Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite

Lucy Stone and her friends Sue, Pam, and Rachel are on a trip to England, organized by Professor George Temple of Winchester College. To her horror, Professor Temple dies of an allergy attack on the flight. Getting beyond the shock of Temple's death, Lucy and the others on this trip visit the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and other historic sites, as they enjoy or fret over English breakfasts and the elusive luxurious afternoon teas. Meanwhile, Quentin Rea, also a professor at Westminster College, flies into London to take George Temple's place. Lucy, good sleuth that she is, watches the four young people on her tour as George Temple, once a financial adviser, had damaged their families terribly by defrauding them. She also watched Quentin Rea, an aging Lothario, who may have wanted to take over Temple's position at Westminster.

Did George Temple die naturally, or was he killed? And who really were the murderers? That is what Lucy Stone begins to wonder as English Tea Murder spins to its conclusion.

English Tea Murder, the latest in Leslie Meier's murder series featuring newspaper reporter Lucy Stone from Tinker's Cove, Maine, is fun to read. It is well organized in the old Agatha Christie style of drawing together characters, all of whom seem a bit guilty, and by throwing in a "red herring" or two, eventually concludes which of them is the culprit. Lucy Stone and the other characters are amusing but not terribly deep literary characters as they make their way through the story, eating, shopping, and sightseeing their way through England. This story and others in the series will make nice additions to library shelves everywhere.