Easter Bonnet Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery, #28), by Leslie Meier

Lucy Stone is one of my favorite amateur sleuths. I've always felt that she very much comes across as a real person with both strengths and occasionally glaring weaknesses. Unlike many amateur sleuths who seem to be single women, Lucy is not only a wife and mother but a working woman. Her job as a reporter for the weekly town newspaper gives her an edge on many other sleuths, too, although I doubt the single ones can even imagine dealing with a moody teenage daughter like Zoe. I've read this series for years so "The Easter Bonnet" was a bit like curling up on a comfy couch and catching up with ol' friends.

And, boy, there are a lot of things going on in Lucy's life. As a reporter, Lucy is familiar with Heritage House, a senior care facility and thought it was an excellent facility. Therefore, when her friend Miss Tilly must go there to recuperate from a stroke and continuing blood pressure issues, she expects nothing more than pleasant visits. The facade begins to slowly erode, however, when a resident goes missing and is eventually found dead in an emergency staircase. Rather suspicious given the victim's tendency toward claustrophobia.

Prodded by the woman's daughter, Lucy reluctantly promises to see what she can find out. In the process we discover perhaps more than we'd like to know about how some of our treasured elders are viewed and treated. We also learn a great deal about how the tangle of Medicare, insurance, billings, deductions, and more play into the picture. It isn't long before Lucky discovers Heritage House has been cited for several violations in the past and is regularly under-staffed, with staff members being expected to put in long hours, often with minimal training.

I won't detail the plot any further except to say author Leslie Meier also manages to work in everything from mean girl behavior, rental cautions, and racial attitudes to, no lie, war crimes. Kudos to Meier for pulling it all together while also sharing Lucy's family highs and lows. It takes a talented author to make it all work and Meier does. Oh, and I almost forgot, she even includes a mama bear and her cubs. Seriously, you need to read this book or, as in my case, the audio version.

Thanks to #NetGalley, #KensingtonPublishing, and #DreamscapeMedia for the advanced copy.