Holiday Murder

Lucy Stone #1 & 6

by Leslie Meier

For Lucy Stone, Christmas in Tinker's Cove, Maine, isn't just about the gift of giving. Sometimes it's also about solving a crime or two . . .

Mistletoe Murder
The First Lucy Stone Mystery!
As if Lucy Stone's Christmas schedule wasn't busy enough, she's also working nights at the famous mail-order company Country Cousins. But when she discovers its very wealthy founder, Sam Miller, dead in his car from an apparent suicide, Lucy's gift for suspecting murder shines bright. Now she must track down an elusive killer--one who won't be satisfied until everyone on his shopping list is dead, including Lucy herself . . .

Christmas Cookie Murder
One of the best things about Christmas in Tinker's Cove has always been the annual Cookie Exchange. But when long-simmering petty rivalries and feuds finally come to a boil, accusations of recipe theft lead to an act of murder. Despite all of the ingredients for danger, Lucy sets out on the trail of a killer and soon uncovers a shocking Christmas secret best left unopened . . .

"Reading a new Leslie Meier mystery is like catching up with a dear old friend." --Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author

Genres: Christmas, Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Holiday, Fiction, Cozy

368 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2017

About the author

Leslie Meier lives in Braintree and Harwich (Cape Cod), Massachusetts. She is the creator of 'Lucy Stone', a reporter and amateur sleuth in the fictional seaside village of Tinker's Cove, Maine.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder! Holiday! One hour reads. Fun... trying to catch up this week by reading all the mini in-between books so I am more current in the series before the 2022 release. Enjoyed it.

[PugMom · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's better than a holiday romp through Tinker's Cove? Two, of course! Reading both books is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. I really enjoyed reading about Lucy's family in each story that took place years apart from each other. You really got to see how the characters have grown.
Each story contained a well-planned mystery and it's easy to see why there have been so many books in this series. Very entertaining!
I voluntarily reviewed this book via NetGalley.

[Melanie Liast · Rating 1 out of 5]

These books are sooooo incredibly bad. She uses antiquated words like “retarded.” The gender roles are straight out of the 50’s. The female characters are treated like they are stupid, and naive. It’s almost insulting to read as a modern women and the stories themselves are just poorly written and all around bad.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great murder mystery for the holidays! Two in One! I enjoy the main character, the town, her family, the setting, all nicely created by the author.

[Colleen McGuiness · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh ok read now to something else !

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday Murder by cozy mystery author Leslie Meier is a re-release of two previous Lucy Stone mysteries -Mistletoe Murder (the very first book in the series) and Christmas Cookie Murder. If you are new to this series, this is a good introduction to Lucy Stone and the series. The first story in the book, Mistletoe Murder, finds Lucy working nights at Country Cousins, a mail order country store, similare to LL Bean. Her family is young and both her and husband work to support them. When she finds the company founder dead in his car in the parking lot from an apparent suicide, Lucy does not believe that he killed himself. She decides she needs to find the murderer to clear his name. The second story in the book, Christmas Cookie Murder, finds Lucy now firmly established as a part-time reporter for Tinker Cove's weekly Pennysaver newspaper. It is a few years later and her family is older and all in school, with her oldest applying to college. It's Christmastime, and after Lucy is railroaded into playing hostess to the annual Christmas cookie exchange one of the guests is found strangled. Once again Lucy gets involved in solving the crime in order to clear the name of the local dentist, the husband to one of her friends.

I really enjoy how Leslie Meier weaves the mystery story with Lucy's life and her family. I have read a few of the later books in this series, so was a little confused delving into the first one as it was so different from the more recent books. With her job as a reporter, it gives her reason to ask questions and stick her nose into other's business while trying to solve crimes. I find these books well written with a good storyline that keeps me interested. I don't always figure out who the culprit is in the books right away, and that always makes it a good mystery for me. If you have not read any of the Lucy Stone books, this will be a good one to read, but do not get confused as there are many between these two stories. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holiday Murder by cozy mystery author Leslie Meier is a re-release of two previous Lucy Stone mysteries -Mistletoe Murder (the very first book in the series) and Christmas Cookie Murder. Both are full-length mysteries, and both are wonderfully written cozies. The first story in the book, Mistletoe Murder, finds Lucy working nights at Country Cousins (think LL Bean, only smaller) when much to her surprise she finds the company founder dead in his car in the parking lot from an apparent suicide. Lucy quickly realizes that this is not the case, and it's up to her to find the murderer before he/she can strike again! The second story in the book, Christmas Cookie Murder, finds Lucy now firmly established as a part-time reporter for Tinker Cove's weekly Pennysaver newspaper. It's Christmastime, and after Lucy plays hostess to the annual Christmas cookie exchange one of the guests is found strangled. Once again Lucy is on the case to discover whodunit, all while trying to manage things at home and enjoy a relaxing holiday with Bill and the kids. The author has a way of weaving a well-written mystery, and keeping the reader guessing, from start to finish. Lucy Stone is one of my favorite sleuths, solving her puzzles but still keeping her family as her number one priority. I always look forward to reading her stories! A+++

[Jo Ann Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had two Lucy Stone stories in it. The first was mistletoe murder which I enjoyed very much the first book in the series the second one was Christmas cookie murder and there was so much going on in the story that it was hard to keep up with at times.

[Lauren Hofmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! And it’s 2 mysteries in 1 which makes it even better! I’m so glad my best friend shared it with me after she read it. It kept me in the holiday sprit without giving up my favorite gene!

[Amanda Link · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great quick & easy read! Good story plots.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as individual books

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love the Lucy Stone mysteries and have tried to track which ones I've read and which I have not. Imagine my surprise when I found Holiday Murder (2017) was actually books 1 and 6 in the series... duplicating what I had already read.

Similar duplicates I bought unknowingly:
Halloween Murder (2018) actually books 3 and 16
Valentine Candy Murder (2018) actually books 5 and 18
Tis the Season Murder (2019) actually books 12 and 20
British Murder (2020) actually books 17 and 23
Gobble, Gobble Murder (2020) actually books 7 and 24

While purchasing a double book could be a bonus for those who are aware of it, they were a definitive punch in the nose to someone who was not aware of it. 6 books paid for, all of them duplications. Grrr!

Not cool Leslie!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a re-release of two of the books in the Lucy Stone series. Though I have read both before, when first published, I re-read them again this time around and loved them as much as I did the first time around. I found it interesting to see how the story and characters, especially, Lucy Stone have changed/matured as the series progressed.

In the first book in this compilation, Mistletoe Murder, Lucy is working, answering phones and taking orders for the town’s mail-order company, Country Cousins. Lucy stumbles upon her employer, Sam Miller, dead in his car one night when she goes outside for air. The death is ruled a suicide, but Lucy feels otherwise, and sets about trying to figure out who, if anyone, murdered Sam. As Lucy investigates, we learn who Lucy is, what her family and life are like, and what the small town of Tinkers Cove and its residents are like. Along with this comes the picture of Lucy’s and her family’s ins and outs of their daily life during this busy holiday season. This is an introductory novel for a series that has kept going for quite a while. It was fascinating to re-visit it and the beginning of a series. I truly love and see how things and people have matured and changed as the books keep coming. The plot was rather predicable and not too complex, but that gave me the chance to re-focus on the characters and setting.

Christmas Cookie is the second book in this tome, and the sixth in the Lucy Stone series. In this story, Lucy is hosting the local Christmas cookie exchange, when one of Tinker Cove’s residents is found dead. An arrest is made in the case, but Lucy does not agree that the arrested person is the murderer. Thus, she begins an investigation of her own to find out who really is responsible, which takes her down some interesting avenues, filled and with some fascinating characters and events, while coping with her daily life and events as well as with her family and friends.

This is a fascinating series that continues to be well done as each book appears. The main character of Lucy has matured, and her family has grown up with each book. I thoroughly enjoy the way the author manages to intermix her characters’ daily lives and routines with the mystery. Each is well done, with great conclusions/solutions. This book is a terrific addition to the holiday season. I hope you will take the time to stop and read (or re-read) the two mysteries that involve one of my favorite sleuths, Lucy Stone. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

[Lina Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect stocking stuffer for mystery lovers!

Holiday Murder is a bind-up of Leslie Meier's 1st and 6th books in the Lucy Stone series, Mistletoe Murder and Christmas Cookie Murder.

Mistletoe Murder: Lucy is a wife and the mother of three young children, juggling Cub Scouts and PTA meetings, baking Christmas cookies, and playing host to holiday visitors. All of this, not to mention that she works through the night taking sales calls for Tinker's Cove's biggest business, Country Cousins. Needless to say, things are pretty hectic, but they get even more stressful when Lucy finds the owner of Country Cousins sitting in his car one snowy night, apparently having committed suicide, but soon it's discovered that the cove's wealthy entrepreneur didn't take his own life. It isn't long before Lucy hatches a plan to catch an ice cold killer.

Christmas Cookie Murder: With three growing children, Lucy has plenty to keep her busy this holiday season, but now she's been wrangled into hosting Tinker's Cove's annual cookie exchange.
Lucy is trying to hold things together and keep the peace, but when Lee Cummings accuses newcomer, Tucker Whitney of being a homewrecker, Lucy's get-together and her home itself starts to come apart. When Tucker is found strangled to death the town points fingers at Lee's husband, but Lucy thinks he's innocent.
Lucy Stone, ever willing to find time for solving a murder, adds dangerous sleuthing to her already long to-do list.

I recently reviewed the newest addition to this series, Turkey Trot Murder, and loved it! When Kensington Publishing also gave me the opportunity to review these books, I was very excited. They didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed seeing how the Lucy Stone series has progressed and was glad to see that Turkey Trot wasn't the first time Leslie Meier's books dealt with current societal issues, such as teen drinking and drug use. These books are light hearted reads, but they also leave me feeling like I've discovered more about important issues in our society. Seeing both masterfully intertwined in a single book makes the Lucy Stone series stand out above the rest.

[RO G'ma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holiday Murder is a collection of two of the books in Leslie Meier’s Lucy Stone Mystery series, Mistletoe Murder (Book 1) and Christmas Cookie Murder and (Book 6). The first book I read in this series was Candy Corn Murder (Book 22), so it was interesting to see how the series got its start, and how the children and relationships have grown. I was surprised and disappointed in the cavalier reactions of Lucy and her husband to the murder of their family’s cat in Mistletoe Murder as well as the use of adult language in these stories, which was especially strong in Christmas Cookie Murder.

Mistletoe Murder: Lucy Stone is a wife, a mother, and works the evening shift answering phones and taking orders at Country Cousins, a mail-order company in Tinker’s Cove, Maine. One evening she goes outside for some fresh air and discovers Sam Miller, her wealthy employer, dead in his car. It appears to be a suicide, but Lucy believes Sam was murdered and is determined to find out who and why. Lucy’s recently widowed mother is visiting for Christmas and has slipped into a state of depression and possibly suffering from the early onset of dementia, but Lucy doesn’t have much compassion for her.

Christmas Cookie Murder: Lucy Stone lives in Tinker’s Cove, Maine with her husband, Bill, and four children, and works part time writing for the Pennysaver, a weekly newspaper Tinker’s Cove. She’s looking forward to the annual Cookie Exchange, but her friend, Sue Finch, isn’t and has decided not to host it this year. Sue finally agrees they should have the Cookie Exchange, but insists Lucy have it at her house, which Lucy later regrets. The body of Sue’s new assistant at the day care, Tucker Whitney, is found the next day and foul play is suspected. The local dentist, Steve Cummins was having an affair with Tucker and is arrested. Lucy doesn’t agree and is determined to clear his name.

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

[Leith Devine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars
This book is two books together of Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone mysteries set at Christmas.
I've read both of these books before but not for some time. I need to say that I've always loved the Lucy Stone mysteries, so it's a little jarring to go back and read the first one in the series and see how differently she and her family behaved! She's definitely mellowed over the years. One of the things that I most enjoy is the focus on the Stone family life, and it's fun to see how much they've grown and changed over the years.

As always, the writing is great and the town of Tinker's Cove is charming, but I was shocked at the way they treated the death of the cat in the first book. The second book was more focused on drugs and there was almost an attitude of "slap on the wrist" for the kids.

The first book, Mistletoe Murder, has Lucy working at Country Cousins, the mail order store in Maine. She finds one of the owners dead in his car in the parking lot. Is it a suicide or a murder? The solution to the mystery will surprise you! I had forgotten who the culprit was and enjoyed solving the mystery again.

The second book, Christmas Cookie Murder, has Lucy hosting the annual Christmas cookie exchange (great recipes!). One of the newest members of Tinker's Cove is found murdered, an arrest is made, but Lucy doesn't believe he is the killer. Her investigation takes her to some interesting places and she puts her own life in danger.

I recommend this book, it's a fun look back at the Stone family. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[☘Tara Sheehan☘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Leslie Meier because she has this wonderful knack for supplying my overly stress-filled life with the perfect getaway.

This is a re-release of her first book in the Lucy Stone Mystery Series (Mistletoe Murder) and her sixth (Christmas Cookie Murder). They’re both full length stories and wonderfully captured the holiday spirit albeit with a little unexpected mayhem.

Mistletoe Murder introduces us to our sleuth and heroine, Lucy Stone. In the vein of Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote, you get a warm and charming character who has a perfectly normal job and just happens to stumble into mysteries and dead people. She decides to find out who killed her boss though it was made to look like a suicide. Simple plot line? Yes. Great way to spend the time? You betcha!

Christmas Cookie Murder shows after the previous five books Lucy has settled into her routine of being a reporter by day and sleuth by night, well you get the point. Cookie exchanges are one of my favorite parts of the season and after the characters enjoy one themselves Lucy discovers a guest isn’t going to get to enjoy the baked goods. Lucy shows the joys and pitfalls of trying to balance work, home life and play sleuth.

Meier gives great, well-written mysteries that drop enough clues to keep you interested but not so annoyingly blatant you give up reading before the end. Her characters and their actions feel believable along with crimes and how the big solve is revealed.

Meier is a guilty pleasure that just keeps getting better so hopefully you’ll find yourself hooked and wanting to follow Lucy Stone through her escapades.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read these holiday books since 2008, so when I saw that they were coming back as a collection I got excited. Then I got super excited when I got a copy from Netgalley. WooHoo!
Mistletoe Murder: The first book in the Lucy Stone series. The series starts with Lucy working at a call center at night and taking care of her three kids during the day. One December night Lucy goes out for some fresh air and hears a car running in the parking lot, so she checks it out and finds her boss sitting in the car dead. It was a decent book. Though it bothered me how easy going (for the lack of a better word) Lucy was. At one point she goes and get alcohol in the middle of the day and drinks it in her car and then drives home. She would never do that now. But it did have a good Christmas feel to the story.
The Christmas Cookie Murder: I didn't really like this one to much, which is funny because when I read it 9 years ago I gave it 4 stars. This one hardly talked about Christmas and didn't have a cozy Christmas feeling to it like some other cozy mysteries have. It talked about drugs and teen drinking to much. Yes I know it's an important topic, but not something I want to read about in a cozy holiday mystery. The mystery part of the story was good, I had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed.

[Tasha Lear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two great books in one! I have been reading Leslie Meier books for years and have never been disappointed. That tradition continues with this next installment. The best part is the first book, Mistletoe Mystery, was the very first Lucy Stone mystery. I couldn't wait to dive in to revisit some old memories.

Mistletoe Mystery:
I've read this book before but I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around. Lucy comes across a dead body in the parking lot of her job. Since she found the body, she feels she needs help solve this mystery. It was a good mystery that kept me guessing till the end. I really enjoyed that you got to discover the little town of Tinker's Cove and get to know its residents. You will really enjoy reading this book and seeing if Lucy can solve this crime and still get ready for Christmas in time.

Christmas Cookie Murder:
Another murder in Tinker's Cove at Christmas time. This time Lucy has help solve the murder of a young girl. This a perfect cozy mystery. A little who dunnit, great friendships and of course Christmas Cookies! Get your hot coco ready and curl up with book.

I would recommend both of these books to anyone who loves a great mystery. If you've never read any of these books you'll be in for a wonderful surprise. I look forward to spending all my holidays with Lucy Stone!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I assume this book has been put together for Christmas, as it contains two Lucy Stone books: Mistletoe Murder and Christmas Cookie Murder. Since they are both holiday themed, they of course aren’t two books in a row in the successful holiday themed series that now includes 24 books. Luckily, Mistletoe Murder is the first book in the series and introduces the central characters: Lucy Stone, her husband, and their three kids. The most memorable thing from this book is that Lucy is an extremely busy person; though I do wonder how Lucky first everything she does in a 24 hour period. But of course she finds herself in the middle of everything in her town, Tinker’s Cove, including murder. Throughout the series, and evident if you read this combination book, Ms. Meier does a great job of letting the Stone children age and not be perfect alone the way. While I would never condone reading a series out of order, this book is perfect for someone who doesn’t care about reading in chronological order, or for someone who will read the first one, get interested in the series, and know they already have the sixth book on hand after they’ve read the four books between.

A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday Murder is the re-release of two of The Lucy Stone earlier books. Each is set around Christmas time which is my favorite time of the year to read about. We visit Lucy, her family and friends. Leslie Meier writes this character to be just the average character with a fun job of part time reporter for the Pennysaver.
Mistletoe Murder introduces us to Lucy and her family. It also describes the town and townspeople. Lucy is working to make extra money at Country Cousin's. When her boss is murdered, Lucy set out to find who did it before the holiday arrives.
Christmas Cookie Exchange is set a few years later. Exchanging cookies has always been a highlight of the Christmas season. When Lucy finds that one will not be able to enjoy the season, she wants to clear someone's good name and get back to celebrating Christmas.
Leslie Meier adds just enough intrigue to keep you turning the page. Watch out a twist just may send you done the wrong path.
I received a copy through Netgalley. The positive review was not required.

[Sally Hannoush · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 stars Mistletoe Murder

This is the first book in the series. I had read Egg Nog Murder which is three Christmas stories by three different authors- which I think everyone should read!. That is how I found out about the Lucy Stone series. It's different to see how the characters were then verses now. The murder and attempted murder was a surprise for me. There was romance, drama, and mystery. It's a well written story and just the start of my reading adventures with Lucy and her gang.

5 stars Christmas Cookie Murder

This was an enjoyable Christmas Cozy Mystery. You can read this book as a stand alone even tho it is the sixth book in the series. I imagine that reading them in order would give better background information but I had no problems reading it the way I did. It had a lot of family and life drama. It had some series issues glossed on and made me think on the importance of right and wrong. The book is worth checking out and I can say I didn't see it coming. Recipes are included at the end of the book

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of Lucy Stone. I read each book over and over again, and I'm never disappointed with her stories.
Holiday Murder is two books in one, which includes the first book in the series.
This book will appeal to all cozy mystery lovers who have never read this series, or for those of us who just like visits with Lucy and all her friends in Tinker's Cove.

Settle into your comfy chair and let yourself be transported to Tinker's Cove, Maine, and spend the holidays with all the delightful characters in this book.
I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for packaging two Leslie Meier books in one! If you haven't read her before, or if you'd like a nice gift for a cozy lover, this is the one to buy because it combines the very first Lucy Stone novel with the sixth. Both Christmas themed (obviously), they show the growth in Lucy (she's calmed down a lot) and in Tinker's Cover over the years. I'm always amazed at how much murder can happen to one person and one town but I also always enjoy watching Lucy, her family, ad her friends, untangle things. These mysteries aren't too complex, they are never graphic, and they have nice sense of humor. Thanks to net galley for the ARC.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two Lucy Stone mysteries in one book. The first take you back to the beginning of the series when Lucy is working evenings answering calls for a catalog store. When a murder takes place in the parking lot, Lucy begins her sleuthing career. The second entry in this collection takes place years later when Lucy's kids are in high school. Lucy has begun working at the local paper. It seems the new policeman in town takes drinking and drugs as a main means to clean up the town. Is he serious or is this something evil about him? Throw in the murder of a young, single woman and Lucy is on the case.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is 2 books with the Christmas holiday as the main theme. Mistletoe murder and Christmas Cookie Murder. Mistletoe Murder is the first book in the series and Christmas Cookie murder is the 6th. I love Lucy Stone and her family. It has been fun watching the children grow and the town expand and progress. Both these cozy's are great reading and the Christmas theme is typical of many family's running out of time to get everything ready. This series revolves around all the holidays and it's wholesome and great for all ages.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book; this is the twenty fifth book in the Lucy Stone Series written by Leslie Meier.This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a combination of two early books in the Lucy Stone mystery series. I guess that publishers like to make as much money as possible so later went back to combine books #1, and #6 to generate more revenue, especially during the holiday season.

Book #1 was enjoyable, as a first book should be, but I found book #6 to be all over the place, with the solution to the mystery coming together too quickly, at the end of the book. Somehow I felt that Meier struggled with the ending.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining listening 🎶🔰

Another will written murder mystery adventure thriller novel by Leslie Meier books number one and six of the Lucy Stone Mystery Series. I would recommend this novel if you have not already read or listened to as individual stories. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to Alexa as I do because of eye damage and health issues from shingles. Stay safe 2022 👒

[Michelle Martens-Dragalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not new to me. I have read this book before or at least the stories in the book. It was interesting to see the difference in the children's ages and their attitudes. A lot of what this series is about are the relationships between the individuals. Having said that this book has two mysteries in it that happen around Christmas. You will enjoy the book.