It's not often you find a Thanksgiving holiday mystery, but not quite what I was hoping for. A timely read with the current political climate with racism and anti-immigration plus drug addiction. However, the story was well written and the characters well developed. Not sure if I'll continue this series or not though.

This is my second Leslie Meier book, and I really enjoyed it. The topic was very timely, with storylines involving racism and anti-immigration sentiment. They mystery about who killed a woman and then her father was interesting and moved along, and there were so many people who stood to gain from their deaths that I was not sure of the identity of the killer until the end. The characters felt realistic as did their interactions, which is always a plus for me. After reading this one, I went right away and got another one of her Thanksgiving editions.

I can relate to the plot of this story with the main character, Lucy, training for her Thanksgiving run. I did my own Turkey Trot in DC several years ago while visiting my sister for the holidays. With it just being her and Bill for this year's event, she does not expect the usual drama that families can bring. However, this is not the case. While out on a run to prepare for her 5k, Lucy comes up on the body of a woman in a frozen pond. Add a wealthy family, possible drugs, and other twists and turns, and you have the perfect mix for a fun mystery. This was my first book in the series, but will not be the last. I loved the characters, and story, and enjoyed that it had nice surprises along the way.

While training for the annual turkey trot race/walk in Tinker’s Cove, ME, Lucy finds the beautiful, young Alison Franklin dead, having drowned when she fell through the thin ice on Blueberry Pond. No one knows much about Alison, except that she is the daughter of the town’s wealthy investor, Ed Franklin, and has struggled with drug addiction in the past. Thus, when the police blame suicide for the death, everyone agrees, but Lucy cannot fathom how such a young, seemingly vibrant woman took her own life. Lucy begins looking at Alison’s life and death, trying to make sense of it all. At the same time, a well-known, Hispanic chef is moving along on plans to open a new restaurant in town, despite animosity on the part of some townsfolk against his ethnicity and his crazy dare to move into their space. What they forget (or neglect to see) is that this chef is a descendent of Spanish family whose family has been here since the fifteenth century, so THEY are really the newcomers, invading HIS space. Finally, Tinker’s Cove, like just about everywhere else, is likewise grappling with the opioid epidemic, as more and more of the local young people succumb to drugs. Then, things get even more confusing when Ed Franklin is found dead, shot execution style in his car in the middle of a well-known and popular town area. Lucy now has to figure out if the two deaths are connected and how and whether she is right believing that Alison did not commit suicide but was killed as surely as her father. Lucy spends the story uncovering the clues she finds in and around the town, until she reaches a conclusion.

The story is interesting. However, the ending was pretty predictable, and I had figured out who the killer was early on. Still, as an avid reader of this series, I enjoyed being transported to this wonderful small-town Maine, Tinker’s Cove, even for a brief time. Though the book is part of a long-running series, it could have been read as a stand-alone, with no difficulty. As have others, I commend the author for incorporating the current societal issues of immigration and opioid addiction, without letting these two issues overpower the story line. The characters, whom I know well after reading so much of the series, were well done and the plot interesting. I always enjoy reading about small towns, their culture and citizens and how their lives all intersect, and this story brings that fact home. I also liked the fact that the setting involved a holiday we often find overwhelmed by Christmas and New Year’s Day, and which does not figure prominently in many novels. I think anyone who enjoys reading a light, not-too-complex mystery or is looking for a few hours of sheer enjoyment will enjoy this one. In addition, if you are a fan of the series, this will likewise appeal to you. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

small town reporter Lucy Stone is getting ready for Thanksgiving, but this year will be different. Her children and grandchild will not be joining her and her husband. With only two people to cook for, Lucy is feeling bereft and uncertain about the holiday. In fact, she's focusing on the Turkey Trot, a community charity run that takes place on Thanksgiving Day.

When she stumbles onto a body while training, it's a distraction. But soon there's more on Lucy's mind than the holiday or the tragic death of a local woman.

Her idyllic little Maine town of Tinker's Cove isn't as idyllic as she thought. Big issues, like the opiate epidemic, racism, and anti-immigrant violence, are affecting Tinker's Cover just as they're affecting the rest of the nation.

I realized as I read this book that I've grown up with Lucy Stone. When she was a young mother struggling to make ends meet and get everything done, I was, too. Now that I'm a grandmother, Lucy is too. I appreciate Lucy's thoughtfulness and compassion about major issues as much as I do her cozy friends and family. This book, like the others in the series, has a solid puzzle and complex characters.

Another good read in the Lucy Stone series. Lucy is caught up in a few different mysteries here, which may or may not be connected. To start with, Lucy finds a young woman's body in the lake. She's fallen through thin ice, but many suspect drugs or even suicide lead her out onto the ice. The opioid crisis has hit Tinker's Cove and so has the anti-immigrant mentality, which results in a Mexican American business being firebombed. It's Lucy's job to interview people and find out what she can for the Pennysaver, the paper she works for, but these are her friends and neighbors, and she worries about her family and her local community. By the time the book concluded, I had a pretty good idea who the perpetrator was, but there were still a few surprises to he had.

Murder, Drugs, and Racism
Turkey Trot Murder is the 24th installment in Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone Mystery series. The storyline is well plotted and the characters well developed and relatable. There’s a lot going on in this book and there are lots of twists, and turns involving multiple murders, a bombing, and general turmoil in this small town to keep the reader engaged. Ms. Meier not only addresses the sensitive issues of drug addiction and racism that is so prevalent in our country, but also the generosity and forgiveness most people have in their hearts but is all too often not practiced.

Lucy Stone lives in Tinker’s Cove, Maine and is a mother, wife, and part-time reporter, feature writer, and copy editor for the Pennysaver, a weekly newspaper. She’s entering the town’s annual Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day and while training one morning, she discovers a frozen body in Blueberry Pond. The body is identified as Alison Franklin, the daughter of wealthy investor Ed Franklin, and the authorities originally believe her death may be drug related, but Lucy believes she was murdered. Ed is outspoken, pushy, and one hundred percent a racist. His new wife, Mireille, is around Alison’s age and very pregnant. Both Ed and Mireille are devastated by the murder. Ed begins campaigning against immigrants, the drugs he believes they are responsible for, and strongly objects to Rey Rodrigues, a Latino restaurant owner from California, opening Cali Kitchen, which will feature a sophisticated fusion menu. Ed is found murdered in his car and later, Lucy’s husband, Bill, who is the restaurant’s contractor for the building renovations, is injured when someone blew up the building. Lucy has always been relentless in her endeavor to uncover truths and is determined to find out if all these sad events are related.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Lucy Stone, a newspaper reporter and mother of three living in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, is training for the local Turkey Trot 5k race. When she arrives at Blueberry Pond, she finds the body of Allison Franklin, dead and frozen. Allison’s father, Ed, and the local police assume she was battling a drug addiction. Ed starts a campaign against immigrants and their supposed link to drugs entering the area. When Ed is found shot to death sitting in his car, and Lucy’s husband is almost blown up, Lucy decides to investigate and find out the truth before someone else becomes the next victim.
In my opinion, this is the best mystery I’ve read from this author. She added the current events of the day to spice up the plot, and it showed how people can make ignorant assumptions about others based on nothing but their own fears. Each character was so thoroughly individualized that the many suspects kept me guessing about the culprit and the true motive. How the mystery was resolved in the end was a great surprise. An Advanced Reading Copy was received in exchange for an honest review.

Another charming cozy in the long running series about small town Maine.

It's late autumn and Lucy Stone thinks the thanksgiving holidays will be non-eventful since it will be only her and Bill for the festivities. Little does she know she is about to stumble upon the body of Alison Franklin. Also, Alison's father is a bigoted millionaire who has brought his prejudicial views to Tinker's Cove. Read the book and see how today's political unrest and lack of jobs has influenced this community along with opiate addiction.
I had difficulty reading some of the verbage being spewed from the demonstrators and the Americans for America group. I understand it was necessary to set the tone of the story and is all over the news but I don't have to like it.

What I did like was that the author did a good job addressing these issues in the context of her story.

Everyone has biases and it was evident in this story. I did like the ending where it showed people of all types could get together and share a meal.

I love the Lucy Stone series . Leslie Meier always makes me feel like a welcomed guest and that I'm included in the friendship circle. This book was a pleasure to read and I enjoyed the many twists and I kept second guessing myself. I love the "PennySaver" and I especially love the plot when it takes place in Tinker's Cove. Her books are easy to read and not embarrassing for me to recommend to my mother. I do not know any one with Opiod addiction (although I have worked for a Portsmouth based company) so this was a new area for me, although it is on the media daily. I recommend this book to any one who enjoys a good fun crime scene, and a crime solving lady who is not ditzy. Buy it today! 5 mega stars!

Turkey Trot Murder
Leslie Meier
Available: September 26, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Lucy Stone is back at it again! Just when you think there isn’t another holiday to revisit – a fresh new murder (or two) in tiny Tinker’s Cover, ME occurs. Almost all of the usual suspects are present in the tale, along with a few new additions. Is it just me or does Tinker’s Cove get a lot of new arrivals for a midly financially depressed town?
What I loved: While the murderer is a little predictable, the fact that Ms. Meier tackles issues (opiates and immigration) that are plaguing our country is very commendable. Her stance on immigration is neutral yet she manages to portray both sides of the argument via her characters very fairly. Ed seems to be a little Trump-esque in his looks, manner, and wealth yet her drug addicted character is what is most touching.
What I didn’t love: Sue is just a witch of a character – I really don’t understand why she’s so fricken bitter and critical all of the time. Is she really worth having has a friend? More like a frienemy.. Maybe if she actually ate something once in a while she may be a tad but nicer.
What I learned: Doesn’t matter who you spend the holidays with as long as its people you love.
Overall Grade: B

www.FluffSmutandMurder.com

With an 'empty nest' this holiday, local newspaper reporter Lucy Stone busies herself training for a 5K run on Thanksgiving Day. While out for a cold morning jog, Lucy discovers the body of a wealthy young woman frozen in Blueberry Pond. As she gathers information for the Pennysaver newspaper Lucy discovers racial and familial tensions brewing in her small New England town.

At first glance, I thought Turkey Trot Murder was a light-hearted read with a whimsical cover, but soon discovered a book that hits hard. Leslie Meier has done a wonderful job of weaving current political and social issues into a fast-paced mystery of the highest caliber. Whether readers are interested in a who-dun-it or matters of racism, immigration, and police brutality, they will find an engaging story when they pick up a copy of the newest installment in the Lucy Stone mystery series.

Thanks to Kensington Publishing Corp. for giving me the chance to review this book.
Available Sept. 26, 2017

I love Lucu Stone from the veru first book she hooked me. This book is current and timely and I really enjoyed it. Maybe her best yet

It was a good book but I didn't like how it focused so much on drugs and racism. People read these books to get away from the bad stuff of the world. Books should be an escape, not a reality check.

I enjoyed this book as much as I've enjoyed the others in this series. But I wonder if the author is some sort of psychic. The situations in this book are very current, more than you usually get in a book that has to be written, edited, rewritten, re-edited and all the other time consuming things that go with publishing a book. Since I read it right after what happened in Charlottesville and Spain. That made it a little less fun to read, but is only temporary.

I'm a long time reader of the Lucy Stone mysteries by Leslie Meier. Typically the books are cozy mysteries set in Tinker's Cove, Maine (although a few have ventured to other parts of the world) and involve the carryings on in a small town. This book is again set in Tinker's Cove, but the problems of the 21st century have invaded this small town...opioid problems, bigotry and coping with a character resembling present day politicians bring the story into the "not so cozy" present. Lucy, however as the local news reporter, continues her sleuthing ways and manages to discover the murderous culprit with help from her Tinker's Cove friends. One of Ms. Meier's bests!

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