Mother of the Bride Murder, by Leslie Meier

 

Publication April 25, 2023      Lucy Stone #29

As much as I enjoy the Lucy Stone series, I have to admit that this one isn't one of my favorites. To me, it seemed to start slowly as Lucy nagged, er, tried to talk her entire family into going to France for Elizabeth's upcoming wedding to Jean-Luc Schoen-Rene, in his family chateau, at that.  Then, poof, the "can't afford it" argument is gone with the miraculous timing as one of the lottery tickets husband Bill had bought has 4 of 5 numbers drawn, winning them enough to pay for the entire family trip, even Toby, Molly, and Patrick from Alaska. What are the odds of that?

 

Even then, after the arrive in France, after lovely tours of the countryside and chateau, the story lags. Lucy, rather than embracing her daughter's seeming happiness, is chronically tired (jet lag?) and seems to see everything through an ominous lens. Toss in Bill's constant harping about costs, Toby's ramblings about basically saving the planet, and Patrick's youthful rebellion against the wedding outfit, think ol' style page, are downers. We also don't get to see much of Elizabeth and her two sisters, who are frequently headed out the door. Heck, even as the book ended, I realized I still knew next to nothing about Jean-Luc, the groom-to-be. Let's just say, I was finding it hard to like just about everyone. That is unusual for this series, so will be glad to see them safely back in Tinker's Cove next book. 

 

As for the murders, which happen at least halfway in, young Patrick has the misfortune of finding the body of an attractive young woman in the chateau's moat. Toby and he were fishing there, which gives us an idea of the size and scope of the place. Truly, it is luxurious. Lucy being Lucy, she can't leave behind either her reporter or amateur sleuth tendencies but, for the most part, seems to remain largely on the edge of the investigation. The investigation does add an interesting wrinkle, however, as Chris, Elizabeth's ex-boyfriend, shows up as part of the investigation. Then Patrick goes missing. With a family member in danger, Lucy still remains somewhat on the sidelines, fretting and commenting but listening to the advice of the French authorities...and Chris... who obviously know the territory better. Where is Patrick? Is he in a dungeon, frightened out of his mind? Has he been killed to keep the secrets of Jean-Luc's family just that, secret? Is Jean-Luc part of some illegal activities or simply an innocent, not too observant family member? Will Elizabeth be a valued wife or...

 

Okay, enough teasers. Despite my disappointments with Lucy and all involved, the story of American "fish-out-of-water" visitors caught up in a luxurious, rich world makes for a good read, so I can't knock the book down much. Heck, just reading the various reactions of the American guests, particularly Patrick, to some of the foods when they discover what the lyrical French names mean, is entertaining. Hopefully, you'll find the book more charming than I did initially. That said, I love this series and will be looking forward to Lucy's next adventure. 

 

Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for letting me thumb a ride to France with the entire Stone Family. Having watched as their children grew through the years, it was fun to see where they (and their heads) are at present.