Patchwork Quilt Murder (2024)

I've long been a fan of the Lucy Stone Mysteries written by Leslie Meier. In the beginning I struggled with the, but they took a positive turn... after thirty, they're a bit too light and nebulous these days. Nonetheless I appreciate the setting and characters, like welcoming an old friend home again. I'll continue to read them but not for the mysteries.

⭐️⭐️ -NetGalley ARC

Book #30 in the Lucy Stone Series

I’ve been reading this series for a few years now. There’s been some that were really enjoyable, there’s also been some that weren’t. Unfortunately this one falls into the “ones that weren’t” pile.
When Ms. Meier feels passionate about something, she adds that topic to one of her books and then proceeds to beat you over the head with it. In this book she had a trifecta going: Global Warming/Climate Change, Mental Illness, and Inflation. I don’t mind getting whacked a few times, IF the story makes sense and the murder has to do with the topics, but the murder didn’t. OH…and don’t even get me started on the whole dog part. Unless you’re a huge fan of the series and are religiously following the storyline, I would recommend skipping this one.

Thank you? to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this for an honest review.

A little too bizarre for my liking.

First time I’ve read her recently published book- I’m all caught up with this series. Positive- her children and bratty grandson were barely in the story. I’m not sure why people are complaining about quilting not in the story- the whole mystery revolves around it. I hope people don’t think we want to read about the ins and outs of actually quilting. Not sure about this cozy series- the author still permeates the story with her political views-this title not so over-the-top like some of the other books. I like Lucy and many of the townspeople and her friends. Her husband is much better- just can stand her kids. Where was Karen White- the usual narrator??? I really disliked this narrator’s interpretation of the characters. If you are used to the regular audio- then read it. If Karen White doesn’t come back, I may drop the series. She is really the reason I’ve continued. She is fantastic.

Least favorite book of the series so far. I read to escape reality, not listen to countless climate change issues. Plus the story was just lacking interest. Not horrible but wouldn’t read again. Fingers crossed for the next book.

Patchwork Quilt Murder is the thirtieth book in the Lucy Stone cozy mystery series. Once again we join Lucy Stone, the reporter for the local Tinker’s Cove paper, and she’s on another case. The new local community center is the main topic of discussion in town, some people all for it and others against it. The director of the community center, Darleen, is causing as much uproar as the community center itself. When she turns up murdered, there are no shortage of suspects. As Lucy looks into the case, she uncovers more than just a murderer.

I have read this whole series and have always had mixed feelings about it. I’ve grown to like most of the characters and the Tinker’s Cove setting, but all of the political issues and controversial topics that are addressed in these mysteries have always annoyed me. They were easy to ignore in the earlier books, but at least in this book, I feel like every other page is pushing a different topic. Be it climate change, global warming, gun rights, environmental concerns, the use of air conditioning, or mental health, there is a plug for all of these in this book. I know these are all important topics and that’s not the part that bothers me, it’s the fact that, for me anyway, the amount they are talked about completely takes away from the mystery and story. Anyway, I’m done ranting about that. For most of this book I swore I was going to give this one or two stars instead of three, but I did enjoy the ending and how everything finally wrapped up so I guess I left this book on a good note. I’m committed to this series at this point and will keep reading any new books, at least at this point, but these newer books in the series have changed a lot from when we first met Lucy.

4.5 Stars

It has been quite a while since I've read any of the Lucy Stone Mysteries. I don't know why she dropped off my radar, but after reading this book, I will have to do some heavy re-reading! I truly enjoyed this cozy mystery!

As I said, it has been a while, so I was amazed by how contemporary this book was and how twisty-turny the mystery was. The only reason I gave this book less than five stars was that I felt some of the minor issues didn't reach a full conclusion or were just swept under the carpet. It was nothing major and nothing that took me out of the story.

I believe that if you choose to start with this book, you will have no issues with not reading the preceding 29 books. I had no problems, and it's been years since I read my first Lucy book!

*ARC provided by the publisher Kensington Cozies/Kensington Books, the author Leslie Meier, and NetGalley.

#PatchworkQuiltMurder #NetGalley#KensingtonCozies#LeslieMeier

A new community center has opened in Tinker Cove, Maine with a new highly paid director Darlene Busby-Pratt A lot of controversy surrounds her and the community center. Lucy tries to investigate the town budget and other mundane tasks that Ted gives her. Ted and Pam's son Tim goes missing. Then body parts start to be discovered around town. Lucy starts to investigate.

I enjoyed following the clues and researching with Lucy. I enjoyed the mystery and getting to know the inhabitants of Tinker Cove.

I listened to this on audio and really really enjoyed it.

3.5 stars, rounded up

The new community center in Tinker’s Cove is getting mixed reviews. Some see it as a place for groups of all ages and interests to meet, while others see it as a waste of taxpayer dollars. The director of the center has big plans, but demands a salary that makes her one of the wealthiest residents of Tinker’s Cove. When a troubled young man disappears, followed by the disappearance of the director, and then dismembered remains are found, Lucy puts her investigative skills to work to figure out what is going on and who is responsible.

Unbelievably, in a time when many series hang around for only a handful of books, this is the 30th book in this series. I really liked the early books, but the last handful have been hit and miss for me. Fortunately, I liked this one better than the previous book in the series, as Lucy was much less annoying this time around. I understand that she misses her kids and is uncertain about her job, but speaking from experience on both counts, you can’t let those concerns take over your life or you’ll miss out on a lot of other great opportunities.

The mystery here was good, and it took a while to determine that there was indeed a murder to solve. The discovery of dismembered body parts made that obvious! Once the victim was identified, several suspects came to mind, but the actual solution was something I would never have considered. The motive was warped, to say the least, and mind-boggling, but given the culprit, it actually made a weird kind of sense.

I look forward to checking out the next book in this series, if only to see where things go from here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

#PatchworkQuiltMurder #NetGalley is by far my favorite book in this outstanding series by Leslie Meier.
Lucy enjoys being a reporter for the local paper in Tinker's Cove, Maine, and when someone makes a gruesome discovery, Lucy is ready to take notes.
It seems someone found a severed body part in a garbage can, and everyone panics, thinking there's a crazed murderer in town.
Even though the discovery is bizarre, Lucy has other stories to cover.
It seems the director of the new community center is too good to be true, and her high salary and immediate vacation has the tight knit community raising their eyebrows.
Between stories, Lucy is worried about Tim Stillings, the son of her best friend Pam, and her boss, Ted. Tim has been acting strange, disappearing for days, and possibly hiding some secrets from his family.
As the story goes on, we find out a lot of interesting things about people, and we follow Lucy as she connects the dots and pieces the clues together.
This book brought out a lot of emotions for me, the overwhelming sadness when her dog passed, and the struggles with Tim and his mental health hit hard, since I lost my son to suicide a few months ago.
If this book was written by someone else, I may not have read it, but Leslie Meier did such an incredible job touching on the emotions and heartache of the characters, that it pushed #PatchworkQuiltMurder #NetGalley to my number one favorite cozy mystery of 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and most of all to Leslie Meier for writing such a wonderful book.

A Patchwork Quilt murder is book #30 in one of my very favorite cozy mystery series. This was an enjoyable read, full of twists and turns and numerous red herrings. A new community center opens and some of the locals think it's a big waste of taxpayer money and are especially unhappy with the high salary the town is paying its new director, Darleen. Lucy interviews Darleen and later catches the cold condensending way Darleen speaks to a recent hire, Tim Stillings, who is going through some mental health issues. Darleen's mom displays a three hundred year old quilt and has some very valuable antiques in her home, but are they authentic? Darleen goes on vacation soon after she is hired which angers some of the locals. When Darleen goes missing after her vacation, Tim disappears, and severed body parts begin to appear, Lucy is determined to get to the bottom of just what's happening in her hometown.

"Patchwork Quilt Murder (Lucy Stone #30)" by Leslie Meier has several different issues that get brought up , for a Lucy Stone book. We get climate change, mental health, public services availability and scammers. Very up to date really. I do have to say that I called it on what gets revealed about Ted and Pam's son in the end. I wont say what as it could change how someone reads the story.

The mystery was all over the place. We get one answer, which is the one I was leaning towards. Then, nope, that's not really what happened but we'll kinda over look that they tried. In the end, I was kinda thinking along the lines of where it ended up. Boy did it take a bunch of turns and circles to get there.

Patchwork Quilt Murder is a cozy mystery that some cozy mystery readers may say delves too deeply into the issues of climate change and shortchanges the mystery aspect of the book.
After the new community center is built in Tinker's Cove, many of the residents are upset that the costs overran the budget that was approved by vote. Others see the center as a huge improvement to the area. The new director of the facility is making the highest salary in the county - causing even more dissension.
While these things are coming to a boil, a human foot is discovered at a picnic area. However, no one has been reported missing except the son of Lucy Stone's boss, Tim - and he seems more of a suspect than a victim in the eyes of the police. When other body parts are found, gossip boils in the small town. Can Lucy find Tim and help clear his name?
I give the book four stars for being very readable.

I am so late to the table in reading the cosy mysteries of Leslie Meier! Patchwork Quilt Murder was delightful and it seems I have 29 more in this series that I have missed out on

First impressions, absolutely enchanting. I think by now, it has become clear that Iove cosy mysteries of Regency/ Victorian/ Early-1900s but have receiently begun to explore more contemporary Cosy authors and Leslie Meier is one that will be going on to my TBR list. Meiers narrative is stunning, highly descriptive and immersive with artfully defined characters that fit neatly into a brilliant plot

A quick read, but utterly delightful

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Books, Kensington Cozies and the author Leslie Leier for this fantastic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I enjoy reading the Lucy Stone books and I am always on the lookout for the next one. However, in this case, I had a very strong feeling that I had already read this book. How it could be possible, I don't know, but that is how I felt. Surprisingly in this book, Lucy doesn't run into a ton of trouble trying to solve the murders.

Great book. I really enjoy this series. I like how this book goes as a story a bit before the murder/mystery starts. Kept me guessing til the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was really looking forward to reading this cozy mystery, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me at all. My biggest issues was that it felt like the story focused more on the “cozy” aspect than on the actual mystery

The townspeople seemed more upset by the new community center director’s salary and vacation than the dismembered remains that were being found around town, and the mystery “solve” didn’t feel properly foreshadowed at all. I had hoped to follow along as Lucy Stone found multiple different suspects and motives, but it seemed like she just skipped all that and stumbled on the final answer instead.

If you enjoy the other Lucy Stone books, then you may still really enjoy this one and reading more about the people of Tinker’s Cove. But if you are looking for a cozy mystery that’s heavy on the mystery, then this probably isn’t for you.

🦭 ꒰ 메모 ꒱ ۪ ݁ 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬

i needed some more thrill but it’s a cozy murder mystery solving book so im not complaining about that either <3 i loved it so much! patchwork quilt murder reminds me of like the detective stories i read when i was little like nancy drew. i highly recommend everyone to listen to this book via audiobook because it just AAA chef’s kiss! the voices and emotions was truly felt by the narrator and it’s just the best! i guess i didn’t give this a solid 5 star because the politics (?) threw me off and i just became uninterested but STILL !! i love this and i’ll be picking up more of the author’s books because HELLO? there’s like a LOT of these books and i have never been happier <3

massive thank you to the author for their big brain energy! as well as to NetGalley for this ARC!

"Patchwork Quilt Murder" is book #30 in the "Lucy Stone" series by Leslie Meier.

"During a heatwave in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, part-time reporter Lucy Stone becomes unseasonably entangled in handmade quilts—and a twisted case of murder . . . When a community center opens in town, many embrace it as a space where locals of all ages can gather and create. Others view it as a waste of taxpayer dollars. The director, Darleen Busby-Platt, is no less controversial. Intense and showy, Darleen has huge plans for her new role. But Lucy believes the woman isn’t exactly as warm hearted—or qualified—as she seems. That hunch deepens when Darleen and a young employee vanish . . . and dismembered remains appear! With lots of clues and few concrete answers, Lucy rushes to connect loose ends. First there’s the disappearance of Tim Stillings, a troubled twenty-something who endured harsh treatment on the job. Next there’s Darleen herself, who made fast enemies as the highest-paid resident in Tinker’s Cove. Finally, there’s Darleen’s rich ancestry and ties to heirlooms worth either a fortune or nothing at all. The closer Lucy gets to the facts, the more she realizes that solving this murder depends on the lies. Because the truth rests somewhere between wild rumors, a trusted friend’s emotional new sewing project, and the authenticity of a mysterious three-hundred-year-old patchwork quilt. And Lucy must piece together the big picture—before she becomes part of crafty killer’s deadly design . . ."

My thoughts:
In spite of this being book #30 in the series, Ms. Meier has managed to keep the actual murders interesting. The hiring of Darleen raised a lot of discord among citizens. Then there was her attitude towards employees such as Tim. Tim on the other hand was in the process of dealing with a mental health crisis. When they both disappeared about the same time, rumours spread while family and friends feared the worst for Tim. As dismembered body parts are discovered and the identity is revealed, both fear and rumours are in overdrive.

I honestly wasn't sure who killed her but the twists, clues and misdirection were well done before the final reveal and take down.

As well as the murder, there was a strong focus on dealing with mental health and how it impacts loved ones. Climate change and environmental issues are also addressed.

As I said, the main storylines were interesting. However, the core characters who have been such a strong part of this series for thirty books and several novellas have never really seemed to expand much beyond their basic characteristics and backgrounds. Yes, their children have grown and some have married and now have children of their own but the parents seem only to have aged and become more set in their ways. They have become predictable and somewhat boring.

For any future books in this series, rather than pre-ordering, I will be waiting for a deep discount on Kindle as I think it's about time for Lucy, her family and friends to consider retirement. Tinker's Cove and these characters have dealt with more than their share of murder. JMO

Book Title: Patchwork Quilt Murder
Series: Lucy Stone Mystery Book #30
Author: Leslie Meier
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Coleen Marlo
Publisher: Dreamscape Media - Kensington Cozies
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pub Date: April 23, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pages: 268

This is Book #30 in the Lucy Stone Mystery Series. Although I have not read the twenty nine before this, I have read several and they were all an enjoyable read.
When I read my first my comment was “What a fun nice surprise, looking forward to another Leslie Meier story.

Lucy Stone is a part-time reporter in the tiny seaside village of Tinker’s Cove Maine.
She and hubby Bill are now ‘empty-nesters’ as their four children are all adults.

Lucy and Bill are both still working and Lucy is close to her boss Ted and his wife Pam. Currently they are worried about their son Tim who's recovering from an attempt at suicide. He was working in an art gallery after he earned his Master’s Degree from Yale. He moved back home Tinker’s Cover after his attempt. Decided work would help so is working as the janitor at the new Civic Center.

Many residents are upset that the center has gone over budget even more upset that Darleen the new director is making such a very high salary. She has great plans for the place.
As a reporter Lucy interviews Darleen regarding the opening. Lucy is very impressed with the facility. As she is heading out the door, Lucy over hears Darling scolding someone regarding being late. It is Tim and he states he isn’t late as he was cleaning the trash in the parking lot. Darleen continues to berate Tim for not doing his job properly.
This certainly changed Lucy’s opinion of Darleen’s managerial skills.
Darleen continues to pick on Tim and questions his cleaning skills.

The next thing Tim goes missing, his mother and father are at wits end as the police aren’t taking it seriously.
A week late a dog walker finds what appears to be a human foot. Police are called then the medical examiner. She reports that the foot is a size 8 female foot which has been severed and kept in a freezer.
Everyone is now fearful that body parts are going to be appearing in various spots in Tinker’s Cove – which is true.

When Darleen doesn’t return from her vacation in San Diego’ Lucy does some snooping.
When she is found dead Tim becomes a suspect.

I do love a good cozy mystery; this story touches some heavy issues – Global warming, mental health, depression/suicide, and dementia as well as issues involving an aging population.
Leslie Meier did a super job dealing with these issues. Plus audiobook narrator Colleen Mario is a great audiobook performer and is fabulous in performing the characters!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this early audio edition.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 23, 2024.

First, before I dive into the eventual murder, I want to send kudos to Leslie Meier for not shying away from tackling issues that could have been pulled straight from today's headlines. Mental health and the lack of facilities and care, small businesses being swallowed by larger corporate operated ones, budget woes and potential misuse, the autism spectrum, uneasiness about the justice system, the climate crisis, and more are tackled. Meier handles them well and is sensitive to the many aspects of each. I also feel I should mention for those who might be triggered by it, that, well, Lucy's faithful ol' dog Libby crosses the Rainbow Bridge in this episode. Another differentiation between this series and many others is that the characters, human and otherwise, have aged as the series progresses so such an event isn't unexpected. It was handled lovingly and well with many family memories triggered, not to mention a sweet, respectful funeral for sweet Libby.

As for the eventual murder, I think it took until chapter eleven before it became evident that one had taken place. I won't detail the plot as the blurb does an excellent job of that, but will say that while they're aware of a murder, they don't initially have any idea who the victim was. It's probably evident why from the blub. Since the victim is initially unknown, Lucy's suspect list is, well, non-existent. As a result, Lucy finds herself focusing on other issues, one of which is the strange behavior and disappearance of her boss's son who has mental health issues. Unfortunately, the timing is such that he is a suspect. And, where is the new community center's new, highly paid director? Tinker's Cove is already in a bit of an uproar over the money spent on the center and her salary, so her almost immediate vacation and then disappearance are troubling. And what about the Civil War era quilt? Is it real (it's a historical fact such quilts were made, btw) or a fake? And, phew, having lived in Florida during triple digit heat waves, I had a hard time making my climate warming sensibilities not want to scream out to Lucy to go buy an air conditioner. In other words, social issues meet real life and the answer isn't as easy as we'd like.

Bottom line, while I've probably missed an installment here and there, I've loved this series ever since discovering it. I've noticed Meier's more socially conscious leaning of late. This is a more real world aspect while retaining the cozy sense of family, friends, and the sense that we're all connected. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for letting me spend time again with Lucy. Now I think I'll go give my furry canine an extra ear scratch.

⭐️ REVIEW ⭐️

Thank you #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for allowing me to listen to #ThePatchworkQuiltMurder by Leslie Meier.

⭐️ Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

Note: This is book 30 of A Lucy Stone Mystery.
🗓️ COMING SOON - RELEASE DATE: April 23, 2024 🗓️

Synopsis: “When a community center opens in town, many embrace it as a space where locals of all ages can gather and create. Others view it as a waste of taxpayer dollars. The director, Darleen Busby-Platt, is no less controversial. Intense and showy, Darleen has huge plans for her new role. But Lucy Stone believes the woman isn’t exactly as warm hearted—or qualified—as she seems. That hunch deepens when Darleen and a young employee vanish...and dismembered remains appear!

With lots of clues and few concrete answers, Lucy rushes to connect loose ends. First, there’s the disappearance of Tim Stillings, a troubled twenty-something who endured harsh treatment on the job. Next, there’s Darleen herself, who made fast enemies as the highest-paid resident in Tinker’s Cove. Finally, there’s Darleen’s rich ancestry and ties to heirlooms worth either a fortune or nothing at all.

The closer Lucy gets to the facts, the more she realizes that solving this murder depends on the lies. Because the truth rests somewhere between wild rumors, a trusted friend’s emotional new sewing project, and the authenticity of a mysterious three-hundred-year-old patchwork quilt. And Lucy must piece together the big picture—before she becomes part of crafty killer’s deadly design...“

My thoughts: If you are looking for a cozy murder mystery with small-town charm, look no further! I loved the narration of this audiobook format, and think it would be a good read in physical or ebook format as well. The story was interesting and kept my attention; however, I was able to guess some of the twists before they were revealed. If you are drawn to small town drama, a tale of missing persons and body parts popping up around town, and a newspaper reporter with a side of detective, give this one a listen 🎧📖🔖🤓

Patchwork Quilt Murder by Leslie Meier is another small town Maine, reporter mystery. It starts off simply enough with her friend Pat’s son, Tim, home after attempting suicide, and a manager hired for the new community center. The community center was beautiful and fulfilled lots of needs but of course there were plenty of people who were against it and its new director: a hometown girl named Darleen Busby-Pratt, who was the highest paid city employee and was taking a paid vacation just a couple weeks after she started. Seemed she prepaid for it before she got the job and didn’t want to waste the money. At about that same Tim disappeared and random body parts started showing up around town. The, Darleen didn’t return from vacation. Lucy did a little snooping and found she’d never even checked in to her hotel. It didn’t take a mental giant to put two and two together. She discovered from Darleen’s cousin, Cassie that Darleen had told some lies to get the job. Tim was still missing. Lucy ramped up her questioning.

It was a tough time for Lucy who was a small-town girl. Their dog died. They’d had her for many years and they missed her. She was worried about her friend, Pat. Ted, who granted, was Tim’s father, was acting weird around the office. Was he about to shut it down? Lucy cared deeply for her community, even for those people who had nothing better to do than cause trouble. It was the sixteenth anniversary of the death of a young woman who had been murdered. Bad things seemed to be adding up. It is a good picture of small town life and a small town newspaper. The mystery was a good one even if the murdered person kind of deserved it. Lucy’s stories are getting more edgy: a function of the world getting smaller? I recommend it. Lucy is a feel-good sleuth, as always. Thanks Leslie Meier!

I was invited to read Patchwork Quilt Murder by Kensingston Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #KensingtonPublishing #LeslieMeier #PatchworkQuiltMurder

Now that I see there are a bunch of books where Lucy solves a mystery things make more sense….

Positives: The narrator matches characters. I could tell straight away that the narrator was older than me. I don’t often read books where the main character is closer to my moms age than mine.
Definitely would describe it as a Cozy mystery. No big scares or tons of tension.

Not so positives (for me)
Some odd pronouncing thermometer for example was said as therm-oh-meet-er but I’ve always heard it pronounced ther-mom-et-er

The climate change mentions over and over are tiring.
The dog dying felt like it took a lot of pages, and didn’t really matter in the story. *I see now if you’ve read the series you could have a connection to the dog but this was the first book I picked up and I certainly was not attached to the dog and I’d felt out of place*

I am always surprised at how the reporter Lucy is allowed by the police to be on the crime scenes and take photographs and be so involved. Maybe this also is a normalcy since she seems to have solved many mysteries??

The main reason I chose to read this book is because I am a sewist and love little nods to sewing. There was absolutely zero lingo which was unfortunate. I Elias really hoping for a little not to my niche.

I think my personal tastes do not run to modern day books.

Arc audiobook provided via Netgalley for an honest review.

Patchwork Quilt Murder by Leslie Meier is the 30th installment of my favorite cozy mystery series of all time: A Lucy Stone Mystery. I just loved this series!

This is the series that started it all for me. It opened up a whole new world of cozy mysteries, murder/mysteries, and I will always hold a special place in my heart for this collection. I have read every book and novella (there are 39 entries total: 30 books and 9 novellas) and I still love this series.

Lucy Stone is still at it as roving reporter, sleuth (can we really call her an amateur at this point?), mom, friend, wife, and all around great gal. I really, really enjoyed the murder/mystery component that truly did have several twists and turns. Despite some of the more tearful moments, the book was entertaining, witty, engaging, and all that I have come to expect from this excellent series.

Highly recommend.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/23/24.

The new community center opens in the middle of a heatwave in Tinker's Cove. Most are happy about it, while other think it's a waste of money. When the less than beloved director, Darleen, and a young employee with PTSD who has been struggling lately, Timothy, disappear and dismembered remains appear, Lucy digs deep to find clues to try to piece together what happened.
This cozy mystery is book 30 in the Lucy Stone Mysteries series. I haven't read them all, but you don't have to read them all (or in order), because each book has it's own "case". Of course, there are recurrent characters that will evolve over time, but you won't get major spoilers. I have to admit that I was not a bit fan of the last book I've read in the series (book 29, Mother of the Bride), and I was afraid I was just about done with this series. But Lucy was much better in this one (I thought she was impossibly annoying in the book before), and I really enjoyed myself! Koodos to Leslie Meier for getting a few tears out of me with the loss of a beloved character. And the narrator did a great job.
I received an advance copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review volutarily.

When Tinkers Cover gets a new community center, a lot of taxpaying townsfolk aren't too happy with the new director's inflated salary. As reporter Lucy looks into director Darlene's past, she begins to suspect the woman isn't as qualified as she seems. But when her boss's struggling son disappears and body parts begin appearing all over town, she had bigger things to worry about and scoops to cover.

This book is DARK for a cozy mystery. Trigger warning and minor spoilers, but this book involves lengthy discussions of someone in a mental health crisis and the aftermath of a suicide attempt, a dog dying of old age on page, and dismemberment. I almost gave up early on in the book because it was just not what I was in the mood for. However, the mystery is extremely well-crafted. I didn't see all the twists and turns coming, and when I thought the book was over it wasn't done yet! So on balance, I still think this is a good read and perhaps one of the more intriguing installments in the series when it comes to plotting, but please go in eyes wide open to some of the more serious and somber content throughout.

Thanks to Kensington for my eARC and Dreamscape Media for my ALC! I listened to this book on audio and think the narrator did a great job. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 6/10

I've been following this series for some years, having read most of them. It's always nice to revisit Tinker's Cove and catch up with Lucy, her friends and her family.

This time, I had trouble investing in the first half or so of the book. There is a sad part, no spoiler, so that stayed with me for a while. Also involved is a serious topic which plays throughout the story. There are several mysteries that finally got me interested for second half. There is a murder, town difficulties, and different characters to sort out. There are body parts showing up, a fire, and quilts. A lot for a cozy to deal with and wrap up by the end which it did in a satisfying way.

I read cozies to get away from real life and most of the book did that for me. What I did not appreciate was all the talk and preaching on climate control. For that I'd give 2 stars but for the mystery and extras I am going with four.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for providing a copy in exchange for a fair review.

As always Leslie Meier delivers another great cozy mystery -- though this murder -- is one of more gruesome (without overly written details) compared to others in the series. I have now read all the stories in this series -- all by audiobook -- this time we have had another change in narrator -- the narrator overall did a good job creating distinctive voices for the many familiar characters-- The story line covers topics such as climate change, mental health, fraud which overall we tastefully done. As always the characters and storyline hold your attention and you stick with Lucy the whole way! I don`t always share the same opinions as the author/ characters and the way the dog Lucy was spoken about as **just a dog** kind of bothered me as a dog owner -honestly this book like most of the others in the series can be read as a standalone --and easily read out of order--, because each book has it's own "case" and characters are easy to follow.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Audio for this ALC. This is my honest review.