Murder at the Wedding by Jane Adams

In another entertaining and enjoyable cosy mystery, Rina Martin and her clan of eclectic characters join DI McGregor at the wedding of close friend Bridie Duggan at an isolated island hotel. Some of her former husband’s contemporaries are also invited. Tensions and old family rivalries are causing unease.

The day after the wedding, a body is found. McGregor is soon back in work mode. But the foul weather is as much an enemy as the killer, trapping them all on the island. Help from the mainland is delayed by flooding, adding to the tension and unrest.

When more shots are fired and another guest’s life is threatened, everyone is on edge. While McGregor tries to keep everything under control, Rina makes her own inquiries, determined to help.

While this can be read as a standalone, you’ll get much more from the story if you’ve followed the series from the beginning. The characters and relationships have developed progressively over the series and add to the enjoyment and plausibility of events.

The closed setting and menace is palpable and the tension cranked up as the threat increases with each hour that passes. It’s all expertly handled and delivered with maximum impact to produce a thrilling climax and resolution.

If you haven’t read the series, I’d urge you to start at the beginning and enjoy this delightful, and consistently entertaining series.

Description

Meet Rina Martin, a retired actress with a taste for tea, gardening and crime solving. She played a TV sleuth for years, but now she has to do it for real.

A stunning wedding in a country house hotel. Fourteen guests. One killer.

Rina’s friend Bridie Duggan is tying the knot — at her dream venue. Milbourn House is a secluded island hotel, built on a network of twisty tunnels. Rina rows out for the ceremony, along with a handful of other guests.

But one of them has murder in mind . . .

The next day, Rina’s out exploring when a piercing scream tears through the calm. Rina races down the twisty steps to shore — to find a dead body!

This guest didn’t fall to their death. They were pushed.

A storm is rolling in on Bridie’s perfect day. Now there’s no way on or off the island. Rina can’t just stand by and wait for the police. Not when there’s a killer lurking in the dark tunnels beneath their feet.

But what if Rina’s snooping just moved her from the guestlist to the kill list?