Review of "Candy Corn Murder: A Lucy Stone Mystery" by Leslie Meier

In this 22nd book in the Lucy Stone series, the newspaper reporter/amateur sleuth fits a murder investigation into her busy life. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****



Lucy Stone is a wife, mother, and journalist in Tinker's Cove, Maine, a seaside town that relies on tourists for it's economic well-being. To lure visitors to the area for Halloween, Tinker's Cove is putting on a Giant Pumpkin Fest.



This will feature life-size dioramas made with 'pumpkin people';



and contests such as the biggest pumpkin;



the pumpkin hurled the farthest with a trebuchet;



pumpkin carving;



pumpkin boat races; and more.



Lucy and her husband Bill.....



.....are currently looking after their 4-year-old grandson Patrick, whose parents are away.



Little Patrick is looking forward to Halloween. The boy helps his grandpa Bill grow a giant pumpkin called Priscilla and watches Bill and his friend Evan build a huge pumpkin catapult. Lucy isn't crazy about her husband's friend Evan, who has bad hygiene and dirty clothes. Nevertheless, Evan is around all the time before Halloween, helping Bill, guzzling beer, and kibitzing around.



Meanwhile, a Tinker's Cove blueblood named Buck Miller - who's lived in Europe for most of his life - returns to town to become a partner in the family business.



The enterprise is is a retail establishment called Country Cousins, a multi-million dollar brick and mortar (and online) business that sells everything you'd need to live in Tinker's Cove in the early 1900s, including clothes, shoes, food, books, pots and pans, etc.



The book has flashbacks - going back a couple of decades - to a wife who's almost always locked in the apartment above Country Cousins. The woman cooks and cleans during the day, and the nights.....she doesn't want to think about them. This segues to Lucy's teenage daughter Sara, who's helping with the Take Back the Night Rally, a yearly demonstration that protests violence against women and supports women's rights.



Before the Giant Pumpkin Fest begins, it appears someone is trying to sabotage the event. The town carries on, however, and Lucy and her family arrive bright and early on opening day. Soon afterwards, a body is discovered and Lucy feels compelled to investigate. As the reporter probes, secrets are revealed - including the existence of a historic 'underground railroad' for abused women.



The mystery part of the book is engaging and I enjoyed the Halloween/Autumn ambiance of Tinker's Cove, with the fun activities and seasonal food (pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin muffins, monster ice cream, and more).



I'd recommend the novel to readers who like atmospheric cozies.

Rating: 3.5 stars