The Wedding Bell Mysteries Book 4
Author: Nancy Robards Thompson
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781694703121
Tule Publishing
290 Pages
$11.99; $4.99 Amazon
July 18, 2024
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Maddie Bell's life and career have hit peak stride. She's sold her cozy mystery series and is contracted for two more books; she's engaged to Hemlock's chief of police; and her mother has purchased and restored the beautiful historic mansion, Gracewood Hall, in their hometown of Hemlock, North Carolina. Three generations -- Gigi, Maddie, and Jenna -- are now happily engaged in the wedding and special event business.
But their highly scrutinized inaugural event -- the wedding of an A-List social media influencer -- becomes a murder scene before the rehearsal dinner. Kate Archer, the professional bridesmaid Jenna hired, is found bludgeoned by a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, not only threatening their new business, but also sending Jenna into a tailspin of guilt. She knew Kate from college and has begged her to fill in as the maid of honor.
Even as the police warn Maddie not to interfere with the investigation, mother and daughter set out to discover who killed Kate and dispel the growing rumors that Gracewood Hall is cursed.
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Maddie Bell writes a mystery series and owns a bridal shop. Her daughter Jenna is an events planner, and works with her. But now her mother, Gigi, has purchased Gracewood Hall, a resplendent place perfect for weddings and other events.
They've agreed to host the wedding of a social media influencer, London -- who turns out to be a bridezilla -- without cost, in return for the exposure it will give them in the future. But now they are rethinking that, since the woman has alienated every single bridesmaid and has to hire a professional one, and pretend that Kate Archer is her bestie.
Things seem to be working so far -- that is, until Kate turns up murdered, and London is found standing over her body, with the champagne bottle she was holding shattered next to the woman. Now the three generations of women must put their heads together and find the true killer before London is convicted of a crime they're certain she didn't commit. But with a manor full of wedding guests and staff, how do they figure it out? Especially since Maddie's fiance Jack is telling them to stay out of it, and he's also keeping Maddie at arms' length. Will they find a killer? Will Maddie figure out what is going on with Jack? Or will their livelihoods be ruined forever by a killer who is smarter than any of them...
This is the fourth book in the series, and I will admit that it is also the only one which I have read. Perhaps I should go back and read the first, since there are references to other books throughout; I will find the time to begin. That being said, I wish I could give this a higher rating, but I didn't care for the fact that it was shown through different POVs. I hate having to 'set one person aside' while reading another's thoughts. That's just my opinion, but it's valid for me.
Other than that, the back-and-forth was a tad confusing; and I don't really care about influencers, so perhaps I am the wrong audience for this book. However, I read it through, and did think that the murderer was a surprise and liked the climax, so that's a good thing. All in all, this was a decent book and as I stated above, I will go back and read the first in the series. Recommended.
I was given a copy of this book from the author and BookSprout but this in no way influenced my review.
More on Nancy Robards Thompson's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/nancy-robards-thompson/
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