Title:	Valentine Candy Murder
	Author:	Leslie Meier
	Published:	December 18, 2018, Kensington Publishing
	No. of Pages:	416
	Cover Price:	$12.95 Paperback, $8.99 Kindle

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Lucy Stone, beloved protagonist of dozens of culinary mysteries - typical housewife, and reporter for a small paper in her small New England town, Tinker’s Cove - has two murders to solve in Valentine Candy Murder, by Leslie Meier. In the first, Valentine Murder, Lucy finds herself on the library board, and at her first meeting, the new librarian (a woman many don’t particularly like) murdered in the library basement. The police suspect the murderer is one of the board members, and Lucy works to investigate who it is. Unfortunately, she gets herself into trouble, and may not survive herself.

In the second mystery in the book, Chocolate Covered Murder, a very flirty sales clerk at a high-end chocolate store is found not only murdered, but covered in chocolate. There are dozens of suspects, but as Lucy investigates and gets closer to discovering the murderer, she gets too close to the number one suspect and is close to ending up like the flirty clerk.

Those readers who are familiar with Meier’s characters in this charming series, know Lucy, her family, and some of her friends, as viable people similar to acquaintances in real life. The books cover Lucy as she raises her children – in Valentine Murder, her children are small and in Chocolate Covered Murder, her children are grown, she is a grandmother, and most of her children are gone – and her life evolves through the years. Although there is no graphic violence, sex, or language, there is still building suspense throughout both novellas; they are suitable for all ages.

Valentine Candy Murder is fun to read; Tinker’s Cove is a make-believe small town where things are almost perfect (except for a high incidence of murders, or course) and they are feel-good mysteries that are light and fast moving. There is enough food mentioned that foodies will get plenty of good ideas for treats and dinner.

It seems that this series has a mystery for every holiday, so it’s perfect to have something to read that relates to special times of the year.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.