Cue the Easter Bunny (M) by Liz Evans “Things get hopping for P.I. Grace Smith when she dons a bunny outfit to earn a little extra money handing out promotional items. While she’s on the job, one of Grace’s business cards falls into the hands of Della, a woman whose son, actor Jonathon Black, has been receiving threatening letters. Jonathon is married to television soap star Clemency Courtney, and Grace gets her foot in their door by telling the couple that Della has hired her to be a gardener for their estate. Grace, of course, knows nothing about plants (except how to cut them down), and the closer she gets to catching the villain, the worse the landscaping looks. A witty, wisecracking heroine who manages to bungle her way to solving the case; colorful characters; hilarious, often improbable situations; and snappy dialog all add up to a very fun read. This is the sixth (after Sick as a Parrot) title in the “PI Grace Smith Investigations” series for a writer called the British Janet Evanovich. Though this book works as a standalone, libraries should also consider the other books in the series. Highly recommended.” -Library Journal Easter Bunny Murder (M) by Leslie Meier “At the start of Meier’s delightful 19th Lucy Stone mystery (after 2012’s Chocolate Covered Murder), the families gathered outside elderly Vivian Van Vorst’s mansion, Pine Point, in rural Tinker’s Cove, Maine, for VV’s annual Easter egg hunt are puzzled to find the gates closed. Then the Easter Bunny emerges from the house, runs clumsily toward the gates, and collapses on the ground. The Easter Bunny-VV’s grandson, Van Vorst Duff-dies on the way to the hospital. VV had always been generous with her wealth, but Lucy, part-time reporter for the local newspaper, learns that she has been reclusive recently and funds may have been tight. Did some envious family member off Duff because he was VV’s heir, or did he die of natural causes? If it’s murder, is money or revenge the motive? Cozy fans will enjoy Lucy’s hunt for the truth” – Publisher Weekly Death and the Easter Bunny : a mystery (M) by Linda Berry “On a spring night in Ogeechee, Georgia, Trudy Roundtree, the town’s first woman police officer, arrives at a fire and finds the former son-in-law of the most powerful man in town dead, apparently from smoke inhalation. The autopsy reveals that Reed Ritter was murdered. Because the rest of the police force, including Trudy’s cousin, the chief of police, is hospitalized from sitting in poison oak on a drug stakeout, Trudy is left to find Ritter’s killer in a thicket of suspects. This very strong first novel has lively writing and dialogue, realistic characters, and a surprising mystery. Berry balances wisecracking dialogue and funny situations with poignant insights on children, parents, and families. Readers of Joan Hess’ wildly popular Maggody novels will be interested in this title, as will fans of such lesser-known southern mysteries as Jody Jaffe’s In Colt Blood and Toni Kelner’s Tight as a Tick.” -Booklist
