[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Addie is focused on seeing her friend, Serena, married. The groom’s step-mother has been a terror throughout the planning process, ignoring the wishes of the couple. She cancelled reservations, changed their cake, and ignored their plans for a small gathering, inviting her personal friends. Addie is running interference and trying to keep things from going off the rails. She doesn’t need the distraction of a murder on the beach near where the yacht for the wedding is anchored.
She also doesn’t need the disaster of Lacey Davenport. Lacey causes trouble and chaos wherever she goes. The last time Addie saw her, Lacey stole money from Serena. There’s no way she was invited to the wedding. But she shows up, and she stirs up trouble anyway.
While Serena and her new husband are able to get away for their honeymoon, the guests who spent the night on the yacht find themselves confined on board when police find a second body connected to the yacht. It’s only a matter of time before Addie starts sleuthing.
Review
This is the sixth book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery, but it’s the first I have read. I enjoyed the setting for this – guests and suspects confined to the boat during the investigation. It’s what drew me to the story in the first place.
There’s a LOT going on in this book: two murders that may or may not be connected, a book-related mystery which draws Addie in to the investigation, affairs, secrets, suspicious, and relationship drama. There’s also a really large cast for this story. I struggled to track everyone, and at times the case seemed to spin its wheels. Maybe this would have been a better fit for me if I had read the previous books in the series. At least, I would know more of the main characters. That was really the only piece that ever left me feeling lost, even though I picked up in the middle of a series – tracking all the characters. I also struggled with some of the writing choices in this one, at least in the unedited review copy.
The mystery here is satisfying. I think series fans will enjoy this one. I always like seeing characters grow through everyday life events as a series grows, and this book includes Serena’s wedding as well as some relationship developments for a few other characters.
Rating: ♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥ = Good/Solid/Fine