Review & Giveaway of Easter Bunny Murder by Leslie Meier

Publisher: Kensington Books
Series: Lucy Stone #19
Format Read: Hardcover
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

*May contain spoilers for earlier books*

Spring has sprung in Tinker's Cove, and Lucy Stone has a mile-long to-do list. From painting eggs with her grandson, to preparing the perfect Easter feast, to reviving her garden after a long, cold winter, she hardly has time to hunt for a killer with a deadly case of spring fever... Lucy has always loved covering the annual Easter egg hunt for the Pennysaver. Hosted by elderly socialite Vivian Van Vorst at Pine Point, her luxurious oceanfront estate, it's a swanky event where the grown-ups sip cocktails while their children search for eggs that are as likely to contain savings bonds as they are jelly beans. But when Lucy arrives with her three-year-old grandson, VV's normally welcoming gates are locked, and a man dressed as the Easter Bunny emerges only to drop dead moments later… Lucy discovers that the victim is Van Vorst Duff, VV's grandson, and soon learns that not all is as it seems at idyllic Pine Point, where the champagne and caviar seem to be running dry. Always a social butterfly, VV has been skipping lunch dates with friends, and her much-needed donations to local charities have stopped with no explanation. Maybe she's going senile, or maybe her heirs are getting a little too anxious to take over her estate… As Lucy gathers a basketful of suspects, she's convinced someone's been hunting for a lot more than eggs, and she'll have to chase the truth down a rabbit hole before the killer claims another victim…

Bea's Thoughts:  *May contain spoilers for earlier books*


"Easter Bunny Murder" kept me up late reading. It took me a while to get into it, something that's been happening to me a lot lately, but once I did, I was hooked. I've read one or two books from this series and was 'meh' about them but I read some reviews of this one that intrigued me and then I was offered a copy for review. Swayed by the reviews I'd read, I said 'yes' and I'm glad I did. 

I love cozies but sometimes they don't come across as real. The circumstances are unlikely, the ease in solving the murder is unbelievable, etc. While "Easter Bunny Murder" has a couple of unlikely coincidences, overall, the story is believable. I particularly enjoyed that it took place over a matter of months, matters weren't resolved in a few days. Meier weaves together the mystery of Van's death, related mysteries, and Lucy's personal life into an enjoyable, smooth, easy mix.

At first, Van's death seems like a tragic act of nature, but Lucy's suspicions are aroused when his former lover, and the mother of their daughter, starts throwing around accusations. Town officials and her boss at the newspaper are not convinced so in between her job as a reporter for the town paper and her jobs as wife, mother and grandmother, she begins her own investigation. There are ups and downs in her investigation, and at times her personal life takes precedence, but eventually she finds answers.



Lucy is kind, compassionate, persistent, occasionally harried but also feels like she could be one of my neighbors in the small town I live in. Meier does an excellent job of making her characters, major and minor, feel real and multi-dimensional. There's also a genuine feel to the settings, the small town feel and the New England feel. The story was relatable, the murder slightly unbelievable but cunning, the investigation and the various mysteries well-done, and the murder quite likeable. At first, it the murderer's identity seemed too convenient and out-of-the blue but looking back, the clues were there. "Easter Bunny Murder" is a very enjoyable way to spend several hours.

I received a hardcover from BookTrib for review.


Thanks to BookTrib, I have one print copy of "Easter Bunny Murder" to give away to a US commenter. Sorry, US residents only. Please read my Giveaway Policy. Enter using the rafflecopter widget below. BookTrib is also running a giveaway through Feb. 22nd.

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