ASIN: B00CICDCBW
ISBN-13: 978-0758279651
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Line: Kensington Books
Release Date: Sep 24, 2013
Pages: 304
Digital Retail: 12.99
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Genre: Mystery
Rating:
It's Christmas in Tinker's Cove, Maine, and Lucy Stone is excited about her acting debut in the town's production of A Christmas Carol. But a real life Scrooge has everyone feeling frosty, and with a murderer on the loose, Lucy will have to unwrap her sleuthing skills faster than she can say, "Bah! Humbug!"
Lucy normally loves planning for the holidays, but this year, Tinker's Cove has fallen on hard times. With so many residents struggling to make ends meet, Christmas festivities are a luxury some can't afford. But the story's not so bleak at Downeast Mortgage, whose tightfisted owners, Jake Marlowe and Ben Scribner, are raking in profits from everyone's misfortune. Half the town is in their debt, so when the miserly Marlowe is murdered, the mourners are few and the suspects are many. . .
It's hard to feel merry amidst all the yuletide chaos. Between her reporting duties at the Pennysaver and nightly rehearsals for the Christmas play, Lucy hardly has time to search for a killer--especially one whose victim left behind so many possible culprits. Scribner believes Marlowe's ghost has come to warn him of his own impending demise, and when he starts receiving death threats, Lucy wonders if there's more to the omen than the ravings of a bitter old pinchpenny. . .
Can Lucy solve the case and deck the halls before the killer strikes again? In a season of giving, receiving a deadly Christmas present is definitely not what Lucy had on her wish list this year. . .
Review
Christmas is right around the corner, and Tinker's Cove resident Lucy Stone has her hands full. In addition to the usual holiday hubbub, she’s got a role in the Community Players’ production of A Christmas Carol, and her boss at the Pennysaver has her running all over town covering stories. But when someone sends a mail bomb disguised as a Christmas present to Downeast Mortgage co-owner Jake Marlowe – a bomb that blows him and his house to smithereens – Lucy realizes she’s got to make room for one more item on her to-do list. Sure, Marlowe was a bit of a Grinch – he and his business partner, Ben Scribner, have spent the past few years mercilessly foreclosing on as many properties as they can – but as far as Lucy’s concerned, that doesn’t mean the man deserved to die. The local police aren't making much headway on their investigation, and Lucy can't bear the thought that the bomber might strike again before he or she is brought to justice. Can she catch the killer and wrap up this case in time for the holiday, or will her nosiness simply earn Lucy a package of her own?
Christmas Carol Murder is the 22nd (!) of Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone Mysteries, and if you're looking for a holiday-themed cozy with a social conscience, your search is over. It never really occurred to me just how apposite a tale Dickens' A Christmas Carol has become in recent years, but it's clear the parallels didn't escape Meier. She uses Dickens' novella to put all that has happened – the mortgage crisis, the downturn in the economy, the Occupy movement, the rise of the Tea Party, the healthcare crisis – into perspective, and then she somehow manages to make you feel hopeful about the whole mess. Honestly, what better gift can an author give a reader at Christmastime?
Lest you read the above paragraph and start worrying Meier's latest is all message and no mystery, though, fear not – there's plenty here for those who like a good whodunit. The setup is clever; the manner of death is creative; there are plenty of suspects, each with motive, means, and opportunity; and Lucy actually makes for a pretty respectable amateur sleuth. Add to the mix a likable and well-developed cast of characters, and you have the kind of book any traditional mystery fan would be happy to find in his or her stocking.
Reviewed by Kat