This is the 28th installment to the series. Lucy's daughter Zoey is ready to graduate college and learns some hard truths about friends. Also Agnes McNeal goes missing. Lucy discovers that she has to focus on the story and not just discount it as an older woman gone missing and its yesterday news delegation.

Even though I easily figured out who the bad guys were, I found the social & personnel issues compelling. I enjoyed how the author laid them out and discussed them throughout the story.

I was a little disappointed in the ending. Will we ever know the depth of involvement in the issues of the new CEO?

I enjoyed the story and was able to listen to it via Netgalley. I thank them and the author for the thought provoking story. I am not required to leave a positive review.

This is my first cozy by this author, and it's the 28th in this series, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone. The main character, Lucy, is a reporter and gets tangled up in a missing persons case that turns into a murder.

I really enjoyed Lucy as the lead. She's got a bit of a fire in her that made her so much fun to investigate with. I thought this had a fun plot, and I couldn't quite figure out what was happening until the big reveal! It does have an Easter theme but go ahead and pick it up at any time, you'll enjoy it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

I have read a few of the books from the start of the series and have mostly enjoyed them. I was quite forgiving with the early books; trying to take into account the time in which they were written. I cannot be so forgiving with this one though. I found it to be cringe worthy and found myself rolling my eyes a lot. The author seems to be completely out of touch with the real world - it was racist, xenophobic, and sexist. I was so disappointed. I also had a difficult time with how Lucy thinks and treats her daughter Zoey. Overall I don't think I will read any more from this author and I won't be recommending her to others.

This is the first Lucy Stone book I’ve read but seems to work just fine as a standalone. There was kind of a B plot involving her youngest daughter trying to find housing after graduating college and accepting a job, which did feel a tad out of place, but perhaps it follows along with Lucy’s life, as this is the 28th book in the series. I could’ve done without it, but again, it’s my first Lucy Stone.

The murder was pretty intense for a cozy mystery, as was the motive. I still wouldn’t call this book a thriller, however, so I’d classify it as a plain old mystery. The book cover (donned with bright Easter covers and a bunny wearing a hat) may mislead some to believe it’s a classic cozy mystery.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and the ending was interesting. I enjoyed many of the characters but did feel that there were parts in the book that weren’t essential to the story and was just fluff.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book comes out January 25th, 2022.

An entertaining cozy mystery featuring a quirky and spunky cast of characters in an old age home. My first Lucy Stone book, this worked as a standalone and I really loved the cover and title. Decent narration, I wasn't in love with the narrator's voice but it didn't detract from the story overall. Recommended for fans of The Thursday murder club. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

In this 28th book in the 'Lucy Stone' series, the journalist/amateur sleuth searches for a missing woman. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

*****

Lucy Stone, who lives in Tinker's Cove, Maine, is a wife, mother, and reporter for the local Courier newspaper. Lucy and her husband Bill have four grown children, three of whom live in Greece, France, and Alaska respectively. The Stones' youngest daughter Zoe, who still lives at home, is about to graduate college and move to Portland, Maine for a job. Lucy is concerned about her child, and gets drawn into Zoe's hunt for affordable housing.

Lucy has other things on her mind as well. Her centenarian friend - retired librarian Julia Ward Howe Tilley - has been hospitalized with pneumonia and JUST recovered enough to be sent to Heritage House for rehab. Heritage House is an elder care facility with three levels of support: minimum - for healthy people who come and go as they please; moderate - for residents who need some assistance; and skilled nursing - for patients who require careful monitoring. Miss Tilley is in skilled nursing, where she's overseen by staff and gets physical therapy.

Lucy is familiar with Heritage House because she's covered stories there, like last year's Easter Bonnet Contest, which was won by Agnes Neal. Agnes is an independent woman who lives at Heritage House for the perks, such as meals, activities, and room cleaning. One morning Agnes leaves to go bird watching and doesn't return in a timely manner.

Agnes' daughter Geri becomes concerned, but doesn't get much traction from the Heritage House staff or the police, who suggest Agnes went to visit a friend. So Geri calls Lucy, who agrees to search for the missing woman.

After a day passes the cops get involved, but Agnes seems to have vanished. By now Lucy has become suspicious of Heritage House, where no one appears very concerned about Agnes' disappearance. Moreover, the facility has a kind of high school atmosphere, with the elderly women forming snobby cliques and competing for the attention of the (very few) men.

In any case, Lucy asks Miss Tilley to secretly look out for anything 'off' at Heritage House, and Miss Tilley agrees in return for two bottles of sherry. 🙂

The book revolves around what happened to Agnes, but also covers Lucy's other activities. These include: accompanying her daughter Zoe to look for an apartment in Portland, and; writing newspaper articles about this year's Easter Bonnet Contest, a bear family going dumpster diving at a gas station, and Maine's alewives migration. Lucy also investigates financial shenanigans at Heritage House.

The mysteries are eventually solved in a dramatic fashion, with Lucy and Miss Tilley in the middle of the action.

I enjoyed the book but feel more chapters should have been devoted to the mystery and less to Lucy's miscellaneous endeavors. Still, this is an entertaining cozy, recommended to fans of the series.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Karen White, who does an excellent job voicing the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, Leslie Meyer, and Dreamscape Media for a copy of the book.

This was not an easy book to read. It looks like a cozy – sounds like it’s going to be a cozy, but it did not read like a cozy.

The death was rather upsetting and there were details given that were specific. I don’t expect to see gruesome details in a cozy mystery.

This is the first Lucy Stone book I’ve read by the author, so maybe that’s how they all are?

Fears of dying and languishing in a nursing home, forgotten, are particularly upsetting. Unfortunately, this book spoke about that with some regularity.

At times, the book felt like it needed more editing. How the main character organizes her closet is info that didn’t contribute anything to the story and didn’t tell me something insightful about the character either, to help flesh them out.

Journalistically, there were inaccuracies. In a press conference, the police would not say the name of someone who died before the medical examiner released findings, and certainly not before the family was notified.

Why did the author point out who was black? I can understand the characters doing so, as a way to indicate they are from a certain generation where racism was inherent, but I don’t understand it as a description written by the author.

I will say that racism was addressed later on in the book, and acknowledged in an appropriate way.

I didn’t care for the slight against menopause. A woman setting boundaries on what she will tolerate is not “the menopause talking,” and I am shocked that a woman in the book would say that to another coworker.

If this were being billed as a mystery and not a cozy, I would have been more at ease, because I would have expected possible gore, details, etc.

I liked the last part of the book and how the mystery wrapped up. I thought it was interesting, unique and compelling. However, the rating I’m giving the book is largely due to how many un-cozy aspects made their way into the story. We read cozies because there is a tried-and-true expectation that we won’t know awful details about crime scenes. That the content is of a lighter nature. To my way of thinking, this was not the case with this book.

Narrator was good. Fine delivery.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I did not know that this was a series when I requested it from the publisher through NetGalley. I found out it was the twenty eighth book in the series once I was approved and put it on my "currently reading" list on Goodreads. So, I was a little hesitant to start because I was obviously missing a whole lot of backstory (27 books of backstory), but I was pleasantly surprised. It took me a few chapters to sort out the characters, but I caught on quickly and didn't feel like I was lost without reading the other 28 first. I'm sure my experience would have been richer had I followed the series by order, but alas, that was not how it worked out.

This book was an easy, smooth read. The dialogue could be a little obvious and unnecessary at times, but it flowed well. The characters all had depth, which was refreshing. Even the supporting characters that took a backseat in the story had complexities that made them interesting. I also enjoyed the nursing home setting. I've never read a cozy mystery based in a nursing home, so I found that to be unique. I also liked the spunkiness of the nursing home residents.

The only drawbacks in the book involved structure. I felt like there were points with the main character bounced around for seemingly no reason (like going to the art gallery). I kept wondering if that was just a frolic outside of the story, or if it was truly there for a reason. It ended up being important to the story - which allowed me to forgive many of my issues with its existence - but I felt like the author could have been more subtle and creative. Making the photographer a more important character would have likely solved this for me, but he really doesn't show up more than a few times.

Other than that one issue, which wasn't all that big of an issue because it ended up coming full circle anyway, I really enjoyed this book. It is your typical cozy mystery, so don't go into it expecting a lot of heavy tension and stress, but there's a bunny on the cover, so...yeah...if you expected something more murder-ey, you're looking in all the wrong places.

Oh my, something is up at Heritage House and Lucy Stone is on the beat. Miss Tilly has found herself in assisted living and Lucy is called to visit when there are rumors something is amiss. And then a resident has gone missing and no one seems concerned except the daughter. With all the crazy hub-bub going on, Lucy starts to investigate and when the body is found things really ramp up. This was an interesting cozy mystery and the narrator did a great job keeping all the "voices" separated and distinct.

After reading and loving The Maid, I wanted to try a true cozy mystery to see what this genre is all about. I listened to this story about Lucy, a middle aged reporter for the local newspaper and a mystery that unfolds at the town assisted living facility.

Her aging friend Ms. Tilley goes to Heritage House to recover after a hospital stay and Lucy ends up spending more time there visiting Ms. Tilley, while also reporting on some of the happenings, like their annual Easter bonnet contest.

When Agnes, a resident at the facility goes missing, Lucy starts to uncover clues to find out just what happened to Agnes.

I get the idea now of a cozy mystery, and yes this one is somewhat cozy, but this was one just ok for me. I didn’t feel truly connected or invested in the characters or the mystery.

With a title like Easter Bonnet Murder I’m really only expecting two things from this book….Easter Bonnets and Murder.

1. Were there Easter bonnets? Yes!
2 Was there murder? Also yes!

This was my first Lucy Stone mystery and it’s got me thinking about diving into the backlog to learn more about Lucy, her town, and all the murders that came before.

Local paper reporter Lucy is tasked with covering the town retirement home‘s annual Easter Bonnet Parade but what she ends up discovering is much more sinister!

Highly recommend this one if you like cozy mysteries, sassy old ladies, and small town charm.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced listening copy!

Lucy Stone is back in her 28th mystery. In this one, Lucy is busy writing for the weekly newspaper when she receives a call from Geri, a frantic woman with a missing mother, Agnes. Seems that Agnes, who was living in the local elderly facility Heritage House, was supposed to meet her daughter for dinner and never showed. Surprisingly, neither the facility nor the authorities are all that worried that she has seemingly disappeared. When they finally start looking for her days later, the search is cut short to find a billionaire and his friends whose plane when down in the water. In the meantime, Lucy's friend Miss Tilly is at the Heritage House recuperating from a stroke. Lucy's repeated visits to the facility and Geri's worry over her missing mother make her wonder: is Heritage House really as great as it seems?

Multiple threads weave together to create a mystery only Lucy Stone can solve - by putting herself in jeopardy in true cozy fashion. I've read several in the series and they are always entertaining.

The narrator of the audiobook had a nice, clear voice, good inflection, and a reasonable change for characters. No getting lost on the various characters, who were nearly all women. She did a great job.

A couple of years ago I read a short story Christmas sampler of cozy mysteries. One of the stories included was from Leslie Meir's Lucy Stone Mystery series. I haven't read any of the other books in the series. As this is book 28 in that series, I hoped it was one that I could pick up anywhere in the series and be okay.

There isn't a lot of background given for any of the characters upfront so I kind of had to fumble through the first few chapters trying to figure out who was who. I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy the book because there was nothing connecting me to the characters. This series might be one where you at least need to have read the first book or so first, but I hang in there and found myself enjoying the characters and the mystery.

I liked that Lucy is married and a mother. I haven't read too many present-day cozy mysteries that stars such a character. I think the turning point of the book, the moment I connected to Lucy, was the scene where she is taking her daughter apartment hunting. It was something natural and typical of a parent.

An assisted living facility is always an entertaining setting for a cozy mystery. The characters living there can be eccentric while still being believable. And there are some colorful characters in this book.

There are a lot of characters which can be cumbersome when listening to an audiobook but I didn't struggle. Karen White did a great job giving each character a unique voice.

If you haven't read the series and you can, I think you should probably at least read book 1 in this series, but if you want to jump in with this book like I did, you will still find it enjoyable. The tone of the story reminded me of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen series. So if you are looking for a similar series, you should try Meir's Lucy Stone series.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Thursday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/01/5-audiobooks-to-help-you-read-more-books.html

I have seen Leslie Meier’s books for years but never read her before. But this audiobook was such a treat.

Starting with the narrator, Karen White was a joy to listen to. There were a lot of seniors, middle aged, young adults and people with accents in this book and she did a superb job differentiating all the voices. There were also a lot of characters in the book but her narration helped me know who was who and I think that speaks volumes.

Regarding the story itself, the plot was well paced and I became connected to the community that the amateur sleuth and local newspaper journalist, Lucy lived in. There were quirky characters, a spitfire senior who made me laugh when she put people in their places and the mystery was well developed.

I also really enjoyed that Lucy played the part of the journalist in this cozy mystery, as many other cozies the sleuth has a friend (or foe) who was the main local journalist. I also loved that she was a married woman with grown up kids. And although I hadn’t read the previous 27 novels in the series, the author brings the reader up to speed about the characters’ backgrounds and I felt I didn’t miss anything.

I highly recommend this cozy mystery as it's a great book to listen to.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the advanced listening copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another Lucy Stone cozy mystery! Another good read! Lucy once again finds herself entangled in a mystery. Doing a favor for a friend, which really wasn’t a favor since Ms. Tilley is also a long time friend, she goes to check on her at a posh retirement/ assisted living home, Heritage House. Afterwards she gets a call from Geri at the Courier newspaper office where she works as a reporter. Geri is frantic, her mother Agnes who is also a resident at Heritage House is missing! She was to pick her up for lunch, but no one knows where she is. Being not 24 hours the police cannot do anything, the staff at Heritage House says wait and see, Agnes was probably birdwatching and lost track of time. Geri is sure something is wrong and asked for Lucy’s help. There’s not much Lucy can do, but can’t help to check up on Agnes whereabouts.
Amazing how the author comes up with so many mysteries! A real page turner. I did both read and listened to the audiobook book, enjoying both. The narrator was very good, the characters are wonderful and I can’t wait to read the next book.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #EasterBonnettMurder #LeslieMeier

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, even if I was listening to an audio version and not holding one of my beloved books.

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 #NetGallery, #KensingtonPublishing, and #DreamscapeMedia for the advanced copy.

This is my first Leslie Meier book--*gasp* I know, I know. You'd think I'd have picked up one of the 27 previous books, but there's so many good cozies out there I just never had the chance. But boy am I glad I got the opportunity to read (listen) to this one! In this story, we find our main character Lucy, looking into the retirement community where her friend, Miss Tilley, is temporarily staying while she rehabilitates. After one of the residents goes missing, it becomes all the more vital to ensure Miss Tilley's safety.

Despite jumping in at book 27, I didn't feel as though I was missing any information and it was easy to understand the plot. I also thought this plot was highly original yet within the realm of possibility. Having had a grandparent in a very similar retirement community, I could picture the place exactly, and the descriptions were spot-on. I thought the pacing was unique but appropriate, and events unfolded in a timely enough manner to keep me entertained, but not all at once to spoil the suspense. Overall, I was quite pleased.

I listened to this book on audio, and thought the narrator did a good job. There were lots of voices and accents to handle and she did them well--aside from the main character's 22 yo daughter, which was a bit stereotypical.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for my ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Another great Lucy Stone story. There’s so much going on in Lucy’s life that I don’t know how she has time to sleep. Each story is well researched and has so much information that you can’t help but learn something new. Amidst all the small hometown charm is always a little darkness that Lucy helps to untangle. This one was a little slow to start but once it got going, I didn’t want to put it down.

The audiobook narration was well done, with distinct voices for each character.

Leslie Meier has another hit on her hands with her latest Lucy Stone mystery titled Easter Bonnet Murder. During the course of this story, readers are given insights into various social challenges facing families today all while Lucy investigates the latest murder in the town of Tinker's Grove, Maine.

The author has done a marvelous job of spotlighting the challenges to public entities when faced with multiple emergencies but with limited resources as the Tinker's Grove police department has both a missing persons search and a helicopter crash to deal with and must prioritize between the two. The missing persons case soon becomes a murder as the body is discovered during a routine fire drill at the local nursing home/assisted living facility. The author also uses her excellent writing skills to shine an additional spotlight on the ongoing issue of private pay versus medicare billing in a care facility environment.

The narrator in this audiobook has taken extra care to create and maintain different voices for the various characters throughout and performs the narration with a natural flow and pace to make listening enjoyable.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and Dreamscape in exchange for a fair and honest review.