Spring has officially arrived (at least in the Western Hemisphere) and with it comes a time for hope, love and new beginnings. Often those three things are tied together in the form of wedded bliss. From long beautiful wedding gowns covered in lace to multi-tiered cakes, bouquets, and champagne; weddings are major events which require a great deal of planning and can come with a hefty price tag. Not surprisingly, planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. Unfortunately, not all handle the stress well; some live up to the name ‘bridezilla.’ To alleviate stress, many couples hire wedding planners to take care of the details and insure the ceremony proceeds like a well-oiled machine. However, even the best laid plans can fail. Cozy mysteries have shown us that sometimes planning a wedding can be deadly. In the newest book in my Mystery Bookshop series, Wed, Read & Dead, mystery bookshop owner and cozy mystery writer, Samantha Washington is faced with two weddings. Sam is corralled into serving as a bridesmaid in her mother’s quickly approaching nuptials, while also plotting a wedding in the turbulent 1938 British historic cozy she’s writing. Both couples have hired wedding planners, but when they’re murdered, these couples are faced with an entirely different type of premarital stress. Below are 7 wedding themed cozies from some of my favorite cozy authors which will force readers to unravel the knot that ties matrimony to murder.
Donna Andrews, Murder with Peacocks, A Meg Langslow Mystery
As if one wedding wasn’t challenging enough, Donna Andrews features three weddings in the first book in the Meg Langslow Mystery Series. Meg Langslow is serving as the bridesmaid and wedding planner for her mother, her brother’s fiancé and her best friend. All three weddings are to be held in her small, Virginia hometown. When one of the meddlesome guests is murdered, Meg must find the murderer and stop a string of accidents before she or someone she loves becomes the next victim.
Stephanie Blackmoore, Gown with the Wind, A Wedding Planner Mystery
The fourth book in Stephanie Blackmoore’s Wedding Planner Mystery Series has echoes of Gone with the Wind, complete with a replica Scarlett O’Hara gown, a quirky love match, and a massive battle between the bride’s grandmother (a Gone with the Wind enthusiast) and the groom’s mother, Hurricane Helene (the name speaks volumes). Professional wedding planner and B & B owner, Mallory Shephard, is tasked with planning a wedding for her ex-fiancé. When the bride-to-be switches her wedding theme at the last minute, a series of events leads to murder. It’s up to Mallory to find the murderer and save the day.
Kate Collins, Dearly Depotted, A Flower Shop Mystery
The Flower Shop Mystery Series has been adapted by Hallmark for television. In the books, Abby Knight is a young, single law school dropout who uses her college trust to buy a failing florist shop. Unlike the Hallmark version featuring Brooke Shields who plays a successful, widowed, former lawyer who is old enough to be the mother of a law school student. In this third book in the series (there are nineteen to date), Abby’s cousin Jillian is getting married (again). Abby is holding down the role of bridesmaid, florist and grandma-sitter. When she stumbles across a dead body, she puts her sleuthing skills to work finding the real killer. If you’ve read the books but not seen the movies or vice versa, I recommend you try both. There are enough differences between the two to keep cozy fans entertained.
Marla Cooper, Dying on the Vine, A Destination Wedding Mystery
Wedding planner, Kelsey McKenna, doesn’t plan to pick up a new client at the Wine Country Wedding Faire, after all, wine country is the domain of Babs Norton, the self-proclaimed Queen of Wine Country Weddings. Kelsey doesn’t want trouble and goes to talk to Babs, but she’s too late. Babs is dead. When she’s accused of the murder, she needs to clear her name. After a second wedding planner is attacked, Kelsey has to uncover the killer before she becomes the killer’s next victim. Dying on the Vine is the second book in the Destination Wedding Mystery series.
Joanne Fluke, Wedding Cake Murder, A Hannah Swensen Mystery Series
Cozy mystery lovers will also be very familiar with this popular series by Joanne Fluke, especially when considering this is the 19th book in the series. Even those unfamiliar with the books may have seen the Hallmark Channel’s, Murder, She Baked, mysteries, which were based on Fluke’s popular series. In this installment, baker extraordinaire, Hannah Swensen, is getting married to her college crush. Winning the Hometown Challenge in Food Channel’s Dessert Chef contests, brings the entire production from New York City to Lake Eden. When celebrity chef, Alain Duquesne is murdered, Hannah steps in to solve the murder. Readers in this series get not only a delightful mystery to solve, but are also provided with delicious recipes that will warm their cozy-loving hearts.
Nancy Parra, Engaged in Murder, Perfect Proposals Mystery Series
Pepper Pomeroy is an unemployed event planner. When her sister’s boyfriend hires her to insure his marriage proposal is perfect in every way, she gladly accepts. The proposal onboard a private jet goes off without a hitch, and Pepper is set to launch a new career as a professional wedding proposal planner. That is, until she finds a dead body in the bathroom of the jet hanger. It’s up to Pepper to catch a killer and protect her sister’s happily ever after. Readers won’t make a long-term commitment to this series, as there are (sadly) only three books. However, I encourage readers to stay engaged by checking out other books by this author under the penname, Nancy Coco.
Teresa Trent, Buzzkill, Pecan Bayou Series
In the midst of planning her wedding, Helpful Hints columnist, Besty Livingston, prints a recipe for homemade calamine lotion in the local newspaper. The concoction is well received until someone is found dead after using it. It’s up to Betsy to clear her name, save her career and plan a wedding before she turns into a bridezilla. Curious about the calamine lotion? Trent includes, the recipe along with other helpful hints in the back of the book.
