Barb's Book Reviews: Review of "Easter Basket Murder: Three Novellas" by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Review of "Easter Basket Murder: Three Novellas" by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross

This book contains three cozy mystery novellas written by three authors: Leslie Meier of the Lucy Stone Mysteries; Lee Hollis of the Hayley Powell Food & Cocktail Mysteries; and Barbara Ross of the Maine Clambake Mysteries. Each story takes place in Maine around Easter and features an Easter festivity.

*****

Easter Basket Murder

Businesses in Tinker's Cove, Maine are losing sales to online shopping. To help local merchants, the Chamber of Commerce organizes a promotion in which residents who shop locally can enter a drawing for a deluxe Easter basket. The basket, which will be displayed in Seamen's Bank, contains chocolate candy, gift certificates, luxury products, and a golden egg sculpture by the famous artist Karl Klaus.

Reporter/amateur sleuth Lucy Stone is writing a story about the business promotion, and takes photos when Klaus comes to the bank to put the golden egg in the Easter basket.

Klaus is a talented artist, but he's an eccentric slob with a bad attitude.

Unfortunately, the golden egg goes missing from the Easter basket, and the brouhaha surrounding the theft leads to murder. On top of that, artist Klaus gets evicted from his home by a scurrilous con artist.

Chasing a few scoops - and being a concerned citizen - Lucy investigates the egg theft and the homicide, and tries to help Klaus resolve his dire situation.

*****

Death By Easter Egg

Hayley Powell of Bar Harbor, Maine owns an upscale eatery called Hayley's Kitchen, which is currently offering a month-long prix fixe Easter Dinner that's attracting diners in droves.

At the same time, Hayley and her husband Bruce have visitors: their son Dustin, Dustin's girlfriend MacKenzie, and the couple's toddler Eli, an adorable little boy who's a fount of energy and mischief.

In the course of her usual business day, Hayley goes to the bank to deposit the receipts from her restaurant and tries to joke around with her old friend, the bank guard Raymond Dobbs.

Raymond seems sullen, though, and things get even more tense when wealthy bank client Natalie Van Dyke discovers that someone robbed her safety deposit box. Natalie is angry and threatening to sue.

The next weekend is the annual Easter egg hunt at Emerson Conners Middle School, and Hayley's grandson Eli is very excited about the event. The toddler gets especially hepped up when the Easter Bunny (bank guard Raymond Dobbs in a bunny costume) strides into the school with a big basket of chocolate eggs. As it happens, Harold's basket also contains his EpiPen, which the bank guard always keeps close because he's deathly allergic to peanuts.

A little while later, mischievous Eli is found in a side room with Raymond's basket of chocolate eggs, which stills holds the EpiPen.

Shockingly, Raymond's dead body is found in another room, with a basket of peanut butter/chocolate eggs and no EpiPen. It seems the baskets got switched somehow.

Hayley doesn't want young Eli to be blamed for Raymond's death so she sets out to discover what really happened. It seems everyone in town knew about Raymond's allergy, so the suspect pool includes everyone at the Easter egg hunt. Thus Lucy has to suss out the motive and the means.

*****

Hopped Along

Julia Snowden works for the Snowden family clambake business, which is hosted out of Windsholme Mansion on Morrow Island, Maine.

The mansion and it's outbuildings were recently renovated, and - before clambake season starts - the grounds are being used for an Easter egg hunt.

Julia's 6-year-old nephew Jack is happily hunting Easter eggs when he gets excited about seeing the 'Easter Bunny.'

Perplexed, Julia searches the grounds and sees an unconscious man in a full morning suit - striped slacks, black tailcoat, vest, etc. - lying in the grass.

Julia hurries to get her boyfriend, Maine State Police Detective Tom Flynn, but the well-dressed gent is gone. Julia later finds the elegant man preparing a meal in the home of her friend Quentin Tupper, who's away on the Côte d’Azur.

The stranger explains that his name is Alfred Minucci, that Quentin is his former employer, and that he's been given permission to stay in the house for a few days. Alfred also confides that he has a tendency to faint.

A few days later, Alfred is murdered in Quentin's house, and Julia hears talk of ANOTHER fellow in a full morning suit roaming around the area. All this is quite puzzling and Julia helps the police investigate.

This novella is the most complex in the collection, and the most romantic, since it features Julia and her boyfriend Tom; Julia's mother Jaqueline and her beau Captain George; and Julia's friend Zoey and her fiancé Jamie Dawes. A scene where family and friends are sharing a delicious Easter dinner is charming (and mouth-watering).

The story 'Death By Easter Egg' contains several recipes, including: scalloped potatoes; French onion potato casserole; and marinated grilled lamb.

Scalloped Potatoes

French Onion Potato Casserole

Marinated Grilled Lamb

These are enjoyable quick reads featuring popular cozy mystery characters.

Thanks to Netgalley; Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross; and Kensington Books for a copy of the book.

Rating: 3 stars

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Barb's Book Reviews

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Review of "Easter Basket Murder: Three Novellas" by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross

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