Wedding Bells Brew Murder by Carolyn Arnold – a Review

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Description:
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.

Review:

Wedding Bells Brew Murder by Carolyn Arnold is the 2^nd book in her Sara and Sean Cozy Mystery series. I am a big fan of Carolyn Arnold, having read all her different series; and I am happy to say I have been enjoying Sara and Sean Cozy Mysteries.

Sara and Sean are getting married, with Sara, her mother, and bridesmaids ready to move out of the dressing room, when Darlene, the wedding cake baker pushes through the door.  She stumbles and collapses, with a knife in her back, crying “icing” and dies.  Of course, the wedding is now on hold, with 400 guests locked in the venue, while the police arrive and begin their investigation.

Sara and Sean decide to do some of their own investigation, since it was their wedding and the victim was a friend.  The detective in charge, Ryan, who used to work with Sara, was very belligerent, threatening them to be arrested, if they tried to do their own sleuthing. In time, Ryan and his partner agree to let them help with the investigations, especially with so many suspects.  Darlene, it seems had enemies, since a company was pushing to sell her bakery to them, and many townsfolk wanted her to sell, so that it will help promote the town better. We learn that another person was also out to hurt Sean from a past case.  Who poisoned the icing on the wedding cake? Who killed Darlene and was the person trying to kill Sean part of the murder?

There were so many suspects, with Sara and Sean looking at every angle; Darlene’s niece, Mercer the bad guy after Sean, Bakery company owner who wanted her to sell, a wedding crasher and other suspects along the way. I really loved Sara and Sean together, as they made such a great couple.  I adored their dog, Magnum (a beagle), and their ex-Sargent, Jimmy was a great help.

What follows is an exciting, suspenseful, entertaining, and fun story. Both Sara and Sean manage to find a number clues with some twists, that will help find the real killer. To say too much more would be spoilers, especially with so many suspects that keep you on the edge of your seat.  Wedding Bells Brew Murder was a wonderful murder mystery, in a small town, dangerous killers, as well as a fun romance. Wedding Bells Brew Murder was very well written by Carolyn Arnold. This is a fun series, which I suggest you start to read with the first book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for Review