Now that I see there are a bunch of books where Lucy solves a mystery things make more sense….

Positives: The narrator matches characters. I could tell straight away that the narrator was older than me. I don’t often read books where the main character is closer to my moms age than mine.
Definitely would describe it as a Cozy mystery. No big scares or tons of tension.

Not so positives (for me)
Some odd pronouncing thermometer for example was said as therm-oh-meet-er but I’ve always heard it pronounced ther-mom-et-er

The climate change mentions over and over are tiring.
The dog dying felt like it took a lot of pages, and didn’t really matter in the story. *I see now if you’ve read the series you could have a connection to the dog but this was the first book I picked up and I certainly was not attached to the dog and I’d felt out of place*

I am always surprised at how the reporter Lucy is allowed by the police to be on the crime scenes and take photographs and be so involved. Maybe this also is a normalcy since she seems to have solved many mysteries??

The main reason I chose to read this book is because I am a sewist and love little nods to sewing. There was absolutely zero lingo which was unfortunate. I Elias really hoping for a little not to my niche.

I think my personal tastes do not run to modern day books.

I’’ve read several Lucy Stone books and love them all. This was no exception. I love how Lucy’s love for her family and friends is evident in all her books. Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review

Patchwork Quilt Murder is the thirtieth book in the Lucy Stone cozy mystery series. Once again we join Lucy Stone, the reporter for the local Tinker’s Cove paper, and she’s on another case. The new local community center is the main topic of discussion in town, some people all for it and others against it. The director of the community center, Darleen, is causing as much uproar as the community center itself. When she turns up murdered, there are no shortage of suspects. As Lucy looks into the case, she uncovers more than just a murderer.

I have read this whole series and have always had mixed feelings about it. I’ve grown to like most of the characters and the Tinker’s Cove setting, but all of the political issues and controversial topics that are addressed in these mysteries have always annoyed me. They were easy to ignore in the earlier books, but at least in this book, I feel like every other page is pushing a different topic. Be it climate change, global warming, gun rights, environmental concerns, the use of air conditioning, or mental health, there is a plug for all of these in this book. I know these are all important topics and that’s not the part that bothers me, it’s the fact that, for me anyway, the amount they are talked about completely takes away from the mystery and story. Anyway, I’m done ranting about that. For most of this book I swore I was going to give this one or two stars instead of three, but I did enjoy the ending and how everything finally wrapped up so I guess I left this book on a good note. I’m committed to this series at this point and will keep reading any new books, at least at this point, but these newer books in the series have changed a lot from when we first met Lucy.

This is the 30th book in the long-standing Lucy Stone mystery series. I haven't read them all, but each time I pick up a Lucy Stone mystery, it's like reconnecting with an old friend. I am always happy to pick up wherever I find Lucy in her life. As a recent empty nester myself, I can relate to her friendships, relationships with her kids, and her life in general than other series which I have read. I think this could easily be read as a standalone novel.

This mystery is first about miscellaneous body parts showing up in remote areas of town, and then about the greater mystery of whom they belong to. Lucy Stone is a local reporter in her small town in Maine, and somehow always ends up finding a body or being drawn into helping solve the mystery. I enjoyed this story from start to finish, and I have to admit, I didn't see the twist at the end coming (all I'll say about that).

I think this series is a fun one to read and I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery. I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrator.

Book Title: Patchwork Quilt Murder
Series: Lucy Stone Mystery Book #30
Author: Leslie Meier
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Coleen Marlo
Publisher: Dreamscape Media - Kensington Cozies
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pub Date: April 23, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pages: 268

This is Book #30 in the Lucy Stone Mystery Series. Although I have not read the twenty nine before this, I have read several and they were all an enjoyable read.
When I read my first my comment was “What a fun nice surprise, looking forward to another [author: Leslie Meier|138662] story.

Lucy Stone is a part-time reporter in the tiny seaside village of Tinker’s Cove Maine.
She and hubby Bill are now ‘empty-nesters’ as their four children are all adults.

Lucy and Bill are both still working and Lucy is close to her boss Ted and his wife Pam. Currently they are worried about their son Tim who's recovering from an attempt at suicide. He was working in an art gallery after he earned his Master’s Degree from Yale. He moved back home Tinker’s Cover after his attempt. Decided work would help so is working as the janitor at the new Civic Center.

Many residents are upset that the center has gone over budget even more upset that Darleen the new director is making such a very high salary. She has great plans for the place.
As a reporter Lucy interviews Darleen regarding the opening. Lucy is very impressed with the facility. As she is heading out the door, Lucy over hears Darling scolding someone regarding being late. It is Tim and he states he isn’t late as he was cleaning the trash in the parking lot. Darleen continues to berate Tim for not doing his job properly.
This certainly changed Lucy’s opinion of Darleen’s managerial skills.

However, Darleen continues to pick on Tim and questions his cleaning skills.

The next thing - Tim goes missing, his mother and father are at wits end as the police aren’t taking it seriously.
A week late a dog walker finds what appears to be a human foot. Police are called then the medical examiner. She reports that the foot is a size 8 female foot which has been severed and kept in a freezer.
Everyone is now fearful that body parts are going to be appearing in various spots in Tinker’s Cove – which is true.

When Darleen doesn’t return from her vacation in San Diego’ Lucy does some snooping.
When she is found dead Tim becomes a suspect.

I do love a good cozy mystery; this story touches some heavy issues – Global warming, mental health, depression/suicide, and dementia as well as issues involving an aging population.
Author, Leslie Meier did a super job dealing with these issues. Plus audiobook narrator Colleen Mario is a great audiobook performer and is fabulous in performing the characters!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this early audio edition.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 23, 2024.

⭐️ REVIEW ⭐️

Thank you #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for allowing me to listen to #ThePatchworkQuiltMurder by Leslie Meier.

⭐️ Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

Note: This is book 30 of A Lucy Stone Mystery.
🗓️ COMING SOON - RELEASE DATE: April 23, 2024 🗓️

Synopsis: “When a community center opens in town, many embrace it as a space where locals of all ages can gather and create. Others view it as a waste of taxpayer dollars. The director, Darleen Busby-Platt, is no less controversial. Intense and showy, Darleen has huge plans for her new role. But Lucy Stone believes the woman isn’t exactly as warm hearted—or qualified—as she seems. That hunch deepens when Darleen and a young employee vanish...and dismembered remains appear!

With lots of clues and few concrete answers, Lucy rushes to connect loose ends. First, there’s the disappearance of Tim Stillings, a troubled twenty-something who endured harsh treatment on the job. Next, there’s Darleen herself, who made fast enemies as the highest-paid resident in Tinker’s Cove. Finally, there’s Darleen’s rich ancestry and ties to heirlooms worth either a fortune or nothing at all.

The closer Lucy gets to the facts, the more she realizes that solving this murder depends on the lies. Because the truth rests somewhere between wild rumors, a trusted friend’s emotional new sewing project, and the authenticity of a mysterious three-hundred-year-old patchwork quilt. And Lucy must piece together the big picture—before she becomes part of crafty killer’s deadly design...“

My thoughts: If you are looking for a cozy murder mystery with small-town charm, look no further! I loved the narration of this audiobook format, and think it would be a good read in physical or ebook format as well. The story was interesting and kept my attention; however, I was able to guess some of the twists before they were revealed. If you are drawn to small town drama, a tale of missing persons and body parts popping up around town, and a newspaper reporter with a side of detective, give this one a listen 🎧📖🔖🤓

The new community center opens in the middle of a heatwave in Tinker's Cove. Most are happy about it, while other think it's a waste of money. When the less than beloved director, Darleen, and a young employee with PTSD who has been struggling lately, Timothy, disappear and dismembered remains appear, Lucy digs deep to find clues to try to piece together what happened.
This cozy mystery is book 30 in the Lucy Stone Mysteries series. I haven't read them all, but you don't have to read them all (or in order), because each book has it's own "case". Of course, there are recurrent characters that will evolve over time, but you won't get major spoilers. I have to admit that I was not a bit fan of the last book I've read in the series (book 29, Mother of the Bride), and I was afraid I was just about done with this series. But Lucy was much better in this one (I thought she was impossibly annoying in the book before), and I really enjoyed myself! Koodos to Leslie Meier for getting a few tears out of me with the loss of a beloved character. And the narrator did a great job.
I received an advance copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review volutarily.

I love the setting and I really enjoyed the story but I found the majority of characters quite unlikable. When chatting the characters looked down on a job as a janitor which I didn’t like. The handling of mental health was quite uncomfortable, often being called ‘crazy’ and someone’s depression bringing his parents down. I enjoyed the writing and story enough that I’d try the series again and I really liked the narrator.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great as always. Somewhere along the way Lucy and her friends became super judgey, or maybe I just have picked up on it in the past few books. I used to love the family dynamics in the series but by now, they are all grown and it just seems like people who know each other and not the tight knit feel it used to have. I’m not sure I’ll continue this series but I do miss the old books and will definitely reread them.