lizf's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
constancepsych's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-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? No
3.0
It was sufficient, not one of the better ones I’ve read from this author unfortunately. I have found there are not a lot of Thanksgiving books out there and was hopeful about this. Love this author, just not a fan of the plot in this one.
cbsundance's review
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
tle_1994's review
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
katkinney's review
5.0
Back to Tinker’s Cove for more Lucy Stone and her Down East Maine adventures! It’s nearly Thanksgiving. Lucy is expecting her son Toby and his college roommate to return. That means lots of cooking, kicking her oldest daughter out of his room, and getting the house ready. Plus there are visits to the turkey farm, turkey art projects, yummy recipes, and of course those town council meetings that always cause trouble. This time around, it’s first about Cujo the dog who has been eating dozens of chickens. (You just have to laugh at the characters in this scene.) Then the town is divided over allowing a casino to be built. This one is a whirlwind with Thanksgiving chaos, appearances by all the Tinker’s Cove locals, and of course, a murder for Lucy to solve. I was completely laughing at the turkey kitchen scene because who wouldn’t have freaked out and thought to do the same? Loved this one!
katiewrites's review
3.0
I flew through this book. The characters pulled me in and held me there, giving me a tour of their lives and getting me excited and nostalgic for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Honestly, the concept of a Thanksgiving mystery is unique, but the way Meier wrote it, it feels obvious. It makes me wonder why more people don’t tackle this theme of family stress and the painful aspects of American history in more mysteries.
Mild Spoilers begin here, though I don’t give away who did it.
The reason I give it three stars is because there wasn’t as much mystery as I was hoping for. The murder doesn’t even occur until over halfway through the book, and it didn’t feel like Lucy really SOLVED the mystery by the end. I did appreciate the time she took to look at how the victim’s death affected the community and those close to him, something that has always kinda bothered me about other murder mysteries. Lucy felt bad for his death, even teared up over it even though she didn’t know him that well. Still, I’d think of this more as a thriller than a mystery, but I know others would disagree with me and I’m okay with that. I will admit, one of the red herrings had me convinced.
The biggest things that pulled me out of the story while I read it were the occasional typos I saw (I was reading an older edition, so maybe those have been fixed in other releases), and how much of a jerk Bill was sometimes. He wasn’t very sympathetic to Lucy at all, and he served more as an obstacle than support for her. Makes me kinda wish Lucy would leave him for some dashing detective, but maybe reading other books in the series where he’s in it more would convince me otherwise.
Overall, it is a cozy book that attempts to be as inclusive and empathetic to Native American cultures as possible, and is relatable for the holiday stress. The mystery is intriguing, the characters are lively and lovable, and the world felt alive and familiar. I’d like to visit it again in other books; I’m just hoping there is a bit more mystery in the other installments.
Mild Spoilers begin here, though I don’t give away who did it.
The reason I give it three stars is because there wasn’t as much mystery as I was hoping for. The murder doesn’t even occur until over halfway through the book, and it didn’t feel like Lucy really SOLVED the mystery by the end. I did appreciate the time she took to look at how the victim’s death affected the community and those close to him, something that has always kinda bothered me about other murder mysteries. Lucy felt bad for his death, even teared up over it even though she didn’t know him that well. Still, I’d think of this more as a thriller than a mystery, but I know others would disagree with me and I’m okay with that. I will admit, one of the red herrings had me convinced.
The biggest things that pulled me out of the story while I read it were the occasional typos I saw (I was reading an older edition, so maybe those have been fixed in other releases), and how much of a jerk Bill was sometimes. He wasn’t very sympathetic to Lucy at all, and he served more as an obstacle than support for her. Makes me kinda wish Lucy would leave him for some dashing detective, but maybe reading other books in the series where he’s in it more would convince me otherwise.
Overall, it is a cozy book that attempts to be as inclusive and empathetic to Native American cultures as possible, and is relatable for the holiday stress. The mystery is intriguing, the characters are lively and lovable, and the world felt alive and familiar. I’d like to visit it again in other books; I’m just hoping there is a bit more mystery in the other installments.
rondabain's review
3.0
A bit anticlimactic but I just love the series so off to the next Lucy Stone.
acrock31's review
3.0
it took a bit to get to the murder but it was a good cozy seasonal mystery book