English Tea Murder

By Leslie Meier

A gripping Lucy Stone mystery, perfect for fans of cosy crime from New York Times bestselling author, Leslie Meier.

Newspaper reporter, amateur detective and mother of three, Lucy Stone, jumps at the chance of a girls' trip to London - it's an opportunity to take a break from her busy family life in the small town of Tinker's Cove, Maine. But when her tour leader, Professor Temple, dies mid-flight, Lucy's glad she packed her sleuthing skills . . .

And things don't get any easier when they land. Professor Quentin Rea, a ladies’ man and former flirt of Lucy’s, arrives to take over the tour and she finds that, while his hairline has receded, his amorous intentions have not. Lucy also begins to notice some peculiar behaviour among other members of the group, and when she discovers all of them have pasts connected to the late Professor Temple, she suspects his death was an elaborate act of revenge. Then another tour member dies, and Lucy is suddenly ensnared in a daring scheme that could lead her to the mastermind of the murders - or make her the next victim. . .

Deaths and mysteries abound in this cozy English outing from New York Times bestseller Leslie Meier.

“I like Lucy Stone a lot, and so will readers.” —Carolyn Hart

"Fans of Murder, She Wrote may want to try this latest in a series that is well written and enjoyable." –The Evansville Courier and Press

“The Lucy Stone mysteries will appeal to fans of domestic mysteries.” —Booklist

“Mothers everywhere will identify with Lucy Stone and the domestic problems she encounters.” —Publishers Weekly

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Release date: Aug 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9781509851836

Leslie Meier

Leslie Meier is the acclaimed author of the Lucy Stone Mysteries and has also written for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. She lives in Harwich, Massachusetts, where she is currently at work on the next Lucy Stone mystery.

Reviews for English Tea Murder

[auntie0nanuuq · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the first time, to my recollection, I have ever read a mystery by Leslie Meier, and I was pleasantly surprised.I usually am put off by "cute-cozy" and sparky, whiny, small-town women whom all seem too good to be true; however, I have run out of books to read, my TBR is mostly Tudor Fiction (I need a rest), and since we have a new County Library Director w/ her own blatant personal bias so our collection has gone to hell damnation (all books purchased are by people who know nothing and care naught about purchasing books of interest for any of the upper income level communities)... So, as the collection has gone to hell in a handbasket, I was forced to peruse the book sale and I ended up with this & an Agatha Raisin book as well.Back to my review: four friends, one is Lucy Stone, the protagonist in the series, are off on a trip to England with a local college professor. Prior to boarding the plane, Lucy notices several odd incidents w/ the professor, and for some reason his asthma acts up while boarding the plane. Mid-flight he succumbs to anaphylactic shock.The college then sends another professor to take over the tour, he has a past w/ Lucy from when she was a college student, which he tries to take advantage of.... but the professor is also making whoopee (check out that term) with one of the students on the tour.There are mysterious events taking place on the tour, one of the students attempts to kill herself in Brighton by jumping off the pier, a friend of Lucy's is pushed into traffic, and two of the student's pull a knife on another of Lucy's friends, and then everyone (almost everyone) confesses, but it's not really over.....The plot is loosely based on two of Agatha Christie's more famous works: "The Mousetrap" and "Murder on the Orient Express".I liked the tour information, seriously it was like being an armchair traveler without photos and I like the extra bit at the end (the conclusion).What took this down 1 &#9733 for me, was the beginning when being introduced to Lucy, she was whiny... I hate that.I may or may not read another, but between this & Agatha raisin, I was able to read 2 books in 1 1/2 days.

[iambookish-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The setting was wonderful but the mystery itself was very far fetched. I felt like the author just wanted to write about a trip to London (which I did't mind!), and the plot was an after thought.

[lhaines56 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a great book that had me stumped until the end! I had to laugh about how Lucy and her friends could never find an open tea room in, of all places, England!

[beth3511 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not a great mystery...I pegged the killer within the first chapter. But I really enjoyed the visits to the various landmarks. Felt very atmospheric. Lucy is still being run over a bit, by her friend Sue, but not by her boss (too much) or her kids.

[katebaxter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A quick and easy read with the murderous culprit a bit predictable. None the less, it was very entertaining. Revisiting the sights and sounds of London and its surrounding through the characters' impressions and observations was a delight and makes one want to book that flight and immediately head for the V&A Museum (preferably leaving the tourgroup behind). This book is sixteenth in the Lucy Stone series and no doubt - the others would be equally delightful. Synopsis:Lucy Stone is saying cheerio to Tinker’s Cove and jetting off to jolly old England! But when things get dodgy, it appears murder may have followed her across the Atlantic...Between a busy family and her duties as a reporter for the Pennysaver, Lucy could use a break. So when her friend Pam tells her about a trip to England sponsored by Winchester College, she jumps at the chance for a girls getaway. But when tour leader Professor George Temple dies mid-flight after suffering an asthma attack, Lucy’s glad she packed her sleuthing skills...In London, Lucy and her pals try to forget their harrowing journey across the pond by indulging in some retail therapy and searching for the perfect afternoon tea, from the Tower of London to the shores of Brighton. Professor Quentin Rea, a ladies’ man and former flirt of Lucy’s, arrives to take over the tour, and she finds that while his hairline may have receded, his amorous intentions have not. She also begins to notice the peculiar behavior of other members of the tour group. And when she discovers that all of them have pasts connected to Professor Temple, she suspects that his death was an elaborate act of revenge.The truth is as elusive as the perfect cup of tea, and it seems that anyone-or everyone-could be the culprit. But when another tour member dies Lucy is suddenly ensnared in a daring scheme that could lead her to a mastermind of murder-or make her the next victim...

[jiraiya_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

English Tea Murder is the kind of book that divides opinion. It's also an easy book to read and also to write. Despite the tired trick of the author to make us believe what's happening and despite the lack of tension in the book, I don't consider the latter a guilty pleasure. I give scores to books that I read based on how often my brain is inundated with niceness, comfort, anticipation, adventure, escapism, and its bitter enemy/double agent: realism. I thought not many of the questions were fully answered. The whole stuff about Caroline's mishap was hardly addressed, unless the whole explanation was summed up in one phrase and I missed it. This book is not perfect and there was never a point where I went, yeah, five stars. Instead I believe, the book came from behind to get its 4 stars out of the blue. If only other books in the series shared similar characteristics. A couple of my favorite characters, Bill and Zoe, got simply some mentions, and they never appeared, even when Lucy had been back in her home town for two bloody months! But I admit Leslie Meier wanted to try different strokes. She maybe got fed up coming up with new, unlikely interactions among the Stone family. A word about the last victim in the book. It was her fate that sealed the high score for the book. All things considered, this book was enjoyable, especially compared to the books that I had to ditch this week. I enjoyed reading this, so I consider this mission, accomplished.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lucy Stone and some of her friends join a tour group from Winchester College to England. While still in the air, the tour leader dies of an allergic reaction. A doctor on board the plane who is a member of the group is unable to save the man in time. Lucy and her friends begin to notice some strange things. One member of the group attempts suicide; Lucy's friend Pam is barely spared when pushed in front of traffic. Could the members of the group be involved in a conspiracy? If so, what possible reason could they have had to murder a well-beloved professor? The mystery element in this book is fairly light. The book is mostly an account of a visit to England with a few misadventures along the way. While I enjoyed the sights and sounds of England, I was a bit disappointed that there was not a more clear-cut murder in this one.

[anntstobbs · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was OK but not the best in the Lucy Stone series. Lucy has joined a tour group going to England. On the plane, the tour leader has an asthma attack and dies suddenly. The group lands in England and waits for the new tour leader to arrive. Lucy's investigative instincts see more than a medical reason for his death. This is a good read but it drags a bit in places and took longer to read than some of the other books in this series.

[psychdoc66 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked the story and enjoyed the details about England. The story kept me guessing about the identity and motivation of the killer(s).

[bemislibrary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lucy Stone’s trip to London is frivolity with death abroad and at home. *** Author Leslie Meier never seems to lack new characters to murder or places to be murdered. In English Tea Murder, the 19th novel in the “Lucy Stone Mysteries”, the author follows Lucy and friends on a college-sponsored trip to London. Meier includes extensive tour site descriptions along with character conversations that illustrate awkward interactions often found between tour group members. The action begins after Lucy watches tour group leader, Professor George Temple, as he slowly dies en route to London. Group reactions leave Lucy wondering if the Professor’s death was accidental or murder. Lucy suspects at least one other person knows the truth in this whodunit. The real question in this book is not where Lucy can find an English cup of tea, but whether the reader will figure out the ending before Lucy does.

[wearylibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lucy & her friends head to London and the tour leader, George Temple, dies on the plane. Lucy, of course, feels the urge to assist Scotland Yards solve what they say is an accident (allergic reaction) and Lucy says is murder.I used to love the Lucy Stone mysteries but this book was lacking something. I think it may be time for Lucy Stone to retire.

[aardvark2_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Disappointing. The story takes place on a trip to England and the book is largely a travelogue.