Kirkus
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A trio of holiday-themed stories from a veteran team. Two family-focused trips collide in Meier’s “Easter Egg Murder.” Small-town reporter Lucy Stone is headed to Paris to visit Elizabeth, her pregnant daughter, when she meets brash, city-bred Carole Capobianco, who’s on her way to see her mother in Provence. Because of a strike in Paris, the two end up together in the French countryside, and at a dinner for the two families hosted by Carole’s mom, the cook, Mathilde, is killed. Readers would be hard-pressed to ferret out the murderer, but it’s a treat to see the interplay between Meier’s two franchise heroines. In Hollis’ “Death by Another Easter Egg,” on the other hand, it’s glaringly obvious who killed investigative reporter Emma Lane. Hayley Powell, owner of the restaurant where Emma died, grills potential suspects in a manner so confrontational that it’s no wonder she lands in the killer’s crosshairs. Ehrhart’s “An Eggy Way to Die” provides the best blend of engaging characters and a genuine puzzle. Bettina Fraser and Pamela Paterson enjoy a warm friendship that makes them natural partners when it comes to sleuthing. They have good reason for wanting to find out who killed Ellen Weatherby, leaving her body near the site of the town’s annual egg hunt: The police arrest their mutual friend Dwight Silverthorne. Ehrhart balances their investigation with personal drama, beginning but not ending with Pamela’s conflicted feelings about her relationship with her neighbor Richard Larkin. Meier promises more standalones featuring her franchise characters. Would that Ehrhart would do the same. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.