Name: Valentine Murder
ISBN: 9781575664996

Leslie Meier

Knee-deep in cupcakes with pastel frosting and candy hearts, Lucy Stone is shocked when new librarian Bitsy Howell is murdered and Detective Horowitz announces that the murderer is among them, so she casts aside her culinary concoctions to investigate and comes face to face with a killer

Valentine Murder

Sarah Sammis

The mystery of who killed Bitsy Howell is similar to A Midwinter's Tail by Sofie Kelly (2014). Both murders take place in essentially locked rooms with a limited number of suspects. As it's a board meeting, there are even fewer possible murderers. Yet both books take their time padding the plot with extraneous investigation on the assumption that it was done by an outsider. Both though ultimately hinge on what did the victim know about the murderer to lead to such a desperate act? 

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...

I really love these murder mysteries for Lucy Stone as a character. She has this cute little life in a town where she deals with normal problems and just happens to get wrapped up in murder mysteries along the way.

Is this the exceptional story telling that wins awards? Not really. But they are quick, fun and cozy stories to read that you know what you're getting before you open it. Definitely will continue with this series for the holiday related books, and seeing Lucy and her family grow up and change with the times.