“After all, moms were appreciated only on Mother's Day. That's why they invented it. So they could treat you like a household appliance the rest of the year.”
―
Leslie Meier,
Back to School Murder
“It all must have cost a fortune, guessed Lucy, who had lost track of the actual total sometime around December 18. Oh, sure, it had been great fun for the hour or two it took to open all the presents, but those credit card balances would linger for months. And what was she going to do about the letter? It was from the financial aid office at Chamberlain College advising her that they had reviewed the family’s finances and had cut Elizabeth’s aid package by ten thousand dollars. That meant they had to come up with the money or Elizabeth would have to leave school. She guiltily fingered the diamond studs Bill had surprised her with, saying they were a reward for all the Christmases he was only able to give her a handmade coupon book of promises after they finished buying presents for the kids. It was a lovely gesture, but she knew they couldn’t really afford it. She wasn’t even sure he had work lined up for the winter.” ― Leslie Meier, New Year's Eve Murder
“It was the eternal conundrum. Time passed too slowly, and then it was over too quickly. Hurry up and die.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“If looks could kill, she’d be a dead woman.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“Lucy had no complaints about her dinner. Anything was fine with her as long as she didn’t have to cook it.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“The dead don’t give up anything, but the living do.” ― Leslie Meier, St. Patrick's Day Murder
“and she always came away with a sense of relief that she could leave. The place” ― Leslie Meier, Irish Parade Murder
“It’s only natural,” said Phyllis. “Lord Grantham certainly wasn’t very excited about Matthew’s newfangled ideas for the estate.” ― Leslie Meier, Candy Corn Murder
“house” ― Leslie Meier, Christmas Carol Murder
“I think they call it EQ, emotional quotient. It’s kind of like IQ, but it means you’re able to sense shifts in” ― Leslie Meier, Invitation Only Murder
“As she dressed that night, Lucy remembered Catherine’s words: “If it’s true, it isn’t libel.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“I’ve been to livelier funerals,” grumbled Herb.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“In fact, she realized when they finally found their table and sat down, every single woman at the banquet was dressed in some variation of back. Black silk, black chiffon, black with beads, black with rhinestones, short black cocktail dresses, black evening dresses, and even black pantsuits. All black. There was no way she was going to get lost in this crowd, not in her pink-and-orange poppy print” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“The lights were turned off and the film began to roll. It was eerie, thought Lucy, watching the images of Luther Read flicking across the screen. Maybe he was dead or maybe he was fighting for his life, but in the darkened room he was an enormous, living presence. Then the film ended. The final image of Luther Read’s smiling face had hardly faded when the announcement came. “Luther Read, our Newspaperman of the Year, is dead.” That was incredible enough, but an even more shocking announcement followed. “Remain in your seats, please, as the police will be collecting information from everyone.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“It’s a small-town rule: Never speak ill of the dead until the estate has paid the outstanding bills.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“Murder was apparently too common-place in the big city to attract much notice. Poor Luther, thought Lucy, as she headed back to the hotel. Even in death he was only a big fish in a small pond.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“She was halfway through the revolving door when the thought hit her; she was the one who had seen Junior and Luther fighting before the banquet. She was the one had told Detective Sullivan. Overcome with guilt, she grabbed Ted’s arm and faced him. “It’s because of me,” she said. “Junior was arrested because of me!” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“A girl had to do what a girl had to do and it looked as if this girl’s immediate future included chicken Caesar salad, chocolate cake, and Cary Grant.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“They all fell silent, baffled by a new world order in which ideological and religious beliefs were used to justify violence and atrocities against innocent people going about their daily business.” ― Leslie Meier, New Year's Eve Murder
“It all must have cost a fortune, guessed Lucy, who had lost track of the actual total sometime around December 18. Oh, sure, it had been great fun for the hour or two it took to open all the presents, but those credit card balances would linger for months. And what was she going to do about the letter? It was from the financial aid office at Chamberlain College advising her that they had reviewed the family’s finances and had cut Elizabeth’s aid package by ten thousand dollars. That meant they had to come up with the money or Elizabeth would have to leave school. She guiltily fingered the diamond studs Bill had surprised her with, saying they were a reward for all the Christmases he was only able to give her a handmade coupon book of promises after they finished buying presents for the kids. It was a lovely gesture, but she knew they couldn’t really afford it. She wasn’t even sure he had work lined up for the winter.” ― Leslie Meier, New Year's Eve Murder
“It was the eternal conundrum. Time passed too slowly, and then it was over too quickly. Hurry up and die.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“If looks could kill, she’d be a dead woman.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“Lucy had no complaints about her dinner. Anything was fine with her as long as she didn’t have to cook it.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“The dead don’t give up anything, but the living do.” ― Leslie Meier, St. Patrick's Day Murder
“and she always came away with a sense of relief that she could leave. The place” ― Leslie Meier, Irish Parade Murder
“It’s only natural,” said Phyllis. “Lord Grantham certainly wasn’t very excited about Matthew’s newfangled ideas for the estate.” ― Leslie Meier, Candy Corn Murder
“house” ― Leslie Meier, Christmas Carol Murder
“I think they call it EQ, emotional quotient. It’s kind of like IQ, but it means you’re able to sense shifts in” ― Leslie Meier, Invitation Only Murder
“As she dressed that night, Lucy remembered Catherine’s words: “If it’s true, it isn’t libel.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“I’ve been to livelier funerals,” grumbled Herb.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“In fact, she realized when they finally found their table and sat down, every single woman at the banquet was dressed in some variation of back. Black silk, black chiffon, black with beads, black with rhinestones, short black cocktail dresses, black evening dresses, and even black pantsuits. All black. There was no way she was going to get lost in this crowd, not in her pink-and-orange poppy print” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“The lights were turned off and the film began to roll. It was eerie, thought Lucy, watching the images of Luther Read flicking across the screen. Maybe he was dead or maybe he was fighting for his life, but in the darkened room he was an enormous, living presence. Then the film ended. The final image of Luther Read’s smiling face had hardly faded when the announcement came. “Luther Read, our Newspaperman of the Year, is dead.” That was incredible enough, but an even more shocking announcement followed. “Remain in your seats, please, as the police will be collecting information from everyone.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“It’s a small-town rule: Never speak ill of the dead until the estate has paid the outstanding bills.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“Murder was apparently too common-place in the big city to attract much notice. Poor Luther, thought Lucy, as she headed back to the hotel. Even in death he was only a big fish in a small pond.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“She was halfway through the revolving door when the thought hit her; she was the one who had seen Junior and Luther fighting before the banquet. She was the one had told Detective Sullivan. Overcome with guilt, she grabbed Ted’s arm and faced him. “It’s because of me,” she said. “Junior was arrested because of me!” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“A girl had to do what a girl had to do and it looked as if this girl’s immediate future included chicken Caesar salad, chocolate cake, and Cary Grant.” ― Leslie Meier, Father's Day Murder
“They all fell silent, baffled by a new world order in which ideological and religious beliefs were used to justify violence and atrocities against innocent people going about their daily business.” ― Leslie Meier, New Year's Eve Murder
