Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier is a double delight. I have been a fan of Lucy Stone since the very first book. Lucy and her family and friends feel like real people to me. They have the same issues faced by most of us. I love the small town feel of the books and the mystery is cozy yet satisfying. I was given a copy of this book by netgalley, the opinions in this review are my own.

This is another Meier two-for. Trick or Treat Murder. The early days of Lucy Stone after the catalog ordering business, but before she became a Mom of 4. Lucy is one bar working Mom who is trying to balance home, investigative reporting and a baby all on a minimal amount of sleep. Why else would she agree to make 12 dozen Halloween cupcakes for the town Halloween party. Yet she still finds the time to add a bit of sleuthing when the latest in a series of arson related fires takes the life of a summertime neighbor. So many suspects from a cheating husband to the energetic mistress, or was it just a group of kids looking for kicks and it all went wrong. These earlier story lines have a different character feel than the previous novels and the endings seem rushed. Overall it was entertaining and a quick read. It is interesting to compare and contrast early Lucy with older Lucy as the next story in the book is The Wicked Witch Murder. Funny thing, it’s a warlock not a witch who ends up dead as we see how little Tinker’s Cove reacts to a self proclaimed Wiccan with a new age storefront. Lucy endeavors to have an open mind but not all of her neighbors feel the same way especially after the next door neighbor’s wife becomes ill and dies. Plus Lucy’s girls are enamored with the idea of being new age Wiccans. With hostilities growing Lucy fears for her girls and their new Wiccan friend. It does seem that these more updated timelines are more political than they used to be which I find distracting from the entertainment of the story line. The Stone’s do seem more relaxed and less uptight than in the “younger” novels which is a nice progression in character development that mirrors life. All in all an easy read and an appropriate Halloween story.

Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier contains two previously published A Lucy Stone Halloween Mysteries. Trick or Treat Murder takes us back to Tinker’s Cove, Maine where Lucy Stone has recently given birth to Zoe. There have been a rash of fires around town where someone is setting fire to older homes. The latest victim is the Hopkins Homestead owned by Monica and Roland Mayes. This time fire officials find the deceased homeowner, Monica Mayes inside the home. The Hopkins home was Bill’s first big project after they moved to Tinker’s Cove. Lucy and Bill became friends with Monica as she oversaw the renovations. When not baking cupcakes for a Halloween party, working out at The Body Shop to lose the baby weight or taking care of her family, Lucy is looking for the elusive arsonist. Lucy needs to proceed with caution or she could get singed.

Wicked Witch Murder has Lucy reluctantly visits Solstice with her friends Pam, Rachel and Sue. It is the purple shop owned by newcomer Diana Ravenscroft. Diana is a proclaimed witch who provides psychic readings at her shop. Lucy is out walking Libby when she finds a burned corpse in a clearing tied to a tree. Something sinister is at work and Ike Stoughton is not a fan of Diana or her shop. He makes his opinions known with a letter to the editor. Lucy is less than thrilled when she finds Sarah and Zoe along with Abby Stoughton practicing witchcraft at home. Lucy would prefer to avoid Diana, but it is unavoidable when Diana needs a safe haven. The victim is identified as Malcom Malebranche, the head of Diana’s coven. With Diana at the top of the suspect list, Lucy has no choice but to investigate (or the lady will never leave her home). Can Lucy find the killer in time?

Trick or Treat Murder and Wicked Witch Murder are the two books included in Halloween Murder. They are not new stories to A Lucy Stone Mystery series. They are book three and book sixteen respectively. It has been a while since I have these two books and I enjoyed revisiting Lucy and Tinker’s Cove at a different time. The stories contain good writing with steady pacing. We get to see how Lucy and her family have changed over the years. The book contains friendly characters, a charming town and two good mysteries. I found the whodunit is Wicked Witch Murder to be more complex than that in Trick or Treat Murder. Halloween Murder can be read as a standalone. All the information a reader needs is provided. Halloween Murder contains two entertaining cozy mysteries that will enthrall you. My rating for Halloween Murder is 4 out of 5 stars. Join Lucy and her friends in Tinker’s Cove for a wicked good time.

This was two of Leslie's old books reprinted and published for Halloween. The first book had main character Lucy just given birth, with an arsonist playing his mischief. Lucy starts her investigation to find this perpetrator.
The second story is set decades later, Lucy is the grandmother where she sets forth to solve another mystery where a body is burned down.
The books were a quick read with cozy twists and varied characters.
Overall fab fun reads

I almost hate to say that I thought that this book was a new one from Leslie Meier, but instead was two of her older books, which I've read a long time ago. I'm kind of sad, but it's my own fault for not paying attention. I was just happy to see a Halloween book by Leslie Meier available. Overall I love both of the stories that are included, which those stories are Wicked Witch Murder and Trick or Treat Murder. So if you haven't read any of Meier's books or either of those, "Halloween Murder" is for you!

This is a reprint of two earlier stories from this author, but if you haven't read them before, it's a good read.I always enjoy this series!

Love the cozy mystery and family drama that insures in each one. I enjoy the lightness if the series.

Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier is actually two cozy mystery stories that have been reprinted and bundled together. In the first mystery, Trick or Treat Murder, Lucy Stone has just given birth to her fourth child. As the village of Tinker Cove, Maine plans a Halloween party for the local children, an arsonist strikes, bringing deadly results.

The second story, Wicked Witch Murder, Lucy’s children are grown and she is a new grandmother. The story revolves around a new resident in Tinker Cove, who has opened a Wiccan shop.

Over the years I have enjoyed visiting Lucy and her beautiful village. The Lucy Stone mysteries always have assorted characters that add to the storyline, great family dynamics and typically a pretty solid mystery to solve.

Anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries will find a visit to Tinker Cove well-worth the time.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Halloween Murder contains two previously published Lucy Stone mysteries - Trick or Treat Murder (#3 in the series) and Wicked Witch Murder (#16 in the series) set in the small town of Tinker's Cove, Maine.

In the first mystery readers are taken back to the early days with Lucy recently giving birth to her youngest child. There is an arsonist running loose around town destroying many of the town's historic buildings. When the body of a close friend is discovered in the burned out rubble, Lucy sets out to find the killer in between baking dozens of cupcakes for the upcoming Halloween party.

In the second mystery readers are once again treated to a Halloween theme many years later, this one focusing on the Wiccans. When Lucy discovers a body tied to a burned tree, she fears that someone in town is not too happy about the newcomer claiming to be high priestess and is on a witch hunt.

Perhaps it was my fault for not paying closer attention when requesting the book, but I was looking forward to a new book in the series and was disappointed to realize that it was actually a compilation of previous released stories. Having already read both of these series installments I found myself skipping through the majority of the book. Feeling a little "tricked".

I received an advanced copy of Halloween Murder from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

fantastic book loved it cant wait to read more will share this enjoyable read with friends and family

Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier is the 3rd book, Trick or Treat Murder, and 16th book, Wicked Witch Murder, in the Lucy Stone mystery series. I have been reading Lucy Stone books for years, and the books are like visiting old friends, I love this series. Both books are Halloween tales, first one about an arson, second one about a witch who is new to town. I found these books to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. There are a lot of fun twists and turns. I enjoy the way Ms. Meier relates to everyday life and people. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, as always. If you love cozy mysteries, I recommend this book and the whole series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is an absolute must for cozy mystery fans! You’ll fall in love with Lucy and her family as well as her close circle of friends. The book(s) make you want to order a cozy nightgown and slippers from LL Bean and sit by a fire. Leslie Meier is an expert at making the reader feel as though they are actually in Maine. You feel like you are there during Halloween🎃. The stories are cozy as well as complex and dramatic enough to keep the reader staying up all night to finish the book! You won’t guess the killer.

There are two separate stories in this book. They are separated by roughly a decade and a half year period. Trick or Treat Murder was the third in the series and has several plot lines. The major story is that Lucy Stone is investigating a series of arson crimes and has not begun working at the paper.

In Wicked Witch Murder (#16 in the series), Lucy is a new grandmother. Fire also plays a part in this Halloween story. While out walking her dog, Lucy discovers a burned body tied to a tree. There is a witches’ coven which her daughter Sara has been invited to join. The deceased is identified as the leader of the local coven. So, read and find out who did kill the high priest.

I find that I enjoy the earlier books in the series more than the later books. The earlier books center more on a cozy theme whereas I feel the later books have an agenda/political theme running through them.

Leslie Meier has been a favorite author for over 20 years — long before I began formally reviewing books. I have read many of her holiday mysteries over the year — usually feeling very satisfied. The current book did not do so.

The current book is a combination of two earlier works. The first is a reprint of Meier’s Trick or Treat Murder published in 1996. The story was a standard Meier holiday cozy mystery centered around a series of suspicious fires that were occurring in and around Tinker Cove. Standing alone, I would give this book 4-stars.

The second book in this volume is a reprint of Meier’s Wicked Witch Murder (2010). The quality and presentation of this second work was considerably lower than that of the first. The book does not center on a holiday – though it does conclude there. Rather the focus of the book is on a rather uplifting presentation of the Wiccan religion. Nothing in the advertising or preliminary material prepared me for this. As a conservative, evangelical Christian I felt that the author’s attempt at sneaking this faith into the novel was inappropriate. If she had been open and above board on the setting of the book, I could have and would have chosen to not review the book. I have read many Christian mysteries and thrillers, but the authors and publishers have been open about the role that faith will have in the plots and themes of those books – not so with the second story in this volume. Given the underhanded way this second book was presented, I am left giving it a single star.

The result is a book with a 2-star (maybe 2-1/2-star) review. On the other hand, I would look forward to seeing additional book pairings from the extensive collection of books from Meier’s library.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Halloween Murder is a reissue packaging two of the books in the long-running Lucy Stone Series. I have dipped into this series from time to time though the years for a cozy taking place in the Maine setting I enjoy so much. The first of the two books is Trick or Treat Murder, just after the birth of Lucy's fourth child, Zoe, and Lucy is still a stay-at-home mom. In Wicked Witch Murder, she is a new grandmother, and a reporter on the local paper, The Pennysaver. When I say long-running series, I'm not kidding. Over the course of the books, Lucy has never lost her insatiable curiosity, and her job has enabled that aspect of her character.

In Halloween Murder, Tinker's Cove is experiencing a spate of arson fires. Most have been minor, resulting in no injuries, until a summer resident who unexpectedly was in her showplace residence died in the fire that completely destroyed it. She was a close friend of Lucy and her husband, Bill, and the two are devastated. Lucy has her own ideas on who may be behind it, but there are plenty of suspects. Big-time development is encroaching on Tinker's Cove, and tensions are high between those pro and con.

The Wicked Witch Murder begins with a new resident in Tinker's Cove; Diana Ravenscroft, a self-proclaimed witch who has opened a Wiccan shop. Most of the townspeople laugh it off, but another new resident, Ike Stoughton, is very outspoken on the subject of witches, along the lines of "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live." Lucy is not happy that her own teenage daughter is attempting spells under Diana's influence as well. Lucy, too, is the unlucky person who discovers a burned body tied to a tie when she was out walking her dog. That body belongs to a so-called wizard who is a close associate of Diana.

Leslie Meier always provides a good puzzler, with much-loved characters to back it up. I enjoy the family dynamics of the Stone family. The Stone kids are not perfect but are turning out to be solid citizens like their parents. I think I may have read both of the books in the past, but that did not detract from my enjoyment this time around. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are voluntary and my own.

Quite disappointed when I realized this is a repackaging of older books.

Trick or Treat Murder from 1996 was quite good. I enjoyed seeing Lucy Stone as a young mother again. The love between Lucy and her husband Bill is such a gentle reminder of simpler times prior to 9-11 2001. The cozy mystery was equally cozy though still has the great writing of Ms. Meier that keeps you reading 'just the next page'. Fires in the historic district of Tinker's Cove have Lucy & Bill worried about their family's safety when Bill joins the Historic District Commission.

Book 2, Wicked Witch Murder (2010) is quite detailed with Wicca. This is not a subject i want to read about and I had a tough time finding sections that did not contain training on clearing, casting spells and coven activities.

This is not a book I would recommend.

I totally skipped that this was 2 books in 1 at first and I've no idea how, but there ya go. I love getting those bundles. This one was a bit unique as Lucy's kids were young in the first book (one still in an infant carrier) and all grown up in the second. Huge leap in time.

In the first book, Lucy and her friends are putting on the annual Halloween party for the kids to allow them a safe place to have fun. Sadly, while preparations are underway, a serial arsonist has decided to start Trick-or-Treating early, leaving buildings burned all over town. One dead body has already been found in the burned remains. Will Lucy be next?

In the second book, Lucy is a grandma and a hard working reporter. When a Wiccan moves to town and opens up a store, Lucy's open-mindedness is challenged. When that Wiccan becomes a house guest after her home and store become unsafe due to prejudice and a mob mentality, Lucy has to address her preconceptions of the faith verses the practitioner of the faith. She isn't the only one having a hard time with the changes in town which becomes pretty obvious when she stumbles over a dead body while walking her dog. Caught between two extreme mentalities in town, people's safety and well-being are definitely in question as the town prepares for Halloween festivities in the midst of some of the worst storms seen in some time.

Both of these books were excellent and dealt with actual thought-provoking issues. I love that as Lucy processes things, the reader is led to question their own thoughts on various issues. With relationships that are easy to relate to and people written as though you could find them on any street, it was easy to lose yourself in these stories. I think the biggest issue I had was adjusting to the time gap between books.

If you are looking for an excellent value and a great holiday read, I highly recommend this.

Thank you to Leslie Meier, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book and share my thoughts and opinions with others.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I requested this book because I am a big fan of cozy mysteries. I had never read any of this series before but I have been wanting to try them. The book contains 2 mysteries, but I only got through the first one. Lucy Stone is a likeable character but I felt the story was lacking, it really seemed to drag on. There were a lot of details that just didnt seem pertinent to the story and just slowed down the plot, particularly the town meetings.

Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier is a collection of two Halloween themed short stories. Lucy Stone is the star of both mysteries although they take place many years apart. In the first Lucy's children are young and the focus is a town Halloween party. The town is on edge after a rash of arson that destroys many of the towns oldest buildings. This is a fun Halloween centered story. I did not care for the second of the mysteries which was focused completely on witchcraft. I understand that witches are a big part of Halloween, but the story line was too far fetched for me to believe. Lucy seems to have no problem with her daughters playing witchcraft and having a "witch" cure her serious poison ivy outbreak with a spell is more science fiction than mystery.

I believe this is the second holiday combo book put out in the Lucy Stone series. Last year there was one for Christmas. In the first story, Trick or Treat Murder, we see Lucy’s kids pretty young. This is the third book in the series, Zoey is an infant, and an arsonist is on the loose. Other than it taking place around Halloween, it didn’t feel very holiday related. In the second story, Wicked Witch Murder, a group of Wiccans move into Tinker’s Cove and some locals take offense. This is the 16th book in the series and there is a big jump in the children’s ages. Zoey is quite an outspoken adolescent! And Toby is married and has a child of his own! This story had a very Halloween feeling with the introduction of witchcraft and the occult. Like the characters, Ms. Meier’s writing has matured, making for an enjoyable read. It was also nice to have the connection of Ms. Tilley, the town’s former librarian, featured in both books. Luckily, in most cases, reading a Lucy Stone book out of sequence will not give away big secrets. If you are a fan of Halloween and cozies, this might be a great introduction to Lucy and Tinker’s Cove.