Easter Bonnet Murder by Leslie Meier
I have seen Leslie Meier’s books for years but when my friend told me Easter Bonnet Murder was available on audio; I didn’t hesitate for a moment to request it on NetGalley. And what a treat this audiobook was.
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 and because of it, I’ve just added 27 books to my TBR list.
Thank you Dreamscape Media for the advanced listening copy and Kensington for the advanced reader’s copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Easter Bonnet Murder releases on January 25th!
Book Description
Part-time reporter Lucy Stone isn’t about to put all her eggs in one basket during a frantic Easter in Tinker’s Cove—especially when it comes to cracking a deadly mystery . . .
Known for its cheerful staff and elaborate annual Easter Bonnet Contest, the Heritage House senior center regularly attracts new residents and positive press. But once the town’s retired librarian, Miss Julia Tilley, checks in to recover from an illness, Lucy sees a side of the facility that isn’t quite so perfect and pristine. And the place may soon be making headlines for different reasons following an unexplained disappearance . . .
Lucy can’t fathom how Agnes Neal could go missing from assisted living over a silly Easter bonnet contest, or why few seem concerned as signs point to foul play. A retired journalist with an independent mind, Agnes had an eye for details and little interest in conforming to catty cliques or rules set by her caretakers—traits that threatened some and angered others . . .
While police stall the investigation without answers, Lucy realizes backstabbing has no age limit when alarming parallels bloom between her daughter’s college frenemies and social circles at Heritage House. Gathering clues as flimsy as a half-eaten milk chocolate bunny, Lucy must discover what happened to Agnes—before her own story becomes another springtime tragedy left unsolved.