Lucy travels to a remote island owned by a billionaire. She is planning to write a feature story about his life style. No electricity, no phones of any kind, no electronic devices, and no connection to the mainland except by scheduled ferry runs or the couple of boats kept by the owner. Living on the island is the billionaire, his wife, two sets of twins - the older set are girls by his first wife and the second set are much younger boys by his current wife - and a few assorted household staff and workers. It’s not long before Lucy discovers the body of one of girls, dead from a fall from a seaside cliff. And then, things really get bad. Lucy is caught up in a deadly game, and she will have to use all her wits with a large dose of luck to stay alive. It’s an exciting tale, and much darker than the usual problems Lucy deals with. Quite well written, it was thrilling to see Lucy in action to save herself while she convinced others where the real danger lay. ( )

A total page turner with a murder on an island. Keeps you guessing until the end. ( )

Lucy Stone is back in one of my favorite cozy mystery series! It’s summer in Maine. Her daughter Zoe is visiting from college, and she’s brought back a rather unsavory boyfriend. Because, of course. Lucy and Bill go out to an island ten miles off the coast where Bill has been restoring a property in an 1850’s style where the owners actually want to live an 1850’s style life. Or at least, the patriarch of the family does.

Delicious food descriptions of lobster bisque, a clam bake, goat milk recipes, yummy omelets… this was a yummy book! But of course, not everything is so perfect on the island, and when Lucy comes to stay for the night to write a story for the Pennysaver, murder isn’t far behind.

The change of scenery, while we were isolated from Tinker’s Cove and the usual cast of characters, was interesting. The suspense of being trapped away from the mainland with the killer and no boats to get back… super spooky. It reminded me a lot of an old time Agatha Christie novel… everyone trapped in an isolated place while the killer picks you off one by one. I also liked all the Maine details, especially the stuff about lobster boats and puffins!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
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Invitation Only Murder by Leslie Meier is the 26th A Lucy Stone Mystery. I have read every single A Lucy Stone Mystery and it has always been one of my favorite series. I like Leslie Meier’s conversational writing style which makes every story a pleasure to read. I have watched Lucy go from working a part-time job as a customer service rep at night while taking care of her four kids during the day to reporter at the Pennysaver with only two college aged kids at home. She has solved over two dozen mysteries, but this one is by far the most dangerous. After finding Parker Newman dead at the bottom of a seaside cliff, Lucy becomes stuck on an island with a killer. There is no way for them to contact the outside world once the island’s boat were discovered missing. Scott Newman purchased Fletcher’s Island and is only using technology available in the early 1900s (no cell phones, televisions, motorized boats, electricity). The story moved along at a steady pace as Lucy helps out in the kitchen, explores the island, spends time with Scott Newman’s twin boys, and attempts to narrow down the suspects. Most readers will have no problem identifying the culprit before the reveal. I kept hoping for a twist to surprise me. Lucy came across as judgmental in Invitation Only Murder. I can certainly understand her views considering the island residents, but it was unlike Lucy. I also did not understand the attitude of some of the island’s residents. If I was on an isolated island with a killer, I would do whatever it took to get help. I did enjoy the foggy atmosphere of the island which made it feel spooky (great atmosphere for a mystery). Invitation Only Murder was disappointing to me. It felt different from the other books in this series. I missed Tinker’s Cove and its residents. The story lacked that cozy feel that I love in the Lucy Stone mysteries. It was interesting to learn about Puffins which nested on the island. If you have not read any of the other book in A Lucy Stone Mystery series, I do not suggest starting with Invitation Only Murder. I do, though, highly recommend reading this charming cozy mystery series with the intrepid Lucy Stone. Invitation Only Murder has impish twins, frightening fog, sniping sisters, a crazy killer and absence of contemporary conveniences. ( )

This is the 26th installment in the Lucy Stone series offers up an interesting twist on the traditional locked room mystery.

Lucy, a mother and a reporter for the Tinker's Cove, Maine newspaper, is back in Tinker's Cove, which I was happy about, after several recent books where Lucy has travelled. She and many other townspeople are invited to a party on a nearby private island lacking modern conveniences by the wealthy, yet eccentric, landowner. Afterwards, Lucy comes back to spend some time on the island, to write a story for the newspaper.

It's a murder mystery, so of course, there's a murder. Because Lucy, the owner's family, and those who work for them are stranded and can't return to the mainland, this becomes, essentially a locked room mystery.

While I enjoyed this one, as usual, this had a creepier feeling than most cozies.

The Leslie Meier books featuring Lucy Stone are among my favorite cozies. This is a fine addition to the series. Recommended to cozy fans.

(I received a copy from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.) ( )