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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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.
annevere01's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
aspygirlsmom_1995's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jodyladuemcgrath's review against another edition
3.0
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
This is my first foray into the Lucy Stone series. The book begins with Lucy being very depressed because her grandson who had been staying with her returned to his parents and they moved to Alaska. She cannot seem to get over him being gone. Lucy's friend Sue Invites Lucy to tag along with her to England. Sue has been invited to Moreton Manor by her friend Perry, who happens to be the Earl of Wickham. Perry is putting on an exposition of hats entitled "Heads Up!" and has invited Sue to come and help him. Hoping to relieve her depression, Lucy readily agrees and off to England they go.
Perry and his sister, Poppy, are not at all the stuffy aristocrats Lucy thought they would be. Instead they are living in the renovated servants quarters, while the manor is being used as a tourist attraction. Even with this income, they are having a lot of financial problems. The upkeep of the castle is enormous and things just seem to be piling up. When a dead man is found in the manor's maze and then another in a secret nook, Lucy fears that her time in England will be a little more exciting than she had planned!
I found there were pros and cons to this book. The pros first. The author has a great flow with her writing and the book was a quick, easy read. Her descriptions of the manor and surrounding areas were beautiful, but not to overloaded with information. I also found the problem the Earl and his family were having to be very interesting. The were titled, and acted superior occasionally, but at the same time they were working hard to maintain the manor.
The cons were a little more prevalent. Lucy was a bit of a whiner through the beginning of the book. It seemed stupid that she had raised her own children and apparently coped when the left home, but her grandson, who she only had for a few months, broke her down so much by leaving. The mystery portion of the book was such an afterthought. It wasn't a very good mystery at all. I had almost all of it figured out.
Although I will read more of the Lucy Stone mysteries, this one fell pretty flat. I probably would not recommend this to anyone who really enjoys mysteries.
This is my first foray into the Lucy Stone series. The book begins with Lucy being very depressed because her grandson who had been staying with her returned to his parents and they moved to Alaska. She cannot seem to get over him being gone. Lucy's friend Sue Invites Lucy to tag along with her to England. Sue has been invited to Moreton Manor by her friend Perry, who happens to be the Earl of Wickham. Perry is putting on an exposition of hats entitled "Heads Up!" and has invited Sue to come and help him. Hoping to relieve her depression, Lucy readily agrees and off to England they go.
Perry and his sister, Poppy, are not at all the stuffy aristocrats Lucy thought they would be. Instead they are living in the renovated servants quarters, while the manor is being used as a tourist attraction. Even with this income, they are having a lot of financial problems. The upkeep of the castle is enormous and things just seem to be piling up. When a dead man is found in the manor's maze and then another in a secret nook, Lucy fears that her time in England will be a little more exciting than she had planned!
I found there were pros and cons to this book. The pros first. The author has a great flow with her writing and the book was a quick, easy read. Her descriptions of the manor and surrounding areas were beautiful, but not to overloaded with information. I also found the problem the Earl and his family were having to be very interesting. The were titled, and acted superior occasionally, but at the same time they were working hard to maintain the manor.
The cons were a little more prevalent. Lucy was a bit of a whiner through the beginning of the book. It seemed stupid that she had raised her own children and apparently coped when the left home, but her grandson, who she only had for a few months, broke her down so much by leaving. The mystery portion of the book was such an afterthought. It wasn't a very good mystery at all. I had almost all of it figured out.
Although I will read more of the Lucy Stone mysteries, this one fell pretty flat. I probably would not recommend this to anyone who really enjoys mysteries.
katkinney's review against another edition
4.0
Lucy is sad over her grandson Patrick moving with his family to Alaska and can’t seem to lift her spirits. When best friend Sue suggests a trip to England, she decides to go. I always wind up enjoying the books in this series that take us on destination settings because it’s an interesting change of pace and the author does a lovely job immersing us in the surroundings. Admittedly though, my favorites in the series are the ones set in Tinkers Cove because you get so much more time with the town and the side characters.
Here we spend lots of time with Lucy and Sue. They’ve gone to stay at a large manor in England, but all isn’t well. There are financial problems, bickering family members, a cool garden maze, and naturally… murder. With an interesting cast of side characters and lots of tourist hot spots to hit in England, this was a fun treat.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
Here we spend lots of time with Lucy and Sue. They’ve gone to stay at a large manor in England, but all isn’t well. There are financial problems, bickering family members, a cool garden maze, and naturally… murder. With an interesting cast of side characters and lots of tourist hot spots to hit in England, this was a fun treat.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
darkdiamond8989's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It was really good. I liked the British monarchy and royal family that’s mentioned throughout the book.
The history of the British royal family, the descriptions of the estates and gardens, and each character’s personality was well written and captured my attention.
Leslie Meier is the queen of cozy mystery novellas. If you want a cozy mystery, I recommend a Lucy Stone series by Leslie Meier or a Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke. Both series are good and there are some books in their series that have both main characters, along with characters by different cozy mystery authors.
The history of the British royal family, the descriptions of the estates and gardens, and each character’s personality was well written and captured my attention.
Leslie Meier is the queen of cozy mystery novellas. If you want a cozy mystery, I recommend a Lucy Stone series by Leslie Meier or a Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke. Both series are good and there are some books in their series that have both main characters, along with characters by different cozy mystery authors.
princess_dyann's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
kitchenkoala's review against another edition
3.0
Semi-spoiler:
There are NO CORGIS in this book!!! I was quite disappointed, considering I only selected this book because of the corgis on the cover (our library had this one on display). Oh well. This is the 2nd Lucy Stone mystery I've read; it's not my favorite cozy mystery series ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
There are NO CORGIS in this book!!! I was quite disappointed, considering I only selected this book because of the corgis on the cover (our library had this one on display). Oh well. This is the 2nd Lucy Stone mystery I've read; it's not my favorite cozy mystery series ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
robinlovesreading's review against another edition
3.0
Every now and again, Lucy Stone manages to get trips out of the country. That is the case in the next book in Leslie Meier's series. She will be joining best friend Sue and is heading to England. This is not her first time in the UK, but this time her objective is different. She is to attend a hat exhibition at an exclusive manor. Unfortunately for Lucy, wherever she is, there is always a body found. That is indeed the case at this time.
Our intrepid amateur sleuth cannot simply plow and and solve this as she has done countless times before. She is in rather an exclusive manor and they are honoring traditions from times of the past. So Lucy really has to be on her Ps and Qs this time around.
British Manor Murder was a light read, and not one of my favorites in the series. I am always glad to read these books, however, because as a whole, this is a great series. Having read all the books in order has made Lucy, husband Bill and their four children (now adults) very dear to me. I think I like Lucy better in her town of Tinker's Grove, Maine. When she heads out of the country and tries to solve murders, I rather lose interest.
Our intrepid amateur sleuth cannot simply plow and and solve this as she has done countless times before. She is in rather an exclusive manor and they are honoring traditions from times of the past. So Lucy really has to be on her Ps and Qs this time around.
British Manor Murder was a light read, and not one of my favorites in the series. I am always glad to read these books, however, because as a whole, this is a great series. Having read all the books in order has made Lucy, husband Bill and their four children (now adults) very dear to me. I think I like Lucy better in her town of Tinker's Grove, Maine. When she heads out of the country and tries to solve murders, I rather lose interest.
daybreak1012's review against another edition
3.0
I can't remember the last time I was this conflicted about rating a book. In this case, the content wasn't the primary issue but rather the main character of the series. I ended up opting for three stars when, under other circumstances, I might have been more inclined to tip in favor of four. Let me explain...
What I liked about British Manor Murder:
Well-paced - Considering I read the book in about two-and-a-half days, the story itself was clearly engaging and kept me pushing forward. I never had a chance to get bored or feel bogged down.
Engaging mystery - A bit predictable and not that much of a challenge to unravel, but I did enjoy the way it all unfolded.
What I didn't care for:
Lucy - Here is one of my key issues with this entire series, especially the deeper we get into it. Lucy is a Debbie Downer. She's negative and whiny and a general drag. Everything with Lucy is "not quite what she expected" and never in a good way. It really makes me wonder if the author doesn't share some of these personality traits as well. Maybe that isn't fair of me, but constantly being pessimistic is unappealing to me, and I wonder if the author sees Lucy's life through her own similar lens. It isn't a personality trait I have, and I think it would be difficult for me to write in a way that I don't naturally think. Yes, I understand that reality offers challenges, but constantly complaining and moaning about how unfair life is...eh, turnoff.
Oh, look, politicized again! - My ongoing beef with this series, really. It takes on hot-button topics in multiples, and expresses them with strong myopic opinions. This time around: mental health, drug use, and social class. Yes, these are important issues to consider, but cramming all three into less than 300 pages was overbearing, and the judgmental tone taken didn't help matters. Again, it makes me wonder if the author isn't using her novels as a platform for her own personal opinions. It's almost like reading a Facebook page...and makes me glad Ms. Meier isn't in my feed.
Tried too hard to be relevant - In addition to loading up on the political agenda, the ridiculous number of pop culture references felt forced and uncomfortable.
So why do I continue with these books when so much often grates on my nerves? Same as my reviews of earlier works: I feel committed to seeing this series through to the end. (Please, oh please, let it end soon...I don't know how much more I can take.) Thankfully, at least I occasionally get one, such as this, where the content amuses, such as it is.
What I liked about British Manor Murder:
Well-paced - Considering I read the book in about two-and-a-half days, the story itself was clearly engaging and kept me pushing forward. I never had a chance to get bored or feel bogged down.
Engaging mystery - A bit predictable and not that much of a challenge to unravel, but I did enjoy the way it all unfolded.
What I didn't care for:
Lucy - Here is one of my key issues with this entire series, especially the deeper we get into it. Lucy is a Debbie Downer. She's negative and whiny and a general drag. Everything with Lucy is "not quite what she expected" and never in a good way. It really makes me wonder if the author doesn't share some of these personality traits as well. Maybe that isn't fair of me, but constantly being pessimistic is unappealing to me, and I wonder if the author sees Lucy's life through her own similar lens. It isn't a personality trait I have, and I think it would be difficult for me to write in a way that I don't naturally think. Yes, I understand that reality offers challenges, but constantly complaining and moaning about how unfair life is...eh, turnoff.
Oh, look, politicized again! - My ongoing beef with this series, really. It takes on hot-button topics in multiples, and expresses them with strong myopic opinions. This time around: mental health, drug use, and social class. Yes, these are important issues to consider, but cramming all three into less than 300 pages was overbearing, and the judgmental tone taken didn't help matters. Again, it makes me wonder if the author isn't using her novels as a platform for her own personal opinions. It's almost like reading a Facebook page...and makes me glad Ms. Meier isn't in my feed.
Tried too hard to be relevant - In addition to loading up on the political agenda, the ridiculous number of pop culture references felt forced and uncomfortable.
So why do I continue with these books when so much often grates on my nerves? Same as my reviews of earlier works: I feel committed to seeing this series through to the end. (Please, oh please, let it end soon...I don't know how much more I can take.) Thankfully, at least I occasionally get one, such as this, where the content amuses, such as it is.