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Order of Leslie Meier Books
Born in the midst of a post-war America on July 6, 1942, Leslie Meier is a name that’s become synonymous with charmingly deadly small-town mysteries. A master of the cozy crime genre, Meier didn’t just stumble into writing—she slowly brewed her storytelling skills over decades of life experience, journalism, motherhood, and a relentless fascination with the peculiar darkness hiding behind suburban white picket fences.
Meier was raised in the town of Springfield, Massachusetts, and eventually earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Bridgewater State College. But the tidy narrative ends there—because Leslie Meier didn’t dive straight into writing bestselling novels. Oh no, her path was as unpredictable as one of her fictional murder scenes. She began her career in journalism, working for local newspapers and freelancing for Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. This sharpened her instinct for what makes a crime compelling and characters believable—skills that would one day explode into her Lucy Stone Mystery Series.
The true irony? Meier was living her own version of Lucy Stone’s life—juggling kids, casseroles, and community gossip—before she ever wrote about it. Writing at the kitchen table while her children napped or played nearby, she turned the mundane into the murderous. And suddenly, with Mail Order Murder (later republished as Mistletoe Murder), Leslie Meier carved out a niche that would catapult her to cozy mystery fame.
Her stories are as wholesome as pumpkin pie—until someone winds up dead in a snowbank. With Lucy Stone, a part-time journalist and full-time amateur sleuth, Meier created an everywoman hero whose world of PTA meetings, town festivals, and dog walks often spirals into cleverly plotted chaos. The contrast is deliciously ironic: crimes that shock, delivered in a voice that feels like your favorite neighbor dishing the latest gossip over coffee.
As of now, Leslie Meier is alive, writing, and still crafting murder with a smile. Her books have found a devoted following among readers who crave intelligent mystery without the gore. Each title doubles as a festive holiday guide and a puzzle box, drawing readers back to the quaint New England town of Tinker’s Cove where no celebration is safe from a corpse.
But here’s the twist: while her readers feel comforted by the cozy charm of her narratives, there’s always a jagged edge to Meier’s tales—murder lurking in the everyday. It’s that tension between nostalgia and noir that keeps fans devouring her books year after year.
And now the cliffhanger—Leslie Meier has hinted at winding down her long-running series. But will Lucy Stone ever hang up her sleuthing hat? Or will one final mystery lead to the most shocking revelation of all?
If you're not reading Leslie Meier yet, you're missing a delightful descent into danger—disguised as a bake sale.
Publication Order of Series Books
Publication Order of Lucy Stone Mysteries
| Title | Year | Amazon Links |
|---|---|---|
| Mistletoe Murder | 1991 | Amazon |
| Tippy Toe Murder | 1994 | Amazon |
| Trick or Treat Murder | 1996 | Amazon |
| Back to School Murder | 1997 | Amazon |
| Valentine Murder | 1999 | Amazon |
| Christmas Cookie Murder | 1999 | Amazon |
| Turkey Day Murder | 2000 | Amazon |
| Wedding Day Murder | 2001 | Amazon |
| Birthday Party Murder | 2002 | Amazon |
| Father's Day Murder | 2003 | Amazon |
| Star Spangled Murder | 2004 | Amazon |
| New Year's Eve Murder | 2005 | Amazon |
| Bake Sale Murder | 2006 | Amazon |
| St. Patrick's Day Murder | 2008 | Amazon |
| Mother's Day Murder | 2009 | Amazon |
| Wicked Witch Murder | 2010 | Amazon |
| English Tea Murder | 2011 | Amazon |
| Chocolate Covered Murder | 2011 | Amazon |
| Easter Bunny Murder | 2013 | Amazon |
| Christmas Carol Murder | 2013 | Amazon |
| French Pastry Murder | 2014 | Amazon |
| Candy Corn Murder | 2015 | Amazon |
| British Manor Murder | 2016 | Amazon |
| Turkey Trot Murder | 2017 | Amazon |
| Eggnog Murder | 2017 | Amazon |
| Yule Log Murder | 2018 | Amazon |
| Silver Anniversary Murder | 2019 | Amazon |
| Invitation Only Murder | 2019 | Amazon |
| Christmas Card Murder (with Lee Hollis & Peggy Ehrhart) | 2020 | Amazon |
| Irish Parade Murder | 2021 | Amazon |
| Halloween Party Murder (with Lee Hollis & Barbara Ross) | 2021 | Amazon |
| Easter Bonnet Murder | 2022 | Amazon |
| Haunted House Murder | 2022 | Amazon |
| Irish Coffee Murder (with Lee Hollis & Barbara Ross) | 2023 | Amazon |
| Mother of the Bride Murder | 2023 | Amazon |
| The Christmas Thief | 2023 | Amazon |
| Gingerbread Cookies and Gunshots | 2023 | Amazon |
| Candy Canes of Christmas Past | 2023 | Amazon |
| Easter Basket Murder (with Lee Hollis & Barbara Ross) | 2024 | Amazon |
| Patchwork Quilt Murder | 2024 | Amazon |
| Bridal Shower Murder | 2025 | Amazon |