British Murder is one of a series by Leslie Meier. I really enjoy all the books by this author.. I recommend that they be read in order of publication but they also work as a stand alone.

British Murder is a title in this long running cozy mystery series featuring Lucy Stone. I have been reading about Lucy for many years.

This book is a double treat as it includes two stories, English Tea Murder and British Manor Murder. Each of these takes Lucy away from her native Maine. Both books have murder of course. In the first, a tour leader dies mid flight. Along with enjoying England, Lucy will need to solve the case. In the second novel, Lucy is at a country manor house when she discovers a bludgeoned body. Naturally, she intrepidly solves the case.

Lovers of mysteries that are not gory and those who love all things British will want to give this title a look. It is currently just $1.99 in e book form.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

British Murder contains two previously released Lucy Stone mysteries, the 17th book in the series, English Tea Murder, and the 23rd book in the series, British Manor Murder. I’ve previously had the privilege to review British Manor Murder, but this was my first time reading and reviewing English Tea Murder. I highly recommend British Murder for Lucy Stone or cozy mystery fans, especially if you’ve never had the opportunity to read these two British themed stories.

English Tea Murder
English Tea Murder is meant to feel like a new spin on Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express with a few extra twists. This entry in the Lucy Stone mystery series finds our protagonist buckling in for adventure across the ocean. For Lucy, it’s a rare opportunity to join a group led by Winchester College Professor George Temple with her friends Sue, Rachel, and Pam, along with an interesting mix of new characters.

When Professor Temple dies mid-Atlantic from what appears to be an asthma attack, Lucy’s former beau Professor Quentin Rea arrives ready to take the reins. While Lucy luckily doesn’t feel that old spark, Bill would not be amused, especially since he “allowed” her to leave her motherly and work duties behind, something doesn’t feel right and it’s not just Professor Quentin’s bad pickup attempts. While Lucy searches near and far for a traditional English tea and visits most of the most tourist attractions in London and the surrounding areas, she begins to unravel a very well-planned murder.

Instead of acting on the information, she sits back, and two additional bodies stack up, only for Lucy to bag the killer once she returns to the states. With loads of both red herrings and character development of Lucy’s closest friends, this book sadly felt like a bit of a hot mess by the end. It is almost as though Lucy Stone doesn’t travel well. I feel the same about the Murder, She Wrote series. The best books always seem to take place in the main character’s quirky hometown. It’s not hard to imagine that Dame Agatha would not be thrilled with this take on her classic.

British Manor Murder
My beloved Lucy Stone is back, this time the mystery is taking her far from Tinker’s Cove, Maine, across the ocean to a manor in England. British Manor Murder opens up with Lucy missing her grandson and trying (while ultimately failing) to adjust to his absence. While the story picks up eventually, it really kicks-off when Lucy and Sue set off for jolly old England, I think the slow opening set the wrong tone for the book. I mostly read to escape and unfortunately, the slow start, with Lucy being so down (and not seeking help), casts a sour note, and the book never fully recovers. I did enjoy the new setting, Moreton Manor, along with a new set of interesting characters, including British royalty. Sue, Lucy's good friend, comes across as pushy and rude throughout the story and Lucy wasn't her normal, upbeat self.

If you love this series as I do, I recommend picking up British Manor Murder. You're still going to love visiting old friends and sharing new adventures. I really do love Lucy Stone and her large (and often hilarious) family, but I feel like this book was rushed. It lacks the spark of earlier books in this series. If you haven't yet been introduced to Mrs. Stone, I recommend trying Candy Corn Murder instead.

This book has two titles within, British Tea Murder and British Manor Murder. For anyone who enjoys Downton Abbey, these are a must read. They take you to places in Britain that you dream about, but really have no idea what really happens...they also contain the murder mysteries we have all come to love from Leslie Meier.

While I always enjoy Leslie Meiers writing, and following the adventures of Lucy Stone, I was a bit disappointed to find that this was a remix of precious books. The stories are wonderful, just not new. I do recommend the series, best read in order as the characters grow and age. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of one of my favorite cozy series.

I have to admit that I didn't finish this book. I didn't realize it was part of a series when I requested it. That is on me, for sure. I haven't read any of the other books in the series so I had a hard time getting into the book and really understanding all that was going on. I had so many other things to read that I set it down and never picked it up again. I apologize for requesting it when I didn't get all the information first.

Although I did enjoy the descriptive nature of these stories and it held my attention and entertained me, this wasn't the page turning cosy mystery I was hoping for. However it was an overall good read.

This book is made up of two shorter novels, both set in England. I have read quite a few of the Lucy Stone series, and have really enjoyed them. Generally there’s a lot about Lucy’s life outside of her sleuthing and while the books are built around the mysteries, you also get to know her friends and family.

The English Tea Murder, the first story in the book, has Lucy and her friends visiting England on a college sponsored tour. I thought this one was rather slow moving. There Is a lot of description of various sites, shopping trips, stops for meals, etc, that the mystery part of the story seemed like an afterthought. Outside of Lucy and her friends, the characters seemed pretty one dimensional. Most of them seemed to have undisclosed issues, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care all that much about what happened to them. The ending was definitely not what I expected, but it definitely tied all the loose ends together.

The British Manor Murder was my favorite of the two, possibly because I am a fan of English village mysteries, and this one had that sort of feel about it. This one was a more of a straightforward mystery than the first one. There was still quite a lot of descriptions of sightseeing, shopping and so forth, but it didn’t seem to be as pervasive as in the first story. Maybe I felt this way because I liked the characters in this story better, and felt more sympathetic toward them. I was able to guess “whodunnit” in this one.

I want to thank Kensington Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book. .

This was a nice combination of two novellas—English Tea Murder and British Manor Murder. While I enjoyed the English Tea Murder, the British Tea Murder was not my favorite. I found the characters in British Tea Murder to be lacking. Neither of the novellas seemed to be true mysteries, but yet more focused on the setting, which is nice if you enjoy travel and England—which I do.

Sorry I did not get to review this one before it expired. I am in college. I will look out for this book.

This book is a compilation of two previously published stories about Lucy Stone in England. The first is English Tea Murder. The author does a good job of describing London and it’s charms. As well as some of the surrounding areas like Brighton. The mystery portion gets a little lost in the travelogue.
The second book is British Manor Murder. Lucy is very whiny in the beginning of this book and it takes quite a bit of enjoyment out of the story. The British Manor is the home of a lord that Lucy’s friend met during the English Tea Murder,
The mystery can be hard to find in the Lucy Stone books I have been exposed to. There are a whole host of interesting characters though.

Leslie Meier's cozy mysteries always bring a solid mystery along with the entertainment provided in this case by Lucy Stone and her gang of rowdies. In fact, this book gives us two murders to be solved. The setting for these stories are British communities that will never be the same once Lucy is through solving the crimes. Leslie Meier's characters feel like old friends that are regaling their vacation adventures where they had a great time even if they did have to stop for a little thing like murder. I have read every Leslie Meier book I have come across and never been disappointed. That is one of my best recommendations!!!!

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

Two good mysteries in one book. I really enjoyed both books and hope to read more from this author soon.

I've read a previous book in the series (Candy Corner Murders), and I was thrilled to be able to get this double book, to get 2 books for the price of one! In the first book, the gang heads to England as part of a local university tour and literally has problems from moment one. What they don't realize, is that they'll end up in the middle of a murder mystery, with a very odd assortment of characters. A twisty mystery, it is my favorite of the Lucy series so far! During their time in England, the girls meet an Earl, and book 2 has them going back to England, to his estate.More than just a closed room mystery, this second Lucy mystery looks at appearances and how they can be deceiving. An interesting set, this set is a good intro the Lucy series, especially for those looking for reading to pass the mandated home time, and it on special this week!

I requested this on Netgalley purely because I loved the cover - kitsch and cliched it is so cute!</p>

Both of these mysteries are slow burners. Agatha Christie style, there is lots of build up and then a big reveal at the end.

<p>Of the two, my favourite was <strong>English Tea Murder</strong> as the mystery was more complex and the characters' motivations seemed more believable.</p>

Lots of British history and cultural references in both books that are interesting and amusing. The idea that Lucy would actually see someone in a bowler hat on the Tube made me smile as having lived my whole life in London I haven't never once seen this!

Lucy and her friends are a great and I really warmed to the characters. I would like to read some of the books set in the US for comparison.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for adigital copy of these great mysteries in return for an honest review.

With British Murder, you get not one, but two murder mysteries! It’s #17 and #23 in the Lucy Stone series. It’s the first time I read books in this series and they’re OK as standalones. The first story was an entertaining plot. Well, it mostly felt like a travel journal with the characters visiting England, from London to Brighton, Bath and Stonehenge. Lots of sightseeing and shopping going on, so much so that at some point you can almost forget there’s an investigation to conduct. But I did enjoy revisiting my own English adventures through the protagonists wandering. And if you felt as though the storyline sounded more like some chicklit with Americans discovering England, fret not, you actually get a somber murder mystery with twists and turns in the last quarter of the storyline. Just enjoy the tourism part, it gets super serious afterwards. As for the second book, Lucy and her friend are staying in a manor that’s somewhat reminiscent of the lifestyle depicted in Downton Abbey. The plot didn’t catch my attention as much the first one, but I did enjoy the description of this outlandish world where the owners try to maintain an outdated way of life. You really get a sense of britishness, which is I believe what the author aimed at: some (dangerous) escapism for the American female leads.

This volume includes two books, each one set during a visit to England by Lucy Stone and friends. The small-town reporter finds herself mixed up with murder in both cases -- once on a college-based tour led by an old flame, and once while staying at a state home.
In both cases, we get insights into relationships at home and abroad, a nicely constructed cozy mystery, and a travelogue like a friend describing her trip. Local color, well-crafted stories, and interesting characters make both novels satisfying reads.

Princess Fuzzypants here: This is a Lucy Stone double-header with two mysteries both set in Jolly Old England. But with Lucy you know it is going to be a bad day for someone. In the first story it is a college professor who is leading a group on a tour to London. He dies on the plane and Lucy spends the remainder of the book trying to figure who killed him and why. That is when she is not grousing about English history.
It turns out the prof is not a very nice guy and he did something that had serious implications for many of the tour members. It is a good mystery with lots of backstory that fills in both the who and the why..
In the second story Lucy accompanies her friend Sue to England to visit a Manor and an Earl whom she met in the previous story. There are two bodies in this tale and a complicated mystery of shenanigans going on under the noses of the aristocracy. Again there is plenty of social commentary of things British, not necessarily wrong but somewhat jarring in the midst of the story. Still and all both stories were entertaining and well worth the read.
Four purrs and two paws up.

This was a nice two book set from the Lucy Stone series. Although I've read both before, I still found them interesting. This series is well-written and I have enjoyed watching Lucy's family grow as well as the other characters.

I love Tinker's Cove and do wish that I could visit there. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.