Lucy Stone #30
Leslie Meier has delighted us with twenty-nine Lucy Stone Mysteries, and hits the thirty book milestone with Patchwork Quilt Murder. Lucy Stone works as a reporter for Tinker Cove’s local paper, The Courier. Her investigative skills have helped Lucy, in her small town in Maine, solve many a crime alongside the local police. In Patchwork Quilt Murder the town is taking on the new community center with its high-priced director, Darleen Busby-Platt. As with any tax payer funded project, there is a lot of controversy surrounding it. Some think it cost too much, some are more focused on Darleen and her questionable price tag, while others are focusing on the possible environmental harm the community center might cause in the long run. Darleen is more than pleased to talk to Lucy Stone, and mentions the first sponsored event will focus on handmade quilts including her own mother’s historical one. Lucy’s interest in the event, however, does not distract from her noticing how flashy Darleen happens to be, and how abusive she is to her own staff. Despite how wonderful Darleen makes everything out to be, there seems to be more to the story.
However, as Lucy tries to dig deeper, she hits a snag. Director Darleen goes missing around the same time as one of her employees, specifically the one that Lucy had witnessed her verbally abusing. Since said employee also happens to be the son of Lucy’s boss and her close friend Pam, she is doubly invested in figuring out exactly what happened. Her investigation picks up increased urgency when people bits start popping up across town. Needless to say, the entire town is disturbed by the pieces of people and become desperate for answers. Not only to who committed such a horrible act, but also who the victim could possibly be, including if it really is just one victim. Determined to find the truth, Lucy Stone has to wade through piles of rumors to pull out bits of reality. Good thing Tinkers Cove is such a tight knit community – Lucy knows almost everyone, or at least a member of each family that is willing to talk to her. That sense of community and good will, combined with her investigative skills and her good rapport with local police, makes sure that the truth never stays hidden for long.
I’ve always enjoyed Leslie Meier’s work and Patchwork Quilt Murder is no exception. The fact that the murder victim isn’t actually in one piece really drew me into the story. Trying to figure out if it was one of the missing locals or a tourist kept me turning pages. Leslie Meier does a wonderful job of balancing the suspense with Lucy’s methodical investigation, so that readers are constantly engaged in hopes of figuring things out. There is some sad news regarding Lucy’s dog Libby, but it is heartwarming to see Lucy’s friends and family rally around her. I highly suggest Patchwork Quilt Murder for both veteran Lucy Stone readers as well as first timers. Characters and setting are well established for first time readers, but not done in a way that obstructs long time readers from enjoying the flow of Lucy’s continued adventures. – Carla Schantz