Wedding Bells Brew Murder by Carolyn Arnold Series: Sara and Sean Cozy Mystery #2
Published by Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc. on August 29, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / Animals, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / Crafts, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / Culinary, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Private Investigators, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths, Fiction / Romance / Police & Law Enforcement, Fiction / Women
Pages: 266
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
With all the guests at Sara and Sean’s wedding suspected of murder, her walk down the aisle will need to wait...
Everything is going perfectly on the big day until Sara opens the door of her bridal suite. Darlene Day, who made the wedding cake, falls into the room, a serving knife plunged into her back.
As the organists start to play “Here Comes the Bride,” Sara calls a pause to the proceedings. There’s a murder to solve, and the motive may be in the icing.
Darlene wasn’t the most loved person in the small town of Cotton Spring Falls, but rumor has it that she refused the offer of a big franchise to buy her bakery. Did they go so far as murder to put her out of business?
But when it’s discovered their wedding cake was poisoned, Sara and Sean could have been the intended victims all along. Did Darlene stumble upon the killer’s conspiracy and they silenced her before she could reveal their secret? Is it someone on the invitation list or the mysterious wedding crasher?
As long as the coffee is hot, and Sara has Sean and her beagle, Magnum, at her side, she isn’t going down in a heap of tulle and lace.
Wedding Bells Brew Murder is a closed-room mystery in the fashion of the great Agatha Christie that fans of Emma Davies, Verity Bright, and Helena Dixon will enjoy reading.
My Review
This book review will contain spoilers from the first book in the series.
I want to thank Netgalley, the author Carolyn Arnold, and Hibbert & Stiles Publication Inc. for the ARC of Wedding Bells Brew Murder. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Everything I write here will be my own thoughts and opinions. As I said at the top of the blog this post will contain spoilers for the first book so heads up. Now let us get into my thoughts Reader I hope you enjoy.
Spoiler from Book One: Sara and Sean were not only homicide detectives but also partners so the idea of a romantic relationship for the two of them was off the table. It wasn’t until Sean came into some money that allowed them both to give up their jobs and admit their feelings for one another.
Book Two:
She has dreamt of this day for a long time. It took months of planning but the wonderful day has finally arrived for Sara and Sean, their wedding day. Everything is going to be perfect with Magnum (their adopted beagle), their friends, and family in attendance (four hundred plus) along with the security guards, caters, and of course the baker Darlene Day. I mean really what could go wrong? Darlene Day is what goes wrong. Darlene opened the door to the bridal suite only moments before Sara and her ladies were supposed to head to the ceremony. She is acting strange which isn’t surprising since she has a cake knife shoved into her back. The last word on her lips is icing. Sara’s perfect day has just taken a wrong turn. There has been a murder. The perfect wedding has just turned into a crime scene.
Sara and Sean fall back into detective mode except this time they are not actually detectives and run the risk of being arrested for nosing around a crime scene by Ryan the cop leading up the case. Sara and Sean’s sleuthing has uncovered more than just a murder but a very big problem for everyone in attendance. Was Darlene murdered by someone she knows? Was it revenge? Does the word icing which I mentioned earlier have anything to do with her murder or could it be something more? Does Sara and Sean’s past cases have something to do with it? One thing is for sure the suspect list is enormous and the day never seems to end for Sara and Sean.
In the second installment of the Sara and Sean Cozy Mysteries Series, we follow Sara and Sean as they try to solve the crime that has taken over their wedding. We not only follow characters from the previous book but we also meet new characters. I think that it is essential to note that if you love animal companions in a cozy mystery then you will love that Magnum appears throughout the book. He is up to his usual antics and for me, he is one of the main characters and probably my favorite. This book had me turning pages and constantly guessing who the murderer was. I am happy to say that this book is so much more than what the description gives. I loved the mysteries in the story and I was surprised at who was behind it all. I do not know how many books will be in this series but I am letting you know Reader that if it continues past two books I will be reading the rest. I have very much enjoyed my adventures with Sara, Sean, and Magnum.
If you are looking for a cozy mystery to snuggle up with this summer or even moving into the cooler months then please pick this one up. It has all the typical elements of a cozy mystery, small town, sleuthing, and animal companions. I mean really what more can you ask for in a cozy mystery? Oh, and this one has more than just one mystery to solve which I found to be entertaining, and like I said this made it a real page-turner for me. Once again I want to thank Netgalley, Carolyn Arnold, and Hibbert & Stiles Publication Inc. for this advanced copy.
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