This is a grouping of 2 of the Leslie Meier Lucy Stone books. I have enjoyed these books and was disappointed to find this was not a new book. It's book 17 and 23 in the series grouped together. It seems like an odd grouping as the books are not in order in the series.

At any rate I have spent years enjoying the Lucy Stone books and would recommend these to anyone who hasn't tried this series before.

This is actually 2 books in one. I enjoyed the second book, British Manor Murder better than the first book. Having traveled to England I enjoyed the accuracy of the setting of the different places in each book. This is a true cozy mystery and if you like this type of book then this one is for you.

This book felt like I hit the jackpot - I was able to read two books for the price of one. English Tea Mystery was originally published in 2011. British Manor Mystery was originally published in 2016. The publisher has now combined them into a single volume - making for a longer, but still enjoyable, read

The first book has the reader joining an academic trip to Britain. Much of the book reads more like a travel guide than a cozy mystery. Without the murders, the book could almost be used as the itinerary for a week-or-two visit to England. The country was beautiful. It would be nearly a perfect trip except when Professor George Temple, the group’s leader, died on the group’s flight from New York to London. Lucy Shaw and her travel companion, Sue Finch, would continue to question the death for the entire trip. It was not quite the experience they had signed up for

The second book arises because of a brief contact that Sue had made during that first trip. Lucy was depressed - her family was growing up and moving away. To pull her out of her depression Sue invites her to join her on a trip back to England to display portions of her hat collection in a curated display at Moreton Manor, the ancestral home of Perry and Poppy. It went well until bodies started popping up in unlikely places - the very center of a complex maze located on the property and behind the walls of a hidden room that could only be discovered by following the smell or counting the windows on the outside of the manor’s tower. Lucy was again going to discover that murder does not make a great vacation.

Two well-written cozy mysteries make for a fun week of reading. Unless the reader or library already has one or both of these books in their collection, this book would make a good addition to that collection.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

solid 3 stars

I didn't realise that there would be two stories and that this wasn't a standalone book. I got confused at the beginning by the appearance of so many characters at once, but quickly shelved them one by one. The book itself was the definition of cosy mysteries and I quite like it. Lucy was an enjoyable character and the cases were quite interesting. IMO, it can be trimmed a bit, but that is my only complain reading it.

Description
Lucy Stone’s hometown of Tinker’s Cove, Maine, is where her heart is. But traveling to merry old England brings delightful adventure—along with a helping or two or murder—in these beloved mysteries . . .

ENGLISH TEA MURDER
A trip to England, sponsored by Winchester College, sounds practically perfect to Lucy Stone—until the tour leader suffers a fatal asthma attack mid-flight. Lucy suspects some very unnatural causes, but luckily, she packed her sleuthing skills. Between stops for afternoon tea, visits to historic sites, and catching up with an old flame, she’s ensnared in a daring scheme. But will it lead her to a criminal mastermind—or ensure that she’s the next victim?

BRITISH MANOR MURDER
Lucy can’t wait to join her friend Sue for a gala hat show at the English country house owned by the Earl of Wickham. But at Moreton Manor, there are secrets—and some unpleasant relatives—lurking among the elaborate chapeaus. When a bludgeoned body is found in a hidden room, Lucy must sift through friends and family foes to find the low-down killer stalking the upper crust, before more blue blood runs red . . .

My Review
British Murder consists of two stories - "English Tea Murder" and "British Manor Murder" both of which are great stories. In the first book, Lucy finds herself traveling to England where the travel guide an adjunct professor dies mid-flight. To make matters worse the replacement guide is an old flame. Lucy definitely has her hands full. Will she solve the mystery? Definitely get the book to find out, you will not be disappointed. In the second book, Lucy and Sue visit Moreton Manor and of course things get hairy when a bludgeoned body is found in a hidden room. Filled with secrets and drama this is by far my most favorite.

This ARC was provided to me in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you Kensington and Netgalley. A definite winner!!

I received a copy of this via NetGalley in return for an unbiased review. Confusingly it wasn’t clear that there were two books in one. I thought it was progressing super slowly...

Anyway, this book started out well - there was a lot of detail about London. It did seem very odd that a college runs a school trip abroad for 4 students, plus their parents, and then 4 others (one who teaches a class there and her three friends)... I mean if you can only run a trip by bringing family and some other very tangentially connected adults? I did wonder - as another reviewer seems to have done - whether this was to help the author write off a visit as a business expense. It was hard to warm to most of the characters, in particular the teens and Quentin. The “bonus” murder at the end felt a little like filler, and all wrapped up too quickly.

The second book sees Lucy return to England with Sue, as a result of a chance encounter Sue had with an Earl in the British Museum, during the English Tea Murder book. This was marginally better with characters and plot, though I’m a bit confused how in one breath Lucy and Bill are worried about college fund money, and in the next she’s flying to England...

As cosy mysteries go, they’re about par for the course - fairly light and not taxing to the brain. But I can’t say I really connected with any of the characters, so probably won’t be trying any others in the series.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45862554-british-murder

This book is a combination of two books that have been previously released: English Tea Murder and British Manor Mystery. Since I hadn't read either before, I was happy to dive in. The first book sends Lucy Stone to London with her three breakfast friends (Sue, Pam and Rachel) along with 8 people from the local college and their guide, an adjunct professor. It was quite distressing for the group when the guide dies mid-flight due to anaphylactic shock, even though a doctor on the tour injected him with an epipen. The tour carries on with a new guide, Quentin Rea, the lecturer Lucy came close to have a relationship with back in "Back to School Murder". There's detailed description of all the places in London the group visits, which was enjoyable to read as I have seen some of them myself.

In the second book, Sue is invited to come and stay at Moreton Manor. She takes Lucy with her. Moreton Manor is the home of Perry, an earl of the realm that she had met in the previous book at a display of hats at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Manor is a tour site, and Perry plans a display of his historic hat collection, along with some of Sue's favourites. This book was an enjoyable look at the life of the aristocracy in the modern world, when money is tight but the lifestyle must be maintained. Lucy and Sue witness some events which were a little personal for them to see, but the family didn't stop themselves from arguing or revealing secrets in front of them.

I enjoyed both of these books very much, and I find the plots are getting better in the later books. Well done, Leslie Meier!

Many thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy.

I always like reading Leslie Meier’s books about Lucy Stone and her friends/ family. It was awesome to get two novels in one book! The first one I feel needs some “Trigger Warnings (TW)”- death of a baby and a suicidal person. The first book is about Lucy and her trip to England and tours around the country side. Someone dies aboard the flight and she has to figure out if it was accidental or not. It is a fun fast read with good twists. The second book is another trip to England with Sue and they find 2 dead bodies. This book has more of the “upper-crust” in it and is mostly all around an Earl’s country “home.”

Leslie Meier's British Murder is a combination of two previously published Lucy Stone books - English Tea Murder and British Manor Murder.

English Tea Murder finds Lucy and her pals traveling to England with a college tour group. When their guide dies mid-flight, a replacement is sent and the trip goes on as scheduled but when Lucy begins to suspect that the guide's death was more than just a tragic accident, she discovers there may be a connection to the grand dame of mysteries, Agatha Christie!

In British Manor Murder, Lucy and Sue return to England to visit Sue's friend, Perry, Earl of Wickham. Soon after their arrival not one but two dead bodies are found in the manor home, and Lucy must discover who the culprit is before anyone else meets an untimely death.

Another great anthology starring Tinker Cove's star reporter! A+++

British Manor Murder is #27 in the Lucy Stone series. It is an omnibus that includes English Tea Murder and British Manor Murder. I have previously reviewed both of these titles and thus they have been copied into this review.

Lucy Stone’s hometown of Tinker’s Cove, Maine, is where her heart is. But traveling to merry old England brings delightful adventure—along with a helping or two or murder—in these beloved mysteries . . .


ENGLISH TEA MURDER

A trip to England, sponsored by Winchester College, sounds practically perfect to Lucy Stone—until the tour leader suffers a fatal asthma attack mid-flight. Lucy suspects some very unnatural causes, but luckily, she packed her sleuthing skills. Between stops for afternoon tea, visits to historic sites, and catching up with an old flame, she’s ensnared in a daring scheme. But will it lead her to a criminal mastermind—or ensure that she’s the next victim?

MY THOUGHTS:

If Lucy Stone wasn't nervous at being at least seven miles high in the air while flying to London, on a sponsored trip by Winchester college, when a fellow passenger suddenly drops dead, she certainly is now.

The man that died was tour leader, George Temple. The cause of death was apparently an asthma attack, but, as always, Lucy seeks to see if there was anything else at play here. So, par her natural course, Lucy acts as amateur sleuth yet again.

When in London, Lucy runs into someone from her past - and a man that has sparked her interest - Quentin Rea. Lucy has no business being drawn to Quentin as she is married to Bill, and is the mother of four, and is also now a grandmother.

Not only must Lucy ignore Quentn's overtly flirty behavior, she begins to notice other odd activity among other members of the group that are part of the tour. Strangely enough, just about everyone on the tour has some type of connection to the victim. When it is discovered that there was a real motive for revenge, then Lucy gets even closer to the cause. After another tour member dies, Lucy realizes that she just have to dig deeper and that she might have an idea as to what has happened. Can she prove her ideas, or will this place her in grave danger?

English Tea Murder was a quick read. I wasn't too keen on Lucy being tempted by Quentin, but I guess as it it can be human nature, it was understandable. However, there was enough intrigue to keep the story rolling at a great pace. I look forward to continuing the series.


BRITISH MANOR MURDER

Lucy can’t wait to join her friend Sue for a gala hat show at the English country house owned by the Earl of Wickham. But at Moreton Manor, there are secrets—and some unpleasant relatives—lurking among the elaborate chapeaus. When a bludgeoned body is found in a hidden room, Lucy must sift through friends and family foes to find the low-down killer stalking the upper crust, before more blue blood runs red . . .

MY THOUGHTS:

Every now and again, Lucy Stone manages to get trips out of the country. That is the case in the next book in Leslie Meier's series. She will be joining best friend Sue and is heading to England. This is not her first time in the UK, but this time her objective is different. She is to attend a hat exhibition at an exclusive manor. Unfortunately for Lucy, wherever she is, there is always a body found. That is indeed the case at this time.

Our intrepid amateur sleuth cannot simply plow and and solve this as she has done countless times before. She is in rather an exclusive manor and they are honoring traditions from times of the past. So Lucy really has to be on her Ps and Qs this time around.

British Manor Murder was a light read, and not one of my favorites in the series. I am always glad to read these books, however, because as a whole, this is a great series. Having read all the books in order has made Lucy, husband Bill and their four children (now adults) very dear to me. I think I like Lucy better in her town of Tinker's Grove, Maine. When she heads out of the country and tries to solve murders, I rather lose interest.

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

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is the first of this author that I have read. I loved it! It is actually two stories, both take place in England and the details are fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

When I saw a new Lucy Stone Mystery was available on Net Galley, I got excited. I wanted to read it right away. So much I scurried to the library and Amazon to catch up on the series. I read Silver Anniversary Murder and Invitation Only Murder followed by British Murder in 13 days. After a serious read-a-thon to catch up it was disappointing to discover a British Murder was not a new Lucy Stone book. It was in fact a compilation of two previously published Lucy Stone Mysteries. Composed of English Tea Murder and British Manor Murder at 448 pages this is a lengthy book. 


I felt the first offering English Tea Murder dragged on. Taking inspiration from Agatha Christie the plot was predictable but entertaining. I find the Lucy Stone Mysteries where she is traveling with friends to be much more bearable. Meier dates the Lucy Stone Mysteries with a stagnant tone and style. Lucy’s husband Bill is old-fashioned and for lack of better words a jerk. His character really detracts from the books. 

I can say the same about British Manor Murder. The plot dragged on. Lucy usually solves the murder only to have another plot twist at the very end. As a cozy reader can irritate to have a second plot twist out of left field. 

The main issues with English Tea Murder and British Manor Murder is that after the conclusion Meier murders another character to add a plot twist and resolution. I feel the editor should have trimmed down some filler. The ending would have fit better with more information on the killer rather than filler. I also feel in that respect it made the books somewhat similar. 


The subplot of Lucy missing her grandson in British Manor Murder was unbearable. I get that someone can miss a family member but she was borderline obsessed with him and it grew old fast. It was so uncharacteristic to be honest. Usually the only thing Lucy obsesses over is a murder she should not be investigating. 


I read my first Lucy Stone Mystery many years ago. In fact, it was one of my first cozy series. I have stuck it through and I will to the end like I did with the Goldy Schulz books. What has always detracted from my enjoyment of these books is the self absorbed and rude behavior of the characters Lucy included. 

It feels like Meier had tried as the latter volumes have been less judgemental. The characters say/think outright rude things. The characters in these books are flawed and stale. It feels like Meier has slowly worked on Lucy’s character development. She is not the harried and passive wife she used to be but she needs to grow. So do the other characters. I much prefer the books where Lucy is traveling because many of the characters who need to evolve along with Lucy are not in them. 

In, both volumes the characters rudeness was over the top. Yelling. Saying things that were inappropriate.That is my main problem with the books no one has manners. 


Each book also had a second murder added late in the book. I feel there was useless dialogue and not enough action to show us the how and why. The red herring is always a giveaway with Lucy Stone because we get so much information. It barely mentions the actual killer. I looked back at my first remarks for the first Lucy Stone Murder and that has been an issue with the series all along. 

I will say this for the Lucy Stone Mysteries and those included in the British Murder they keep you guessing. Many cozies follow the same stale protocol and the killer is obvious early on. Because Meier does not play fair and make the killer a main character or minor player in most books you will not solve the mystery on your own. 

I enjoyed British Murder and despite my gripes with the books recommend them. I could not figure out who the killer was in British Manor Murder and this was my second time reading it. So if you like a mystery that keeps you guessing British Manor Murder is a good choice. I rated this book 3 out of five stars on Goodreads.

English Tea Murder by Leslie Meier

4.5 Stars

This is the seventeenth book in the Lucy Stone mystery series by Leslie Meier.

This book gives homage to one of the world’s most popular mystery writers, Agatha Christie. And in true Christie fashion, an American group going on a tour in London has a mysterious death during the plane ride to England. Their tour guide has trouble breathing and succumbs to anaphylactic shock due to a peanut allergy and dies. Lucy wonders if this death is more than it seems but the thought is pushed quickly out of her mind as she begins to enjoy the wonders of London. Mysterious accidents keep happening throughout the book and Lucy revisits her initial pondering about Tour Guide Temple’s death.

When you get to the end of this you will be in awe at how this book is a wonderful nod to Agatha Christie and done quite well, in my opinion. I enjoyed seeing all the sites of London while getting to know all the tour guide participants and wondering how this motley crew ever came together to begin with. Great fast read. And the mystery really keeps you on your toes too.

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.


British Manor Murder by Leslie Meier

4.5 Stars

This is the twenty-third book in the Lucy Stone series by Leslie Meier.

It was really cool to read these two books together. Having British Manor Murder right on the heels of English Tea Murder made so much sense! Just loving Lucy and her exploits the more I read through the series.

Lucy has traveled again to England with her friend Sue to visit the manor of an Earl who is having a hat show. When a dead body is found in a hidden room on the estate, Lucy finds the residents more than uneasy and then the corpse is identified as the handmaiden of the Earl’s odd Auntie Millicent. But there are no tears for Carl or the tattooed man who was found dead in the maze. What exactly is going on here? This is a question I continually asked myself.

Great mystery and setting. Love these trips to England. I wonder if there are more than these two in the Meier collection of Lucy Stone stories. I will definitely have to check it out! Intrigued all the way through, for sure!

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Lucy Stone is one of my favorite characters. Every book In this series is entertaining and so is this one! I want to visit England so I always enjoy when licy gets to visit the land across the pond! Great book!

amateur-sleuth, murder, England, cozy-mystery, angst, depression, family-dynamics, friendship,

There are two novellas with British themes that appear to be a rebranding of previous publications.
ENGLISH TEA MURDER ***stars
As a travelogue of London and the area it was very nice, but as a cozy mystery not so much. It seemed like the first death was a medical misadventure but turned out to be murder. Lacked any real investigation and the characters were disappointing.
BRITISH MANOR MURDER***stars
This is apparently four years after the first in this book. Lucy is in a depression and doesn't want to hear her friends suggestions of her being in need of professional help. She does reluctantly agree to go with friend Sue to visit an acquaintance who has a mansion in England. Excellent word pictures of people and scenery, but the whole business of the British family's personal problems is rather mundane and makes it seem as if the steam has gone out of a series I used to enjoy.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley.

Fans of this series are in for a treat with this collection of two stories.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone series, set in Tinker Cove, Maine, is one of my very favorite cozy series. When I new one comes out, I eagerly read it almost right away. As a result, I was thrilled to see a copy of this new book on Net Galley.

Alas, while it's a new publication, it's not really new, but just a collection of two previously-released Lucy Stone mysteries, namely English Tea Murder, which was #17 in the series, and British Manor Murder, which was #23 in the series.

When I read both, I loved them. Even though I prefer the books set in Tinker Cove, occasionally it's nice to see a much-loved character venture out.

People who haven't read either of these two earlier Lucy Stone books will appreciate having her two British mysteries in one book. I rarely, if ever, re-read mysteries and so was disappointed in this instance, as these are good installments in the Lucy Stone series but not new installments.

I've read this series off and on and have always enjoyed Lucy's adventures in mystery solving. These involve her trip to the British Isles which makes a refreshing change from Tinker's Cove.

Set in the British Isles Lucy Stone from Maine once again solves murders. She’s alway comforting and enjoyable to read in any cozy mystery

My heart belongs to Lucy Stone! She is my favorite character, and believe me, there are plenty to choose from.
This book has 2 previous books, where Lucy ventures off to England finds herself involved in murder investigations.
Lucy is just such a down to earth person, full time wife and mother, part time reporter for her local Pennysaver newspaper, and friend to many.
These stories are written to show that Lucy is like most of us, settling arguments between the kids, cooking meals, and trying to keep up with her own life.
Her knack for solving mysteries is what makes her so likable.
I’m always excited to read any book that includes Lucy Stone.