New Year's Eve Murder: A Lucy Stone Mystery    by Leslie Meier Order:  USA  Can Kensington, 2006 (2005) Hardcover, Paperback     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Tinker's Cove, Maine must celebrate the New Year without Lucy Stone and her daughter Elizabeth. They are headed to New York City as winners in a makeover contest sponsored by the magazine Jolie. But all is not as it seems. When Lucy and daughter arrive at the magazine headquarters to meet the other contestants, they are disappointed to find it will not be as high end as they were led to believe. The crowning blow is the murder of the fashion editor. At the same time, Elizabeth becomes desperately ill and is rushed to an intensive care unit. Lucy, who has solved crimes in Tinker’s Cove, is determined to solve this murder. If the fashion editor was poisoned, then the same person must have caused Elizabeth's perplexing illness. Though Lucy is a reporter for the hometown newspaper, her role in life is first and foremost as wife and mother. When her daughter's life is involved, she becomes the avenging angel. She's a lovable character who will not be told what she cannot do. Strong with a backbone of steel, she can be amenable when need be. New Year's Eve Murder is Leslie Meier's 14th novel about Lucy and her small town in Maine. I enjoy Tinker's Cove and missed it in this episode, but found Lucy's perambulations in Manhattan and a suspenseful nighttime excursion to an island to be true to Lucy's character. Sprightly action moves along at a good pace, not giving readers much time to catch their breath. A fun book. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews