she is selfish, uncaring, and immature. Even Lucy’s husband appears to be a bit character at this point. I hope this series doesn’t end with Easter Bonnet Murder; I’d like to see it go out on a far better theme than an Easter bonnet competition between mean old ladies. And, I never want to read about Miss Tilly dying, ever! Nevertheless, there are entertaining parts to this book and even moments of intense emotion, and for those reasons only, I will read the next addition to this series.

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this entry into the Lucy Stone Mystery series. I've read these books occasionally and really do like Lucy Stone and all her friends and neighbors. In this story, Lucy is investigating possible misdoings in a retirement home. Who will it be? I laughed out loud quite a few times while listening to this story. I thought the narrator was excellent - she had great character voices for the different people in the story so it really came alive.

I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me an advance audiobook copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰

Lucy Stone is working as a reporter in Tinkers Cove, Maine when a woman 🚺 goes missing from a old folks home. She is found ten days later in the stair well during a fire 🔥 drill. Lucy keeps asking questions which leads to the unexpected truth and the arrest of a killer. I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of family and friends relationships adventure mystery novels 👍🔰. 2023 👒😤😮🏡

[Books, Brews & Booze]

This was not an easy book to read. It looks like a cozy – sounds like it’s going to be a cozy, but it did not read like a cozy.

The death was rather upsetting and there were details given that were specific. I don’t expect to see gruesome details in a cozy mystery.

This is the first Lucy Stone book I’ve read by the author, so maybe that’s how they all are?

Fears of dying and languishing in a nursing home, forgotten, are particularly upsetting. Unfortunately, this book spoke about that with some regularity.

At times, the book felt like it needed more editing. How the main character organizes her closet is info that didn’t contribute anything to the story and didn’t tell me something insightful about the character either, to help flesh them out.

Journalistically, there were inaccuracies. In a press conference, the police would not say the name of someone who died before the medical examiner released findings, and certainly not before the family was notified.

Why did the author point out who was black? I can understand the characters doing so, as a way to indicate they are from a certain generation where racism was inherent, but I don’t understand it as a description written by the author.

I will say that racism was addressed later on in the book, and acknowledged in an appropriate way.

I didn’t care for the slight against menopause. A woman setting boundaries on what she will tolerate is not “the menopause talking,” and I am shocked that a woman in the book would say that to another female coworker.

If this were being billed as a mystery and not a cozy, I would have been more at ease, because I would have expected possible gore, details, etc.

I liked the last part of the book and how the mystery wrapped up. I thought it was interesting, unique and compelling. However, the review I’m giving the book is largely due to how many un-cozy aspects made their way into the story. We read cozies because there is a tried-and-true expectation that we won’t know awful details about crime scenes. That the content is of a lighter nature. To my way of thinking, this was not the case with this book.

Narrator was good. Fine delivery.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Tinker's Cove Maine, part time reporter and full time mother, wife, and grandmother, Lucy Stone continues to ruffle feathers in Easter Bonnet Murder.
Long time friend Julia Ward Tilley finds herself in assisted living, and Lucy Stone is aggressively keeping an eye on her, due to rumors that something is amiss at Heritage House.

A dead body in a stairwell tickles Lucy's curiosity, and soon she finds herself wrapped up in yet another murder investigation.

Lucy is one of my favorite characters, she incorporates life and work, taking care of her family, and the family dog. Lucy is practical, sarcastic, and down to earth, her character portrays life as it is.

I'm always excited to read a new book in this series and I was not disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
#EasterBonnetMurder #NetGalley

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easter Bonnet Murder by Leslie Meier is the 28th book in the Lucy Stone mystery series, and another terrific addition. I have been reading Lucy Stone books for years, and the books are like visiting old friends, I love this series. In this book, Lucy is sleuthing what happened to a women living in assisted living, who just disappeared. Lucy good friend Miss Julia Tilley, is recovering in the same assisted living, and Lucy is worried she might disappear too. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. There are a lot of fun twists and turns. I enjoy the way Ms. Meier relates to everyday life and people. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, as always. If you love cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book and the whole series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy is headed to the Heritage House to cover their annual Easter Bonnet Contest. She also looks forward to stopping by Miss Tilley's room while she is there. The elderly woman gave them all a scare but is staying at Heritage House to recover from her illness before heading home. While there she soon learns that one of their clients is missing. Agnes Neal happened to be last years winner of the contest and hasn't been seen for a while. The police have gotten nowhere in locating the woman so Lucy decides she must jump in to figure things out. Lucy worries that something bad will happen to her friend Mrs. Tilley while she is staying there. She soon learns that not all is what it seems at Heritage House and she must dig deeper to come up Sith the answers that she seeks.

[Oh Yeah, I Read That · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy Stone is quickly becoming one of my favorite amateur sleuths. Right up there with Hannah Swensen! In this installment, Meier has developed an engaging plot to keep readers hooked until the very unpredictable end. I believe this to be the 28th book in the series…I wish I had started from the beginning. I started a couple of books ago…nonetheless it does not matter where you start with this series… Just read it!

[Bailey Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title like Easter Bonnet Murder I’m really only expecting two things from this book….Easter Bonnets and Murder.

1. Were there Easter bonnets? Yes!
2. Was there murder? Also yes!

This was my first Lucy Stone mystery and it’s got me thinking about diving into the backlog to learn more about Lucy, her town, and all the murders that came before.

Local paper reporter Lucy is tasked with covering the town retirement home‘s annual Easter Bonnet Parade but what she ends up discovering is much more sinister!

Highly recommend this one if you like cozy mysteries, sassy old ladies, and small town charm.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced listening copy!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was another interesting mystery, and I very much enjoyed the development of the story. As always, I enjoyed the usual characters. I love the interactions between Lucy, Bill and their daughter, Zoe. I also like it when Lucy meets her friends at Jake's Donut Shack once every week and they talk about all that goes on in their lives. The book was enjoyable, but the resolution of the murder mystery was a bit of a stretch for my mind. Still, I love this mystery series, and I will continue to read each and every book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Lucy stone and this was a very interesting unexpected plot !

[Lisa Denton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easter Bonnet Murder by Leslie Meier, audiobook narrated by Karen White, is a cute cozy mystery set in a nursing home/assisted living facility, which was a first for me! I didn't realize this was book 28 (twenty-eight!!) in a series of Lucy Stone mysteries. Nevertheless, I felt like I caught on quickly to the characters' personalities and relationships.

When one of the younger, more independent residents of the facility goes missing, investigative reporter Lucy Stone takes up the case and, ultimately, not only solves the mystery but also saves the day.

Here are all the things I loved about this book:
Lucy's family - Lucy has several grown children, including Zoe, who still lives at home and is so funny and frustrating and perfectly 20-something. Zoe plays a large role in the non-mystery sections of this story, and I really enjoyed this mother-daughter relationship. Apparently, some readers might remember Zoe's birth and childhood from the earlier books in this series!
The narrator - Karen White does an amazing job narrating this book! She creates a different voice for each character, and this is helpful to the listener because there is a lot of dialogue between Lucy and various characters at the assisted living facility. The narration is easy to listen to and really captures the connections and relationships between characters
The cover - Truth be told, I chose this book because of its beautiful cover. In fact, I have longed for Leslie Meier books for years because every single cover is gorgeous. Who hasn't walked into a bookstore during any given holiday season and seen a display of festive Leslie Meier covers?
The characters - I had no idea I was picking up an assisted living facility cozy mystery, but what a refreshing surprise. Filled with funny conversations about crafting, mystery meat, fire drills, and nursing home cliques, Easter Bonnet Murder really is entertaining. The residents are many but easy to keep track of, and they really are a fun group of ladies (plus one gentleman) who have seen it all and aren't afraid to say what they think.

And, that leads me to the one thing that made me a little uncomfortable: some of the conversations and thinking of older characters at the assisted living facility seem dated. I suspect this was intentional, demonstrating, perhaps, the thinking of a generation different from mine. Also, the beginning of the book does open with considerations of the meaning of death and the effects of losing loved ones, quite the contrast from the cheerful, yellow, Easter-bunny-and-eggs cover; fear not, this talk only lasts a few minutes and does not cast a shadow over the rest of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ms. Meier, and Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easter Bonnet Murder by Leslie Meier is the 28th Lucy Stone Mystery. I have only read three other Lucy Stone Mysteries but I do enjoy Leslie Meier’s conversational writing style which makes her stories a pleasure to read. Lucy has gone from working as a customer service rep many years ago while taking care of her four children to a reporter at the Pennysaver. She has solved many mysteries, and in this tale of mayhem and murder, Lucy is covering a story for the annual Easter Bonnet Contest at the Heritage House senior centre. Last year's contest was which was won by Agnes Neal. Now, Lucy's friend, retired librarian Miss Julia Tilley has pneumonia and is recovering at Heritage House. When Agnes vanishes after failing to return from a birdwatching excursion, Lucy asks Julia to check out anything that might seem amiss. Apart from Agnes' daughter Geri, no one seems concerned about Agnes' whereabouts so Lucy steps in...
Set in the coastal Maine town of Tinker's Cove, the story moved along at a steady pace. As well as the disappearance of Agnes, Lucy also has other matters requiring attention such as accompanying her daughter Zoe to look for an apartment in Portland. There is so much going on at Heritage House what with the cliques, the intense Easter bonnet competition, the various activities; all of these make Easter Bonnet Murder very compelling and I enjoyed the other side stories as well. I highly recommend reading this engrossing cosy mystery with the discerning and intrepid Lucy Stone.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Jennifer Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review the audiobook of Easter Bonnet Murder by Leslie Meier.

The Heritage House Senior Center is known for its annual Easter bonnet contest and the residents are known to go to extreme lengths in order to win the competition. The town's librarian, Miss Tilly, winds up at Heritage House to recover from an injury, which brings Lucy the reporter into the center. Lucy winds up covering the Easter Bonnet contest, among other Heritage House events, for the local paper. When a bird-watcher named Agnes mysteriously vanished from Heritage House, Lucy winds up with a larger story to cover than she ever expected. Did Agnes get lost or injured while birdwatching or did something more sinister happen?

Easter Bonnet Murder attracted my attention because of the title and while the Easter bonnet contest does play a role in the story, there are many side stories that draw attention and play more of a role in the story. While some side stories, such as Lucy's daughter apartment hunting, play a minimal role to the story, as things unravel we come to understand how everything is interconnected. I feel that the author did a great job explaining the backstories of the characters and helping the reader/listener develop feelings (both positive and negative) for them. The narrator did a good job portraying emotion in the appropriate places and helped make the audiobook entertaining for the listener.

This was an intriguing book and I would recommend it to anybody that is looking for a quaint murder mystery, especially if they like books that follow a seasonal theme.

[Stephanie (read_with_steph) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Leslie Meier book--*gasp* I know, I know. You'd think I'd have picked up one of the 27 previous books, but there's so many good cozies out there I just never had the chance. But boy am I glad I got the opportunity to read (listen) to this one! In this story, we find our main character Lucy, looking into the retirement community where her friend, Miss Tilley, is temporarily staying while she rehabilitates. After one of the residents goes missing, it becomes all the more vital to ensure Miss Tilley's safety.

Despite jumping in at book 27, I didn't feel as though I was missing any information and it was easy to understand the plot. I also thought this plot was highly original yet within the realm of possibility. Having had a grandparent in a very similar retirement community, I could picture the place exactly, and the descriptions were spot-on. I thought the pacing was unique but appropriate, and events unfolded in a timely enough manner to keep me entertained, but not all at once to spoil the suspense. Overall, I was quite pleased.

I listened to this book on audio, and thought the narrator did a good job. There were lots of voices and accents to handle and she did them well--aside from the main character's 22 yo daughter, which was a bit stereotypical.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for my ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

[Bailey Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title like Easter Bonnet Murder I’m really only expecting two things from this book….Easter Bonnets and Murder.

1. Were there Easter bonnets? Yes!
2 Was there murder? Also yes!

This was my first Lucy Stone mystery and it’s got me thinking about diving into the backlog to learn more about Lucy, her town, and all the murders that came before.

Local paper reporter Lucy is tasked with covering the town retirement home‘s annual Easter Bonnet Parade but what she ends up discovering is much more sinister!

Highly recommend this one if you like cozy mysteries, sassy old ladies, and small town charm.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced listening copy!

[Maria Vargas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to double check if the series still had the same author's name, because there's nothing in the whole story that made me think Lucy Stone has done it again

The whole book was bizarre, none of the characters felt like their usual selves. The way Lucy was thinking and treating her youngest daughter Zoey made me cringe. It was hard to really think that the victim was SO happy to be in her assisted living facility until one day she recognizes someone from her past and ends up dead.

A trio of old ladies deciding to keep quiet instead of talking to the police because of a pinky promise... please. Almost the entire book was racist, xenophobic, and sexist.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a quite nice mystery. I enjoyed catching up with Lucy Stone and her family and friends in Tinker’s Cove, Maine. I enjoy Ms. Meier’s writing style- I have read every one of the 35 books in the Lucy Stone series. In this book Lucy takes on a senior home with some mysterious things going on. At the same time Lucy is dealing with issues with her teen-age daughter Zoe, which adds a bit of humor.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love my cozy mysteries! Still get excited to see the newest installment of Lucy Stone and her friends and family in Tinkers Cove Maine. She touches on the war in Bosnia/ Croatia which is timely considering the war in Ukraine. Deft plot switches but - a little slow in parts- lots on nursing homes and assisted living for the elderly.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just like Lucy's kids have grown, I fear I might have outgrown the Lucy Stone mysteries.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. It was nice to have Miss Tilly in it as much as she was. I did not figure the mystery out until just before Lucy did.

[Jo Ann Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story very much a great Easter story with lots of suspense.