Title:	Turkey Trot Murder
	Author:	Leslie Meier
	Published:	September 26, 2017, Kensington
	No. of Pages:	304
	Cover Price:	$25.00 Hardcover, $11.99 Kindle

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Turkey Trot Murder is the 24th installment in the Lucy Stone Mystery Series by Leslie Meier. As are the previous books, this adventure is set in the tiny New England town of Tinker’s Cove, Maine, where Lucy is a reporter for a small, local newspaper, the Pennysaver.

Lucy is prepping for the upcoming Turkey Trot 5K race, which will be held on Thanksgiving Day, and is running near Blueberry Pond when she sees something in the frozen ice that turns out to be the body of Alison Franklin, a young and beautiful college student who is the daughter of the wealthiest man in town, Ed Franklin. Lucy can’t figure out why Alison would risk going out on the ice. Shortly thereafter, Ed Franklin is found in his car shot to death, and because he was very outspoken about Mexican immigrants, most in the town believe that a Mexican-American, who is also a well-known chef, Rey Rodriguez is responsible for the death, especially when he announces that he plans to open a restaurant in town.

Those who have read the previous books in the series will recognize the characters – Lucy, her husband, Bill, daughter Zoe, etc., as well as Lucy’s colleagues at the Pennysaver and her friends. Meier is a good writer and captures the small-town attitude in Tinker’s Cove. Because this mystery is a cozy, there is no graphic violence, sex, or profanity, which makes the book suitable for all ages.

Even though Turkey Trot Murder is a cozy mystery, there is some suspense, which builds throughout. Meier is excellent in the way she presents her characters, and they seem like real people in a real town that most readers will be able to relate to. The book is a fast read, so it is a good choice for a short airplane trip or lazy afternoon. The one negative about this and the previous mysteries in the series is the fact that there are dozens of references to food, but no recipes. Readers will be left wanting to make some of the delicious-sounding dishes at home, especially the Turkey Tacos, Pumpkin Flan, and Spicy Cranberry Salsa.

All told, Turkey Trot Murder is a fun, fast read, and will be enjoyed by cozy mystery fans.

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