Christmas Cookie Murder: A Lucy Stone Mystery (Lucy Stone Mysteries (Paperback))

Rating:
Summary: My faith in this author is restored
Review: After reading the very disappointing Back to School Murder, I was a bit hesitant to try another Leslie Meier mystery. I needn't have worried. This one was excellent. While the mystery plot was a bit weak, with the solution a little too easy to find for our intrepid detective, the rest of the book more than made up for this. The characterizations were strong, and the small-town aura very seductive.

An excellent installment in this series.

Rating:
Summary: A Quick Escape
Review: Bake those cookies, wrap those presents, trim the tree, then play the holiday music, get comfortable and curl up with Lucy Stone. An enjoyable escape read.As the mother of four sons, and living in a small town I always enjoy a Lucy Stone mystery and Christmas Cookie Murder once again hit the spot.

Rating:
Summary: Fun & Entertaining
Review: Christmas Cookie Murder is a pleasant way to spend a weekend. Nothing too deep or profound, the book filled the bill nicely for me when I wanted a fast and fun read.

This was my first glimpse into the life of Lucy Stone, and I find now I should go back to book 1 and advance from there, for I think that I've missed out on much of the backstory of her life and family.

The story takes place in Tinker's Cove, Maine and features Lucy as reporter for the town's paper and inveterate amateur sleuth, this time the victim is a young woman rumored to be the reason for the breakup of the marriage of the town's dentist and his wife. Did the good doctor do it? The police think so and arrest him. But suspicion also hovers over the head of the good doctor's wife, who had been overheard to mouth vile thoughts toward the deceased. Add to this a growing concern over the use of alcohol by local teens, the influx of hard drugs into the tiny coastal town, a police chief whose ideas and attitudes come into direct conflict with just about everyone and Lucy has a lot to ponder and solve. And how she solves the mystery is quite by fluke.

Even though this is my first Lucy Stone mystery, I have the rest in my ToBeRead pile and look forward to learning more about Lucy and Tinker's Cove.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: Leslie Meier should never stop writing! She's brilliant!

Rating:
Summary: My faith in this author is restored
Review: Other reviewers here have given a good feel for the setting and plot of this lightweight mystery about a small town housewife/mom who dabbles in crimesolving. I found it pleasant, but uninspired- one scene has her serving tuna sandwiches and tomato soup to her family, which kind of sums up the diet we're offered - lacking in imaginative ddetail, witty dialogue, or unususal characters - everyone and every conversation is mundane to the extreme, yet is oddly comforting in its familiarity.

Rating:
Summary: Tuna sandwiches and tomato soup - pleasant but uninspired
Review: Other reviewers here have given a good feel for the setting and plot of this lightweight mystery about a small town housewife/mom who dabbles in crimesolving. I found it pleasant, but uninspired- one scene has her serving tuna sandwiches and tomato soup to her family, which kind of sums up the diet we're offered - lacking in imaginative ddetail, witty dialogue, or unususal characters - everyone and every conversation is mundane to the extreme, yet is oddly comforting in its familiarity.

Rating:
Summary: A Waste of Time and Money
Review: This book, like the others in this series that I have read, can hardly be termed "murder mysteries." The protagonist, Lucy Stone, never seem to solve the crimes. Instead, she accidnetly blunders into trouble and the murderer then promptly attacks or kidnaps her.

Like may readers, a book is as escape for me into another world. Lucy Stone's world is one I do not intend to visit again. Her harried supermom performance, coupled with an inability to say no, makes her such a victim that I end up rooting for the bad guys. Her children are lazy brats who manage to get into all sorts of trouble. Her husband is insecure and selfish. Her friends think nothing of imposing on her. If reading this book is a "break," it's a painful one.

Save your money.

Rating:
Summary: A pleasing Change Of Pace!
Review: This was an easy, fun read for me, I tend to read very serious books ( my last was HUBBERT'S PEAK: THE IMPENDING WORLD OIL SHORTAGE) so I found this novel very refreshing. CHRISTMAS COOKIE MURDER is perhaps the second murder mystery I ever recall reading. I thought the story line and characterization were excellent, and I see that Leslie Meier has used the character Lucy Stone five times previously, obviously a well developed character and fine tuned indeed. The writing style used here is homey, very relaxed.

As a man I enjoyed reading of the bickering a group of women are capable of, with their petty squabbles and jealousies, I suspect that Leslie Meier may have a keen insight into women's minds that few men do. Also, much of the book centers around Christmas and families and normal everyday events, and of course a perplexing murder, all told I found this a charming novel, definitely worth reading.