Author: Katie Gayle
Series: Julia Bird Mysteries #5
Publisher: Bookouture
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 238
Date of Publication: March 13, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
The joyous crowd applauds as the happy couple strides down the aisle. This Cotswolds country wedding has everything – friends and family, beautiful flowers and… murder?
When Julia Bird’s ex-husband Peter and his lovely partner Christopher decide to get married in Berrywick, Julia is delighted – after all, who doesn't love a country wedding? Little does Julia know that normally calm and collected Christopher will turn into a full-on Groomzilla – and that by the end of the night, someone will end up dead.
The morning after the big day, the jolly nuptial mood turns grim when Julia discovers the lifeless body of the caterer, Desmond. Someone locked him in the cold truck and the poor man froze to death. Now looking for a murderer, all eyes are on Christopher who, mid-tantrum, had publicly threatened to kill him. Convinced that Christopher is innocent, Julia vows to find the real culprit.
Julia soon discovers Desmond had a long list of enemies as she races against the clock to clear Christopher’s name. Could his death be the work of the respected wedding planner who was heard exchanging choice words with the victim? Or perhaps it was his wife – ‘til death do them part – who didn’t shed a single tear at his funeral?
But just when Julia thinks she’s cracked the case, her prime suspect is found dead with a knife in their back. Can Julia find the murderer before they strike again?
An utterly gripping, charming cosy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love the Julia Bird Mysteries.
MY THOUGHTS:
Julia Bird is soon to attend the wedding of her ex-husband Peter. With only a few glitches, the wedding takes place and the happy couple look forward to their future together. However, the next morning, the body of the caterer is discovered. His name was Desmond and he was shut in his refrigerator truck for an extended period of time, thus the man froze to death. Definitely foul play and Julia is determined to seek answers.
Peter's new husband Christopher is one of the very first suspects that the police look into, and Julia is now bound and determined to prove Christopher's innocence, while also finding the actual killer. Just as Julia and the local police close in on the most likely suspect, another murder occurs, and they just might be back at square one.
While all of this is going on, Julia is delighted that her daughter Jess is in town for the wedding. The two have a lot of time to make up for, and Julia strives to get closer to Jess. Julia and Jess's relationship makes this cozy mystery even more engaging as this adds another layer to a series that has been enjoyable right from the very start. Also, Julia's warm relationship with the local doctor Sean is also nice to read. Oh, this review would be remiss if I were not to mention Jake, Julia's wonderful chocolate Labrador Retriever. It was quite humorous to almost see Jake with a conscience when it came to his loyalty to Julia while clearly enamored with Jess. Yes, a fun story throughout.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
https://www.facebook.com/KatieGayleWriter
https://twitter.com/KatieGayleBooks
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