Mysteries and weddings are a match made in storytelling heaven. Seriously, think of all the juicy conflict that can arise with all the abounding love, high stakes, societal expectations, and melding—and sometimes meddling—families. Not to mention the setting potential with backdrops from hilariously tacky to enviably elegant to refreshingly exotic. It’s enough to make any writer salivate. And that’s before taking the cake into account!
It makes sense given the rather colorful history of wedding traditions. The smooshing of the cake that started with the groom crushing barley bread over his bride’s head, the throwing of the bouquet that originated as a free-for-all to snatch luck from the newlywed, by fabric or petal, and let’s not forget the attendants that were initially put in place to protect the bride—or to keep her from escaping.
Traditions are foundational to matrimonial celebrations. How—or if—they’re incorporated can be a point of contention for families. Because, as any newly-engaged couple quickly learns, when it comes to weddings, everyone has an opinion. It can be about something as trivial as the font used on invitations, as pivotal as the when and where of the ceremony, or, in the case of my latest book, Till Death Do Us Port, as nonsensical as a great aunt insisting her beloved cat be included in the festivities. Tensions escalate with each decision, along with the pressure to make the big day perfect, which, in mysteries, is the stuff motives are made of.
Just picture the suspect pool: the lovebirds at the center, extended family and invited (or perhaps uninvited) guests, bridesmaids, groomsmen, caterer, officiant, wedding planner, etc.. Each with their own desires, complex relationships, and backstories. Weddings have the power to make us reflect, whether on our own romantic lives or on cherished memories of the bride or groom. Compounded with the already high tensions, these emotions can make even the most even-keeled characters behave in unexpected ways. And by unexpected, I mean entertaining. Especially when an open bar is involved.
The buildup to the “I do”s offers opportunity aplenty for mischief and misdirection to occur. Events like the bridal shower, bachelor party, and rehearsal dinner would be perfect to stage hushed conversations, stumbled upon clues, or shocking alliances. And imagine the climactic scene that could unfold during the wedding procession or show-stopper first kiss!
While weddings would make a superb backdrop for any mystery, they’re prominent in the cozy subgenre. In cozies, a sense of community is paramount, with familial bonds being a major perk, which lends itself well to such celebrations. Then there are the hooks—baking, gardening, or in my case, winemaking—which can tie in naturally and give the amateur sleuth extra agency. Plus, many cozies feature romantic subplots and is there a better payoff than seeing beloved characters in a long-running series finally tie the knot?! And I’m here for adorable animal ringbearers, an ideal job for our favorite furry sidekicks (see: Clyde, the great aunt’s furbabe in Till Death Do Us Port, who wormed his way into my—and by extension, my main character’s—heart).
So, if you find yourself craving a story with all things old, new, borrowed, and blue, check out these delightful cozy mysteries:
The Golden Tressses of the Dead by Alan Bradley
The precocious and witty twelve-year-old chemist, Flavia de Luce, is thrilled to have found the first case for her new detective agency. The only downside is it arose at her sister Feely’s wedding. When a finger is unearthed in the fruitcake, the reception takes an unexpected—and for Flavia, immensely entertaining—turn.
Here comes the Body by Maria DiRico
The colorful members of this close-knit family with ties to the Mafia are at the heart of this laugh-out-loud cozy about the recently-single Mia Carina going to work for her dad as an event planner. The ridiculous demands put upon Mia add to the hilarity, culminating in a shocking bachelor party where a dead body pops out of the cake instead of a stripper.
Wed, Read & Dead by V.M. Burns
This book perfectly captures the delicious conflict that can arise when joining two families. I ate it up, right alongside the cake-tasting descriptions, over-the-top bridesmaid dresses, and bridezilla mother. Add in an over-zealous wedding planner with the quintessentially cozy name of Lydia Lighthouse, who meets her untimely end, and readers will gladly say “I do”.
Wedding Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Hannah Swensen has finally decided between her two beaus in the nineteenth installment of this hit series, and she’s chosen **drum roll** secret option C, a new guy! With her controlling mother in charge of planning, her heartbroken love interests serving as groomsmen, and her position on a food competition show to boot, this wedding is one for the books.
Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews
The iconic Meg Langslow series includes a whopping thirty-four books to date, and begins with Meg serving as Maid of Honor in not one, but THREE weddings. The brides’ ridiculous demands—including the titular peacock—already push Meg to the brink, and that’s before murder comes into play!
Till Death Do Us Tart by Ellie Alexander
Wedding plans are afoot at Torte as Jules and the town bake up a surprise summer solstice wedding for her mother and the Professor. Their plans are complicated, though, when an investigation leads to gatecrashers at the reception—and a glass of poisoned wine.
Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding by Rhys Bowen
Lady Georgiana Rannoch is busy planning her nuptials to her longtime sweetheart, Darcy, which given her royal ties, comes with a few added challenges—and fun. But before she can waltz down the aisle, Georgie pays a visit to the country estate she and Darcy hope to make their forever home, but things are not what they seem and she soon finds herself the target of a killer.
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