Invitation Only Murder is a great cozy mystery by one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend this book and tall of this author's books.

Part-time reporter Lucy Stone is invited to spend a few days on a private Maine island owned by eccentric billionaire Scott Newman. Scott has stripped the isolated property of modern conveniences in favor of an extreme eco-friendly lifestyle, and Lucy is going to write about it.

On a morning walk, Lucy
finds one of Scott's daughters dead at the bottom of a seaside cliff. Unfortunately, there is no way to communicate with the outside world to report the death. All of Scott's boats are mysteriously destroyed and Lucy is left to wonder who on the island is responsible.

I have read several Lucy Stone cozies over the years, I've "watched" her solve mysteries while working for the catalog company, her start as an investigative reporter for the Pennysaver paper, juggling crime solving while she and her husband Bill raised one son and three girls, Now as a grandmother she continues to solve crimes and take chances. This story was a bit more mystery than cozy taking on a bit of a darker undertone than they used to. this was the first Lucy Stone story that did not really revolve around her friends or family. It is a stand alone and you don't need to have read a previous story to be able to follow along this unusual murder complete with at risk puffins and an island "get-away" that gets away from anything related to life after 1850. Plenty of characters to suspect with the exception of the little boys who are exactly what they appear to be. This was a quick enough read and will most likely segue into the next Lucy Stone mystery just in time for the fall.

It was a nice change from the usual cosy mystery formula without her friends around, though my main problems were spotting the murderer right from the beginning, and the fact it all jumped from solid novel to woah crazy swat teams and explosions at the end, which was pretty unbelievable.

These books never end how I think they are going to. Spoiler alert: I thought the girl who died was going to be her twin. We never really had any motive as to way she decided to maroon everyone and then go on a rampage at the end. I am still playing catch up in this series. I enjoy Lucy, the kids are okay sometimes, and is it just me or what is Bill’s problem?

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

My thoughts

Would I recommend:yes

Would I read more of this series ?maybe

Would I read more by this author?maybe

While the story was cute there was times I just couldn't get into it and that's sad because I love cozy mysteries and I love how I can get lost in them but it took me a while to do so with this one .Maybe it was the tone of the story that just didn't fit but something just felt a bit off with this one but I just can't seem to put my finger on it. But I will be reading more of the series to see if I want to go on with it. With that said I want to thank NetGalley for letting me read and review it .

This is book 26 in the Lucy Stone Mystery series and I feel this one is a little darker, not so much a cozy. Lucy is invited to an island retreat to do an article for the newspaper. The island has been refurbished to the large self sustaining farm that once thrived there with no modern conveniences. When one of the adult children is murdered and the boats are all smashed Lucy must solve the mystery quickly. Now the young twins are missing and it's apparent that someone is made at this family. The story was good, just a little violent for Lucy Stone. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I found the family that lives on the island and their staff members very unlikable, and very unbelievable. There's been a murder with the killer on the island and two children go missing and not one of the island residents think to go and try to find a way to get outside help to the island.. I would have thought that one of the boats would have had a radio that they could have used to get in contact with the coast guard or the police. I missed getting to read about Lucy's family and friends and what they got up to in their lives in Tinker's Cove. I was able to figure out the identity and where the boys where hidden before the author did her big plot twisting reveal. This was very close to not really being a cozy mystery with all the swearing that was being done by a lot of the adult characters, and the harming of young children it could almost be considered a mystery. I will read the next book in the series just to see what kind of mystery Lucy finds herself mixed up in.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Kensington Books for my review.

What started out as a nice weekend getaway plus interviewing a family for a news story quickly goes sideways as a death in the family happens during Lucy Stone's stay on a private island. It seems like the visit never ends as different family members are acting a little strange and making others feel uncomfortable. The head of the household isn't much help as they are drinking excessively and snapping at others. Things take a turn for the worse as some of the family goes missing. Lucy just wants to go home! But before she can get the ferry to her rescue, things are going to get worse before it gets better.
It took me some time to get through the duration of her island stay in the book. It seems neverending as the reader waits to encounter some action to move the story along. That said, it's Lucy Stone and she's a favorite, so add this one to your TBR list.

This is a series that I've read from Book 1 and I feel that each book 'builds' on the last one. I've watched Lucy's kids grow from young children to young adults and feel like I'm almost part of the family.

The setting of this one quite interesting on an island with no 'modern' conveniences however, once murder occurs, it becomes less idyllic. Although some of the story line seemed somewhat unbelievable, the story continued to evolve and kept my interest until the end.

I'm already looking forward until the next one in the series.

It was great mystery and can be read as a standalone. However, though the story was complete without the back story, I still felt a bit disconnected from the characters. Otherwise the reader gets everything you love about readng a cozy mystery.

Lucy Stone accepts an invitation for a celebration on Holiday Island. The Island and is residents are far from usual. For starters, the owner, a billionaire named Scott Newman. He is an environmentalist who has created his own little world, one with its own rules. There are mostly those who work for Scott there, and Lucy feels out of place almost immediately.

As is common for Lucy, there is a dead body before she could even get acquainted with things. The body is that of the daughter of Scott. The island runs independent of the mainland, and only when a ferry comes to pick Lucy up, can the authorities be notified of the murder. What are they going to do with the body? Since the island is isolated, one of the people there has to be the killer.

Scared, but determined, Lucy tries to get to the bottom of things. Then, there is the disappearance of at least one more person. Panic sets in and time is short. Lucy cannot imagine that even though the little island is actually very close to Tinker's Cove, how far away safety actually is. That certainly raises the element of danger.

As this is the latest book in the series, I am struggling to write this review. I have read it from the very beginning and I really do love Lucy as an amateur sleuth. She has limited resources this time around, so I applaud her when it comes to trying to find the killer. Leslie Meier has faithfully written this series for years (the first book, Mistletoe Murder, was released in 1991), and this book, Invitation to Murder, is number 26. I applaud Ms. Meier for her dedication to this series and I do hope to see Lucy again real soon.

Many thanks to Kensington and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Private Island Turns Deadly.....
A Lucy Stone mystery. When Lucy decides to take time out and respond to an invitation to stay on a Maine private island events soon turn deadly. Lucy, stranded on the island, is faced with murder and suspects aplenty and is forced to don her sleuthing cap rather than enjoy an idyllic vacation. Enjoyable mystery and a worthy addition to this long running series.

Leslie Meier puts Lucy Stone, reporter, on a rich man's island to report on its dedication to nature preservation. The daughter of the tycoon is found dead, possibly murdered. The boats are smashed up. Then his young sons go missing. Is there a murderer in their midst? Can Lucy find out what is happening? Will it be like And Then ther were None by Christie?

Princess Fuzzypants here: When Lucy is invited to spend a few days with the Newman family on their island home, she figures she will report on how they dispensed with the modern world to live a simpler, more wholesome life. But the picture perfect serenity is fractured within a day of her arrival. Lucy discoveries the body of one of the daughters on an early morning walk and while it appears to have been a horrible accident, there is much more at play. It all becomes painfully clear there are murderous forces afoot but is it the mysterious “them” that the paranoid Billionaire father suspects or is the killer much closer to home. When the two young brothers of the family disappear, the search is on to find them.
The family, Lucy, two young workers and the family who used to own the island are all trapped with only 19th Century technology and no means of escape until the regular ferry arrives in a few days. Things are going to get far more dangerous for all involved before they are released from their island prison and the killer is revealed. It is a taut and suspenseful story, filled with madness, jealousy and revenge. It was one of those books that it was hard to put down. I think this is my favourite one so far of the series.
Five purrs and two paws up.

Invitation Only Murder by Leslie Meier is about Lucy Stone. Lucy goes to a private island in Maine owned by a billionaire for a story. However, she finds the island very primitive without the ability to use cell service or electricity as the owner will not allow it. Then one of the owner’s daughters is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. Lucy realizes there are more problems than she was led to believed and she has to deal with a killer without the ability to call for help. This is a very different book for the Lucy Stone series. This book is not a cozy. One daughter is killed and other kids are missing. This book was very suspenseful to the end and a good read but does deal with problems with children if you don’t like sensitive reads. Thank you to Net galley for an ARC to read for review.

If you love the Lucy Stone mysteries by Leslie Meier, or if you have never read one before. I suggest you buy this newest installment. Invitation Only Murder takes us back into Lucy's world. I love each of the cozy mysteries in this series and this new one does not disappoint. Keep the Lucy Stone books coming. I am anxiously waiting.

A wealthy eccentric has bought an island in Maine and set up a home and a community for his family to use to live a happy, healthy, eco-friendly lifestyle. Lucy Stone has just one kid at home and could use a break from the teen angst, so she welcomes an invitation to spend a few days on the island.

The visit starts off idyllically enough, but things go bad quickly. There's a mystery for Lucy to solve, and thought-provoking questions about ecological living, families, history, and wealth. Altogether, it adds up to a satisfying novel with suspense and intrigue to spare.

Fans of Lucy Stone and her Maine community will enjoy this latest installment in her story. But it's a good stand-alone story as well, not relying on readers' fondness for Lucy's friends and family.. Either way, enjoy the lively descriptions and the active story.

Best one yet! This is definitely my favorite Lucy Stone book! It’s set on an island and the majority of the book is about a murder mystery and missing children. It was so good! Not only the mystery itself, but I enjoyed learning about life before modern conveniences. Don’t hesitate to buy this book!

Invitation Only Murder starts off a bit slow, but turns into an engaging and interesting take on the "locked door mystery" - this iteration on an island, with a bit of an And Then There Were None vibe. Unfortunately, the ending gave me whiplash. Truly, this would be the best Lucy Stone novel in awhile if the last thirty pages were scrapped and the ending was reimagined.

Lucy Stone is not an action hero. She's a mother, a pillar of her community, a journalist and was a strong and likable protagonist. I'd like to see her portrayed as she was in the earlier stories. I love to see growth in a character, but it needs to be believable and logical.

Still, I'll be grabbing the next book in the series when it comes out later this year. I'm invested in (the good, the bad, and the ugly) the Stone family and I'm hoping the books return to form soon!