Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier
4 stars
(Excerpt from Goodreads) Haunted-house parties and ghostly galas…grinning pumpkins, mayhem and murder. It’s going to be one heck of a Halloween for Lucy Stone and Tinker’s Cove…
It’s October in Maine, and everyone in Tinker’s Cove is preparing for the annual Halloween festival. While Lucy Stone is whipping up orange-frosted cupcakes, recycling tutus for her daughters’ Halloween costumes, helping her son with his pre-teen rebellion, and breast-feeding her brand-new bay, an arsonist is loose in Tinker’s Cove. When the latest fire claims the life of the owner of the town’s oldest house, arson turns into murder…
While the townsfolk work to transform a dilapidated mansion into a haunted house for the All-Ghouls festival, the hunt for the culprit heats up. Trick-or-treat turns deadly as a little digging in all the wrong places puts Lucy too close to a shocking discovery that could send all her best-laid plans up in smoke…
Lucy is busy with the new baby, her three other kids, and her husband. But when she learns that a client and good friend’s body has been discovered in the burned remains of her pet project house, Lucy is devastated. But this is not the only fire that has been started. Several historical buildings have been burned down.
Then Lucy’s husband, Bill, a historic carpenter, is asked to join the local historic committee by former librarian Miss Tilley. Miss Tilley has had an iron control on the committee, but things are changing and not the way she likes. She thinks Bill will bring that control back to her. But when they are asked about renovating a local gas station, things start getting dicey when Lucy gets a threatening call in the middle of the night and paint on her car.
I though this was a cute cozy mystery. The historic factor about the houses and such was well described. I admit that I didn’t know who was the arson until the last moment. I did feel for Lucy juggling her family and other tasks.
This was a good story, but I hate to admit that is was not one that I just have to go out and buy the next one in the series. I was cute but nothing super special. If you like cozy mysteries, I think you will like this one.
