The holidays have arrived again, and this time it's all about Easter. Three novellas packed into a single book - thanks to NetGalley - and I found myself laughing and investigating with three lovely heroines. Leslie Meier's Tinker Cove Mysteries, Lee Hollis's Bar Harbor Mysteries, and Barbara Ross's Julia Snowden Mysteries all take place in Maine, hence the collection. Easter Rabbits aplenty... including a bank robbery, a mystery guest living in a home where the owner is out of town, and a stolen golden egg. Great way to get to know the 3 amateur detectives and enjoy visiting the seaside towns as the winter is beginning to warm up. These are my fave books to read on a snowy Sunday morning, and that's what I got this weekend.

** “The Easter Bunny’s in the vegetable patch, and he’s dead!” **

“Easter Basket Murder” by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross offers three delightfully fun holiday-themed cozy mysteries all located in Maine.

In “Easter Basket Murder” by Leslie Meier, Tinker’s Cove is trying to figure out a way to increase business to local businesses that are currently struggling. Their solution? Shoppers receive an Easter egg sticker for every transaction over $10. After 10 stickers, they can enter to win a giant Easter basket, featuring several prizes including a lucrative golden egg sculpture by local artist Karl Klaus.

When the egg goes missing, reporter Lucy Stone digs into the theft while covering the story. Will she be able to figure out whodunnit, even when a suspect is seemingly revealed?

In “Death by Easter Egg” by Lee Hollis, after a recent theft at the bank, restaurant owner Hayley Powell stumbles upon a body while taking her grandson to the town’s Easter egg hunt. She decides to dig into the two cases, all while trying to figure out if there’s a connection … all while dealing with her visiting rambunctious 2-year-old grandson Eli.

In “Hopped Along” by Barbara Ross, Julia Snowden and her family are celebrating Easter at the family’s home when a mysterious stranger is found in their vegetable patch. But even stranger, he seemingly disappears. As Julia looks into the mystery man, she’s pulled into an odd case where you just can’t be sure who anyone is.

All three authors do a great job of creating fun stories with just enough clues to keep readers guessing. They include some fun moments as well as suspenseful times and great characters. Even though the stories are in three separate towns with separate characters, they work together well to create fun and tasty Easter-themed mysteries.

Fans of cozy mysteries, including series like Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series and Joanna Carl’s Chocoholic series will love “Easter Basket Murder,” which is due out Jan. 23.

Five stars out of five.

Kensington Cozies provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Easter Basket Murder is part of the Lucy Stone mystery series by Leslie Meier. It’s Easter time in Tinkers Cove and the businesses are putting on a promotional event to boost sales and raffle off an Easter basket. When the main prize goes missing, Lucy Stone, with her reporters instincts, ends up getting to the bottom of the theft. As always, I love visiting Tinkers Cove and Lucy. This was a fun, quick mystery that was everything I’ve come to expect from this series.

Death by Easter Egg is part of the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series. Hayley Powell’s grandson is in town for the annual Easter festivities and she’s excited to share these traditions with him. When the Easter bunny at the Easter egg hunt turns up dead, Hayley is on the case, ready to search out the killer. I have a read a few Hayley Powell mysteries I’ve the years, mostly the seasonal ones in these three book holiday specials, and have grown to love the town Hayley lives in. I am also a fan of Hayley as our MC and enjoy the way that she solves the cases. Overall this was a good Easter themed mystery!

Hopped Along is part of A Maine Clambake Mystery series by Barbara Ross. It is Easter and Julia Snowden and her family are celebrating the holiday at Windsholme, their mansion located on the same island as their family Clambake. During the Easter egg hunt, Julia stumbles across a dead body, but when she comes back with the crew the body is gone! Something keeps nagging Julia about this odd discover and she can’t stop looking into it until she’s unraveled the mystery.

I really love this series and am always excited to see a new mystery come out. The characters in this series are easy to get to know and easy to love. The mysteries are intriguing and easy to get wrapped up in and this combination makes for a perfect cozy mystery! As always, I can’t wait to see what comes next for Julia.

I always love the holiday themed novellas by these 3 authors. Each story is uniquely different all set around Easter. They all have familiar characters returning from their various series. Normally I do have a favorite, but I truly enjoyed them all. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #EasterBasketMurder

I enjoy cozy mystery books and when I saw this one had one of my authors, I knew it was going to be a good book.
These were three short cozy mysteries, and each had the theme of Easter.
I liked them all, but my favorite was the one written by Leslie Meier. I like the character of Lucy Stone and this one she was going to solve the mystery.
I have read short books by the other two authors, Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross and have enjoyed them as well.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the copy of Easter Basket Murder. This is my personal review.

Easter Basket Murder contains three cozy mystery novellas by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross. Easter Basket Murder by Leslie Meier was easy to read. It is nice to check in with Lucy Stone and her husband as well as her friends. Lucy and Bill are adjusting to life as empty nesters. The mystery does not happen until later in the novella and the resolution was rushed. The story lacked development. It is not my favorite installment in A Lucy Stone Mysteries. Death by Easter Egg by Lee Hollis has Hayley Powell dealing with her rambunctious grandson and a murder. I liked the flashbacks into Hayley’s life when she was raising her kids. I cringed while reading about the grandson’s tantrums and his destructive behavior. I understand how Hayley felt (my daughter went through the terrible two’s for over three years), and I like how Hayley resolved the problem by the end of the story. I enjoyed the fun mystery. Hopped Along by Barbara Ross is the 11.5 A Maine Clambake Mystery. Julia is a developed character as well as friendly and relatable. I like that we get to see how Julia’s new romance with a certain detective is progressing. We also get to catch up with the rest of the Snowden clan and their friends. This was a unique mystery. It was a little farfetched and complex for a novella, but I did enjoy it. It was a cute addition to this anthology and to the series. Easter Basket Murder has me thinking about Easter decorations and spring despite the chilly January temperatures.

I just love the themed holiday collection of novellas Kensington Publishing puts out and EASTER BASKET MURDER by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross is no exception. It’s such a fun way to catch up with favorite characters in between full-length releases or get to know a new author through the short novella without investing a lot of time. Each of the novellas is a complete mystery all on their own and I’m always amazed how the authors fit so much in with limited words.

Easter Basket Murder by Leslie Meier is part of the Lucy Stone Mysteries, and one that I haven’t read much of. I like that the protagonist, Lucy Stone, is a woman of a certain age, an empty nester, and still works as a part-time reporter for the local paper. When a golden egg, crafted by a local famous artist, is stolen, Lucy gets involved in discovering the thief. But instead of finding the egg, she uncovers heartbreaking elder abuse, infighting between the old guard and the new members of the Chamber of Commerce, and a dead body. The story started out slowly, but as the events piled up, the pace quickened. Ms. Meier does a good job of weaving in the Easter theme of the story throughout.

Death by Easter Egg by Lee Hollis finds protagonist Hayley Powell (owner of a local restaurant and newspaper columnist writer) hosting her son, future daughter-in-law, and her two-year-old grandson, Eli, for Easter week. The author obviously knows a thing or two about sugar-hyped up toddlers and writes the family scenes with humor…and making me very glad those toddler days are behind me. When the Easter bunny dies after eating peanut butter chocolate eggs—his EpiPen not found in the basket he was holding—Hayley can’t help but dig into what happened. The story flows and the fast-paced plot, interspersed with Hayley’s Easter reminiscing and cocktail and food recipes, kept me turning pages to find out what happens next while enjoying the close family setting and Easter festivities.

Hopped Along by Barbara Ross is probably my favorite of the bunch. Her characters have become like family over the course of the series and this plot had the most twists and turns to intrigue the reader. Set on protagonist Julia Snowden’s family island in Maine, on Easter Sunday, the author brings family and friends together to celebrate. When a top-hat, morning suit-wearing elderly man is found sprawled in the garden and then disappears leaving behind a stolen valuable rare copy of The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, Julia has a good idea where he’d been and where he might hide out. The action starts right away and continues at a good pace throughout the story. I really liked that Julia teams up with her boyfriend, State Police detective, Tom, to investigate. They work well together and I’ve enjoyed seeing their relationship progress. Be sure to read the heartwarming author’s note at the end, along with a recipe you’ll want to try out at home.

A great little collection of Easter cozy mysteries . I love holiday themed cozys and there are not many Easter's ones,

Thank you to netgalley for the chance to read and review this book

It was so good to see well loved characters in a novella. Wonderful way to catch up with favorites while waiting for the next book to come out.

Three short cozy mysteries by three favorites of mine. In Easter Basket Murder, a hand crafted golden egg is stolen putting reporter Lucy Stone hot on the trail. Love Tinker's Cove and the characters. Over at Bar Harbors annual egg hunt, Haley Powell is busy showing Eli her grandson the festivities. Until the East bunny is killed by a treat! In Hopped Along Julia Snowdon is busy when a dead body is discovered in the garden. Each of these is a treat for readers! Thanks#netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

This is an anthology based on the Easter theme. I was disappointed in Leslie Meier’s entry. It took too long to develop; the murder wasn’t until chapter 9 and then I felt it was rushed in the resolution.

I enjoyed the Lee Hollis entry even though I was on edge each time her grandson did something that was not addressed by his parents. Haley was placed in a precarious situation and I felt her pain as not wanting to be the bad guy. She raised her kids and must learn to let her children raise theirs. That being said, she can have ground rules for her grandchildren’s’ behavior in her home. The rest of the story was well-written and crafted. I found it uplifting and touching.

I also liked Barbara Ross’ entry. I found it uplifting when the resolution was revealed.

I cannot give the overall book a 5-star rating but definitely the last two stories deserve that rating.
I was given an advanced copy and am not required to leave a positive review.

EASTER BASKET MURDER BY LESLIE MEIER
I have read everything that Leslie Meier has written thus far, and have been so disappointed in her last few novellas and books, because the endings have been rushed to completion.

Regardless, I have continued to look forward to reading yet another Lucy Stone “mystery” …

This latest installment was also very disappointing, as it told a very lengthy, though well written story, with no murder until the end of chapter 9. The unraveling of the murder was quickly revealed in the next (and last) chapter. Again, I was left wanting more development, and thinking we could have been drawn deeper into the murder story throughout the book, rather than at the very end.
I honestly can't rate this book 5 stars as I would like, because of this first novella.

DEATH BY EASTER EGG BY LEE HOLLIS
It is always refreshing to catch up with the protagonist, Hailey Powell and the cast of characters written by brother/sister authors Lee Hollis.

I particularly enjoyed this novella, which has several flashbacks to Hailey’s earlier life with her first husband and small children. There is always an element of humor which I love.

The scene describing the destructive tantrums of her visiting grandson, and the total lack of attention by his parents was so real. It resonates with me, having experienced such behaviors many times in public, especially in restaurants. I liked how Hailey handled it by the end of the book.

The plot is most intriguing, and I couldn’t wait to find out who the murderer was. I did figure it out shortly before it was revealed, and laughed at the fact that I should have known much before that, because all the clues were there.

This novella is most enjoyable, and I am so glad to have read it.

HOPPED ALONG BY BARBARA ROSS
AMAZING PLOT, BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN!!!! What an intriguing story! One of the most inventive cozies I have read. I have to confess to being an avid Barbara Ross fan, and this book was of interest primarily because it contained a novella written by her.

I read this novella in record time, and was completely intrigued all along, as the story took twists and turns, as per usual with Barbara’s books.

This is the 11 ½ Maine Clambake Mystery, and we learn more about Julia Snowden’s love life, which is rewarding. Most of the beloved characters interact in this novella, and it is wonderful to catch up with them.

Readers will be intrigued right away with the story, and will be amazed at the ending. Again, the surprising endings are one of Barbara’s traits!

I most highly recommend this book, and all the previous books and novellas by Barbara Ross.

Thank you, Kensington Books and Net Galley for allowing me to read this book and post a personal review.

Three separate stories in one book. The first story, Easter Basket Murder by Leslie Meier, is another great edition in the Lucy Stone mystery series. As spring is trying to make an appearance in Tinkers Cove, Maine, the local Chamber of Commerce has come up with a promotion to spur more sales for local businesses. They put together a wonderful Easter basket full of goodies, including a golden egg made by local sculptor, Karl Klaus. All the townspeople are eager to have their chance to win this terrific prize after seeing the basket when the promotion is announced at the bank. But things, of course, don't go exactly as planned and before you know it, there's a mystery to solve ... and then another ... and another. For such a sleepy little New England town, there certainly is a lot of intrigue in Tinkers Cove. Lucy, of course, is doing her best to get the scoop on the happenings and tries to solve the mysteries. A really great read!
The second story is Death by Easter Egg by Lee Hollis and it was also a very good short cozy mystery. The story follows Hayley Powell, local food columnist and restaurateur, as she prepares for Easter with her family. Her son, Dustin, his girlfriend, Mackenzie, and their very rambunctious 2-year-old son, Eli, are staying with Hayley and her husband, Bruce, for the week leading up to Easter. While Hayley is somewhat frustrated by her grandson's energy level, the path of destruction he generally leaves in his wake, and his parent's hands-off approach to discipline, she is enjoying the visit as much as possible and is looking forward to the annual Easter egg hunt with Eli at the local school. She runs into the Easter Bunny himself just days before the egg hunt and things aren't looking good for the man who plays the bunny when there is a theft at the local bank where he works security. Things go from bad to worse at the egg hunt and, before you know it, Hayley is investigating a murder where there seems to be a large number of possible suspects. Can Hayley prepare for the holiday, keep her grandson from destroying her home and terrorizing her dog, prepare the holiday feast at her restaurant, figure out whodunnit, and stay safe and sane? Read this intriguing little tale to find out!
The third book is Hopped Along by Barbara Ross and it is a wonderful final book for this compilation. This was my favorite of the three books. The Snowden family is gathered on Morrow Island for Easter and everyone is enjoying watching Livvie's son, Jack, race around looking for hidden Easter eggs ... that is until he finds a body in the garden! Julia rushes to see what he found and sees a man who appears to be dead. She immediately goes to find her boyfriend, Tom Flynn, and her childhood friend, Jamie Dawes, both police officers, to get their assistance but when they return to the garden they find another surprise. One surprise leads to another in this intriguing tale that brings all the regular Maine Clambake mystery characters together. Barbara Ross does these shorter stories so very well and always manages to add a twist you just don't expect. An excellent read.

Really liked all 3 of these short stories. Each one was a good continuation of their respective series. I really like having the shorter stories with familiar characters from the series that I normally read.

These three authors always hit the holiday mystery genre out of the park and this trilogy is no different- well worth the read!

Wonderful stories by three top notch cosy mystery writers. These volumes are always a hit with our patrons.

A fun read of three of my favorite authors showcasing characters their fans will recognize. The first, the one the book title is taken from, features Lucy Stone, initially following up a story on a theft and ending with a murder. The second, by Lee Hollis, may have a murder to solve but deals up lots of laughs (and recipes) in the telling. I found the third, by Barbara Ross, more serious than the others and as her Julia Snowden is one of my all-time favorites, I particularly enjoyed it. My quick take on the individual stories follows.

EASTER BASKET MURDER, by Leslie Meier

This series is one of the few where the characters seem to age. As such, Lucy and husband Bill are now in the empty-nest part of parenthood with their children grown and living their own lives. Bill is rather cranky in this offering but, well, you'll probably sympathize with him as you read. I know I did. As a reporter, Lucy is covering the town's latest effort to raise needed funds. They involve, I bet you can guess, an Easter basket. A well-known but eccentric artist's work has been donated but, whoa, it's stolen. Even worse, right out of the bank where it's being displayed, leading to much chatter about how things have changed in Tinker's Cove. Lucy seems only mildly focused on covering the theft, more focused on other concerns and not feeling the urge to compete for a scoop. Then, whoa, a murder takes place. That certainly piques Lucy's interest but, to be honest, she winds up more or less solving this crime by happenstance. Still, it's a good story and you'll enjoy hanging out with Lucy and the rest. Well, maybe not Ted. See if you agree when you read.

DEATH BY EASTER EGG, by Lee Hollis

Death of the Easter Bunny, whoa. Hayley is just trying to keep her rambunctious, wild-child of a grandson out of mischief. She finds a dead body, instead. Small town Bar Harbor's annual Easter egg hunt sounds like a hoot, both from inattentive parents and children practically running wild. That said, while it made me chuckle, I'm glad I wasn't in charge. In any case, who'd kill the Easter Bunny, aka Raymond, the bank's security guy? Why? How hard is it to rob a security deposit box anyway? How does Eli's dumping his Baby Shark toy in the toilet create problems? So much going on. Just keeping up with Eli's mischief will keep you reading, albeit probably rolling your eyes in disbelief, so it's a fun read as Hayley snoops. Love her columns and, oh, my, lovely recipes, including for cocktails!

HOPPED ALONG, by Barbara Ross

I've always liked this series and came away liking it even more, if that is possible. Not only is Julia Snowden a very relatable character, one we'd like to have as a friend, her depth of caring even in the midst of a murder investigation is impressive. Her relationship with Tom, a detective with the State Police, seems solid and they work together well both as a couple and when gathering information. I wound up liking everyone in this story, even the ultimate killer, go figure. That shows Ross's talent as a writer when she can make us empathize with a killer. The story of how they got to be a killer is a unique one, too, and it's only Julia's unique observation powers that help unravel the truth. And, hey, romance is in the air! I'm already looking forward to where that goes in the next book, which is already in my "to be reviewed" stash. Make sure you read the author's "Dear Reader" notes at the end, too, as it'll give you insight into how she came to this story idea and some of those who helped along the way. It's a strong plot, bringing in several favorite characters and sharing some past background memories, too, as do all three stories in this book, so I'm betting you'll enjoy the read.

Bottom line, while I usually wind up wishing for more from these story collections, it's a satisfying, fun read. Ross's was my favorite, offering a more serious, thoughtful take on the prompt of "Easter basket" that she was probably asked to write to, but all were fun and character driven. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for letting me take this virtual trip to Maine and hang out with these intriguing characters and those that surround their lives.

I enjoyed catching up with 2 of the cozy mystery series that I follow and checking in one that only read it these combination novella editions. All are easy to follow plots and characters are interesting.

Book 1, Easter Basket Murder has 10 chapters featuring Lucy Stone of Tinker's Cove, Maine. A gold egg goes missing from a contest Easter Basket and Lucy is compelled to investigate as a reporter for the local paper. A fun time with Lucy.

Book 2, Death By Easter Egg has 15 chapters featuring Hayley and her bakery restaurant. Recipes are included. Who didn't know about Raymond's peanut allergy?

Book 3, Hopped Along features The Snowden's of Maine Clambake. When an old style Easter Bunny, in mourning clothes is found dead the concept of Easter Bunny stirs up controversy and possibly two rival bunnies. Fast paced twists and turns make it a quick 15 chapters.

I volunteered to read an ARC through Net Galley and thank you Kensington for access to do so.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley and Kensington Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

It’s Easter time in this collection of stories. You will get into the hoppity mood with these charming cozy reads by three top cozy writers.

You will enjoy seeing your favourite heroines battle their small town from criminal elements once again. It will get you mood for spring on this fuzzy murder read.

Five stars to the enjoyment I received for this book of novellas. I read all three series so that helped but someone new could follow it and hopefully go back to read the series in full.

The first story is with Lucy Stone by Leslie Meier. She's busy working at the paper and following local news stories, always looking for a breaking story. The community is preparing for Easter and to drum up local business, and Easter basket is put to win based on filling a card with stickers. Not all goes as planned when something goes missing but Lucy is on it. It resolves well at the end but in parts is a bit sad.

The second story is with Haley Powell by Lee Hollis. I love this series as it doesn't take itself too series and it always has something to make you laugh even with murder involved. Haley is busy trying to wrangle her grandson Eli while the parents aren't so attentive. It causes some funny and some frustrating moments. All resolves by the end with this one being a bit harder to guess.

The third is a Julia Snowden story but Barbara Ross. This is the most serious of the three as some sad parts are at play with the murder. It is not so easy to solve at least for me. All makes sense by the end and it is well told.