Kristina A. reviewed on 9/28/2016 + 1528 more book reviews

British Manor Murder by Leslie Meier is the twenty-third A Lucy Stone Mystery novel (can you believe it). Lucy Stone is feeling depressed since her grandson, Patrick went back to living with his parents. Lucy loved having him around while his parents were out of the country. Sue Finch has received an invitation to visit England and her husband cannot accompany her. Sue invites Lucy to go with her. She believes a change of place will help get Lucy out of her funk. They are going to be staying with Peregrine "Perry" Pryce-West, Earl of Wickham and his sister, Poppy (along with her husband, Gerald). He is hosting an event at Moreton Manor called The Head's Up! Hat Festival. Sue has some lovely hats that she will be contributing to the exhibition. Lucy brought some mystery novels to read, but no dress clothes (not a good choice). Also staying at the manor are Poppy's children Flora (anorexic) and Desi (ballet dancer). Unfortunately, Aunt Millicent shows up and brings her lady's maid, Harrison. Aunt Millicent is a bit of a pill (and very demanding). The manor is very expensive to maintain so the family opens up the main house to tourists. Lucy and Sue are staying in the old servant's quarters that have been renovated. Lucy is going through the maze on the property and when she reaches the center Lucy discovers a dead body! Then the house starts to smell. At first they thought it was a dead animal, but then the smell got significantly worse. A body is found decomposing in a priest hole (a hidden room). It turns out to be Harrison's son, Cyril. Lucy just loves a mystery and cannot help poking her nose into this one (the bonus is her depression is lifting). Whoever killed Cyril has to know the house very well to have found the priest hole. Will Lucy be able to find the killer before there is another victim? Join Lucy Stone on her latest adventure in British Manor Murder.

I have read every Lucy Stone Mystery book. They are all enjoyable to read and highly entertaining. The book is well-written, has a good pace, and is easy to read. The characters remind me of everyday people. Lucy and her family could be my neighbors or relatives and I like that. The mystery was interesting. It is more complicated than just dead bodies. I liked that there were various elements to it. Leslie Meier has an easy breezy style of writing that makes the novel a pleasure to read. I give British Manor Murder 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I liked figuring out the different elements and identifying the killer. It was also nice to revisit Lucy, her family, and friends. I enjoyed that we were taken out of Tinker's Cove to a new destination. Tinker's Cove really does not need another dead body (the town is bound to get a bad reputation). The only thing I did not like was how whiny Lucy was at the beginning of the book. It did not fit with her personality and it was a bit of a turn off. I am glad, though, that I persevered and finished the book. I would love to see this author start a new series. I like Lucy Stone, but I believe it is about time for her swan song.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

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