Customer Reviews

Back to School Murder (Lucy Stone Mysteries, No. 4)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although I've read and enjoyed the other mysteries in this series, I felt that this was a departure from the underlying theme of the series, namely a mother and her interactions with her family as she goes about trying to solve mysteries. In this story, Lucy was preoccupied with herself, and her family took a backseat as she tried to discover a murderer and contemplated an affair; a not-so-believable twist in the plot. The reader gets a confusing view of Lucy's husband: on the one hand, he's a traditionalist who wants his wife at home; on the other, he'd like her to do what she wants. In the other books, one gets a sense that this is a good marriage. In this book, one wonders what these two have in common. The murder story even took a back seat to Lucy's preoccupation with herself. Was this a muder mystery or a woman's struggle with mid-life crisis? In the end, the resolution is anticlimactic, and the reader is left with some negative thoughts toward Lucy Stone.

Like the rest of the Lucy Stone series, this one is fine if you're looking for something ultra-light. But I can't warm to the character of Lucy Stone or any of the other characters, really. Something is lacking in character development, and Lucy Stone frankly comes off as rather unlikeable, with a husband who seems to be back in the 1950s. But for something easy and light, the series is fine, especially if you're a mom and enjoy something familiar.

After reading The Christmas Cookie Murder, I decided to read Back to School Murder because, well . . . it's back to school time.

I was so disappointed. I couldn't believe these two novels were written by the same person! In Back to School Murder, Lucy seems more concerned about her feelings for her night school professor, her older kids are brats and Bill is a total jerk( which could account for Lucy's feeling toward her night school professor.) In Christmas Cookie Murder, Lucy came across more sympathetically, her older kids weren't quite as bratty and Bill's moments of being a jerk were not as many. The mystery seemed to take back seat to the trials and tribulations of Lucy Stone. By the time I finished the book, I didn't care who the murderer was, nor did I care about any of the characters.

When I posed this opinion to a mystery fan list, it was suggested I skip the author's earlier works and try the one coming out in November, Turkey Day Murder. I think I will take this suggestion.

As I said in an earlier review, summer afternoons are perfect for exploring the exploits of Tinker's Cove murder meddling sleuth Lucy Stone. So I decided to use my second of three books as an excuse to crash under the tree at the annual family burnt meat ritual. So while the pork steaks (a part of the pig known only to residents of Saint Louis) were slowly cooking on the grill I was quickly turning the pages of Leslie Meier's Back To School Murder.

The start of this adventure is a real blast - a high noon bomb blast at the grade school Lucy's daughter Sara attends. Luckily all the children escape injury including one who is rescued in the nick of time by assistant principal, Carol Crane. But within a couple of chapters she is rewarded for her heroism by being murdered. So, who done it? Was it Mr. Mopps, the school janitor, the high school science teacher, Lucy's night school English professor, or the sleazy minister? As usual Lucy is convinced the wrong person has been arrested for the murder and so she sets out to solve the crime herself.

Two complications to Lucy's solving the crime as well as being able to meet her husband's demands for having dinner on the table at six sharp each day have been added in this book. First, she has become a part-time working mother (at the Pennysaver weekly newspaper) and second she has returned to college. But we all know that this won't stop her from discovering the identity of the murderer at the end of this very enjoyable book. Only this time I was at least a chapter or several pages ahead of her sleuthing abilities.

What a read! I have read several others in this series and this is by far the best I have read. Lucy starts working for the paper which is exciting in itself. Then a bomb explodes at the elementary school the first day of class.
Add Lucy going back to school with a handsome professor and the mysterious Lance, a friend to Elizabeth and Toby, and you have a well written interesting installment in the Lucy Stone series.
As usual in this series a surprise ending within a surprise ending.
You will enjoy this book!

Lucy Stone is working at the local newspaper office. She hears about a bomb threat at the Elementary School on the first day of school. She is frightened; her daughter Sara is a student at that school. Lucy rushes over to the school. All the students and faculty are safely outside, except one child. The assistant principle Carol Crane is a heroine and saves that one child by getting him out of the building right before the bomb goes off.

Lucy is determined to find out who planted the bomb, and why they planted it. She has a busy life, working at the newspaper office, taking care of 4 kids and a demanding husband, and taking a night class in Victorian Literature. And trying to solve the bomb mystery, and the murder mystery, on top of all that. I will not tell you who ended up getting murdered; that might slightly ruin the book.

One interesting character is the "strange, mysterious" kid from California.

I like the way Leslie Meier used the "back to school" theme; not only are her kids going back to school, but she also goes back to school (by taking that class in Victorian Literature.)

All the clues are clever and fit neatly together. This book is very well-written and very entertaining.

"The door swung open, and Carol Crane staggered out, followed by the two bomb squad members. She was clutching little Tommy tightly to her chest. The students began cheering as Carol ran down the steps, supported by the two helmeted men. A sudden, thunderous boom silenced them, and everyone watched as the first-floor windows ballooned out and shattered." -- From the book

At a recent visit to a local bookstore, I asked the sales clerk if he could direct me to some of his favorite mysteries. I was in the mood for some good mystery fiction, especially "cozy" mysteries.

One of the books he directed me to was Leslie Meier's Back to School Murder. I thought I'd give it a try and just finished reading it.

I wasn't immediately drawn in by the characters, but then I end up enjoying a comfortable rhythm--reading a few chapters here and there. It's a breezy book. The characters, including the main sleuth/housewife Lucy Stone, are quite believable. I'm the type of person that figures out 'whodunnit' early in the game with both books and movies, but I honestly didn't know who actually planted the bomb--or murdered Carol-- until the end.

My only criticism of this book was that the author introduced too many minor characters into the mix, including their first and last names. After awhile, I wasn't sure who I should remember and who was just a "passing through" character--so that was a bit irritating. (Note to the author: a general decription of "passing through" characters would have been sufficient without mentioning their full name and, sometimes, a short bio!)

I didn't have the benefit of reading earlier Lucy Stone books, but the relationship with her husband and kids seems pretty darn realistic to me.

All in all, Back to School Murder was an enjoyable cozy mystery; I plan on sampling more books from this author in the future.

All I have to say this is my first read of this author and I loved the book . If your looking for 90's reality and a murder mystery give this book a look I plan to read more of her work.

I very much enjoyed Mistletoe Murder and Tippy Toe Murder, so happily settled down to read this mystery, armed with a free afternoon and a cup of coffee. That is the best way to read Ms Meier's books--a cozy afternoon and a cozy book.

By the time the bomb went off, somewhere around page 5, I had figured out who had set it and why. It seemed too obvious, so I checked the end of the book, and I was right. The hints (which I will not reveal, because it might not be obvious to some readers) were glaringly heavy-handed--not really hints at all.

I stopped reading, my cozy afternoon coming to a premature end. I am not usually particularly adept at guessing who did it, so this book must have been extraordinarily obvious.

The author is, however, at two successes to one failure, so I plan to keep reading.

I highly recommend this book to anyone. This book got me hooked on the rest of the murder mysteries Leslie Meier has done. They are all great and I love them and recommend them all, especially this one.