Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier is a collection of two Halloween themed short stories. Lucy Stone is the star of both mysteries although they take place many years apart. In the first Lucy's children are young and the focus is a town Halloween party. The town is on edge after a rash of arson that destroys many of the towns oldest buildings. This is a fun Halloween centered story. I did not care for the second of the mysteries which was focused completely on witchcraft. I understand that witches are a big part of Halloween, but the story line was too far fetched for me to believe. Lucy seems to have no problem with her daughters playing witchcraft and having a "witch" cure her serious poison ivy outbreak with a spell is more science fiction than mystery.

I believe this is the second holiday combo book put out in the Lucy Stone series. Last year there was one for Christmas. In the first story, Trick or Treat Murder, we see Lucy’s kids pretty young. This is the third book in the series, Zoey is an infant, and an arsonist is on the loose. Other than it taking place around Halloween, it didn’t feel very holiday related. In the second story, Wicked Witch Murder, a group of Wiccans move into Tinker’s Cove and some locals take offense. This is the 16th book in the series and there is a big jump in the children’s ages. Zoey is quite an outspoken adolescent! And Toby is married and has a child of his own! This story had a very Halloween feeling with the introduction of witchcraft and the occult. Like the characters, Ms. Meier’s writing has matured, making for an enjoyable read. It was also nice to have the connection of Ms. Tilley, the town’s former librarian, featured in both books. Luckily, in most cases, reading a Lucy Stone book out of sequence will not give away big secrets. If you are a fan of Halloween and cozies, this might be a great introduction to Lucy and Tinker’s Cove.

Halloween Murder, by Leslie Meijer, is a first-rate and enjoyable cozy mystery read. There's an arsonist afoot in Tinker's Cove, Maine and the latest fire has claimed a victim. Lucy Stone, full-time wife and mother and part-time sleuth is determined to find out who is burning down the most historical buildings in the town. She manages to investigate, all while nursing an infant and baking scores of cupcakes for the community Halloween party. Now that's multi-tasking. To be released August 28. Rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

Another great Lucy Stone novel! It is always a fun read to see Lucy solve another murder in Tinker's Cove.

**I received an advance galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. **

Leslie Meier’s “Halloween Murder” is a delightfully suspenseful two-books-in-one compilation. They each, of course, center around Halloweenin Maine’s Tinker’s Cove and the town’s amateur sleuth and reporter Lucy Stone.

In “Trick or Treat Murder,” the annual kids Halloween Festival planning is underway. Among all her other duties of raising children and reporting for the paper, she’s up to her elbows and, soon enough, murder. A series of arson hits the town and when Lucy’s friend is found dead in one of the houses Lucy goes into investigation road. The story has some good twists and turns and a surprise ending. Meier builds up the suspense to the end well, though the resolution is a bit convenient. A satisfying read for Lucy Stone fans.

“Wicked Witch Murder” takes place years later beginning in the summertime when new shopkeeper Diana Ravenscroft appears on the scene offering Wiccan products and psychic readers. Meier weaves a unique and believable story centering around the town’s reaction to the shop and its owner. Lucy is skeptical about magic but finds Diana basically harmless. When Diana’s friend is brutally murdered, the sentiment of the town begins to turn against Diana and Lucy must unravel a web of clues. As always, Meier ratchets up the suspense to the very end. I’ve read many of her books and found this one to be the most twisty and suspenseful with a surprising ending. Fans will love the interpersonal relationships and the natural way Lucy comes into the clues. The stretch between the murder and when the action pumps up again about halfway through the book drags a little bit still an enjoyable read. Not for people who have difficulty with witchcraft and Wiccan storylines.

Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier is super fun seasonal mystery read.
Timy town of Tinker's Cove is experiencing unexplainable fires. At first they are thought to be accidental due to the fact that most of the town is parr of historic district. But when body of the prominent vacationer and owner is found inside one of the burned houses things change. Lucy is devastated by rhe loss of her friend and decides to ask few questions just to see if anything will come out of it. However with the new baby and three other children to take care of it is not easy to play sleuth.
Fun, entertaining read set around one of the most favourite holidays but without ghoulish details it still delivers a well written whodunnit.
Familiar setting and well liked cast of characters add to its charm.

Fun with the older and the newer Lucy Stone! I love this series and this was an imaginative way to showcase an older book along with a newer book. Well written, entertaining, funny, and a relaxing read. You will definitely enjoy this book of you like this series. Enjoy!

Just know in advance that this contains two previously published Lucy Stone tales- one from the beginning of the series and one much more recent. If you haven't read it before, this is a nice place to start because it will give you a sense of the characters (especially Lucy and her family). That said, the two have distinctly different feels, with the later book less focused on the cozy aspects (perhaps because Meier has written so much). Tinkers Cove remains charming (if a deadly place to live!). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Long time readers might pass this by but newbie will find it a treat.

This book was divided into two different mysteries. The first being TRICK OR TREAT MURDER and a second mystery that takes place many years later WICKED WITCH MURDER.


TRICK OR TREAT MURDER — 2 STARS
This one started off well, but then it lost a lot of steam the longer it went on. It was just a bit too drawn out in my opinion. There was a lot of unnecessary page space given to new baby and family issues that would have probably been better spent on developing the actual mystery. I also didn’t particularly care much for Lucy, and there were a few things the author wrote that rubbed me the wrong way. Especially implying that her husband would have jumped into bed with the attractive murder victim if she had given him any encouragement. Which made ZERO sense for her to say since her husband seemed to be a stand-up guy devoted to Lucy and his family? There were also comments about Yankees being stingy and a nurse being overweight and ugly, so ya, I was just a bit turned off by those things.

WICKED WITCH MURDER — 2.5 STARS
This one takes place several years later. Lucy’s kids who were young in the first book are all grown up now. Disappointedly, this one had ZERO to do with Halloween. Which, if I am honest, was the only reason I requested to review this book in the first place. That said, I did enjoy this one a smidge more than I did the first story. The plot seemed to move along at a better pace. Unfortunately, Lucy continued to be super annoying. She was a huge judgy b!tch and I just couldn’t stand her for most of the book. So yea, it was a little better executed than TRICK OR TREAT MURDER, but still, nothing to write home about.

Halloween Murder includes two Lucy Stone mysteries . One revolves around a series of arsons, while the second one shows us that someone has started practicing some suspicion Wiccan traditions. In the small town of Tinker's Cove, mother of four Lucy Stone will find herself involved in both mysteries, and will try to solve them.

Both plots were quite interesting, with he characters being charming and sometimes strange. There was plenty of humorous dialogue, which was a plus. I felt that the story could have been a little shorter; in times it felt like zoning too much in Lucy's life instead of the mystery at hand. All in all it was a fun read, that most fans of cozy mystery books will enjoy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier included 2 Lucy Stone Mysteries - "Trick or Treat Murder" and "Wicked Witch Murder". In "Trick or Treat Murder" the town of Tinker's Cove, Maine is preparing for Halloween. Lucy Stone is busy baking cupcakes for the town's Halloween festival and trying to stay out of investigating the series of arson fires that are taking place in the town. As a dilapidated mansion goes up in smoke you wonder if Lucy will survive this cozy mystery. In "Wicked Witch Murder" Lucy is working as a journalist and is working hard to figure out who has been targeting witches in the neighborhood. Someone in town is taking old Wiccan traditions a little too far. A very enjoyable read.

This was an awesome book! I loved that it has 2 Halloween stories in it. The first one was set years ago when the kids were still small. I would love to see more books that are based in the past. The story was great, too. The second story was based in the present time of their lives, and the story was amazing! I was hooked on it from the beginning and was surprised by the ending. This is a great book to read with Halloween approaching!

Trick or Treat Murder
While Lucy Stone is whipping up orange-frosted cupcakes for her town’s annual Halloween festival, an arsonist is on the loose in Tinker’s Cove. When arson turns into murder, a little digging in all the wrong places puts Lucy too close to a shocking discovery that could send all her best-laid plans up in smoke.

Wicked Witch Murder
Not everyone in Tinker’s Cover is enchanted with newcomer Diana Ravenscroft and her quaint little shop offering everything from jewelry to psychic readings. But a gruesome murder of Diana’s friend has Lucy Stone uncovering a deadly web of secrets, and a spine-chilling brush with things that go bump in the night.

--

Series: A Lucy Stone Mystery
Author: Leslie Meier
Genre: Cozy Mystery/compilation
Publisher: Kensington Books

Halloween Murder is a compilation of two previously published books in the Lucy Stone Mystery Series. Both stories are enjoyable and easy to read. Both stories focus on Lucy Stone and her amateur sleuthing in two different murder cases.

Story one, Trick or Treat Murder takes place right after the birth of Lucy’s 4th child. She is a new mom again and having difficulty dealing with everything. Someone is burning down old historic homes and building in in Tinker’s Cove, and Lucy fears her home will be next. Unfortunately, one of the homes was not empty when the fire destroyed it.

Sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong tends to get it scorched, and Lucy soon finds herself going up in smoke as the killer decides that she knows too much.

In story two, Wicked Witch Murder takes place in the future after Lucy’s kids are all grown up, or most of them. A new business in town is ruffling feathers and causing some residents to harken back to a time when witches were burned. Lucy isn’t a fan of Diana Ravenscroft’s new store, and she isn’t sure what to make of witchcraft, but she knows that several people truly dislike it enough to want to run Diana out of town on a rail.

When someone is murdered, fingers point to Diana and her coven. Lucy ends up smack in the middle of the investigation and becomes a target of an overzealous bible thumper who is trying to scare the residents of Tinker’s Cove into reinstating the witch hunt, possibly with a witch burned at the stake.

Both stories are very interesting and filled with plenty of action. The writing is flawless, creative and entertaining. There is a bit of confusion when moving to the second story as most readers will anticipate a linear passage between stories. However, the span between them is large and can be frustrating for some.

In general, these are very good stories and worth the time to read. I highly recommend this series and this compilation. I do recommend that readers familiarize themselves with the series to get a good understanding of who the characters are, as well as a bit of background as there is little to none within this particular book.

ARC provided by Netgalley

This is a re-release of two previous books from Meier's Lucy Stone series. In book #3, Trick or Treat Murder, an arsonist in Tinker's Cove is bad enough. But when arson turns to murder, it hits Lucy a little too close to home. In book #16, Wicked Witch Murder, the town residents aren't quite sure what they think of a recent newcomer, and Lucy uncovers a web of secrets that might have been better left alone.

This is the second time I've been "tricked" into requesting what was promoted as a new book from this series, even though I checked the title on Goodreads before making the request. It wasn't until after I downloaded the book that the information on Goodreads was updated to show that it's a combined release of two previous books. Having read all of the books in the series to date, and being a reader who doesn't usually "waste" time re-reading, I find this a very annoying practice. That said, it was interesting to go back and spend time with Lucy and her family when they were all much younger. I did not remember who the villain was in either book, but would much rather have spent my time reading a new book or two rather than re-reading earlier editions from this series.

I was given this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I requested this book, I did not realize that it was two books that had previously been published separately, Trick or Treat Murder and Wicked Witch Murder. There was quite a difference in time between the two books, and I did enjoy seeing how the characters had grown and changed. Both stories were interesting and moved along nicely, but I don't really think they needed to be combined in one book, just because they were both set at Halloween. Also, Lucy allows herself to be manipulated very easily, and that did not change as she got older; if anything, it got worse. My favorite part of the Lucy Stone books is the realism that is depicted in her thoughts as a working mom and wife. I will definitely be reading more of these books.

I was somewhat disappointed that this book was not a new book in the Lucy Stone series.

But I quickly got over it and had fun revisiting earlier stories from this fun series with Lucy and the rest of the gang in Tinkers Cove, Maine. This volume features two earlier books republished in one volume. Book #3 - The Trick or Treat Murders and Book #16 - Wicked Witch Murder.

Even if you are new to these books you can enjoy them. Enough of the back stories are included that you will have no problem following along even if you have never read any other books in this series!

Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier includes two previously published Halloween mysteries set in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, Trick or Treat Murder (Lucy Stone, Book 3) and Wicked Witch Murder (Lucy Stone, Book 16). The storylines are well plotted and the characters well developed and relatable, but I was disappointed by the amount of adult language in these cozy mysteries, especially in Trick or Treat Murder.

In Trick or Treat Murder, Tinker’s Cove has been experiencing a rash of fires. At first, it was thought it might be kids fooling around or insurance fraud, but when the Hopkins Homestead is destroyed by fire and the body of Monica Mayes is discovered in the debris, arson and murder are suspected. When the authorities go back and look at the other fires, evidence of an accelerant is found in each one. Lucy Stone, who’s juggling a family and baking twelve dozen cupcakes for a huge Halloween party at the Hallett House, finds time to research arsonists and ask questions around town. When her car is vandalized, she receives a threatening phone call, and warning in her mailbox, she’s concerned and calls Detective Horowitz. He tells her not to worry, writing notes and making phone calls isn’t part of the modus operandi of the person they suspect is setting the fires; and he also tells her to leave the investigating to the experts.

In Wicked Witch Murder, Diana Ravenscroft, who claims to be a high priestess in the Wiccan religion, recently moved to Tinker’s Cove with her familiar, a cat named Piewocket, and opened Solstice, a shop offering candles, crystals, jewelry, and offering spells, charms, potions, and psychic readings. Pam Stillings, Lucy Stone’s friend, made appointments for readings Lucy, Sue Finch, Rachel Goodman, and herself. Lucy thinks it’s a bunch of hooey, but thinks there might be a story she could write for the Pennysaver. They decide to have a group reading rather than individual ones. Diane doesn’t like what her crystal ball shows for Lucy, and decides to pull out her tarot cards, but all she sees is fire and unavoidable trouble in her future, stressing that she needs to be very careful. While walking her family’s dog in the woods near her home later that afternoon, Lucy discovers a burned tree with human remains tied to it. The deceased is identified as Malcolm Malebranche, a magician who performed at children's birthday parties, but Lucy remembers Diane talking about Lord Malebranche and as it turns out, he was the high priest of Diane’s coven. Lucy is quite surprised and alarmed when she learns her daughter, Sara, has been attending witchcraft classes for teens given by Diane and that she’d been invited to join the coven. Ike Stoughton, Lucy’s new neighbor, thinks Diana has cursed his family and his home.

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

I believe that this was a compilation of 2 previously released Lucy Stone stories, because they seem familiar. I enjoyed them. I love the fact that Lucy Stone lives in Maine, because I live in Maine. It is great to recognize certain landmarks or features that she describes in her books. Lucy Stone & the other characters are like people I know now because I have read about them throughout the series.

Halloween Murder contains two previously published Lucy Stone mysteries. Trick or Treat Murder was the third book in the series, while the Wicked Witch Murder was book sixteen. The time between the two stories is roughly fifteen years.

In Trick or Treat Murder, we find Lucy juggling the birth of her youngest (Zoe) and an arsonist in Tinkers Cove, Maine. When the body of one of Lucy’s friends is found in one of the burned homes, Lucy is determined to help track down her murder. In the Wicked Witch Murder, a Wiccan named Diana moves into Tinkers Cove and opens up a shop that ruffles a lot of feathers. When a member of Diana’s coven is murdered, with the town on the brink of a “witch hunt”, Lucy and her daughters are drawn into the mystery.

While I enjoy the Lucy Stone mysteries and the Stone family, this compilation served to show how far-fetched the series is getting. I absolutely love early Lucy Stone and wish the series would return to its much more believable (and enjoyable) cozy mystery roots. Still, two fun Halloween reads.

I love Halloween themed books, and it was so great to re-read two of the Lucy Stone Halloween mysteries. I wish the second one could’ve been a little more Halloween themed, but it was still a good book. Makes me want to start reading the series again from the beginning.