Customer Reviews

Birthday Party Murder (Lucy Stone Mysteries, No. 9)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Birthday Party Murder, one of the best in the Lucy Stone series, could serve as a model for anyone who wants to write in this genre. Heroine Lucy Stone deals with her own spreading waistline, a daughter's co-ed slumber party, a son's first-year college woes, a job on the local paper, a husband who's supportive but busy, an old lady whose newly discovered relatives seem a little odd...and oh yes, she's asked to investigate the murder of a lawyer who had just set up a meeting with that same little old lady.

If you've ever tried to write a novel, you will appreciate the author's skill as she gathers these plot lines together in a seamless whole. Most readers will guess at least part of the outcome but that's part of the fun. Meier evokes the seasons and celebrations of a small New England town and life in a family that's doing well as long as mom brings home a paycheck. Lucy and her husband Bill are a long-married couple and it shows.

A great escape for a dreary day or a plane ride. When you close the covers, you wish you could hang around with them a little longer.

I was excited to see a new Lucy Stone mystery in our local bookstore. I bought a copy of the hardcover book and am euphoric about it's story. Leslie Meier has outdone herself in the latest Lucy Stone mystery. Meier's writing gets better and better along the way. I wish I could have pretended this book was mine and read it aloud at readings. I couldn't put the book down. I read it in one sitting and enjoyed it as usual. Anyone who hasn't read anything by Leslie Meier, where have you been? Birthday Party Murder is a great place to start. I have read all of Meier's books, but none of them compare to this one. If you've been following Leslie Meier's mysteries, you won't be dissapointed in her most recent Lucy Stone thriller!

I really enjoyed this installment in the Lucy Stone series. It was very exciting. The major recurring theme throughout the book was aging. Lucy is fighting Mother Nature. It was humerous when she bought the expensive brand of skin care that her best friend Sue told her to buy.

Sherman Cobb is murdered but the cops think it is suicide. Lucy gets to the truth in this matter.

Miss Tilley is one of my favorite characters in this series. She certainly didn't disappoint me in this book.

I thought this was a well written addition to this series.

Lucy and her friends are starting to feel their age. Their children are for the most part grown or more grown than their mothers' wish them to be. Miss Tilley's 90th birthday is approaching and they decide to make it a town wide celebration. Miss Tilley's old friend and attorney Sherman Cobb has recently killed himself(or has he)after calling Miss Tilley with a request for an appointment. Miss Tilley has more excitement to come. Her long lost niece and grandnephew have come for a visit. They seem very concerned for the old lady's welfare (or are they?), and limit her visits with friends. Lucy and Pam are suspicious, but don't know what to do, or even if Miss Tilley will survive to celebrate her special day.

I really enjoyed this visit to Tinker's Cove. The characters and story lines are as fresh as ever and I love Miss Tilley. Great read.

The townsfolk of Tinker's Cove, Maine are excited over the upcoming Miss Tilley Day celebrating the retired librarian's ninetieth birthday. Especially feeling pretty good about the bash as well as her resolve to war with the aging process is Pennysaver reporter, amateur sleuth, wife and mother Lucy Stone.

However, the elation is tampered with the news that attorney Sherman Cobb died. State police detective Horowitz concludes suicide, but Sherman's partner Bob Goodman thinks otherwise. He asks Lucy to investigate the death even as she must deal with domestic non-tranquillity, as each member of her family demands her time and effort pulling her in different directions.

BIRTHDAY PARTY MURDERS is a solid ninth Lucy Stone entry as the intrepid juggler precariously balances her work, the big gala, the investigation, and her family woes in a way that only a mother (or a single dad) would fully appreciate. The story line is cleverly designed so that the cops believe suicide while the partner refuses to accept that verdict even though the victim had pancreatic cancer. Though the who-done-it is fun, it's the cast from feisty Miss Tilley to a guilt feeling Bob for not thanking his partner for bringing him into the firm to others that make trips to Tinker's Cove more than just a cozy visit.

Harriet Klausner

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I loved this book! It is the 9th book of the series and the best so far! I was very satisfied when I finished the book.

Lucy Stone is the main character. The town's former librarian, Miss Tilley, is about to turn 90 and the town is planning a birthday surprise for her. Before that happens, though, someone in the town (I will not say who) turns up dead. Lucy is determined to find out who killed him. Also, Miss Tilley's niece, whom she didn't know about, all of a sudden turns up and moves in with Miss Tilley. Lucy "senses" something is not quite right with the neice. She is determined to find out if the neice is a valid or a shady person, and if the murder is related to Miss Tilley's neice. All pieces and hints in the book fit together very cleverly.

Lucy and Bill are getting older. Two of their four children are away at college. Lucy is getting concerned about her health, weight, and fitness.

I think it is clever how Leslie Meier uses the concerns of aging (health, weight, fitness, etc.) in this book "Birthday Party Murder"; after all, when someone has a birthday, they are concerned about growing old. Also, Miss Tilley's birthday isn't the only person's birthday that is mentioned in this book. Therefore, this book is cleverly themed "birthday".

I especially love the writing style of this book - the way old pieces of Miss Tilley's life (when she was young) are intertwined with the current happenings. Also the fact that nothing was boring (nothing was dwelled on too much), and that the book is multi-layered and all the pieces fit together very nicely. The style of this book is a little different than the others. This book is definitely a winner!

And another reason this book is so good is because there is no Elizabeth. I despise Lucy's ungrateful, despicable daughter.

I have read each of the other Lucy Stone books up to this one. I have to admit, I did not give them all 5 stars. (I only gave 5 stars to the first 5; books 6, 7, and 8 had "boring" in them.) The reason I continued reading is because I love Lucy Stone, and I love the "setting" and "theme" of this series. I am glad I continued reading, because this book is the best one yet. It was hard to put down.

Ms. Meier has returned to writing good cosy mysteries! After the boring and rather flat Wedding Day Murder, this book has been received with open arms. Cute, clever, and keeps you guessing. Miss Tilley is an engaging character, and our wonderful Lucy never fails (with the exception of Wedding Day Murder) to enchant!

In the 9th book in the Lucy Stone Mystery Series, it's time for a celebration. Miss Tilley, Tinker Cove's oldest resident and former librarian is turning 90-years-old and the town prepares for a large party. However, a damper is quickly put on the celebration plans when the town's senior attorney, Sherman Cobb, is found dead from an apparent suicide. His partner has a difficult time believing Sherman would have shot himself and implores Lucy to help him look into Sherman's life. She pokes around his home, and his office, and although she believes he would never have committed suicide, the police fail to take her thoughts seriously. Lucy quickly becomes distracted when Miss Tilley has a long-lost niece arrive in town. The niece, Shirley, swiftly takes over at Miss Tilley's house, and starts preventing Lucy and caregiver Rachel from visiting. Quickly becoming suspicious, Lucy and Rachel continue to try to visit their long-time friend. It is not long before Lucy is overwhelmed with work for the town paper, and it doesn't help that her son is flunking out of college. Add to this a co-ed sleepover party for her teenage daughter, and a fall out of a window for husband, Bill, and Lucy is ready for a long vacation on a tropical island. And don't even mention the gray hair and wrinkles that Lucy has recently spotted...

I have enjoyed each of the Lucy Stone mysteries, and this one did not disappoint. Lucy is a character that a lot of woman can relate to. In this installment, she is worried about getting older...and tries to find a "miracle" cream that will make the wrinkles vanish (the results are far from satisfactory, but highly amusing!). She struggles with her teenager regarding her birthday sleepover, and deals with her oldest son doing poorly in college. It was nice to see that Bill wasn't as grumpy as in previous installments (finally!), and that she is learning how to stand up for herself with her friends instead of getting roped into every project. This book, like all books in the series, is a light, quick read.

If you enjoy the Jane Jeffry series by Jill Churchill, give this series a try. The 1st book in the series is called "Mistletoe Murder". Enjoy!

I is a light book that has characters that are repeated from earlier books, although could be read alone. I enjoy the Lucy Stone series because she seems to be an ordinary character not a world known detective. Her family and friend seem to be people we all know from life. She finds details that others miss in situations.

I've read a few of the Lucy Stone mystery books now and I found this one to be disappointing. Author Meier describes Lucy's busy, hectic life in detail and Lucy's attempts at trying to solve the murder seem half-hearted to me. They take a backseat to all her other activities. In reading this book, I got as tired as Lucy did!

The one thing I found to be interesting was the use of the flashback technique to describe 90-year-old Miss Tilley's past life as a young girl.

And I also like the book's cover artwork.