Reviews

Eggnog Murder by Barbara Ross, Lee Hollis, Leslie Meier

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

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4.0

Eggnog Murder by Leslie Meier, Barbara Ross, and Lee Hollis contains three Christmas cozy mystery stories. Eggnog Murder by Leslie Meier is set in Tinker’s Cove, Maine. The Pennysaver is serving eggnog and cookies during the annual holiday stroll. Dorcas Philpott has a cup of the holiday brew and ends up dead. Who tampered with the eggnog? Lucy wants to find the killer and wrap up the investigation so she can enjoy the holidays with her family.

Death by Eggnog by Lee Hollis is a Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery story. Agatha Farnsworth is the town librarian that people dread talking to because she is extremely grumpy. At the annual Restaurant Association Christmas Dinner, Agatha enjoys a cup of eggnog. Unfortunately, it is her last. Hayley sets out to bag the killer.

Nogged Off by Barbara Ross is set in Busman’s Harbor, Maine. Julia Snowden ends up with an extra unwanted guest for Christmas. Julia goes to clean out her apartment and finds her tenant Imogen Geinkes in tears. Imogen just lost her job and boyfriend. Julia packs up everything in a truck and takes Imogen to her mother. The moving truck disappears and is found with Imogen’s ex-boyfriend dead inside. Julia wants to tie this investigation up quickly so she can enjoy the holiday with her family.

Eggnog Murder contained some cute stories. They are short and sweet. They are nicely written and good additions to each series. I did find the mysteries simple and easily solved. It is nice to catch up with the characters from the cozy mystery series that I enjoy reading. I give Eggnog Murder 4 out of 5 stars (I liked them). You can enjoy the stories even if you have not read the books in each series (you might find some new cozy mystery series to enjoy). Eggnog Murder will help put you in the mood for Christmas.

kimdavishb's review against another edition

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5.0

EGGNOG MURDER is three short cozy mysteries written by three talented mystery authors! I am most familiar with the Maine Clambake Mystery series written by Barbara Ross but have read a book or two, long ago, by both Lee Hollis and Leslie Meier. (I’ll admit I have several more of their books in my very large to read pile…one of these days soon…) All three authors have used their long-running series as the setting for each of the Christmas short mysteries. Even if you haven’t read any of their series before, the authors have expertly written their story to make you feel comfortable with the characters and you’ll want to know more about each of them after you’ve finished the last page!

One of the many things I enjoyed in this book was that the protagonists, Lucy Stone in EGGNOG MURDER by Leslie Meier and Hayley Powell in DEATH BY EGGNOG by Lee Hollis, are more “mature” women. Lucy is a grandmother already and Hayley is the single mom of grown children. Maybe because I’m at that, ahem, age, it’s refreshing to see such vibrant women portrayed who are willing to seek justice for others. Don’t get me wrong, Julia Snowden from NOGGED OFF by Barbara Ross, is a wonderful protagonist too! I’ve enjoyed following her story over Barbara’s four books (and soon to be five!) since the author has created a young woman who grows and develops with each book. It’s been exciting to see each new adventure Julia finds herself in :)

I also loved how each of the authors incorporated the theme of eggnog as the part of the murder, but in unique and creative ways. Who would have thought an iconic holiday drink could create such mayhem! Each of the well developed mystery plots, while short, still held my interest since none of them felt rushed and have plenty of suspects to keep you guessing. EGGNOG MURDER is the perfect book for pouring a cup of cheer, snuggling up in front of a roaring fire, and celebrating the spirit of Christmas!

Of course with both Christmas and eggnog as the theme of the 3 stories, numerous delightful holiday recipes are included such as drinks, appetizer and desserts! I made Missy's Eggnog Cookies from DEATH BY EGGNOG by Lee Hollis. These super easy and quick cookies were a cinch to mix up (even beginning cooks will be able to make these) and were oh so yummy!

arwoodrum's review against another edition

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3.0

Review for Leslie Meier's book only

Meier may be my favorite cozy author to read. The Lucy Stone books have a little something special about them that I can't name.

This one was soooo good and dare I say outside of the usual themes of cozy mysteries. But, the "big finale" was really out of left field and just... meh. But, it's a pretty short novella, so you can't complain too much.

jbarr5's review against another edition

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5.0


Eggnog Murder by Leslie Meier
This is a collection fo stories from different authors with the same theme: eggnog murders.
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Eggnog Murder by Leslie Neier
This story starts out with Lucy and her family that live and work in Tinker's Cove, Maine. I have read many in the series and enjoy them as they are not very graphic.
This one has a lot to offer as it's Christmastime in the small village and things are happening.
The community has a lot going on some to raise money for the charities the community donates to.
Love hearing all about the events and especially the charities. Lucy is feature reporter for the local paper and she helps to solve the murders in town.
Red bear santa club sounds like a good cause as they raise a lot of money. There are a few deaths and with Elizabeth coming home from Paris and the house already full it's going to be a challenge to get through it all.
Love hearing about the LBD and how it can be enhanced. Hope the story about PTSD gets written and things happen that can aid others.
Amazing who the culcprit was in this story as it points to many along the way.
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Death by Eggnog by Lee Hollis
First time reading this author so playing a bit of catch up with the characters.
Hayley works at the Island Times and she gets along with a crime reporter Bruce but they don't mesh all the time.
The town is having their annual restuarnt dinner where everyone brings their establishments best treats to sample. Some are allergic to nuts and some to dairy.
Nobody gets along with the 80 librarian but none wanted her dead either. Amazing that we have been to this town in Maine-Bar Harbor and enjoyed other places nearby: Jordan's Pond, Mount Desert, etc. Awesome place to find nature, outside and peace.
Lot of characters but easy to keep track of who is who and does what for a living. Has recipes.
Love how Hayley helps solve the mystery of who the murderer was. She does talk to a lot of others in town and asks a lot of questions.
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Nogged Off by Barbara Ross
First time reading this author and enjoyed the book. This one starts out with Julia and she's on her way from Maine to NY to close out her apartment that she sublet and will sell to her in a weeks time. Problem is when she arrives things don't go according to plan.
After they arrive back in Maine with the furniture and other belongings things go haywire and the truck and it's contents are stolen. Love haring of the town and especially the events that take place annually-what a treat!
Julia takes it upon herself to help solve the mystery of the murder and who it really is. So much information about identical twins-so fascinating to learn about this.
Good story line and hope to read more from this author. Enjoyed the characters.
I received this review book from The Kensington Books and this is my honest opinion.

aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

lizf's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

krystlekouture's review against another edition

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2.0

I really enjoyed story #3. The other 2 were too similar. Perhaps when writing a book together, make sure you're not writing the same thing? :)

cradlow's review

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mysterious

4.0

kshea1's review

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3.0

3 stars

This book provided the perfect entertainment for my annual day of rest, Dec 26 - three fun and festive stories!

judyward's review against another edition

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3.0

Okay, in the interest of full disclosure I have to admit that I hate eggnog, I don't understand the concept of eggnog, and I will never willingly drink eggnog. However, my beloved grandmother was a different story. She was totally against drinking EXCEPT when she made her, in her mind, famous eggnog for Christmas. It had so much bourbon in it that it took on a brownish tint and was only consumed by my grandparents, some of their Eastern Star and Masonic friends, and, unfortunately, my husband who sat and just smiled for hours while helping to empty the punch bowl. So when I saw this book in my local library, my first thought was "yes, I would gladly murder anyone who tries to make me drink eggnog." However, once I started reading and I discovered that it is a collection of three novellas themed around eggnog. I swallowed my distaste and realized that I enjoyed reading each of them.