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Lucy Stone #13
Bake Sale Murder
Ever since local developer Fred Stanton and his wife, Mimi, built five modular homes next door to Lucy Stone’s farmhouse, life just hasn’t been the same. With Mimi complaining about everything from the state of Lucy’s lawn to another neighbor’s lovable dog, quaint Tinker’s Cove, Maine, is now entangled in cul-de-sac politics and backstabbing. And when Mimi doesn’t show up for her shift at The Hat and Mitten Fund bake sale, the scent of burnt sugar leads Lucy to a shocking discovery: Mimi, face down on her kitchen floor—with a knife in her back.
While the police start their investigation, Lucy gets busy writing up the murder for the local Pennysaver—and following a few leads of her own. Lucy knows the women in her neighborhood didn’t like Mimi, but they certainly didn’t want her dead…right?
While the police start their investigation, Lucy gets busy writing up the murder for the local Pennysaver—and following a few leads of her own. Lucy knows the women in her neighborhood didn’t like Mimi, but they certainly didn’t want her dead…right?
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2006
229 people are currently reading
1957 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Meier
70 books2,075 followersLeslie 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
January 24, 2024
Ah, BAKE SALE MURDER was another fun Lucy Stone mystery. Lucy is wrangling some pesky new neighbors on her street who can’t seem to leave well enough alone with repeat calls to the town council about the height of her lilac bushes, as well as anonymous letters to the Pennysaver and a Bake Sale that will leave anyone who’s ever had to sit through a PTA meeting in stitches. And of course, wherever Lucy goes, there’s always a murder to investigate. I loved that this one was set in Tinker’s Cove (my favorite books in this series are) and liked seeing all the familiar town characters as well as the everyday problems of conflict with friends and controlling bake sale partners as Lucy also has to solve the case. And the parts with Libby the lab and her tendency to eat everything except Lucy’s homemade dog biscuits were fun 😊. One of my favorites in the series!
February 26, 2023
Bake Sale Murder is the 13th book in the Lucy Stone Mysteries, and it's a solid edition in the series. Lucy and her gal pals need to raise more money for local charities, and they decide to return to their roots from over a decade ago - throwing a bake sale. Except, all the usual friends are too busy and staying away from carbs and sugars. So, they lure in Lucy's new neighbors from a nearby development. Each of the new women has an aggressive or weird personality, and soon, one of them dies. Toss in one of Lucy's daughters getting caught up in high school drama and the a hazing practice with the football team, and everyone's on edge. A second death occurs, and Lucy decides to step into her investigate role another time. She almost gets knifed herself but is saved by an unlikely person. Enjoying the series much more now that it's less divisive, but I am curious to see what happens over the next 15 books as we go from 2002 to 2022.
December 20, 2022
One of my favorite Lucy Stone mysteries.
February 22, 2012
First, the positive: I got this one free from Amazon. Apparently it's the 13th in a series, but it doesn't feel like that. I loathe reading book out of order. And while this does feel like a series book, it doesn't, at all, feel like I've missed anything by just reading this book. I mean, Lucy's just meeting a lot of her neighbors! Anyway, this one was also very readable and kept me interested right until the end. I didn't see it coming as far as the culprit either.
Now, the negative: Lucy's kind of a dumbass. She stumbles into all sorts of situations that she shouldn't be in and she can't manage her time well. Her daughter's distraught about something and makes her drive an hour out of her way to pick her up and yet she doesn't demand answers at all. Sue is a hateful bitch with no apparent redeeming qualities as a friend. The entire town, including Lucy's husband, doesn't seem to care that the football team is being hazed, including harassing the cheerleaders, one of which is Lucy's daughter, as long as the team is finally winning games. Also, was there another reason why the brother came to town? Because he never actually talked to anyone. His part seemed thrown together and unnecessary. Also, what was the deal with Mimi's husband? That was never really explained either.
*SPOILERS* In the end, no one seemed to care why the hazing was going on. There was never any explanation on what the coach thought it would accomplish or any punishment for the kids who went along with it. The book could do with some better proofreading for continuity also. At least twice, the author makes a point of saying that Mimi's older than her brother. Yet in the report in the paper in the end, Mimi's listed as a few years younger than her brother. Also, how the hell would Bonnie make the brother drink the alcohol? How would she get close enough to him to get him to do it either? I mean, all reports were that he ran from anyone and everyone that got near him.
Now, the negative: Lucy's kind of a dumbass. She stumbles into all sorts of situations that she shouldn't be in and she can't manage her time well. Her daughter's distraught about something and makes her drive an hour out of her way to pick her up and yet she doesn't demand answers at all. Sue is a hateful bitch with no apparent redeeming qualities as a friend. The entire town, including Lucy's husband, doesn't seem to care that the football team is being hazed, including harassing the cheerleaders, one of which is Lucy's daughter, as long as the team is finally winning games. Also, was there another reason why the brother came to town? Because he never actually talked to anyone. His part seemed thrown together and unnecessary. Also, what was the deal with Mimi's husband? That was never really explained either.
*SPOILERS* In the end, no one seemed to care why the hazing was going on. There was never any explanation on what the coach thought it would accomplish or any punishment for the kids who went along with it. The book could do with some better proofreading for continuity also. At least twice, the author makes a point of saying that Mimi's older than her brother. Yet in the report in the paper in the end, Mimi's listed as a few years younger than her brother. Also, how the hell would Bonnie make the brother drink the alcohol? How would she get close enough to him to get him to do it either? I mean, all reports were that he ran from anyone and everyone that got near him.
September 13, 2016
Another exciting romp with mom-turned-reporter, Lucy Stone! This one deals with the changing times we all must face eventually. Idyllic small town, Tinker's Cove, now has bullying, sexual harassment, homelessness, teen suicide attempts, and - well, multiple murders! Lucy is on the case trying to get to the bottom of some reported football team bullying when all hell breaks loose! As much as we want everything to stay the stay, change comes to us all.
May 11, 2024
This one gets 5*’s because it had a nice twist at the end that left me only half right! I knew from the beginning that guy was a nogoodnik with a checkered past. (Did his wife no the truth?). The hazing and harassing were a little bizarre, but it got the point across.
Loved the reference to Trump and The Apprentice. (Book written in 2006). I’m sure Ms Meier had no idea what was to come, who did? She is a rabid liberal who probably despises him, as I do!!
Now for my pans -
In Book #9 Zoe and Sara are 7 years apart, now there is only a 5 year difference.
Lucy is seated in the front, but when called on she is referred to as in the back.
Why in Book #9 is The capitalized as The Pennysaver when in all the other books it is just Pennysaver? Stupid name either way.
At lunch Lucy has Crème Brulee - to be consistent with accents it should be brûlée.
Lucy couldn’t put 2+2 together when Libby found the wallet? Duh! Just toss it away and forget it?
I just can’t believe all the blatant errors and inconsistencies???
Loved the reference to Trump and The Apprentice. (Book written in 2006). I’m sure Ms Meier had no idea what was to come, who did? She is a rabid liberal who probably despises him, as I do!!
Now for my pans -
In Book #9 Zoe and Sara are 7 years apart, now there is only a 5 year difference.
Lucy is seated in the front, but when called on she is referred to as in the back.
Why in Book #9 is The capitalized as The Pennysaver when in all the other books it is just Pennysaver? Stupid name either way.
At lunch Lucy has Crème Brulee - to be consistent with accents it should be brûlée.
Lucy couldn’t put 2+2 together when Libby found the wallet? Duh! Just toss it away and forget it?
I just can’t believe all the blatant errors and inconsistencies???
November 28, 2024
I really enjoy this series. I haven't read it in order but I like the characters a lot and I am able to follow along anyway
April 10, 2012
There's something special about Lucy Stone mysteries. This is the 13th in the series. This story mixes small town life with a cozy mystery. Unlike a lot of authors with long lived series, I find that Lucy Stone is still fresh, and her characters a progressing on with their lives. Things aren't at a stand still in these books. Lucy's son Toby is engaged, her daughter is away at college. The neighborhood is changing. That's what sets up the stage for the murder.
It takes awhile for the murder to take place, which some readers may have a gripe with, but Leslie let's us get to know the new people in town, as well as Mimi, her husband and two sons. That's the cozy to this mystery.
I laughed my way through the scenes where Lucy, Sue, Chris, Mimi etc where trying to decide what to make for the bake sale. This was classic small town U.S.A. Typical PTA mom poltics! It wouldn't be as funny if it weren't true.
I really liked how several other parts of the story tied things together to the murder of Mimi and the homeless man. To say any more would spoil the story.
This was a really quick read and a fun cozy with some great recipes at the end! I can't wait to try them, as well as another Lucy Stone.
It takes awhile for the murder to take place, which some readers may have a gripe with, but Leslie let's us get to know the new people in town, as well as Mimi, her husband and two sons. That's the cozy to this mystery.
I laughed my way through the scenes where Lucy, Sue, Chris, Mimi etc where trying to decide what to make for the bake sale. This was classic small town U.S.A. Typical PTA mom poltics! It wouldn't be as funny if it weren't true.
I really liked how several other parts of the story tied things together to the murder of Mimi and the homeless man. To say any more would spoil the story.
This was a really quick read and a fun cozy with some great recipes at the end! I can't wait to try them, as well as another Lucy Stone.
December 24, 2012
I do not know why I keep reading these because they are so bad. I guess because they are so cheap???
Lucy seems to fall into solving the murders as she never really does any real investigating. She is out of touch with her kids and constantly complaining. Plus the writing is very amatuer and drawn out. If she can write a series so can I. Do not waste good money on this series...
Lucy seems to fall into solving the murders as she never really does any real investigating. She is out of touch with her kids and constantly complaining. Plus the writing is very amatuer and drawn out. If she can write a series so can I. Do not waste good money on this series...
November 24, 2024
Once again, I did not know who the murderer was until the very end! There were a number of suspects, and some looked more suspicious than others. Lucy Stone has some interesting new neighbors on a new development named Prudence Path. As always, I enjoyed the interaction amongst all of the usual characters. I am enjoying this series and will read book #14 soon!
July 10, 2014
Although I'm rating this book 2/5, I can't understand the low ratings, even if I'm contributing to its low average. I'm used to my harsh rating system, which is ironic, as I'm easily pleased during the actual act of reading a book. It's just that books need to achieve something to earn 4 or 5 stars. As for this book, the story was running along familiar lines, which is unavoidable in a series of 20 books.
The clearly wrong arrest of a murder suspect, the paucity of progress in Lucy Stone's investigation. The murderer revealing herself due to rising panic, acquired from watching Lucy ask about. The case was neatly tied up by showing the article of the Pennysaver, but a couple of things went unsolved, or at least unmentioned. It looks like my rating does not tally with my reading experience, but it all boils down to how the writer fills in the bits of the book that are meant to be filler.
I didn't get a sense of familial dynamics that were the hallmark of earlier books in the series. The thing with this book is that, for me, both good and bad aspects are present in few times. The book being short is not a problem. I always take it as a sign of dishonesty when a writer who churns out 250 paged books suddenly spikes her output with 400 plus paged ones. Here I know what I'm getting into. So this one is good but not good enough.
The clearly wrong arrest of a murder suspect, the paucity of progress in Lucy Stone's investigation. The murderer revealing herself due to rising panic, acquired from watching Lucy ask about. The case was neatly tied up by showing the article of the Pennysaver, but a couple of things went unsolved, or at least unmentioned. It looks like my rating does not tally with my reading experience, but it all boils down to how the writer fills in the bits of the book that are meant to be filler.
I didn't get a sense of familial dynamics that were the hallmark of earlier books in the series. The thing with this book is that, for me, both good and bad aspects are present in few times. The book being short is not a problem. I always take it as a sign of dishonesty when a writer who churns out 250 paged books suddenly spikes her output with 400 plus paged ones. Here I know what I'm getting into. So this one is good but not good enough.
July 2, 2017
A good addition to the Lucy Stone series.
December 16, 2019
Lucy has new neighbours from a subdivision built where an old house had stood. Her friends want to raise money to give underprivileged kids school supplies for the coming season, and she invites them and her new neighbours to get involved. The sale is set up for Labour Day weekend at the mall. One of the new neighbours, Mimi, is scheduled to work the morning shift, and bossy Chris sends Lucy to go to her house and get her. Lucy finds her dead, with a kitchen knife stuck in her back.
In a sub-story, Lucy is getting anonymous letters at the Pennysaver office reporting hazing of football players and cheerleaders. Since her daughter Sarah is a new cheerleader, Lucy is very concerned but after talking to the coach several times, nothing is revealed.
This was a fast read. A couple of delicious sounding recipes at the end.
In a sub-story, Lucy is getting anonymous letters at the Pennysaver office reporting hazing of football players and cheerleaders. Since her daughter Sarah is a new cheerleader, Lucy is very concerned but after talking to the coach several times, nothing is revealed.
This was a fast read. A couple of delicious sounding recipes at the end.
June 26, 2022
This is a fun read from Leslie Meier. Set in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, it’s one in a series of books with the main character, Lucy Stone, your average wife and mom who also works for the local newspaper part-time. As the group of ladies that Lucy is friends with prepares for a bake sale to benefit children in their school district, Lucy stumbles upon the body of a neighbor murdered in her own home. It’s not long before Lucy is sleuthing and discovering all sorts of interesting facts from the past.
June 2, 2019
Another fun visit with Lucy and her family. Murder strikes the neighborhood, new neighbors cause rifts, and the high school team gets out of hand. Lucy is right in the thick of things, as usual.
Well written and kept my attention throughout. Enjoyed it very much.
Well written and kept my attention throughout. Enjoyed it very much.
July 24, 2021
Love this fun read by Leslie Meier--the first one I've read of this series but am already looking forward to diving into another. The setting is enjoyable, the characters are well portrayed and the mystery was fun.
March 4, 2025
Lucy and her friends, set up a bake sale. Then there was a murder and slashed tires. Lucy is always getting in trouble. Read this one book, it's a good one.
May 15, 2008
Lucy Stone isn't happy. Instead of living on a nice quiet road that she's used to, a little subdivision has sprung up next to her, including one obnoxious motorcyle riding teenager who spends as much time reving up his machine as he does riding it.
Lucy and her friends, Sue, Pam and Rachel start working on the Hat and Mitten fund. A bake sale seemed like a good idea to raise funds, until she starts calling her friends for baked donations and realizes she hasn't kept up with them for awhile as everyone is involved in activities which make it impossible for them to bake anything.
So they decide this would be a good time to get to know the new people in the subdivision and get some baked goods for the sale at the same time. Bonnie Burhart, wife of the new guidance counselor at school. Willie Westwood, wife of the new vet. Frankie LaChance a divorced mother and Chris Cashman mother of Pear and Apple. Unable to attend the first meeting, Mimi Stanton, wife of the subdivision developer and mother of motorcyle riding Preston.
What starts out as the selling of a few baked goods at the school turns into a major sale when Chris Cashman takes over. No longer a couple of brownies and cakes, they're going to produce low-carb snacks, have bottled beverages and even make home made dog treats. Chris even decides that they should all make several of their best treats and then they would all get together and have a taste test to vote for the best and then only produce them in large quantities for the sale.
Lucy is always happy to let an "A" type personality take over, but since it's usually been her friend Sue, things are a little strained as Sue has met her match in Chris.
Things don't seem as upbeat when on the day of the taste test, Mimi doesn't show up. Lucy gets sent over to find out if she needs any help. Mimi needs help, but not the kind Lucy can offer as she's in her kitchen with a large knife in her chest.
Who would have killed the developer's wife? Was it a disgruntled new home owner? Rumors were the houses weren't built that good. A jealous wife? Rumors were she might have been stepping out with someone else's husband. Or a jealous husband? Maybe the mysterious homeless person that was seen lurking around the house and living in the woods?
Lucy isn't sure, but she's determined to investigate as the person arrested by the police just doesn't seem like a killer to her.
Lucy and her friends, Sue, Pam and Rachel start working on the Hat and Mitten fund. A bake sale seemed like a good idea to raise funds, until she starts calling her friends for baked donations and realizes she hasn't kept up with them for awhile as everyone is involved in activities which make it impossible for them to bake anything.
So they decide this would be a good time to get to know the new people in the subdivision and get some baked goods for the sale at the same time. Bonnie Burhart, wife of the new guidance counselor at school. Willie Westwood, wife of the new vet. Frankie LaChance a divorced mother and Chris Cashman mother of Pear and Apple. Unable to attend the first meeting, Mimi Stanton, wife of the subdivision developer and mother of motorcyle riding Preston.
What starts out as the selling of a few baked goods at the school turns into a major sale when Chris Cashman takes over. No longer a couple of brownies and cakes, they're going to produce low-carb snacks, have bottled beverages and even make home made dog treats. Chris even decides that they should all make several of their best treats and then they would all get together and have a taste test to vote for the best and then only produce them in large quantities for the sale.
Lucy is always happy to let an "A" type personality take over, but since it's usually been her friend Sue, things are a little strained as Sue has met her match in Chris.
Things don't seem as upbeat when on the day of the taste test, Mimi doesn't show up. Lucy gets sent over to find out if she needs any help. Mimi needs help, but not the kind Lucy can offer as she's in her kitchen with a large knife in her chest.
Who would have killed the developer's wife? Was it a disgruntled new home owner? Rumors were the houses weren't built that good. A jealous wife? Rumors were she might have been stepping out with someone else's husband. Or a jealous husband? Maybe the mysterious homeless person that was seen lurking around the house and living in the woods?
Lucy isn't sure, but she's determined to investigate as the person arrested by the police just doesn't seem like a killer to her.
May 16, 2024
Although this book is seventeen years old it holds up better than some of the others near it in the series. It's raw, emotional, and focused enough on the human drama to avoid being dated.
https://pussreboots.com/blog/2024/com...
https://pussreboots.com/blog/2024/com...
June 12, 2018
As Lucy Stone mysteries go, I actually feel like this one caught its footing better than any to this point. It kept me guessing right up to the reveal and Lucy's family annoyed me far less than they have in the past. I thought the dynamic of a group of women was spit on (at least in my personal experience) and I loved the neighborhood drama aspect. I did have suspicions about one of the minor storylines that I was afraid was setting up to play out in a particular way (vague in an effort to avoid any spoilers), but it ended up going in another direction and I was relieved to be incorrect. I can truthfully say that I am looking forward to Lucy's next adventure as I feel like Lucy is finally locking in on her voice. Lucky (book) 13!
September 6, 2010
Maybe this just isn't my genre. But it was a free download for my new Kindle, so I thought I'd give it a go.
The central theme of these books, I gather, is the murder. In this book it didn't happen until 1/3 into the story. Too much time setting up the details of a bake sale, so much that the murder (bake sale mom takes a butcher knife to the back) came off as ridiculous and secondary.
A couple pages later a character, upon hearing of the murder, says how tragic it is, then follows up with "... but the good news, the bake sale made $1200!"
That's when I put it down in disgust.
The central theme of these books, I gather, is the murder. In this book it didn't happen until 1/3 into the story. Too much time setting up the details of a bake sale, so much that the murder (bake sale mom takes a butcher knife to the back) came off as ridiculous and secondary.
A couple pages later a character, upon hearing of the murder, says how tragic it is, then follows up with "... but the good news, the bake sale made $1200!"
That's when I put it down in disgust.
March 14, 2016
This Lucy Stone mystery was pretty good. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing right along. I liked that I felt engaged in the story and didn't figure out "whodunit" until the end. There were quite a few new characters introduced, but it didn't seem like too much at once like in other series when a lot of new people are added. The additions made sense the way they were introduced and the way they interacted within the context of the story.
November 26, 2024
One of the better/fully fleshed out stories, mystery actually happened early on and you could possibly solve it with the main character. No random surprises that get thrown at you just for the sake of “having a twist” and it doesn’t make sense. Very well done!
February 7, 2015
Good mystery set in Tinkers Cove, Maine. Lots going on and Lucy was not going to stop investigating until she solved the mystery.
February 15, 2016
Read this one first--not my usual style but it was free from Amazon for my Kindle. Glad I did and now I need to read the whole series!!
May 19, 2020
The book is unfocused. You have at least 10 different threads without any logic, rhyme, or reason. I would not recommend.
August 3, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Audiobook
March 29, 2025
Nothing brings out the homicidal energy like a neighborhood bake sale. In Bake Sale Murder, Lucy Stone is just trying to frost some cupcakes and do her civic duty when—surprise!—someone ends up dead, face-down in their fancy kitchen with a knife where the spatula should be. Welcome back to Tinker’s Cove, where the cookies are overbaked and so is the drama.
Let’s talk about Mimi Stanton, the rich new neighbor with the vibe of a woman who reports you to the HOA for having the wrong shade of mulch. She rolls into town with cash, clout, and zero chill, immediately stirring up enough tension in the cul-de-sac to make you clutch your pearls — or your casserole dish. Everyone hates her, but in that polite Maine way, where the backstabbing is metaphorical… until it’s not.
Lucy, our cardigan-clad chaos magnet, does what she does best: she doesn’t mean to get involved, and yet somehow ends up deep in a murder investigation while juggling work deadlines, moody teenagers, and the politics of organized baked goods. She’s nosey in the most lovable way, and her emotional intelligence is so underappreciated. Like yes, she’s snooping, but she’s also noticing things. She can read a tense glance across a bake sale table like it’s an Agatha Christie novel.
And honestly? The dynamics here slap. You’ve got bored housewives with secrets, new-money energy clashing with small-town roots, and friendships that look perfect on the outside but are one snarky comment away from imploding. Lucy navigates all of it with that “I have literally zero time for your drama but I will still solve this murder before dinner” energy.
But what really works is how grounded this one feels. Lucy is in her element. The stakes feel real. The grief, the suspicion, the complicated friendships — it’s all there, just under the powdered sugar surface. No jet-setting, no weird detours, just one woman, one town, and a very messy corpse ruining the bake sale vibes.
4 stars — this is classic cozy mystery comfort food: a little tart, a little sweet, and full of that Lucy Stone magic. Tinker’s Cove may be small, but the secrets? Big enough to kill for.
Let’s talk about Mimi Stanton, the rich new neighbor with the vibe of a woman who reports you to the HOA for having the wrong shade of mulch. She rolls into town with cash, clout, and zero chill, immediately stirring up enough tension in the cul-de-sac to make you clutch your pearls — or your casserole dish. Everyone hates her, but in that polite Maine way, where the backstabbing is metaphorical… until it’s not.
Lucy, our cardigan-clad chaos magnet, does what she does best: she doesn’t mean to get involved, and yet somehow ends up deep in a murder investigation while juggling work deadlines, moody teenagers, and the politics of organized baked goods. She’s nosey in the most lovable way, and her emotional intelligence is so underappreciated. Like yes, she’s snooping, but she’s also noticing things. She can read a tense glance across a bake sale table like it’s an Agatha Christie novel.
And honestly? The dynamics here slap. You’ve got bored housewives with secrets, new-money energy clashing with small-town roots, and friendships that look perfect on the outside but are one snarky comment away from imploding. Lucy navigates all of it with that “I have literally zero time for your drama but I will still solve this murder before dinner” energy.
But what really works is how grounded this one feels. Lucy is in her element. The stakes feel real. The grief, the suspicion, the complicated friendships — it’s all there, just under the powdered sugar surface. No jet-setting, no weird detours, just one woman, one town, and a very messy corpse ruining the bake sale vibes.
4 stars — this is classic cozy mystery comfort food: a little tart, a little sweet, and full of that Lucy Stone magic. Tinker’s Cove may be small, but the secrets? Big enough to kill for.
January 19, 2024
Lucy has some new neighbors, and it’s a bit of struggle trying to get along with some of the bossier, take-charge moms. They are trying to raise money for school supplies for some less fortunate kids with a bake sale. But instead of the relaxed, make what you want atmosphere of past bake sales, these new people decide to steamline the process, holding a test session to determine who will make what. Yes, specific cookies will be assigned. And, of course, these new women are health conscious, too. Sue, Lucy’s best friend, is dismayed when her very tasty but quite rich brownies get the boot from the new powers that be. Lucy is tasked with making dog biscuits, which even the dog doesn’t like. She secretly switches from the recipe she was given to one that her dog approves of, but that turns out to be the least of her worries. Sue is put out with Lucy making nice with the bossy mom. Lucy’s daughter, a new cheerleader, gets caught up in the middle of high school hazing incidents by the football team. And Lucy, sent to pick up cookies from one of the bakers who didn’t show up at the sale, finds burning cookies and a dead cook. Yes, it’s just another day in the life of Lucy Stone. Be sure to grab a cookie or two and spend some time with Lucy as she investigates another murder. This one has ties to the past, and Lucy will need more than a little luck to find the killer before she ends up like the other baker. Well written, this cozy is quite intriguing with its intricate mystery and delightfully different characters.
August 11, 2023
This was about par for the series.
Bake sales can be fun, but like Lucy, I've seen the changes in them over the years. Fewer people want to contribute. People have more dietary restrictions. Sometimes people just buy bakery goods and contribute them to the bake sale (which makes me wonder why the buyers don't just get them from Kroger's themselves.)
My kids' school fundraisers have gone from traditional bake sales to having parents contribute money and/or hiring a catering company. Concession stands tend to have candy bars, not baked goods.
Yes, bullying and sexual harassment are too often a part of high school life. That part didn't surprise me. Once again, Lucy's husband Bill had a boorish attitude on that, not at all like one a doting father would have.
I did not figure out whodunit, but I don't think enough info was given beforehand. I did guess who the homeless man was - or I had it down to two guesses.
Counselling doesn't cure people that instantly, as it seemed to cure these teens.
It was funny how Lucy tried positive thinking, to see if that would make the universe produce good results. Our world is too broken for that, as Lucy discovered. She also tried prayer, with inconclusive results, and one of her friends blamed God for tragedy.
Also, Lucy and her friends sometimes made unsubstantiated snap judgments about multiple things, but particularly in the political arena.
Bake sales can be fun, but like Lucy, I've seen the changes in them over the years. Fewer people want to contribute. People have more dietary restrictions. Sometimes people just buy bakery goods and contribute them to the bake sale (which makes me wonder why the buyers don't just get them from Kroger's themselves.)
My kids' school fundraisers have gone from traditional bake sales to having parents contribute money and/or hiring a catering company. Concession stands tend to have candy bars, not baked goods.
Yes, bullying and sexual harassment are too often a part of high school life. That part didn't surprise me. Once again, Lucy's husband Bill had a boorish attitude on that, not at all like one a doting father would have.
I did not figure out whodunit, but I don't think enough info was given beforehand. I did guess who the homeless man was - or I had it down to two guesses.
Counselling doesn't cure people that instantly, as it seemed to cure these teens.
It was funny how Lucy tried positive thinking, to see if that would make the universe produce good results. Our world is too broken for that, as Lucy discovered. She also tried prayer, with inconclusive results, and one of her friends blamed God for tragedy.
Also, Lucy and her friends sometimes made unsubstantiated snap judgments about multiple things, but particularly in the political arena.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews