This is a two-fer book, in that you get two cozys for the price of one! The first one is Lucy Stone's first adventure in mystery solving. As if Christmas isn't busy enough at her job at the Cozy Country Mail order business. A death on the job is not on her Christmas wish list but she will need to be on her best behavior because who knows who is watching her as she asks questions and of those both naughty and nice. All of this while shopping for the kids, making the holiday meals, and helping with the annual holiday cookie exchange. How does she get it all done?
Years later and the only thing that has changed is that the kids are now as busy as Lucy, who is trying to make it a nice Christmas for everyone even if everyone isn't home for the holiday. To start off with there is the annual cookie exchange that she somehow manages to end up hosting. a not so merry event. Accusations and Grinchiness ensue as another body turns up and leads Lucy on another holiday adventure of murder sleuthing.
I could not quite put my finger on it but this book, these stories were not my cup of tea. There didn't seem to be much character development from the first story to the last. Not one of my favorite but I am glad to have read them and "seen" where it all started.

This book contains two previously released books in the Lucy Stone series. It was a treat to revisit these great stories.

Two Lucy Stone novels are included in this book.

Mistletoe Murder is the first Lucy Stone mystery. Lucy and her family live in a charming town called Tinker's Cove, Maine. She works nights at the famous mail-order company Country Cousins. One night while on a break, Lucy finds the Country Cousins founder dead in his car. It's determined to be a suicide but Lucy thinks it looks more like murder, and is determined to find the killer.

Christmas Cookie Murder revolves around the annual Tinker's Cove Cookie Exchange. Lucy and her friends gather about a week before Christmas, each bringing enough cookies for all to bring home a dozen of each. Of course there's the usual petty rivalries and feuds, but this year there's a murder. And Lucy is determined to solve it.

I loved the characters and the stories! I'll definitely be reading more Lucy Stone Mysteries.

Two Lucy Stone mysteries from early in the series (1998, 1999) reissued in this compilation volume will delight her fans. Although there is a bit of a dated aura to the books--one remembers life before cell phones, but technology's hurtling pace makes even books from just a few years ago seem older than they are--the genre formula rings true. Lucy's life, jobs, and family change over the series, so newer fans will be interested to meet her and her family in their first few appearances.

However, these two just underscored to me that while the author does a great job depicting Lucy's kids--who age, develop attitudes, and sound like real, grumpy teenagers--Lucy herself doesn't change. She is just as naive, just as hypocritical, just as melodramatic, just as judgmental, as she is in the latest books, And I find that very sad. And Lucy's reactions to her widowed mother broke my heart. She couldn't bear to even look at her? To talk to her? Her lack of sympathy made me decide I really don't like Lucy.

Pacing is pretty good, as the books move along at a fairly good pace. Extraneous events are dealt with neatly to indicate the passage of time. The setting is, as usual, also depicted well, with terse phrasing that suggests how cold or dreary Maine can be in the winter.

Formatting and typos abounded and were distracting.

This was a cute cozy mystery with a little Christmas cheer, a lot of good tea time friends, and a murderer on the loose. Good read.

This collection of 2 Lucy Stone books (Mistletoe Murder and Christmas Cookie Murder). I absolutely loved reading these two cozy mysteries and getting to know Lucy and the residents of Tinker's Cove. I have never read a Lucy Stone book before and I am so glad to have new series to dive into. I will be searching out all of the other books in this series!

4 stars Mistletoe Murder

This is the first book in the series. I had read Egg Nog Murder which is three Christmas stories by three different authors- which I think everyone should read!. That is how I found out about the Lucy Stone series. It's different to see how the characters were then verses now. The murder and attempted murder was a surprise for me. There was romance, drama, and mystery. It's a well written story and just the start of my reading adventures with Lucy and her gang.

5 stars Christmas Cookie Murder

This was an enjoyable Christmas Cozy Mystery. You can read this book as a stand alone even tho it is the sixth book in the series. I imagine that reading them in order would give better background information but I had no problems reading it the way I did. It had a lot of family and life drama. It had some series issues glossed on and made me think on the importance of right and wrong. The book is worth checking out and I can say I didn't see it coming. Recipes are included at the end of the book

Holiday Murder by Leslie Meier contains Mistletoe Murder and Christmas Cookie Murder (two Lucy Stone Mystery novels). Go back to the very beginning of the Lucy Stone Mystery series in Mistletoe Murder. Lucy works nights in the Country Cousins call center while her children are at home sleeping with her husband, Bill. Lucy steps outside the call center (needs the cool air to help wake her up) and finds Sam Miller, one of the Country Cousins founders, dead in his car. The police suspect suicide, but Lucy is not so sure. Lucy works with Officer Barney Culpepper to discover what happened to Sam. In between she must get ready for Christmas (clean the house before family arrives, wrap presents, bake cookies) and help her mother, Helen who is still grieving for her husband who passed away earlier in the year. Can Lucy wrap up her investigation in time for a happy Christmas with the family?

Christmas Cookie Murder is the sixth book in the Lucy Stone Mystery series. Lucy Stone is assisting Sue Finch at the day care center when Officer Barney Culpepper stops by with news that Tucker Whitney was found strangled. Tucker was Sue’s assistant at the center. Dr. Steve Cummings is the prime suspect and ends up arrested. Lucy, who just loves a good mystery, starts nosing around trying to find clues to the real killer’s identity. Who could have wanted Tucker dead and why?

Holiday Murder was just delightful. I had read both books previously, but it was nice to revisit them. I had forgotten many of the details on how the series started (like Lucy working at Country Cousins). I found Holiday Murder to be well-written, contain great characters and have a nice flow. Leslie Meier has a great writing style which makes for an easy to read story that is enjoyable and entertaining. I like how the author mingles the mystery with Lucy’s daily life. It is a great combination. We get to know Lucy, Bill, her kids and their friends. My rating for Holiday Murder is 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). I was hooked on this series from the moment I picked up and read Mistletoe Murder (many years ago when I discovered the series in my local library). There is a preview of Turkey Trot Murder at the end of the book. For those of you who have not read the whole series, pick up Holiday Murder for two delightful Christmas cozy mysteries.

Holiday Murder by cozy mystery author Leslie Meier is a re-release of two previous Lucy Stone mysteries -Mistletoe Murder (the very first book in the series) and Christmas Cookie Murder. If you are new to this series, this is a good introduction to Lucy Stone and the series. The first story in the book, Mistletoe Murder, finds Lucy working nights at Country Cousins, a mail order country store, similare to LL Bean. Her family is young and both her and husband work to support them. When she finds the company founder dead in his car in the parking lot from an apparent suicide, Lucy does not believe that he killed himself. She decides she needs to find the murderer to clear his name. The second story in the book, Christmas Cookie Murder, finds Lucy now firmly established as a part-time reporter for Tinker Cove's weekly Pennysaver newspaper. It is a few years later and her family is older and all in school, with her oldest applying to college. It's Christmastime, and after Lucy is railroaded into playing hostess to the annual Christmas cookie exchange one of the guests is found strangled. Once again Lucy gets involved in solving the crime in order to clear the name of the local dentist, the husband to one of her friends.

I really enjoy how Leslie Meier weaves the mystery story with Lucy's life and her family. I have read a few of the later books in this series, so was a little confused delving into the first one as it was so different from the more recent books. With her job as a reporter, it gives her reason to ask questions and stick her nose into other's business while trying to solve crimes. I find these books well written with a good storyline that keeps me interested. I don't always figure out who the culprit is in the books right away, and that always makes it a good mystery for me. If you have not read any of the Lucy Stone books, this will be a good one to read, but do not get confused as there are many between these two stories.

This is a great collection of some Meier holiday works. A fun read for Cozy Mystery fans to read during their holiday breaks.

This is a re-release of two of the books in the Lucy Stone series. Though I have read both before, when first published, I re-read them again this time around and loved them as much as I did the first time around. I found it interesting to see how the story and characters, especially, Lucy Stone have changed/matured as the series progressed.

In the first book in this compilation, Mistletoe Murder, Lucy is working, answering phones and taking orders for the town’s mail-order company, Country Cousins. Lucy stumbles upon her employer, Sam Miller, dead in his car one night when she goes outside for air. The death is ruled a suicide, but Lucy feels otherwise, and sets about trying to figure out who, if anyone, murdered Sam. As Lucy investigates, we learn who Lucy is, what her family and life are like, and what the small town of Tinkers Cove and its residents are like. Along with this comes the picture of Lucy’s and her family’s ins and outs of their daily life during this busy holiday season. This is an introductory novel for a series that has kept going for quite a while. It was fascinating to re-visit it and the beginning of a series. I truly love and see how things and people have matured and changed as the books keep coming. The plot was rather predicable and not too complex, but that gave me the chance to re-focus on the characters and setting.

Christmas Cookie is the second book in this tome, and the sixth in the Lucy Stone series. In this story, Lucy is hosting the local Christmas cookie exchange, when one of Tinker Cove’s residents is found dead. An arrest is made in the case, but Lucy does not agree that the arrested person is the murderer. Thus, she begins an investigation of her own to find out who really is responsible, which takes her down some interesting avenues, filled and with some fascinating characters and events, while coping with her daily life and events as well as with her family and friends.

This is a fascinating series that continues to be well done as each book appears. The main character of Lucy has matured, and her family has grown up with each book. I thoroughly enjoy the way the author manages to intermix her characters’ daily lives and routines with the mystery. Each is well done, with great conclusions/solutions. This book is a terrific addition to the holiday season. I hope you will take the time to stop and read (or re-read) the two mysteries that involve one of my favorite sleuths, Lucy Stone. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

This is a great book; this is the twenty fifth book in the Lucy Stone Series written by Leslie Meier.This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

I love these stories. They are fun mysteries that don't disappoint!

Holiday Murder is the re-release of two of The Lucy Stone earlier books. Each is set around Christmas time which is my favorite time of the year to read about. We visit Lucy, her family and friends. Leslie Meier writes this character to be just the average character with a fun job of part time reporter for the Pennysaver.
Mistletoe Murder introduces us to Lucy and her family. It also describes the town and townspeople. Lucy is working to make extra money at Country Cousin's. When her boss is murdered, Lucy set out to find who did it before the holiday arrives.
Christmas Cookie Exchange is set a few years later. Exchanging cookies has always been a highlight of the Christmas season. When Lucy finds that one will not be able to enjoy the season, she wants to clear someone's good name and get back to celebrating Christmas.
Leslie Meier adds just enough intrigue to keep you turning the page. Watch out a twist just may send you done the wrong path.
I received a copy through Netgalley. The positive review was not required.

Cozy mystery with a bit of an edge. Family holiday details and traditions. Dramatic conclusion to the mystery which confirmed my suspicions.

A lovely new compilation of two old Christmas themed Lucy Stone mysteries. A must have if you're feeling nostalgic, or simply missed them the first time around. Leslie Meier, a delightful author, has created a fictional town in Maine, where readers feel like they are coming home each time they pick up a book.

I adore Leslie Meier because she has this wonderful knack for supplying my overly stress-filled life with the perfect getaway.

This is a re-release of her first book in the Lucy Stone Mystery Series (Mistletoe Murder) and her sixth (Christmas Cookie Murder). They’re both full length stories and wonderfully captured the holiday spirit albeit with a little unexpected mayhem.

Mistletoe Murder introduces us to our sleuth and heroine, Lucy Stone. In the vein of Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote, you get a warm and charming character who has a perfectly normal job and just happens to stumble into mysteries and dead people. She decides to find out who killed her boss though it was made to look like a suicide. Simple plot line? Yes. Great way to spend the time? You betcha!

Christmas Cookie Murder shows after the previous five books Lucy has settled into her routine of being a reporter by day and sleuth by night, well you get the point. Cookie exchanges are one of my favorite parts of the season and after the characters enjoy one themselves Lucy discovers a guest isn’t going to get to enjoy the baked goods. Lucy shows the joys and pitfalls of trying to balance work, home life and play sleuth.

Meier gives great, well-written mysteries that drop enough clues to keep you interested but not so annoyingly blatant you give up reading before the end. Her characters and their actions feel believable along with crimes and how the big solve is revealed.

Meier is a guilty pleasure that just keeps getting better so hopefully you’ll find yourself hooked and wanting to follow Lucy Stone through her escapades.

Thanks to the publisher for packaging two Leslie Meier books in one! If you haven't read her before, or if you'd like a nice gift for a cozy lover, this is the one to buy because it combines the very first Lucy Stone novel with the sixth. Both Christmas themed (obviously), they show the growth in Lucy (she's calmed down a lot) and in Tinker's Cover over the years. I'm always amazed at how much murder can happen to one person and one town but I also always enjoy watching Lucy, her family, ad her friends, untangle things. These mysteries aren't too complex, they are never graphic, and they have nice sense of humor. Thanks to net galley for the ARC.

Holiday Murder by cozy mystery author Leslie Meier is a re-release of two previous Lucy Stone mysteries -Mistletoe Murder (the very first book in the series) and Christmas Cookie Murder. Both are full-length mysteries, and both are wonderfully written cozies. The first story in the book, Mistletoe Murder, finds Lucy working nights at Country Cousins (think LL Bean, only smaller) when much to her surprise she finds the company founder dead in his car in the parking lot from an apparent suicide. Lucy quickly realizes that this is not the case, and it's up to her to find the murderer before he/she can strike again! The second story in the book, Christmas Cookie Murder, finds Lucy now firmly established as a part-time reporter for Tinker Cove's weekly Pennysaver newspaper. It's Christmastime, and after Lucy plays hostess to the annual Christmas cookie exchange one of the guests is found strangled. Once again Lucy is on the case to discover whodunit, all while trying to manage things at home and enjoy a relaxing holiday with Bill and the kids. The author has a way of weaving a well-written mystery, and keeping the reader guessing, from start to finish. Lucy Stone is one of my favorite sleuths, solving her puzzles but still keeping her family as her number one priority. I always look forward to reading her stories! A+++