Easter Basket Murder, story collection by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, Barbara Ross

 

Publication Jan. 23, 2024

A fun read of three of my favorite authors showcasing characters their fans will recognize. The first, the one the book title is taken from, features Lucy Stone, initially following up a story on a theft and ending with a murder. The second, by Lee Hollis, may have a murder to solve but deals up lots of laughs (and recipes) in the telling. I found the third, by Barbara Ross, more serious than the others and as her Julia Snowden is one of my all-time favorites, I particularly enjoyed it. My quick take on the individual stories follows.

EASTER BASKET MURDER, by Leslie Meier

This series is one of the few where the characters seem to age. As such, Lucy and husband Bill are now in the empty-nest part of parenthood with their children grown and living their own lives. Bill is rather cranky in this offering but, well, you'll probably sympathize with him as you read. I know I did. As a reporter, Lucy is covering the town's latest effort to raise needed funds. They involve, I bet you can guess, an Easter basket. A well-known but eccentric artist's work has been donated but, whoa, it's stolen. Even worse, right out of the bank where it's being displayed, leading to much chatter about how things have changed in Tinker's Cove. Lucy seems only mildly focused on covering the theft, more focused on other concerns and not feeling the urge to compete for a scoop. Then, whoa, a murder takes place. That certainly piques Lucy's interest but, to be honest, she winds up more or less solving this crime by happenstance. Still, it's a good story and you'll enjoy hanging out with Lucy and the rest. Well, maybe not Ted. See if you agree when you read. 

DEATH BY EASTER EGG, by Lee Hollis

Death of the Easter Bunny, whoa. Hayley is just trying to keep her rambunctious, wild-child of a grandson out of mischief. She finds a dead body, instead. Small town Bar Harbor's annual Easter egg hunt sounds like a hoot, both from inattentive parents and children practically running wild. That said, while it made me chuckle, I'm glad I wasn't in charge. In any case, who'd kill the Easter Bunny, aka Raymond, the bank's security guy? Why? How hard is it to rob a security deposit box anyway? How does Eli's dumping his Baby Shark toy in the toilet create problems? So much going on. Just keeping up with Eli's mischief will keep you reading, albeit probably rolling your eyes in disbelief, so it's a fun read as Hayley snoops. Love her columns and, oh, my, lovely recipes, including for cocktails!

HOPPED ALONG, by Barbara Ross

I've always liked this series and came away liking it even more, if that is possible. Not only is Julia Snowden a very relatable character, one we'd like to have as a friend, her depth of caring even in the midst of a murder investigation is impressive.  Her relationship with Tom, a detective with the State Police, seems solid and they work together well both as a couple and when gathering information. I wound up liking everyone in this story, even the ultimate killer, go figure. That shows Ross's talent as a writer when she can make us empathize with a killer. The story of how they got to be a killer is a unique one, too, and it's only Julia's unique observation powers that help unravel the truth. And, hey, romance is in the air! I'm already looking forward to where that goes in the next book, which is already in my "to be reviewed" stash. Make sure you read the author's "Dear Reader" notes at the end, too, as it'll give you insight into how she came to this story idea and some of those who helped along the way. It's a strong plot, bringing in several favorite characters and sharing some past background memories, too, as do all three stories in this book, so I'm betting you'll enjoy the read. 

Bottom line, while I usually wind up wishing for more from these story collections, it's a satisfying, fun read. Ross's was my favorite, offering a more serious, thoughtful take on the prompt of "Easter basket" that she was probably asked to write to, but all were fun and character driven. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for letting me take this virtual trip to Maine and hang out with these intriguing characters and those that surround their lives.

Easter Bunny Murder (Lucy Stone #19) by Leslie Meier (Author), Karen White (Narrator)

 

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.

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. 

Show Me the Bunny, by Laurien Berenson

 

As a sucker for anything dog, I'm pretty sure I've been reading this series from the beginning. True, I've maybe missed a book here and there but I remember Mel back in her pre-dog days, which were also pre-Sam and the kids. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is Aunt Peg. She is a force. It's because she's never quite mastered the art of saying no to Aunt Peg that Melanie finds herself in charge of putting together an Easter celebration for the children at a new woman's shelter, Gallagher House under the equally watchful eye of her Aunt Rose. The Aunts are not fond of each other but Melanie discovers that, in actuality, they are very much alike, not to mention hard to say no to. Aunt Rose is a former nun, btw,who also isn't fond of dogs. Then, just to complicate things, we discover Rose's husband is ill and, oh, yes, there's a murder. The victim is the main financial supporter of the shelter.

That's the basic plot. It's interspersed with cute kids and dogs as well as Melania dealing with the fact her youngest is probably going to be celebrating his last Easter where he believes in the Easter Bunny. Mel loves her kids and is a wonderful mother but at times feels quite inadequate that questions from her youngest about the reality of the Easter Bunny seem to leave her flailing. Fortunately, not only is husband Sam around but her  oldest son provides some adorable answers to his younger brother, ensuring Melanie one last Easter with a child who still believes in the Easter Bunny. Something tells me most mothers will relate well to this feeling. They are surrounded by dogs during all this, of course, the pedigreed poodles so beloved by her Aunt Peg and now Mel's family. The adopted stray of unknown pedigree, Bud, also provides some humorous moments as he darts about and indulges in his not quite "civilized" self with glee. 

As for the murder, although it wasn't too hard to figure out, there was always doubt as the red herrings pop up. Was it the family? Could a family member actually kill their own mother? How about the jilted boyfriend? Why is the son so adamant about selling the woman's shelter house and forcing everyone out? Could it be the daughter's former "love of her life"? And, why is he hanging out with her brother? Will the dogs play a role in this investigation? After all, they have protected Mel in the past. Also, while I'm talking about dogs, will puppy Plum ever learn to quit gawking around and pay attention to the training sessions? I mean, one has to admit that rowdy Bud is a bit of a distraction. Will Aunt Rose and Peg ever slow down their walking pace to match Mel's shorter legged one? So many questions, some vital, some not. Which is which? Not telling. You're going to have to read this fun, relatively quick read to find out. If you like dogs, interesting, true-to-life characters that could be neighbors or family, and watching Melanie navigate it all on what she thought was going to be a relaxing holiday break, this is the book for you. 

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for giving me the opportunity to enjoy the company of Mel and her family.... and the dogs .... again. I love this series.