One Liner: Such a fun read!
 

Julia Bird is delighted that her ex-husband Peter and his partner Christopher are marrying in her village, Berrywick. However, Christopher turns out to be a groom-zilla! Nevertheless, the wedding goes well until there’s a spat with the caterer, Desmond. 

Everything seemed fine the next morning. However, Julia finds Desmond’s dead body, and it is clearly a murder. With Christopher on the suspect list, she has to put on her sleuthing hat again and find the killer. 

The story comes in Julia’s third-person POV. 

The book should work as a standalone, but I recommend reading book #1 to get a better idea. It will also help you see the character growth in Julia and understand her relationship and dynamic with her ex-husband. It is refreshing to read non-toxic relationships between exes. 

Christopher is a typical groom-zilla but still comes across as a sweetie. The poor guy wants his wedding to be perfect. Who can say no? 

Jess, Julia’s daughter, is visiting for the first time since Julia moved to Berrywick. Must say that I like Jess very much. She is the right mix of fun and serious, childish and mature, which makes her easy to connect with. 

Now, Jake, our adorable chocolate lab, should get a special mention. He is turning out to be a lover boy! In the last book, Jake gives all his attention to Henny Penny, the boss chicken. Now, he is mesmerized by Jess and can’t take his eyes off her. And with Jess pampering her Jakey boy, there’s no stopping him! 

Little Sebastian also makes a guest entry. I love this tail-less monkey who asks Jake if he is a good boy, lol. Leave the two alone for a few minutes, and there will be loads of cleaning up to do! 

Julia and Hayley are becoming closer friends, even if Hayley wouldn’t admit it. Sean is a perfect partner, as always, being there for Julia without crowding her space and offering support without being loud. 

The mystery is solid. I like that Julia and the readers get the clues at the same time. This does make it tough when Julia takes time to connect the dots, but hey, readers have more sleuthing experience. The reveal, when it comes, seems a natural progression of the case and not something that appears out of nowhere. 

To summarize, A Country Wedding Murder is an entertaining and delightful mystery with dead bodies, food, sleuthing, suspects, laughter, and a touch of contemplation. The pacing is steady, which makes this a breezy read. Can’t wait for the next one! 

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

#NetGalley #ACountryWeddingMurder