Easter Basket Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross

Available: January 23, 2024

Rating: 5 easter eggs

DEATH BY EASTER EGG by LEE HOLLIS

Dustin and his girlfriend Mackenzie have come home to Bar Harbor for Easter with their toddler son, Eli. As Eli is bouncing around on a sugar high he disappears from a local Easter egg hunt and as she's searching for her grandson, Hayley stumbles upon the body of the local bank security guard. How did he end up dead from exposure to peanuts in the middle of the Easter egg hunt?

I love Hayley! She's a loving wife, a supportive mother, a phenomenal cook, a wonderful friend, and now she's the world's most tolerant grandmother. This story sees her hunting down clues as to how the town's Easter bunny got taken down by an allergy he was totally prepared to combat against a backdrop of bank robbery. We also get to read some fun reminiscing from the old days along with several delicious recipes for dishes that would be perfect for a holiday potluck.

HOPPED ALONG by BARBARA ROSS

Windsholme is getting ready to open for the upcoming clambake season and Julia and her family are preparing for a busy summer when an innocent Easter egg hunt ends in the discovery of the body of a stranger on the island. But when Julia summons help they discover the body has disappeared. A few days later Julia discovers the body - alive and well - at her friend Quentin's house. And a few days after that, he's dead again?

I really like where this series is going. I've always enjoyed the books but Julia's relationship with Chris (and Chris in general) always rubbed me the wrong way. Now Chris is out of the picture and Julia is involved in a relationship with Tom, a detective from the State Police. While I have my reservations about their relationship I definitely like Tom better than Chris and I like how they can each do their own thing. We have yet to see if Tom is the kind of guy who will be there for Julia when she needs him but I like where things are going. This particular story has a very interesting premise and the wrap-up is even more interesting. I would have liked to see this be a full-length novel because I think there was a lot more that could have happened and the wrap-up was pretty quick.

I did not read the Easter Basket Murder by Leslie Meier, however I really enjoyed both the other stories and highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of any of the authors featured in this collection.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.