Most Popular Books by Leslie Meier

A collection of three holiday mysteries includes stories by Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine, and Leslie Meyer, and features fourteen Christmas recipes.

Kick back with something sweet and indulge in three bite-sized Yuletide tales too good to resist! The unstoppable bestselling cozy mystery trio Joanne Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier team up for the yummiest holiday treat of the year--a special Christmas collection featuring three delectable mysteries. Gathered in one volume for the very first time, here are three Yuletide tales of mystery, murder, and romance, featuring your favorite sleuths... The Twelve Desserts of Christmas by Joanne Fluke It''s the perfect mix of naughty and nice when two lovestruck boarding school teachers watch six kids over Christmas break. But when someone wants the cozy couple''s romance to burn out faster than a scorched fruitcake, it''s Hannah Swensen to the rescue, armed with her sleuthing skills--and twelve deliciously festive recipes... Nightmare of Elf Street by Laura Levine Aside from the mortifying costume, how bad can a gig as a mall Santa''s elf be? Jaine Austen finds out when she''s teamed up with the Santa from Hell. But things go from bad to worse when he''s found murdered on the job--and Jaine is a suspect. Now all she wants for Christmas is to find the real killer... The Christmas Thief by Leslie Meier Elizabeth Stone is ready for a white Christmas in Tinker''s Cove, Maine--until a fancy Yule ball at the Florida hotel where she works dumps snow on her plans. The sponsor''s jewels have gone missing and the police are asking about her ties to a cute mystery guest. Good thing Elizabeth''s mother, Lucy Stone, flew down to surprise her. ''Tis the season for a little investigating... Includes Luscious Holiday Recipes!

Christmas is full of surprises in this holiday whodunit featuring Tinker’s Cove, Maine, reporter and sleuth Lucy Stone, her daughter, Elizabeth, and a gem of a mystery. For fans of cozy mysteries and the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author’s ever-popular Lucy Stone series. Elizabeth Stone is ready to go home to Tinker’s Cove, Maine, for a White Christmas with her mom, Lucy—until a fancy Yule ball at the Florida hotel where she works dumps snow on her plans . . . The event’s sponsor’s jewels have gone missing and the police are asking Elizabeth about her ties to a cute mystery guest. Good thing Lucy has flown down to surprise her. ՚Tis the season for a little investigating . . . [*Previously published in A Winter Wonderland]

Contains 3 novelettes. Hannah Swensen of the Cookie Jar in Lake Eden, Minn., discovers her neighbor''s head bashed in; Jaine Austen''s holiday stay at her parents'' home in the Tampa Vistas retirement community is enlivened by the murder of an elderly lothario; and, Maine reporter Lucy Stone investigates a four-year-old boy''s disappearance. Includes recipes.

While preparing for Miss Tilley''s ninetieth birthday bash, Lucy Stone stumbles upon a mystery when the town''s oldest attorney supposedly commits suicide and Miss Tilley''s long-lost niece unexpectedly arrives in town.

The holidays are the icing on the cake for bakery owner Hannah Swensen. Surrounded by her loved ones, she has all the ingredients for a perfect Christmas--until murder is added to the mix. . . When it comes to holidays, Minnesotans rise to the occasion--and the little town of Lake Eden is baking up a storm with Hannah leading the way. The annual Christmas Buffet is the final test of the recipes Hannah has collected for the Lake Eden Holiday Buffet Cookbook. ''Tis the season for trimming the tree, caroling, baking cookies, and curling up by the Yuletide waiting for Santa to drop down the chimney. But in this festive collection of holiday whodunits, murder is also paying a visit. . . "Candy Cane Murder" By Joanne Fluke When a trail of candy canes leads to a corpse outfitted in a Santa suit on a snowy bank, Hannah Swensen sets out to discover who killed Kris Kringle. . . The yuletide season in Lake Eden, Minnesota, guarantees a white Christmas, delectable holiday goodies from Hannah Swensen''s bakery, The Cookie Jar--and murder. As a shadow hangs over her friends'' Christmas wedding, Hannah''s determined to cook a killer''s goose before anyone else gets burned. . . The Cookie Jar''s busiest time of the year also happens to be the most wonderful time. . .for Christmas cookies, Hannah''s own special plum pudding--and romance! She also gets a kick out of "Lunatic Larry Jaeger''s Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot," a kitschy carnival taking place smack-dab in the middle of the village green. But then Hannah discovers the man himself dead as a doornail in his own office. . . Nothing''s better on Christmas Eve than waiting for the stroke of midnight with a cup of eggnog and a plate of warm gingerbread cookies. But in this merry collection of holiday mysteries, murder is making its own special delivery. . . "Gingerbread Cookie Murder" By Joanne Fluke When Hannah Swensen finds her neighbor Ernie Kusak with his head bashed in and sprawled on the floor of his condo next to an upended box of Hannah''s Gingerbread Cookies, she discovers a flurry of murder suspects that''s as long as her holiday shopping list.

You don’t need to be Irish to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day in Maine, where the chilly March weather offers the perfect excuse to curl up with an Irish coffee…But in these St. Patty’s-themed novellas by fan-favorite cozy mystery authors Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross, someone may have spiked this year’s brew with murder! IRISH COFFEE MURDER by LESLIE MEIER Part-time reporter Lucy Stone is writing a piece for the Courier about four Irish step dancing students from Tinker’s Cove on the cusp of making it big. But the story becomes headline news for all the wrong reasons when one girl’s mother is found dead in her bathtub . . . DEATH OF AN IRISH COFFEE DRINKER by LEE HOLLIS As owner of Bar Harbor’s hottest new restaurant, Hayley Powell offers to cater the after-party for popular comedian Jefferson O’Keefe, but it’s no laughing matter when Jefferson keels over after gulping down his post-show Irish coffee . . . PERKED UP by BARBARA ROSS It’s a snowy St. Patrick’s Day in Busman’s Harbor. But when the power goes out, what better way for Julia Snowden to spend the evening than sharing local ghost stories—and Irish coffees—with friends and family? By the time the lights come back, they might even have solved the coldest case in town . . .

Christmas past meets Christmas present in this holiday whodunit set in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, featuring reporter and sleuth Lucy Stone—and a not-so-cold case of murder. For fans of cozy mysteries and the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author’s ever-popular Lucy Stone series. When Lucy Stone discovers the body of Rick Juergens, whose five-year-old son Nemo disappeared, she senses foul play. Crumbs from a gingerbread cookie Lucy gave to Nemo are found in the back seat of Rick’s car. With the hours quickly ticking till Christmas, Lucy races against the clock to find a killer before he strikes again.

Four all-new holiday offerings from today’s favorite authors remind us that when love is on your list, you never have to stop believing. . . . “A Winter Wonderland” by #1 New York Times–bestselling author Fern Michaels Angelica Shepard left New York for Christmas in Colorado to relax and unwind—but an out-of-control snowboarder almost had her laid to rest. When she wakes up in the hospital, all she remembers is the handsome angel who saved her . . . “The Joy of Christmas” by Holly Chamberlin, bestselling author of All Our Summers Not all happiness is good for you—or that’s what Iris Karr thinks when she decides to move away instead of marrying her sweetheart Ben. Even years later, living with that decision isn''t easy—until a familiar face comes to call her home for the holidays . . . “The Christmas Thief” by New York Times–bestselling author Leslie Meier Elizabeth Stone is ready for a white Christmas in Tinker’s Cove, Maine—until a fancy Yule ball at the Florida hotel where she works dumps snow on her plans. The sponsor’s jewels have gone missing and the police are asking about her ties to a cute mystery guest. Good thing Elizabeth’s mother, Lucy Stone, flew down to surprise her. ’Tis the season for a little investigating . . . “The Christmas Collector” by New York Times–bestselling author Kristina McMorris Estate liquidator Jenna Matthews isn’t one for Christmas nostalgia. But when one grandmother’s keepsakes suggest a secret life, unwrapping the mystery leads Jenna—and her client’s handsome grandson—to the true heart of the holiday spirit.

Everyone dreams of a picture-perfect small-town Christmas, but when murder is in the cards, some holiday greetings are addressed to kill . . . CHRISTMAS CARD MURDER by LESLIE MEIER In the midst of holiday home renovations, Lucy Stone unwraps a murder mystery decades in the making when she discovers an old Christmas card with a nasty message inside. The case may be colder than a New England Christmas, but Lucy’s determined to sort it out before Santa comes to town. DEATH OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL by LEE HOLLIS The Island Times Christmas soiree gets off to a scroogey start when Hayley Powell, Mona Barnes, and Rosana Moretti receive a Christmas card from the town flirt, Carol Waterman, who threatens to run off with one of their husbands! The ladies chalk it up to an imprudent prank . . . until they find Carol mistletoe-up under her tree . . . DEATH OF A CHRISTMAS CARD CRAFTER by PEGGY EHRHART Slay bells ring when the body of Arborville High School’s beloved art teacher (and annual Christmas card designer), Karma Karling, is discovered on the first day of the Holiday Craft Fair. Now, Pamela Paterson and the Knit and Nibble crew must swap swatching for sleuthing in order to put a Christmas killer on ice. “Entertaining . . . a welcome anthology. Cozy readers seeking undemanding escape from real-life holiday hoopla will be satisfied.” —Publishers Weekly

Put on your springtime best and grab a basket, because Easter egg hunting is to dye for in this delightful new collection of Easter-themed capers set in coastal Maine and featuring fan-favorite sleuths from the long-running, bestselling cozy mystery series by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross! EASTER BASKET MURDER by LESLIE MEIER Tinker’s Cove businesses are clashing over a new Easter Basket-themed promotion to boost sales, with tensions boiling over the grand prize—a mysterious golden egg crafted by a reclusive Maine artist. When the one-of-a-kind art piece is stolen, it’s up to part-time reporter Lucy Stone to investigate what turns into a deadly case . . . DEATH BY EASTER EGG by LEE HOLLIS As Bar Harbor’s annual egg hunt approaches, Food & Cocktails columnist and restauranteur Hayley Powell is thrilled to introduce her grandson, Eli, to local springtime traditions—which does not include the death of the Easter bunny! With a clear-as-cellophane case of murder on her hands, it’s up to Hayley to crack the clues and scramble deadly plans before it’s too late . . . HOPPED ALONG by BARBARA ROSS Julia Snowden’s Easter Sunday at Windsholme, a sprawling mansion tucked away on a remote Maine island, looks like it’s been borrowed from the pages of a lifestyle magazine. But when a dead body is discovered in the garden, Julia must find out if April Fool’s Day came early or if she’s caught in a killer’s twisted game . . .

After the annual parade of Christmas presents in Tinker''s Cove has ended, reporter & sleuth Lucy Stone & her daughter Elizabeth are ready to ring in the New Year in style. Elizabeth has won mother-daughter winter makeovers in Manhattan from a magazine.

While moonlighting during the Christmas rush for a trendy mail-order house, Lucy Stone stumbles upon the body of the company''s founder and turns sleuth to find a killer in the small town of Tinker''s cove, Maine

It''s back to school time in the peaceful Maine town of Tinker''s Cover, and for mother-of-four Lucy Stone it isn''t a moment too soon. But trouble at the local elementary school soon has the sometime crime-solver juggling family, job, and night classes with another mystery to solve. And it starts with a bank. A bomb goes off with the noon launch bell, but not before all the kids are safely evacuated, and Carol Crane, the new assistant principal, is hailed as a hero. But days later, Carol is found murdered and everyone is stunned when the most popular teacher at the school is arrested for the crime. However, not everyone is buying the open-and-shut case, including Lucy Stone, who senses there''s more to things than meets the eye. It soon becomes clear that Lucy is flirting with danger, as sizzling secrets and explosive surprises provide a primer for the most diabolical of motives. Hot on the trail of a clever killer, the dedicated mom and seasoned sleuth must harness the coverage ...

Much has happened since Leslie Meier first introduced her beloved sleuth Lucy Stone with Mistletoe Murder. Many holidays and bake sales have come and gone, Lucy''s children have all grown up. But even after twenty-four books into the bestselling series, murder is never out of the picture . . . As Tinker''s Cove, Maine, buzzes over a town-wide silver wedding anniversary bash, Lucy is reminded of her nuptials and ponders the whereabouts of Beth Gerard, her strong-willed maid of honor. Lucy never would have made it down the aisle without Beth''s help, and although the two friends lost touch over the years, she decides to reach out. It only takes one phone call for Lucy to realize that a reunion will happen sooner than later--at Beth''s funeral. Beth, who was in the process of finalizing her fourth divorce, had a reputation for living on the edge--but no one can believe she would jump off a penthouse terrace in New York City. The more Lucy learns about Beth''s former husbands, the more she suspects one of them committed murder. Summoning her friend''s impulsive spirit, Lucy vows to scour New York from the Bronx to the Brooklyn Bridge in search of the killer. With each ex dodgier than the last, it''s not long before Lucy''s investigation leads her to a desperate criminal who will do anything to get away--even if it means silencing another victim.

Polyketides and nonribosomal peptides constitute two classes of natural products which are well known for their application as antibiotic, antiparasitic, antifungal, and anticancer agents. One of the most remarkable discoveries yielded by studies into the biosynthesis of these compounds has been the finding that these seemingly disparate chemical structures are produced by a similar biosynthetic logic, in which multimodular enzymes activate, condense, and tailor a series of monomer units to produce the final natural product. The finding that the sequence and identity of active sites occurring in polyketide synthase (PKS) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) enzymes dictates the structure and biological activity of the natural product has lead to studies towards reengineering these synthases for the production of novel small molecules, an approach known as combinatorial biosynthesis. However, the many difficulties encountered in such studies emphasize the need for a greater knowledge of these biosynthetic systems at the protein level before the full potential of such approaches can be achieved. The goal of the work in this thesis was to develop and apply chemical probes capable of facilitating structural and proteomic studies of PKS and NRPS enzymes, two aspects of these systems which have proven problematic to traditional methods of analysis. For this purpose, a series of fluorescence, affinity, and crosslinking probes were synthesized and evaluated for their ability to label enzyme activities commonly utilized by PKS and NRPS enzymes. These studies lead to the development of a chemoenzymatic crosslinking approach capable of directly reporting on the protein-protein interactions of the acyl carrier protein-dehydratase pair found in PKS systems, as well as methods for the specific labeling of PKS and NRPS carrier protein, ketosynthase, thioesterase, and dehydratase domains with fluorescence and affinity reagents in complex proteomic mixtures. Finally, these chemical proteomic probes were integrated with a high-content, mass spectrometry based protein identification platform for the global proteomic analysis of PKS and NRPS biosynthesis in the model bacterium Bacillus subtilis. Through their continued application such methods have the potential to provide unique insights into PKS and NRPS biosynthetic pathways, facilitating the discovery and production of new therapeutic agents.