Easter Bonnet Murder
I started writing in the late '80s when I was attending graduate classes at Bridgewater State College. I wanted to become certified to teach high school English and one of the required courses was Writing and the Teaching of Writing. My professor suggested that one of the papers I wrote for that course was good enough to be published and I sent it off to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine's Department of First Stories. I got $100 for the story, and I've been writing ever since. The teaching, however, didn't work out.
My books draw heavily on my experience as a mother of three and my work as a reporter for various weekly newspapers on Cape Cod. My heroine, Lucy Stone, is a reporter in the fictional town of Tinker's Cove, Maine, where she lives in an old farmhouse (quite similar to mine on Cape Cod!) with her restoration carpenter husband Bill and four children. As the series has progressed the kids have grown older, roughly paralleling my own family. We seem to have reached a point beyond which Lucy cannot age -- my editor seems to want her to remain forty-something forever -- though I have to admit I am dying to write "Menopause is Murder"!
I usually write one Lucy Stone mystery every year and as you can see, my editor likes me to feature the holidays in my books. Of course, Christmas is one of my favorite times of year and my newest mystery {released September 2013} is called "Christmas Carol Murder.". I have always loved the Alistair Sims movie version of Charles Dicken's, "The Christmas Carol", so I was excited to be able to have Lucy encounter some modern-day versions of Dicken's classic characters.
In addition to the recent holiday mysteries, I have written such as "Chocolate Covered Murder"{Valentine's Day}and "Easter Bunny Murder", I have written one travel mystery in which Lucy and her friends, travel to London, "English Tea Murder". Since I love to travel, I can only hope that Lucy will be able to solve some mysteries in some other cities and countries also. My husband and I did stay in an apartment in Paris this past year {big hint!}
My books are classified as cozies but a good friend insists, they are really "comedies of manners" and I do enjoy expressing my view of contemporary American life.
Now that the kids are grown -- I now have four grandchildren -- my husband and I are enjoying our empty nest on Cape Cod which we share with our new very frisky kitty, Sylvester. I am busy writing the next Lucy Stone Mystery which is due out this Spring. I do hope you will enjoy it!
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 a 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.
Kris
The Avid Reader
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